Gunsite Celebrates Cooper's 100th Birthday With 1911 Memorial Shoot

by
posted on March 1, 2020
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
jeff-cooper-1911-memorial-shoot-gunsite-academy-final.jpg
Gunsite Academy founder Col. Jeff Cooper would have turned 100 years old in May 2020, along with his wife, Janelle, who passed away last year at the age of 99. To honor and celebrate the memory of the couple, Gunsite will host a one-day match called the Jeff Cooper Memorial Shoot. The match will be held on May 24, 2020.

In keeping with the event's title character, the shoot will be a retro-style match that incorporates several of Col. Cooper's old courses of fire. The match will not exceed 100 shooters, and the final 16 shooters will participate in a shoot-off in the famous "J Ladder" course of fire.

Fitting for an event that honors the memory of Col. Cooper, the only style of gun allowed for use in the competition is a single-stack 1911 chambered in .45 ACP. No revolvers, DA/SA semi-automatics, striker-fired guns are allowed, and extended single-stack magazines are not allowed either, and no race holsters or slide-mounted optics will be permitted. This is a classic, retro shoot performed with Cooper's favorite semi-automatic handgun structured as Saint John Moses Browning intended.

Awards will be presented to those who place in the event, and a special retro-style T-shirt is provided to each participant. Lunch is provided as well. A separate contest will be judged based on the best "BBQ" rig of a gun-holster combination. Participants can bring any gun or holster outfitted with custom stocks or grips. Winners are judged solely on looks alone.

For more information on the Jeff Cooper Memorial Shoot, stay tuned to the Gunsite Academy web and social-media pages. Some of the proceeds gathered from the shoot will benefit the Jeff Cooper Legacy Foundation. Registration for the event is now open, and interested individuals can sign up at gunsite.com.




Latest

1 9Th ID Urft River 2 45
1 9Th ID Urft River 2 45

U.S. Troops Using Captured Small Arms in World War II

American troops took a healthy interest in Axis small arms during World War II. Sometimes they were simply looking to collect a war trophy. On other occasions, GIs and Marines looked to use those firearms against their former owners.

Standing Guard | The Midterms and Freedom

Politics is something most of us only step into because we must. We’d rather smile in the warm autumn sun as we help a son or daughter, or grandson or granddaughter, break their first clay or plink steel with their first .22 rifle.

Why This DOJ Opinion on Handgun Ownership Matters

The DOJ Office of Legal Counsel recently released an opinion concluding that the federal ban on licensed firearms dealers selling handguns to 18-20-year-old U.S. citizens is unconstitutional.

I Have This Old Gun: Czech vz.27

Following World War I, Czechoslovakia needed to equip its new army, and one of its priorities was to select a service sidearm, which ultimately became the vz.27.

Rimfire M1 Refined: The Chiappa Bushranger

Italian manufacturer Chiappa is not afraid to take an original design and give it a modern twist. New for 2026, the company is taking its rimfire M1 carbine design one step further with the Bushranger.

TriStar Arms Celebrates 30th Anniversary

Established in 1996 by the father-and-son team of Gus and Ryan Bader, TriStar Arms has grown into one of the firearm industry’s most respected names in value-driven products.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.