The SASP’s Founding Partner Sponsor, Ruger has been dedicated in their support of our program for over six years and has graciously included the SASP as a beneficiary of Ruger Auctions. Every two weeks will feature new Ruger Auctions, with all proceeds being donated in benefit of the SASP!
Our latest auction item is a stainless Ruger® GP100® Match Champion® .357 Magnum caliber, double-action revolver. This Match Champion model was introduced in December 2014 and is a current production item. Ruger’s records reflect this revolver was roll marked on August 18, 2014. The revolver was a Sales Sample, was never sold, and has never been fired beyond normal testing during manufacture. The revolver features a satin-polished stainless finish. The half lug 4.2-inch barrel features an 11º target crown with a fiber optic front sight and a fully adjustable rear sight with a white outline. It also features a custom Hogue® stippled hardwood grip and 6-shot cylinder.
The SASP’s Founding Partner Sponsor, Ruger has been dedicated in their support of our program for over six years and has graciously included the SASP as a beneficiary of Ruger Auctions. Every two weeks will feature new Ruger Auctions, with all proceeds being donated in benefit of the SASP!
This week’s auction item is a high-gloss stainless Ruger Vaquero® .45 COLT caliber single-action revolver. Ruger’s records reflect this revolver was roll marked August 19, 2011. The revolver was a Sales Sample, was never sold, and has never been fired beyond normal factory test firing. This revolver has a traditional western-style grip with birdshead black (with brown) laminate grip panels and Ruger® eagle logo medallions inlaid in the grips. Other features include a 3-3/4-inch cold hammer-forged barrel with blade front and integral notch rear sights. The 6-round cylinder is chambered in .45 COLT.
“Building a winning team.” To some, that may mean National Titles. Although the Arizona Wildgats and Straight Shooters have many of those, Head Coach Bill Perkins defines a winning team differently.
Formed in 2012, Coach Perkins began building before any equipment or athletes were added to the roster. “Philosophically, I wanted to run a top-notch team without cobbled together equipment. I knew I wanted to run gear that would be competitive so we wouldn’t grow out of our gear. Looking back on that, I think that was the right approach.”
When it comes to running a successful youth shooting sports program, Coach Perkins likes to use a tripod analogy: “You have to have the motivated adults, the kids, and a place to shoot. If any of those legs is weak, you’re going to struggle. Finances are always a struggle for every team and there’s not a magic pill. You just have to work your way through it.”
The home range for youth shooting sports is crucial to longevity. His advice for keeping a relationship with a shooting range is just that: a relationship. “We’ve got to recognize when we go to that range, we are one cog in their very big machine. My best advice would be to build a relationship with more than one representative of the range. If you have a great relationship with one guy and he leaves, you’re gunna feel the pain. You have to do a good job of telling your own story.”
His dedication to sharing the safety of firearm ownership and marksmanship is a honest and welcoming take: “I tell them right up front, this doesn’t have to be an all consuming part of your identity. After doing this for a semester or year, you’ll have a lot more understanding about firearms that will hopefully benefit you for the rest of your life.”
Building support at the community level can be more than just fellow range members. The WildGats put on a community outreach event called “First Shots”, a National Shooting Sports Foundation initiative. “This is where you start to deal with intangibles because a lot of this is honestly emotional. I can tell you this is one of the programs that makes the Arizona WildGats a stronger team. First Shots is specifically geared towards members of the public that are brand new firearms owners, how to be safe with firearms. It starts off with the basics of gun safety and the very basics of marksmanship. We are sharing this information with our community, which makes our community safer. I can’t quantify that other than to tell you, there are somewhere between 700 and 900 members of our community have been through our program.”
Participation of the International Disciplines in SASP is growing. Coach Perkins has a tip for other coaches as an easy way to begin, without incurring additional purchases. “What I would definitely do different is focus on Sport Pistol. You can take your Ruger Mark IV and take that exact same firearm, magazines, ammo and go shoot Sport Pistol without any additional equipment restraints. Sport Pistol is a more natural fit for a team of action shooters.”
Team practice more often than not, is a necessary activity but a big time crunch for the coaches, athletes, and parents. To benefit the most out of it, Coach Perkins recommends making missing matter. “A dueling tree is personal. A favorite of mine. When you’re just shooting a stage with a timer and have a bad string, you can just brush it off. But when shooting head to head against a team mate, its motivating! Or sometimes we’ll run stages Virginia Count, which means five rounds loaded in magazines for a five round stage. You’re either going to shoot a clean run or I’m kicking you off the line and up comes the next athlete. Its up to you!”
Listen to the full interview with Coach Perkins on our youtube channel:
The SASP’s Founding Partner Sponsor, Ruger has been dedicated in their support of our program for over six years and has graciously included the SASP as a beneficiary of Ruger Auctions. Every two weeks will feature new Ruger Auctions, with all proceeds being donated in benefit of the SASP!
Up for auction this week is a Ruger® No. 1 Light Sporter, single-shot rifle in 30-06 Springfield. Ruger’s records reflect this rifle was roll marked November 29, 2016. This model rifle was a limited edition distributor exclusive and is no longer in production. The rifle up for auction was one of Ruger’s Sales & Marketing photo samples. It was never sold and has never been fired beyond normal testing during manufacture. This rifle has an American walnut stock with a black rubber buttpad with the Ruger eagle logo. The pistol grip and Alexander Henry-style forearm are checkered to a borderless design. Other features include a hammer-forged 22-inch satin blued barrel and receiver; sling swivel studs; adjustable folding leaf rear sight mounted on a quarter rib with a ramp front sight base and dovetail-type gold bead front sight. The No. 1 rifle will be shipped in its original box along with a set of Ruger scope rings, sling swivels, original instruction manual and marketing materials, and locking device.
The SASP National Raffle is now open and we wanted to remind you of this additional fundraising opportunity for your team. This is open to both SCTP and SASP teams!
With six exciting guns up for grabs and a $10 ticket price, this raffle should be a great way for your team to gather additional resources for expenses this season. Please review the raffle detail packet below and contact the SASP National Office with any questions.
Thanks to our sponsors for their support of the Top Gun Challenge, rewarding these multi-discipline athletes!
Eligible athletes shot Trap, Skeet and Sporting Clays for SCTP clay target sports and Iron pistol, rifle, and 1911 pistol for SASP action disciplines.
As of September 1st, the 2024 season has begun, so athletes can start practicing for the 2024 Top Gun Challenge at Nationals, July 13-20th at the Cardinal Shooting Center.
Thank you to all of the volunteers who helped with being safety officers and score keepers for our new World Record Action Shooting Match. This year’s Scholastic Action Shooting Program Nationals had 2,320 entries with 30% female participation. For each half-day a volunteer safety officer worked, their name was put in a drawing to win firearms from our great Founding Partner Sponsors, GLOCK & RUGER.
Congratulations to this year’s winners
Rick Smith – OH Certificate for GLOCK of your choice
Tanner Gibson – TN Certificate for GLOCK of your choice
Ethan Johnson – TX Certificate for GLOCK of your choice
David Schklar – OH Certificate for GLOCK of your choice
Aaron Jones – WI Certificate for GLOCK of your choice
Doug Remling – TN Certificate for a RUGER Mark IV 22/45
Jeanie Schaefer – IL Certificate for a RUGER Mark IV 22/45
Robert Campbell – OH Certificate for a RUGER Mark IV 22/45
2024 SASP Nationals will be July 12-20, 2024 at the Cardinal Center in Marengo Ohio. If you or someone you know is interested in helping us out, below is the signup link to volunteer.
Thanks to everyone who volunteered we could not have done it without you!
Winners of the SASP Nationals Passport
Participants had to get 16 of the 18 stamps from locations at Nationals. We received 155 properly completed passports.
Congratulations to the following winners and thank you to our great sponsors GLOCK, RUGER, Hunters HD Gold and Grizzly Ears for supplying the prizes. We had a lot of compliments on the passports and are planning on doing it again next year at Nationals.
Nick Sauer – WI Certificate for a GLOCK of your choice
Randy Gaytan – TX Certificate for a RUGER PC Carbine.
Clara Grace Russell – TN Certificate for Hunters HD Gold glasses including a prescription if needed.
Dylan Schaefer – IL Certificate set of the Best Ears from Grizzly Ears
All recipients have been notified via the email contact provided to the SASP National office on their application packet. Congratulations to our awardees and good luck on your next adventure!
