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

Ruger/Dead Air’s Centerfire RXD
Ruger/Dead Air’s Centerfire RXD

Hunting For The Perfect Partner: Ruger/Dead Air’s Centerfire RXD

The result of a joint venture between two giants of their respective industries, the new RXD30Ti exemplifies just how beneficial a well-designed hunting suppressor can be in the field.

The Armed Citizen® Oct. 20, 2025

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

AI Summaries Reducing Firearm-Related Web Traffic, Sharing Incorrect Information

"[T]here are increasing concerns about how frequently AI systems invent false information—AKA hallucinations—with error rates in some tests reaching as high as 79 percent.”

Preview: Rite In The Rain 25 Meter M16A2/M4 Zeroing Targets

Precipitation and humidity can render a standard paper target unusable in only seconds, which is what makes Rite In The Rain’s line of weatherproof targets such a godsend for outdoor shooters.

Smith & Wesson Model 1854 Now Available In .30-30 Win.

Smith & Wesson expanded its Model 1854 series of lever-action rifles with several .30-30 Win.-chambered variants, just in time for deer season.

Preview: Making The Enfield Pattern 1853 Rifle-Musket

In Making The Enfield Pattern 1853 Rifle-Musket, author Peter Smithurst details the tools and processes used to produce this historically significant firearm.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.