Island County Club Challenge Tryouts

Today should be an interesting day. This afternoon the Central Whidbey Sportsman's Association is having tryouts for the four man handgun team to represent the club in the Island County Club Challenge match coming up in late September. The Holmes Harbor club is ALSO having their tryouts this evening at exactly the same time, and I'm a member of both clubs. Bummer!

The Oak Harbor club, Central Whidbey, and the Holmes Harbor Rod & Gun club each enter a team. Some years the Island County Sheriff's Deputies also enter a team. The match is hosted by a different club each year, and this year it's at Central Whidbey. The host club sets up the rules for the match. This year it will be a combination of pin shooting against the clock, and some steel challenge type stages, also against the clock.

Unfortunately it's center fire only, so if I want to be on the team, I have to shoot either a revolver or a center fire semi-auto, and as it's a time-scored match, the revolver is at a disadvantage. The Taurus 'Econo Race Gun Project ' gun is still not quite ready for prime time, but it's closer.

I got a chance to get to the range for a few minutes last evening to see how it's coming along, and it's getting there. The single action conversion is working perfectly, and the trigger is decent, although still a bit heavy. I haven't had time to revise the mag release button, so it still sucks. On the first PT-92's the release was at the bottom rear corner of the grip, and it's impossible to release it quickly for a mag change. I had some really light loads from a friend of mine to try, but they were just a bit too light to cycle the gun. I've got some 'store-bought' ammo I can use, though, at least for the tryouts. If I can get on the team, I've got a month or so to work up a good load for it.

To put this in perspective, they are looking for the four fastest centerfire handgunners in the club, and realistically, I'm not in the top four, at least in centerfire, so I'm going just for the fun of shooting it, and I have no expectations at all.

I'll let you know how it comes out.................