The Bianchi Cup 25th Anniversary Match
It was the match created by John Bianchi and Ray Chapman to improve the image of pistol shooters. 25 years after, NRA Action Pistol is shot world-wide on the stages that are now famous challenges—The Practical, The Barricades, The Falling Plates and The Mover; that almost always decides the winner of the Cup. We have Championship Series Coverage of the richest handgun tournament with a never-before finish to decide the match.
The Bianchi Cup was originally created as a competition exclusively for police and military personnel. It was held at what was then the Chapman Academy Ranges outside Columbia, Missouri. Over the years the range facilities have been improved to world class status, the match has been opened to civilian competitors after the NRA took over in the late 1980’s as the National sanctioning body. But NRA Action Pistol Shooting then spread beyond our National borders, finding devotees in Europe and as far away as Australia and New Zealand. International Competitors are welcome at the Bianchi Cup where they are elligible to win the championship, but not the Cup, which always goes to the high scoring US Citizen.
In 1994, the National Stock Firearm Competition was added to encourage anyone with a handgun to compete, since the dedicated Bianchi guns had become very exotic with barricade wings, compensators, red dot optics and every trick that might help a competitor succeed in the match.
Our coverage of the 25th anniversary includes a reunion of past cup winners who have become legends in action pistol shooting. And the competition provides another page for the history books, with a never-believed-possible finish to the richest handgun tournament in the shooting sports.
