After decades of experience shooting and customizing guns so they can withstand the rigors of Fast Draw and other competitive shooting sports like CAS, Bob Munden has a lot to say.

Enjoy this edition of In His Own Words and read previous articles in the archive section below. Check back every month for more of Bob's straight talk!

TOPIC:
Remembering Jeff Cooper

Bob Munden: I just returned from the May 10th Celebration of Life for the late Col. Jeff Cooper, which was held at the NRA Whittington Center near Raton, New Mexico. Becky and I were honored to be invited to this occasion. The shooting world lost Jeff last September at the age of 86. To learn of his influence on law enforcement worldwide, self defense, the NRA and the shooting competitions in the world today, just Google his name and stand back.

My connection with Col. Cooper, his wonderful wife Janelle and their family dates back to 1956 when they moved up to the mountains east of Los Angeles to Big Bear, California, where I lived. Jeff and Janelle’s daughter Christy was in my class at school. We were 14. Sisters Perry and Lindy were younger. All three girls were very attractive and popular. I was drawn to their friendly home because of my friendship with Christy and because her father loved to talk about shooting.

Jeff was a writer for Guns and Ammo Magazine. When he wrote his first book titled Art of the Rifle, Jeff received guns to test fire and comment on. He would pick me up in his red Porsche and we would drive out to where he could fire the different high-powered rifles in a safe area. That was the first time I was able to fire high-powered rifles like the .375, .458 and .460 Weatherbys.

When Jeff organized and presented his first Leatherslap Fast Draw contest as part of the Old Miners Days celebration in Big Bear, I signed up. The only equipment I had was an Iver Johnson breakdown .38 my dad had, and a cap gun holster, which I tied around me with a bathrobe sash. A couple years later I raked pine needles from the Cooper’s yard to earn the privilege of borrowing a Colt single-action revolver from Jeff. He also let me borrow the carry holster. That was the beginning of Fast Draw for Bob Munden.

Jeff’s tournaments were well run and served him later in his writings and training courses. These events were the beginning of organized combat shooting. Col. Cooper started the Bear Valley Gunslingers Club and later the South West Combat Pistol League which lead to the International Practical Shooting Confederation or IPSC. The rest is history.

At this Celebration of Life, it was sad but also a celebration of what Jeff Cooper meant to all of us. He certainly influenced my life. I hear his voice in my head when I tell everyone who will listen about the superiority of the 1911 .45 ACP over any other choice for self defense. For that purpose I carry nothing else. When one of the guest speakers at the gathering asked how many of the over 200 attendees where carrying a loaded 1911, just about every single person raised their hand.

The memorial celebration was first class. As many people know, Lt. Colonel Jeff Cooper was a retired U.S. Marine, so it was fitting that the United States Marine Force Reserve Band played. The U.S. Marine Corps. 4th Reconnaissance Battalion Color Guard presented the U.S. Flag, and many people took the opportunity to speak about their association with Jeff and/or his Gunsite Shooting Academy located in Prescott, AZ. Mrs. Cooper and daughter Lindy spoke eloquently, and with reserved emotion, along with many close friends, associates, former students of Jeff and 1st Vice-President Ronald L. Schmeites of the NRA.

We watched a DVD presentation of Jeff’s funeral and internment in a mausoleum on the grounds of Gunsite, and also a DVD of his life that will be on sale to raise money for The Jeff Cooper Legacy Foundation.

When one of the presenters spoke about the Leatherslaps of the 1950’s and 60’s he asked if anyone in the room had shot in them. Turns out I was the only one. I entered in several matches, won my share of duals and placed 2nd in 1958 at age 16 using Jeff’s Colt .45 single action revolver.

At the end of the proceedings, ten chosen shooters stepped out and fired a total of 86 shots as a group, one for every year of Jeff’s life. Some shooters used Scout rifles (Jeff helped develop that gun) and some used 1911s. I was next to last to shoot. Cooper family friend Rich Wyatt, who organized the salute, fired the 86th and final shot in honor of Janelle using a S&W Model 60, which she carries. The entire event was a fitting tribute to an extremely influential man. -- Bob Munden

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Do you have questions about Bob Munden's Six-Gun Magic gunsmith work on single actions, Marlin Lever-Action Rifles, Stoeger (or IGA) Double-Barrel Shotguns, Smith & Wesson Double-Action Revolvers, the Bond Derringer and other guns? Call Munden Enterprises at (406) 494-2833 (8am- 8pm MST), or visit our contact page.

ARCHIVE:
Click on any topic below to access previous In His Own Words articles.

• Stock Guns - 05/05

• Grips  - 07/05

• Efficiently Cocking the Single Action & Primer Recommendations for Light Actions - 09/05

• Bob Munden -- The Collector's Edition DVD - 11/05

• Choosing a Barrel Length - 01/06

• Choosing a Caliber - 06/06

• Fast Draw and the World Fast Draw Association (WFDA) - 11/06

• Misfires - 02/07

• Remembering Jeff Cooper - 05/07

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