Jewish Gunsmith Hyman S. Lebman

Thanks to reader Henry Sapoznik for alerting me to this one.  As loyal readers will remember, today you can indeed send your guns to a Jewish gunsmith, Budd Gardstein. However, back in the 1930's, you might have visited Hyman Lebman, today's profile.

From the articles about Lebman it is difficult to discern whether he was a busy gunsmith who happened to have had a minority of customers who happened to be gangsters, or if he was some sort of arms dealer to gangsters.

One article (click here) relates the view of Lebman's son, Marvin:

Standing on his lawn, Marvin Lebman said his father hadn't done anything but sell guns to men in nice suits and hats.

"This was an open business, that had doors that were open. And we were a half a block south of City Hall, half a block north of the police department. Across the street from the county sheriff's office. We did more work with policemen than we did with anybody else."

Another article discusses (click here) a full-auto 1911 conversion he did, and how it ended up in the hands of two gangsters:

One day in 1933, he met a pair of otherwise charming young men who were in need of some effective firepower.  They portrayed themselves as new money Texas oilmen and gave Mr. Lebman no evidence to the contrary. What the gunsmith did not know was that one of them was a man born Lester M Gillis, but infamous later as "Baby Face Nelson" and the other one John Herbert Dillinger. Both were master outlaws and desperados who raced to the top of the FBI's Most Wanted List. The two even visited the Lebman home and ate dinner with his family.

Lebman started with the standard .45 ACP caliber Colt M1911A1 semi-automatic pistol as used by the US military in World War 1 and made it into something quite different—he modified the action and trigger group to allow for full-automatic fire. The firearm was not select-fire but full auto only with a cyclic rate of 1000-rounds per minute. To help control this little dragon's flame he added a ported extended compensator to the muzzle that forced the barrel down as it fired.

A Thompson 1928 style finger-grooved fore grip was added just forward of the trigger guard on the bottom of the frame to allow both hands to be used to steady the weapon. With its standard 7-round magazine capable of being exhausted in just the blink of an eye, an extended magazine was fitted that extended about nine inches from the handgrip. Some of these weapons were upgraded in caliber to .38 Super Automatic. The round, invented in 1929, was similar in size to the .45ACP yet pushed a smaller 130-grain bullet at a blistering 1,280 ft/s. The 45ACP versions used an 18-round extended magazine, while the .38 Super used a 22-round version.

Five guns were made and sold to Nelson, who Lebman knew under the alias James Williams.

Nelson and Dillinger both used and abused their Lebman room-brooms. The gang at the 1934 New Bohemia Lodge in Wisconsin used one weapon, a .38 Super 1911 S /N 14130 in the shootout. A second Lebman Pistol was recovered from Dillinger later. One more was recovered from Lebman's shop at 111 South Flores Street in 1935 after the gang had sent it to him for repair.

Although the article mentions Lebman was charged with NFA technicalities, he was never convicted and apparently went on to continue working as a gunsmith until the 1970's.  Lebman is featured in Ron Franscell's book, The Crime Buff's Guide to Outlaw Texas (click here), but again, I have the sense there is not a lot of meat on the bone to the assertion that Lebman was some kind of "gangster's gunsmith."  I am certainly not trying to whitewash Jewish involvement in prohibition-era crime, as there definitely were some brutal Jewish gangsters.  But read the articles on Lebman and judge for yourself.  Wikipedia also offers a brief summary.

"Corporal S." Jewish Markswoman and IDF Hero!

The story below is a tale of two Jews.  We Jews often face a choice as to what kind of people we are when our enemies seek to destroy us.  I sometimes wonder if G-d has decided there will always be these two types of Jews among us, but I firmly believe He give each Jew a choice.  Read the story, and decide what kind of Jew you want to be, and how you will raise your children.  And of course, may you have a meaningful and reflective fast tomorrow!  From Yoav Zitun onYnetnews.com 09/24/12:

Female sniper: I didn't think twice

Soldier who killed terrorist recounts events leading to attack on Egyptian border; says 'I did what had to be done.' Meanwhile, it has been revealed that another female soldier hid behind bush during incident, was feared to have been kidnapped Yoav Zitun.

As the story behind last week's deadly terror attack on the Egyptian border unfolds, Corporal S., who has been commended on her performance during the incident, recounted the chain of events for the first time.

 

S. said that even after seeing Corporal Netanel Yahalomi shot dead in front of her, she did not hesitate to attack the terrorists.

"I didn't think twice. I jumped out of the hummer and did what had to be done. I ran under fire until I reached Netanel, but when I saw his condition, I told my commander there was nothing we could do to save him and we must move on," she said.

S. explained how it all began: "All of a sudden we heard a female soldier shout on the radio 'We're under fire.' I then told the driver to drive to her location. We didn't know what to expect. It was the battalion's first encounter with terrorists."

 

S. said that while driving to the scene, she thought of her parents. "I was also worried about the soldier on the radio. The whole unit deserves praise, not just me. It takes a lot of courage to remain calm under pressure."

After Yahalomi was killed, S. managed to kill one of the terrorists who was carrying powerful explosives. "One of the terrorists exploded right in front of us," she said.

 

S. then managed to make her way to one of the injured soldiers Mati Yalovski. "I told him to stay strong and most importantly stay awake."

S. finally said that she was very proud of herself. "It is a privilege. Not everyone goes through such an ordeal."

Corporal S. further said that she did not always want a combat position in the army. "Initially, I wanted to be a paramedic but I later realized that I wanted to have a combat role."

She emphasized the importance of serving in a combat unit and contributing to the State of Israel.

Not so heroic

Meanwhile, as the investigation continues, the IDF has learned that not all soldiers followed protocol during the incident: One of the soldiers, who was afraid of facing the terrorists, hid behind a bush throughout the attack and stayed there even after it ended.

According to the investigation, the soldier was in a patrol jeep when the shooting began. She immediately called it in and informed her superiors.  While other soldiers were under fire, the soldier in question hid behind a large bush for an hour and a half.

Shortly after the attack, as the unit commander began "counting heads" in order to see if all members of the unit were there, they were stunned to realize that one of their own was missing.

They immediately thought that she had been kidnapped by the terrorists and taken into Sinai.

 

Helicopters and search units were immediately called to the scene to search for the missing soldier. She was later found by her commanders, dehydrated behind a bush.

The soldier said she was afraid to shoot back at the terrorists out of fear a "gun fight" would commence. "I thought I didn't have a chance against them."

 

The soldier was reprimanded by her commanders shortly after.

An initial military investigation launched into the incident reveals that the terrorists took advantage of the arrival of African infiltrators and the fact that IDF soldiers left their post to offer them water.  The terrorists then emerged from their hiding spot, approached the four fighters who remained at the post and opened fire, killing Yahalomi.

Israeli Mauser Watch 09.23.12

Another Israeli Mauser up on Gunbroker (click to see it).  This is a pre-WWII rifle with supposedly matching serial numbers on parts (which collectors love).  This is a rifle that Mauser collectors will love, but for me it lacks some vavoom because it doesn't seem to have any stamped out Nazi emblems that the later Mausers have.  If you look carefully there does seem to be a Star of David and some other Hebrew letters, so that's cool.  This is the kind of Mauser that is really outside my ability to estimate a price, because my guess is it will draw in collectors, and also I've grossly underestimated in the past what collectors will pay for matching numbers.  It seems to me that the sling and stock are probably not original, and the finish seems a different color (more green) than most Mausers I've seen so I wonder about that.  

As always, I have no connection to this auction and buyer beware!

UPDATE 11/24/12: Looks like it was re-listed several times, and appears to have sold for $795.00.

L'shanah tovah; Israeli Mauser Progress and Tweaks

L'shanah tovah to all my readers!

This week I have only a brief status update.  Please be on the lookout for Jewish Marksmen/women for me to profile, it has been a while since I've shared anyone new with you and I need my readers' help!

Before the last High Power match, I added a slip-on rubber recoil pad to my Israeli Mauser.  I added the pad not for its recoil absorption (which I found to be minimal) but rather because the end of the butt stock is smooth metal and was slipping on my shooting coat, especially in the prone position.  The recoil pad has sticky rubber base that solved the problem.  I shot the match and scored 77%.  During rapid sitting I lost 20(!) points by not getting off 2 shots in time.  I still think an 85%-90% match is feasible with this 70 year old rifle.  The problem is not so much my bolt cycling speed, rather it is getting my head back into position after moving it out of the way of the bolt.  With the short sight radius, head position errors are unforgiving.  I am also tensing up a bit during the standing phase due to recoil.  My first five standing shots were 10s, but then I started anticipating recoil and the group opened up.  I'm going to try a regimen of visualization before the next match to avoid this accuracy killing tension.

I found that stabilizing the butt stock lead to more slippage on my shooting glove, exacerbated by the smooth finish on the stock.  So now I have added course grip tape used on skate boards to the bottom of the stock so my glove can really get a stable hold without me having to squeeze.  I also added a moleskin strip to the comb (the part of the stock where you rest your head) so my check can get a firm weld.

I am eager to make that 85% match happen so I can retire the Israeli Mauser to the safe for a while.  My new High Power match rifle is waiting patiently, and I'd also like to spend more practice time with my small bore prone rifle.  At the last prone match I performed some experiments and made some major changes in the position...although my score did not reflect it I think I made some major progress.

Jewish Marksman Hap Rocketto a National Champion!

From a recent report from the Camp Perry National Matches:

Hap Rocketto has won the 2012 NRA National Smallbore Rifle Position Senior Championship. This was Rocketto’s first year of eligibility in the 65 year old plus age group. He had previously won the Intermediate Senior, 55-64 age group, national title.

Held July 19th through the 24th, the Smallbore Rifle Position Championships are a part of the NRA National Rifle and Pistol Championships conducted at Camp Perry, Ohio each year. Comprised of a Metallic Sight and Any Sight championship, each day competitors shoot 40 shots prone, 40 shots standing, and 40 shots kneeling at a target whose ten ring is the size of a dime. Competitors take a total of 240 shots in six fired matches over two days at a distance of 50 yards-the width of a football field-using both metallic and  telescopic sights.

Rocketto trailed the senior leader by 17 points after the first day’s metallic sight competition. On the second day, telescopic sight competition, he steadily made up ground in spite of heavy winds, eventually passing the leader to win the senior any sight championship and, with it, the senior grand aggregate by 14 point margin.

In team competition Rocketto was a member of the Corporal Digby Hand Schützenverein Rifle Club’s four man team which set two National Records in the Senior Category.

Mazel Tov!

Israeli Mauser Watch 08.31.12

First, let me say I am still astonished that the last Israeli Mauser I posted about ended up selling for $1,225.00, double my estimate.  Long story short, don't put much stock in my estimates!

Today Gunbroker.com has 2 more listings.  The first only has an hour left of bidding, asking price of $399 for a Belgian with the IDF crest that to me looks a little beat up.  Personally I would not pay more than $300-$325.

9/23/12 Looks like it eventually sold for $329.

The second has an asking price of $499.  It is advertised as a Sauer & Sohn German receiver, and what I LOVE about is the photo revealing both a Star of David and a scratched out Nazi eagle still slightly visible.  A big middle finger to Hitler!  Sorry, notwithstanding the amazing price the other Belgian went for, I think the German captures with markings like this are more valuable, all else equal, and I think this one ought to go for $800 give or take.

9/13/12 Sold for $451 after being re-listed.  Again I'm quite surprised but mazal tov to the buyer!

It seems to me that this seller left his auctions open for only a very short time, and re-listed several times.  I don't understand that strategy, as opposed to say leaving the listing open for a week or 10 days.

Again I have no connection to the auction and as always, buyer beware!

Morris Fisher's Shooting Tip: Eye Wash and Lubricant

A couple years ago, I blogged about Morris Fisher, a great Jewish marksman.  I picked up his books, one of which is called "Mastering the Rifle" from 1940.  It is full of timeless advice.  However, when I first read the book, one particular nugget struck me as a strange:

Numerous shooters use eye-washes to clear their eyes before they fire in matches, or after the strain of shooting all day.  Cold tea, or one teaspoon of boric-acid to glass of warm water, or a drop of 5-10 per cent argyrol, or any other solution prescribed by a doctor, may be used.

Boric acid?  I know any acid can be diluted or otherwise made to be stronger or weaker, but it just seemed strange to me that competitive shooters back then would put acid in their eyes. However, lately I've been using an over the counter product called Systane lubricating eye drops which many shooters swear by.  I looked at the ingredients the other night, and although it is not the active ingredient (polyethelyne and propylene glycol), sure enough it also contains boric acid!  I think I will stick with the store bought drops instead of brewing my own...

Israeli Mauser Watch: 08.23.12

Currently on Gunbroker.com another Israeli Mauser is up for sale (click for link).  This one seems to be a fine specimen of the Belgian-made Mauser with the IDF crest.  Again, my understanding is that these were made on contract for the IDF, post WWII.  They are definitely cool with the IDF crest, I own a stripped receiver like this that someday I will build out.  But they just don't have the same history and symbolism as a German captured rifle, in my opinion.

Bidding is at $385 with 6 days left at the time of this writing.  My guess is this one will go somewhere between $450 and $550.  

I have no relation to the auction, and as always, buyer beware!

8/25/2012 The current bid is now $782 on that rifle with a few days left of bidding.  A lot more than my estimate, and I don't think I've ever seen a Belgian go for that much...  Definitely one of the nicer-looking specimens.

8/31/12 Ummm...it sold for $1,225.00!?  Shows how much I know!  Perhaps I underestimate the value of matching serial #s on the bolt and receiver?

Jewish Olympic Shooter Sandra Fong Tweets; Visits Israel

Jewish Olympic Shooter Sandra Fong maintains a public Twitter account/page:

https://twitter.com/Smbfong

She is currently "tweeting" about her trip to Israel!  Follow her on twitter for updates.

Jewish Marksman's Return to Smallbore

Over the weekend I shot a 1200 point smallbore match.  I brought out the Anschutz 1807 with aperture sights, which is very welcome change from using a post sight or the weird concoction I have on the Israeli Mauser.  I didn't have a chance for any practice before the match.

The first stage consisted of 20 shots at 50 yards, followed by 20 shots at 100 yards.  I got off to a fairly good start, shooting 98.5%, which would be an Expert score.  But as the match moved to a 40 shot 100 yard match, and then 40 at 50m, things went downhill, and I finished at 97.5%.

I think I lost about 6 points for failing to pick up wind changes at 100.  I could see my shots moving right, but lacked the confidence to know that it was the wind as opposed to my shooting technique, so I did not adjust when I should have.

Other than that, position wise, I think I lost some points by not having the rifle firm enough in my shoulder and not having a consistent head position.  Fellow shooters gave me some tips on that so I can work it out before the next match.  I also do not grip the rifle consistently, particularly as to where I put my thumb, but I don't think it made much difference.

Jewish Marksman's Summer 2012 Miscellaneous

Dear loyal readers!  I've been quite busy this summer so I apologize that posting has slowed somewhat.  I do have a few items on the agenda:

• Can someone please send me a brief summary of the exploits of Jewish athletes at the Olympics?  Obviously I know about Aly Raisman, but that's it!  I do not think we have any Jewish shooters on any teams this year (except Israel of course), but let me know!
• What about Camp Perry?  Every year we seem to discover new Jewish shooters there, please let me know!
• I do have some interesting stories in the queue, I just need time to write them up.
• I'm getting back into small bore prone.  I want to finish this year as Expert or Master.  I realize that if I ever want to make High Master in High Power, I really need to improve my prone game and small bore practice might be the ticket.
• I'm moving from Service Rifle to Match Rifle, my Eliseo-stocked Remington 700 finally arrived from the gunsmith!  More on that later...
• Now that we've reached over 100 likes on Facebook, I'm toying with the idea of making Jewish Marksmanship a more formal association, maybe print up some stickers for our butt stocks and gun cases?
• I'm toying with the idea of a book about Jews in the shooting sports and the firearms culture generally...
• We need to figure out a way to get the top Jewish shooters more exposure to the Jewish community...inspiring youth air rifle teams at every JCC!!

Israeli Mauser Range Report

A couple weeks ago I used the Israeli Mauser as a match rifle in an NRA 100yd High Power match.  I have some bugs to tweak still, too numerous to mention.  But there were moments when I and the rifle performed really well together, and a few club members were surprised by the Mauser's accuracy.  The image above was my prone target.  I was still trying to get the windage zeroed during the match, and my head position was very inconsistent as I am still trying to find a good position on the rifle.  But you can see the gun generally groups well, and there were a few shot sequences where I got 3 or 4 shots on top of each other in a row before I made windage adjustments to try and zero.  Windage zero is very hard to get on the rifle because there are no clicks on the screw used for adjustment, so I have to move by trial and error.

I've hooked the Mauser up to the scatt system for dryfire practice, and that has been a big help in getting a consistent head position.  I've also been experimenting with different apertures in the Mojo sights. My offhand scatt scores are approaching the low 90% on the scatt, and I have a good feeling that in a few months I'll be able to shoot an Expert class score with this rifle.

I'll post more soon about the sling solution I came up with.

P.S. More than a few club members were surprised by how well the Israeli Mauser shot.  One fellow Jew in the club was downright proud.  We have LEO and former military who come to the club and it takes some time before they can shoot an AR-15 that well in competition.  One non-Jewish member expressed a keen interest in acquiring an Israeli Mauser as a result, partially because of the history but also the appeal of a Mauser action in .308.

P.S.S.  No idea what happened on the flier at 12 o'clock.

Great-looking Israeli Mauser on GB

July has been a busy month on gunbroker.com for Israeli Mausers!  Today someone listed a great-looking one (link).  At this moment, price is $550, I suspect it will end up selling over $700.

However, as always, buyer beware!

Update 8/25/12: Looks like it ended up having to be re-listed at $475 to get a buyer...I'm a little surprised.

Israeli Mauser Watch

For some reason, Israeli Mausers on gunbroker.com tend to run in bunches...you'll see 3 or 4 in one month, then see none for months at a time.  So here we have another.

There is a new listing up now (click here).  The rifle is stamped 1939 with a beautiful Star of David stamp as well.  In the picture, the bore looks decent.  The "matte hard chrome finish" does not look appealing to me in the pictures, perhaps it looks better in person.  Typically the finish is a dark brown parkerized or bluing, so I'm guessing collectors would be turned off.  Also, one typically wants the sights to be black so they stand out against the white target background, although a hunter or other kind of shooter might be ok with the sights the way they are.  The stock does look nice.  I ignore any seller's claims of a firearm being a "tack driver" unless they provide a target or otherwise clarify.

As always, good luck and buyer beware.

Update 8/25/12: Looks like it sold for $375, a fair price for all involved.

Another Israeli Mauser

Today on gunbroker.com someone has listed another Israeli Mauser.  This is the first time I have seen one with the Mauser logo on the receiver, as typically there are only factory stamps which allow one to (sometimes) date the receiver.  In the 6th picture there appears to be a Star of David stamped on the receiver but it is hard to tell...I would ask the seller for better pictures of all the stamps.  I doubt the sling is original, probably a reproduction as it looks too nice.  I also notice that the stock does not have 7.62 engraved in the underside.  Not a bad looking rifle, but as always, buyer beware!

Update 8/25/12: Sold for $326, a fair price.

Colombian-Israeli Mauser?

Currently on gunbroker.com someone is selling a Mauser advertised as a Colombian-Israeli Mauser (click here).  The receiver bears a Colombian crest in the photos.  The seller states "my research indicates that this rifle is a known and legitimate Israeli conversion."

The rifle is interesting, but I would be skeptical and ask the seller to document his research.  I am absolutely no expert, but I have read many articles online about the Israeli Mausers and never read about anything like this.  It could just as well be that someone cobbled together a Mauser by using an Israeli stock (which did have the 7.62 branded into it) and a surplus 7.62/.308 barrel, along with the Colombian receiver.  Many of the Israeli Mausers have been parted out, so it is not uncommon to find "Frankenstein" Mausers that use Israeli Mauser parts.  Or maybe the Belgian factory had some extra Colombian receivers around, and sold them to Israel?

Personally I would not have an interest in this rifle, but a serious Israeli Mauser collector might want to do his or her homework and take a look.

Update 8/25/12: Sold for $455.  Not surprising given its oddity.

Jewish Marksman Dennis Lindenbaum Shoots Palma

I've blogged before about Dennis Lindenbaum, one of the top prone small bore shooters in the game.  Over at the pronematch.com blog, he recounts a recent tryout from the U.S. Rifle Development Palma team.  Palma, to oversimplify, is a 1000 yard prone match (sling, no tripod) with iron sights (actually plastic apertures..), and typically, a .308 round.  Head over to pronematch.com and read all about Dennis's adventure!

Jewish Marksman's Tip on Sight Picture Improvement

As I mentioned earlier, using the Mojo sights on the Israeli Mauser creates a problem for me with the target fading and becoming blurry.  I believe this has to do with the fact that the rear aperture is a full 14-16" away from my eye.  So I needed a (cheap) fix.

I have fairly decent eyesight, although I do need glasses for daily life.  My numbers from a year ago:

O.D.: -2.00-0.50x010

O.S.: -2.00-1.00x168

PD 28R/29L

With shooting glasses to match that prescription, I have no problem shooting Master scores, and I cannot say eyesight is to blame for not shooting High Master more consistently.  However, the main difference on my Service rifle or smallbore rifle and the Mauser is that the rear aperture is only an inch or so from my eye.

The solution I found is to use an old trick of creating another pin-hole aperture closer to the eye.  I accomplished this by simply punching a small (approx. 1/32"?) hole in a piece of thin cardboard, and then looking through that hole, holding the cardboard in place with a headband I already wear (for sweat, and also to hold another piece of cardboard in place that I use to occlude my non-aiming eye).  Worked like a charm!  The sight picture immediately cleared up, with the target returning to a clearly defined black ball.

This technique is surprisingly a "secret" many target shooters never learn about.  There are a couple of manufacturers that sell adjustable or fixed apertures that are held in place with suction cups on shooting glasses, or thin films:

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/936878/lyman-hawkeye-shooters-diopter-optic-aid

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/978528/merit-optical-attachment-with-suction-cup

http://www.eyepalusa.com/

I must confess I read about the cardboard technique somewhere online, and other folks simply use electrical tape over their shooting glasses.  What I like about my approach is that I can adjust the position of the hole easily, because I look out of slightly different positions on my glasses depending on the shooting position.  Plus, it's cheap, as in free.  

Many rifle and especially pistol shooters who think their eyes are too far gone to shoot with iron sights find they can still do it by using a pinhole aperture.  This means they can keep shooting in divisions which do not allow scopes or red dots, or it saves the expense of having to buy those optics and modifying the firearm.  Indeed, many shooters who need glasses to see but don't want to buy prescription shooting glasses can try this technique with non-prescription shooting glasses.

I don't claim to fully understand why this technique works, although I'm sure a photographer or optometrist could explain it.  My basic understanding is that the aperture causes the "depth of field" to increase, whereby the lens in the eye is able to sharply focus objects at a greater range of distances.  As to why this works, as best I understand it, the aperture reduces the angles at which light would otherwise hit the lens, as well as the area of the lens that actually receives light, and thus the "circle of confusion" for each visible object is reduced.  The downside is that the image appears darker, so it is advisable to play with different aperture sizes for different light conditions.  Basically, this same effect accounts for some of the reason why a person without their glasses can sometimes see by squinting, or making an "ok" sign with their hand and looking through the hole made by their index finger and thumb.  The wikipedia articles linked give a better explanation, and really, it is not so critical to understand how it works, just that it does!

Israeli Mauser Watch - IDF Stripped Receiver

Currently on gunbroker.com someone is selling a stripped IDF Israeli Mauser receiver.  I know nothing of the seller, but the receiver looks to be in decent shape.  Note that from the IDF crest you can tell this was Belgian manufacture on contract for the IDF.  I would have a gunsmith check out the receiver for strength and cracks, but most likely that receiver is just as good as any other Mauser receiver if one wanted to put together a custom Mauser-based sporter, target or hunting rifle.  Whether that would be economically wise versus just buying a new rifle is another story...  If you want an Israeli Mauser that looks as-issued, pass on this and wait for a complete rifle, as it is less expensive to buy a complete rifle than to try and build one from parts.  I bought one very similar to this already, and if I didn't already have one, I'd probably buy this one.  I still have not decided what I'll do with it yet (maybe someday a target rifle), for now it is just a very cool paper weight!

Again, I have nothing to do with the sale, so as always,  buyer beware.

Tweaking a Load for the Israeli Mauser - OAL

Now that I have a fairly decent 100 yard zero for the Israeli Mauser, it's time to develop a load that will tighten up the groups.  One of the first things I want to do is determine the OAL (overall-length) of a bullet seated into the lands, and then back off of that number by about .020 or .015" or so. So what does this mean, and why might it help the Israeli Mauser shoot more consistently?

OAL (overall-length) is the length of a loaded cartridge, measured from the base of the cartridge to the tip of the bullet.  Experience has taught rifle shooters that significant accuracy gains can be had by playing with this measurement.  Some say best accuracy arrives from seating the bullets so that they just touch the lands (the part of the chamber where the rifling of the barrel begins).  Some say say to back off from that distance .020 to .040 through trial and error.  Some get accuracy gains by jamming the bullet slightly into the lands.  In any case, .020 off the lands is a good place to start.  The reasons for this gain in performance are argued and debated, with several competing theories, although nobody argues that it usually works.

The trick is to measure the OAL for a bullet touching the lands.  Every bullet style is different, and every rifle's chamber is cut a little different, and wears a little different over time.  There are a number of techniques for arriving at this measurement, but the easiest is to use the Hornady OAL gauge with a modified case.  Essentially, on the end of the gauge is a modified case with a wide mouth so that a bullet can slide in and out. At the other end of the gauge is a rod you push to advance the bullet, and knob to lock the rod once you feel the bullet touch the lands.  You put the gauge in your rifle's chamber, push the bullet forward until you feel it touch the lands, lock the rod, then measure.  Simple.  Use several bullets from your lot for a decent sample size, and use a bullet comparator to measure off the ogive, and you get a very good idea of how long you can seat a particular brand of bullet in your rifle in order to touch the lands.  All you need do then is adjust your bullet seating die to back off of that number as appropriate, and experiment from there.

(NOTE: this information is for experienced hand loaders...seating bullets into the lands will significantly raise chamber pressures and powder levels must be adjusted accordingly!)

So in the case of 155gr. (Sierra Match Kings) bullets I'm using in the Israeli Mauser, although the bullet manufacturer suggests 2.775 as the OAL, the bullets actually touch the lands at approximately 2.816+/-.001 based on my measurements (2.232+/-.001 with a comparator).  Thus, I will try loading at 2.796 (roughly .021 longer than the manufacturer's recommendation).  

Adventures with Jewish Marksman's Israeli Mauser Part I

Over the weekend I was able to take my 1940 Israeli Mauser out for a test-drive.  I was shooting in reduced course 100 yard High Power Match with the Ar-15, and although I was shooting on pace for a Master score, a poor off-hand score mathematically eliminated the possibility of a High Master score, so I figured I would use the range time I already paid for to shoot the Mauser in the slow prone portion of the Match.

The results were promising, but revealed a number of challenges faced with using this rifle in a target competition.  On the plus side, I found the stock extremely comfortable ergonomically.  Being a smaller person, I really like the narrow fore end to grip and the relatively short length of pull.  The trigger is great.  Overall, a much more comfortable and natural experience for me than the AR, despite the hundreds of hours of trigger time I've spent with the AR.  As for the challenges, there are a few but I think they can be overcome. 

First and foremost, the sights are going to take some getting used to.  Although they are aperture sights from Mojo, the rear sight is forward of the feeding/ejection port, directly over the chamber.  So unlike traditional target peep sights an inch or two from the eye, these are a good 5-6" or more inches from the shooter's eye.  I have not decided yet whether it is better to focus on the front sight, the target, or to simply "look" at the sight.  I ordered interchangeable apertures to experiment with, but the set I have in there now produce a sort of double bull (like a Venn diagram) when I look through them.  If aperture sizes don't fix that, I may just have to pick one bull or the other to center.

Second, I need to figure out a sling solution.  I tried using a nylon strap with sliders, but it didn't stay put as I put weight on the sling.  I think the way to go will be to simply create a loop for my standard service rifle sling, and use that, especially because I am so comfortable with it.  Third, the steel butt plate does not want to stay put in my shoulder, despite the rubber on my shooting coat.  I may solve that by spraying some tacky glue onto it and my jacket.  I found that a loose fit in the shoulder resulted in the shots going far right, but a nice snug fit kept the shots centered, as well as making sure I was well positioned behind the rifle.

As you can see from the target above, my random zero started low, and then I guessed how many clicks on the Mojo sights to come up, but came up to high.  I'll have to take some measurements to see how many MOA per click on the sights, because although the instructions estimate .75 MOA, I think it is much less, maybe more like .5.  I slowly started walking the sights down, but I think the loosening of the sling caused me to raise shots.  I only loaded 20 rounds, so that was it for the day.  But I think I have a good sight setting to continue tweaking off of.  I am pretty happy about the horizontal distribution of the shots, especially given the difficulty I was having with the sights.  

All of the shots were made from the prone position with a sling.  Some may question this approach, but I prefer it, even if it takes some time to get a zero.  As a target shooter, I don't think there is a whole lot to be learned or gained from shooting off of a rest to zero.  I am interested in how the entire system performs, which can only be learned by simulating the position, in my opinion.  I think I shoot well enough to be able to make some judgments.  For example, immediately before I shot with the Mauser, here is the 20 shot group I shot in the prone rapid fire event with the AR (prone rapid is 2 shots, magazine change, then 8 shots for a total of 10 in 70 seconds; this stage is then repeated for a 20 shot total):

The 10 ring is roughly 2".  So the point is, I know I'm capable of shooting at least 2MOA prone with the AR-15, so that is my justification for not using a rest to evaluate the Mauser's capabilities.  My 2MOA results pretty much match my Scatt traces.  Granted, this will never tell me what the rifle is capable of from a rest, but I don't really care.

I started with a very light .308 load, 41gr. of H355 under a 155gr. bullet, seated to 2.775" OAL.  I am just trying to use up the H355 I have and then I'll move on to other powders more suitable for .308, I am just to lazy to dump the powder from my powder measure.  I hope consistency will benefit from a different powder and greater velocity, as well as seating closer to the lands.  I also have some 168 and 175gr. bullets to try, but I'm hoping that I can get 155s to work because they are cheaper.

All in all, if you move the group above the equator of the target down and center it, you have respectable group.  I am planning to use the rifle for the entire High Power match next month if I can figure out a sling solution that works well.

Jewish Marksman's Israeli Mauser

I've written before on this blog about the Israeli Mauser rifles. Essentially, these are bolt action rifles that were the main battle rifle for the Germans in WWI and WWII. After WWII, these rifles were captured by the Allies, and then made their way over to Israel for use in its war for independence and other battles. When the Israelis received the rifles, they re-barreled them for a 7.62x51mm NATO cartridge instead of the 8mm Mauser, which means the Israeli rifles can usually handle .308 Win.

I spent about a year waiting to find one with the right markings at the right price. They generally come in 3 flavors: German made with German markings, Czech made with a lion's crest, and Belgian made with the IDF crest. The German and Czech are captured rifles, the Belgians were contracted. I wanted a German with a stamped Star of David to start the collection. My original plan was to strip it down to the receiver and build a match rifle, but when my wife saw it she vetoed and insisted we leave it more or less as original. I've since bought a stripped down IDF crested receiver to build a match rifle someday. The Czech will have to wait.

I sent the rifle to well known Mauser gunsmith, Eric at Gunworks of Central New York. He did some refinishing, put in a Timney target trigger, bedded the action and floated the barrel, and also replaced the shot-out barrel. I also decided to go with Mojo aperture sights instead of the original battle sights, and went with a Tubb speedlock spring and firing pin. The gunsmith did a great job. The trigger is great and the action smooth.

I don't know how well the rifle groups yet. I shot it once with 20 hand loads, but I was trying to use the session to find a zero, and did not quite understand the Mojo sights so that session was not as fruitful as it should have been (in a later post I'll explain how the Mojos work). I have another 20 rounds loaded to try again this weekend, hopefully I'll find zero and will then shoot for groups from prone. The gunsmith tested it and got a 2" group at 100 yards, but the tester complained about not being able to shoot well with open sights (I guess he's used to a scope). I actually do have a scope mount for it but forget to send that to him.  Oh well.  That starting group is still a good sign that with a little experimentation through hand loading that we can get down to 1.5" or less. That should be a decent rifle for 100 yard High Power matches.  If I an find a magic load to make a 1" group....

The picture at the top of the post shows the interesting markings on the side of the receiver (click it to enlarge). You can see the Star of David, and that there used to be a German eagle holding a swastika, but the armorer hammered away the eagle's head, wings, and the swastika in its talons (look for the the 4 dots). There are cool markings on the other side, but my patience with my cell phone's camera wore out.

On the top of the receiver you can see the simple crest, indicating where the rifle receiver was made and the year, 1940 (click to enlarge):

Yep, the rifle is 72 years old and shoots about as well as many off the shelf rifles made today.  The rifle has an internal magazine loaded via clips, with a little more practice I'll be as quick with them as a magazine swap on an AR-15:

There you have it, hopefully I'll have some nice targets to post soon.

I paid $200 for mine, which was in poor condition and the barrel was shot out, which is wanted I wanted because I was planning to upgrade. I paid $50 for the IDF crested stripped receiver. Both off of Gunbroker. 


A nice specimen recently sold on Gunbroker:
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=288701910


Here is another currently for sale at the time of this writing:
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=288858497


Ironically, I'm a little on the fence about whether Jews should own these rifles.  You'd be surprised how many philo-Semitic gentiles own them out of respect and admiration for the Jewish people.  It is as if these rifles are a sort of silent ambassador, and its almost a shame to take one out of gentile circulation.  That is another reason I bought a poor-grade specimen and a stripped receiver that nobody else wanted.  On the other hand, I'm told there are plenty to go around, so perhaps my concerns are unfounded.

I can't say I'm an expert, but after a year or so of watching the auctions and other sites, I got decent at appraising these.  If you are in the market, feel free to email me with a link to one you are considering and I'll give you my thoughts privately.

Itamar Gelbman - Jewish Marksman and Congressional Candidate

Thanks again to reader Brad in MA for the tip on today's Jewish Marksman, Itamar Gelbman, who is running for . According to his campaign web site:

Itamar Gelbman was born in the United States and, as a child, moved to Israel with his parents where he grew up. While studying Business Management and Computer Science at Tel Aviv University, Itamar served as an undercover reserve police officer in the Tel Aviv Police Department.

After graduation, Itamar joined the Israeli Defense Force where he served as a lieutenant in the Army Special Forces. For his service he received numerous awards, including commendations from the Chief of Staff, IDF.

Since returning to the United States, Itamar has worked as a security consultant for high profile clientele. He also advises law enforcement agencies on Israeli counter-terror, military and police strategies and border security.

Itamar also serves as a search and rescue pilot in the U.S. Air Force, Civil Air Patrol.

Since starting his first business in 2004, Itamar has created hundreds of jobs for Americans.

Itamar comes from fighting stock. Both parents served in the Army. All of his grandparents escaped from Nazi capture during WW II. His mother's mother escaped alone from a mass grave in Auschwitz and his father's parents leaped from the Holocaust train taking them to Treblinka.

Most importantly to our readers though, Gelbman is a Jewish politician who supports the 2nd Amendment, and dedicates a portion of his campaign web site to the issue:

America is the land of the free and home of the brave, as a free and brave man or women you have the right to defend yourself, your family, your property and other law abiding citizens.

A firearm is just a piece of metal. A firearm does not have a mind of its own, it does not make judgments. A human being needs to pull the trigger.

Banning firearms for the claim of "firearms kill people" is just as bad as banning cars or knives for claiming that they kill people. In the U.S.A more people die from car accident over firearm related crimes: An average of over 40,000 people die a year in car accidents compared to 16,000 deaths related to firearm which are not suicide. According to the Department of Justice’s statistics knives were used in 6% percent of the violent crimes that occurred in the USA in 2008 while firearms were used in 7%. This proves that if you want to ban firearms you should also ban knives and cars. Furthermore, banning firearms will NOT stop the criminals from getting and using weapons. Banning firearms will only make the law abiding citizens more vulnerable to attacks. In the U.K. firearms were banned in 1998, since then firearm related injuries more than doubled and firearm related crimes consistently grow every year!

In fact, he is not afraid to put the following picture on his site:

I know I have several readers out in Texas, so take the time to investigate Gelbman and consider giving him your vote!

Catching up with the Jewish Marksman

I apologize that the pace of posting has slowed of late, I have been busy with work and trying to do get some reloading done so I'm not rushing to load before matches. But fear not, I have a queue of Jewish Marksmen to profile soon! I also have a new rifle to tell you about and will review it soon...

Otherwise I have finally begun to make some progress in my sitting position scores, which had slumped below 95% recently. I made some tweaks and basically through trial and error discovered a few nuances in the position I had not noticed before, and today shot a 97%. Specifically, I had sometimes found myself muscling the rifle up to raise the muzzle when needed, but I realized that the same result could be achieved by leaning back and sorting of "hanging" from the sling. I thought perhaps that this position would not settle from recoil well, but the opposite turned out to be true. I have also smoothed out my magazine changes, carefully keeping the rifle in my shoulder and then releasing the bolt as I settle back down in position. I still have a hard time judging time though, and this tendency to rush is hurting my score, as I'll have a bunch of tens and then a couple of rushed eights where I shot before settled after recoil. I am going to start integrating a timer into my practice sessions.

Col. Lance DePlante - War Hero and Jewish Marksman

Today's Jewish Marksman is another tip I received from a reader (keep them coming!). Reader Henry introduces us to Col. Lance DePlante:

Col. Lance DePlante (USA, ret.) 1962-1994 (Mother was Jewish) Born in Miami Beach, FL, 1939. Grew up in Belle Harbor, L.I., N.Y., Member of Far Rockaway High School Championship Rifle Team, Eagle Scout, Vietnam 1963-64, Dominican Republic 1965-66. Served with the 3rd, 5th, 7th and 8th Special Forces Groups. Received: the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Bronze Star, the Air Medal with 12 Oak Leaf Clusters, and the Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster, personal security detail President Lyndon B. Johnson, at LBJ Ranch. Combat Infantryman's Badge, Governors Twenty, President's Hundred tabs (1984 #621), two time pistol divisional winner at Camp Perry (1984, 1985), Distinguished Pistol Shot Badge, Distinguished Rifleman Badge.

He is still a tremendous .45 pistol shot and leads in the state of New Hampshire's BE pistol league. I am proud he is my pistol teacher, my banjo student and my great friend. A great American.

Thanks again to Henry, and mazal tov to him and Lance in their Bullseye Pistol competitions!

Saul Kirsch - European Jewish IPSC Marksman and Activist

As some readers might have noticed, the Jewish Marksmanship blog has yet to claim a Jewish IPSC shooter. This is odd, because next to Cowboy Action (we've discovered quite a few of those), practical shooting games like IPSC or IDPA are probably the most popular in the US. I'm sure there are many Jews competing in clubs that we just haven't learned about yet.

But now, thanks to a reader tip, we learn about Saul Kirsch, and it turns out he needs our help! According to one bio:

Saul Kirsch is the founder and director of Double-Alpha Academy. He is consistently ranked as one of the top International IPSC shooters in the world today.

Saul was born in South Africa and grew up in Israel. He now lives in the city of Waalwijk in the Netherlands.

Saul’s involvement in the shooting sports began at the age of 12. He joined the local Olympic Air-rifle club and at age 15 qualified for the Israeli Junior National team. He went on to win multiple National Junior championships in all 3 Olympic rifle events (Air rifle, 60 prone Free rifle and 3-position Free rifle).

While studying Industrial Engineering at Tel Aviv University, Saul coached pistol and rifle shooting and gradually shifted his shooting activities from Olympic rifle to IPSC pistol. Not a common transition, and Saul attributes much of his mental management knowledge to those 10 years in Olympic shooting. It is, he says, the best possible background for any shooting sport.

Since moving to Europe, Saul has focused on his IPSC shooting career. With the support of his sponsors, he has achieved some significant results, and established his place as one of the top competitors in this sport. Through Double-Alpha Academy, he now shares his knowledge and experience with other shooters. He has published 2 books about competition shooting, and produces DVDs covering the major events and related topics.

But shockingly, his sport is in trouble in Europe. Recently, an email from Saul was posted on the popular TTAG Blog run by Jewish Marksman Robert Farago:

Dear fellow IPSC shooters and friends,

As many of you have heard already, IPSC shooting (in fact all Dynamic shooting disciplines) are about to be prohibited in the Netherlands! This new law will be voted on in a matter of weeks, and if it passes – will mean the end of our sport in Holland, and who knows – this decision may well spread quickly across the EU. As you can imagine, the NPSA (the Dutch IPSC organization) is mobilizing every possible resource to fight this unjust proposed law, but it is a desperate battle. The odds are stacked against us. We need your help! You can help by going online and signing this petition. Please also take a moment to forward a link to this article to anyone who could generate more signatures: your shooting range, your club, your federation, your local gunsmiths. Post it online on any website you have access to. We want to show that IPSC is a serious sport, with thousands of participants worldwide. Many thanks for your participation in our fight.

Best Regards,

Saul Kirsch

General Manager

Double-Alpha Academy B.V.

The petition he refers to can be found here: http://petities.nl/petitie/dynamische-disciplines-moeten-blijven Please check it out and sign if you agree.

You can also see his on line store and youtube videos here: http://www.doublealpha.biz/

Stuff Jewish Girls Like Blogger - Jewish Markswoman

The author of the Stuff Jewish Girls Like blog describes herself as "a DC-dwelling, gentile-dating, over-achieving, bargain-hunting, weight-watching, poker-playing, hyphen-ating first-year law firm associate with opinions to spare." One of her posts is a fun account of a Jewish girl's first time shooting:

Before arriving at the range, I was kind of excited to go; I am big on attaining survival skills, and I think it's important that I know how to fire a gun. Not because I plan to own or even hold a gun at any point, but because I never know if I'll ever be in an emergency situation where it will fall to me to shoot a firearm.

Despite my initial excitement, once I arrived I started freaking out. I can't really explain my fear, since I am rarely afraid of such activities, but the sound of guns going off right next to me put me on high alert. I realized that I am absolutely terrified of guns; one wrong move and these things will KILL you. There are not enough safety instructions in the world to make me feel comfortable with live ammunition.

Want to feel EXTRA uncomfortable? Wear the same color scheme as the targets you're firing at.

Regardless, I soldiered through. I fired a huge rifle, which was actually kind of fun...there was no kickback and the gun had a laser sight, so it was easy to hit the target. BF and I competed to hit precise points on our targets.

I also fired a 9mm handgun, which was much LESS fun. The gun had a lot more kickback, which is an extremely weird sensation when you first feel it. It doesn't help that the casing ejects from the gun and bounces off the sides of your firing stall, hitting you in the arm (at absolutely no speed and with no pain at all, but it's FREAKY to feel any part of a bullet touch you after you fire a gun). An added scary twist: the top of the gun retracts backwards at 100mph to reload the gun after you fire; if your thumbs or hand happens to be too high up in the back of the gun when this happens, you could get your hand sliced or your thumbs broken! (your thumbs should both be in front of or on the same side of the gun.)

After my first shot with the handgun (which didn't even hit the target ten feet in front of me), I immediately put down the gun and nearly ran out of the range. After a few minutes I calmed down and took a few more shots until I was able to hit the target (in dead center, no less).

Despite my fear, I'm glad I learned a bit about gun operation and safety, and I am glad to know that I could fire a weapon if my life depended on it. Hopefully it never will!

Mazal tov! I think the story is a really great example of how many Jews could overcome their irrational fear of firearms by simply going to the range under proper guidance, and learn to safely handle and operate a gun.

Katelyn Bleiweiss - Champion Jewish Markswoman

Once again a reader has come through with a great tip. Today's Jewish Markswoman is Katelyn Bleiweiss of the great state of Texas. A 2007 article in the Houston Chronicle had this to say:

KATELYN Bleiweiss is a gifted young artist, actress and musician at the High School for Performing Arts in Houston whom her father, Ira, describes as a "non-stop" artist.

Still, the Meyerland resident's artistry is not limited to the canvas. She can also "paint out" a bull's eye in a target with an open-sight, .223-caliber AR-15 high-powered rifle. `Open sight' refers to a rifle without optical aids such as scopes mounted on the rifle. At the Texas State Championships this past year, Katelyn's shooting skills won her a third place rating among women in Texas.

Katelyn, 16, undoubtedly has artistic talent; her work won second place in a city-wide Houston ISD competition, and though she was only 14 at the time, one of her pictures brought $500 in a charity auction.

Her father Ira said that Katelyn's artistic talents lend themselves to her excellence at the range.

"She has that artist's eye that lets her see the straight lines to the target," he said. "The sport really teaches youth a lot in the form of discipline and focus. You don't just show up for this sport; it takes a lot of practice and concentration."

That she undoubtedly has.

"Before each shot, I take a couple of deep breaths to slow down my heart rate. The only thing I am trying to beat is my last score, my last shot," she said.

...

Katelyn, who began her shooting at the ripe old age of 7, competes in a sport called high-powered rifle target shooting. She shoots at targets at 200, 300 and 600 yards, and is rated between expert and master for shooting at 600 yards.

Though she only became serious about her sport in February of 2006, 94 percent of her shots fall within a 12-inch circle. While it might seem unusual to expose youths to firearms at such a young age, Ira said it was done with safety in mind.

"I wanted to demystify guns for them," her father said of his philosophy with Katelyn as well as her older brother, Evan, and sister, Ellen. "If they were at a playmate's house and were asked if they wanted to see their father's gun, they would answer they were not interested. I did that with all of my kids."

Ira Bleiweiss said family marksmanship extends past himself and his children.

"My wife Wendy is probably the best shot in the family," he said. "She is very good with a shotgun, but she gave that up about 20 years ago."

Starting out, the elder Bleiweiss took Katelyn to the range two or three times a year to shoot a .22-caliber rifle. As she got older, she progressed into shooting larger calibers and started drawing the attention of adult shooters.

In February, Ira Bleiweiss received a phone call from a Texas State Rifle Association youth coach who had heard about Katelyn's shooting skills. He wanted to work with her to train her for competitions.

...

After that coach moved out of the state, Bob Mullins took over and serves as Katelyn's present shooting coach. Mullins describes her as a youth with a "beautiful personality."

"There are people I can spot walking up to me that I can see will never make a rifle shooter, just something about the person's demeanor," Mullins said. "Katelyn doesn't fall into this negative category."

Why does Katelyn choose shooting as a sport, especially when sometimes she receives negative peer pressure from some of her classmates? She said the rush of a perfect score keeps her coming back.

"If you get a perfect X, a perfect 10, that perfect shot, it's just so very satisfying," she said. "In shooting, the only competitor is yourself. It's a good challenge."

In 2008 she earned medals at the Nationals in team and individual events. Unfortunately, Katelyn is taking time off according to her father's recent comment on the blog:

She is currently enrolled at a university and her studies do not leave her time for competition. Katelyn also enjoys trap shooting and her first time out shot over 90% busting clay birds.

Speaking of her father, Ira, as a fellow father of a nice Jewish girl, I found great wisdom in a quote he gave to the Jewish Herald Voice:

“Riflery is not only an Olympic sport, but this is also a skill that every nice Jewish girl should have”

Ronald D. Krelstein - Champion Jewish Marksman

Readers may recall that I recently discovered a newspaper clipping that announced the 1965 Maccabiah Games pistol team. Apparently, one of the team members, Ronald Krelstein, was already profiled by fellow Jewish Marksman, Hap Rocketto. From the CMP website:

Distinguished Rifleman 1995, badge number 1169, as Ronald D. Krelstein , of Germantown, TN

Disginguished Pistol Shot 1964 as Ronald D Krelstein , of Germantown, TN

The following biography was written by Hap Rocketto and CMP Staff

Ron Krelstein is a Double Distinguished shooter. He earned his Distinguished Pistol Shot Badge in 1964 and, after an arm injury, took up service rifle shooting in the 1990s earning his Distinguished Rifleman Badge in 1995. Krelstein has international experience and, as a member of four United States Maccabiah Teams between 1965 and 1984 he won, ten gold medals, two silvers and one bronze.

His other shooting accomplishments include membership on two United States gold medal winning team as the Benito Juarez Games in Mexico, four times National Collegiate Pistol Champion, National Rifle Association All American, Presidents Hundred with both rifle and pistol, and a holder of National Records with both the pistol and rifle making him, along with Mel Makin, one of only two people to have that distinction.

Krelstein, a practicing attorney, has donated two major National Trophy Pistol Match Trophies. In honor of his mother he presented the Rose Krelstein Trophy in 2007. It is awarded to the High Woman in an aggregate of President’s and National Trophy Individual Match scores.

To honor Gaspar Perry Defino, his, “friend and mentor for 50 years” Krelstein donated the Gaspar Defino Trophy to be a be awarded to the High Junior in the National Trophy Individual Pistol Match in 2009. Defino, a long-time United States Navy pistol shooter, was the first Interservice Pistol Champion, Double Distinguished-earning Pistol in 1955 and Rifle in 1959, winner of the U.S. Military Police Corps Trophy, Ancient Archer Trophy, and Orton Trophy and a 2650 three-gun pistol shooter

Krelstein credited DeFino with “selflessly sharing his knowledge and experience with new shooters and older shooters alike.” He noted that, “while this trophy bears his name, it also honors all of those who serve as mentors to those just beginning this sport.”

Abigail Fong - Elite Jewish Markswoman

Today's Jewish shooter is Abigail Fong. The web site of the school she works at tells us this about her:

Abigail Fong - Instructor Mathematics

Abby graduated from Princeton University in 2010 with a degree in Philosophy. While an undergrad, she also completed her pre-medical requirements, which were a constant reminder of her love of math and science. As a high school student Abby was a straight A math and science nerd, which led her to start tutoring in those subjects, an activity she has continued to perform. Currently, Abby is working toward her MBA at UCCS. She has always seen math problems as fun, abstract puzzles and Abby is a girl that loves to solve puzzles. She also loves to help students learn to see the fun and challenge in math, and to help them learn to solve those problems for themselves.

Abby is also a competitive rifle shooter on the US team. She started shooting with her dad and her sisters when she was young and has been at it ever since. It has been a great experience that has allowed her to travel all around the world, a couple of times actually, competing in places like Beijing, Sydney, Munich, Plzen, and London. Some of her achievements in shooting include: many national records, national championships, and a 4th place finish at the 2008 Olympic Trials.

Abby also spoke out when London, host of the 2012 Olympics, reversed its misguided policy that would have discouraged young people from watching shooting sports at the Olympics (free tickets were being given to kids, but they were prohibited from using the tickets to watch shooting sports):

Actions like this show a complete lack of understanding of our sport. Preventing kids from being exposed to shooting as a sport maintains the fallacy that all shooting is like a Sylvester Stallone movie. Target shooting is about control, focus and precision. As a sport, we have among the lowest injury and drug usage rates, and among the highest participation by country of any sport. It’s sad that the Olympic organizers feel the need to “shelter” kids from something that could be an amazing, positive experience.

Mazal tov to all three of the Fong sisters, and thanks again to the anonymous reader who provided the tip on them.

Danielle Fong - Elite Jewish Markswoman

Today we profile another shooter in the Fong family, Danielle Fong. Danielle is a member of the USA Shooting team, and their web site tell us this about her:

Danielle Fong is a standout young athlete on the Paralympic shooting scene. Most notably, she made the 2008 Paralympic Team and finished fifth at the 2010 World Championships in the Mixed Prone (R6) event. Born three months early, Fong was diagnosed with cerebral palsy and shoots IPC events (R2) Women’s 10m Air Rifle, (R6) Mixed 50m Rifle Prone and (R8) Women’s 50m Rifle Three Position. When she was a young child, she had to overcome a re-implanted trigger finger after an accident. National Paralympic Coach Bob Foth commented on Fong’s tenacity as he said, “She’s a very tough competitor and extremely motivated to succeed.” Fong advises junior shooters to “practice hard; set realistic but high goals; be brave.” Fong’s two older sisters, Sandy (National Rifle Team) and Abby (National Development Team) are both involved in competitive rifle shooting. Fong got started in the shooting sports when her father set up an air rifle range in the family’s basement and encouraged Danielle to shoot bench rest with his air rifle. Armed with her Anschutz 2002 air rifle and Anschutz 1907 smallbore gun, Fong continues to aim for a spot on the 2012 Paralympic Team. A self-professed chocoholic and work-out fanatic, Fong also shares her family aptitude for music as she plays trumpet in the Columbia Marching Band.

Her competition highlights include:

2011 IPC Approved Competition USA, Silver Medalist (R3)

2010 Championship of the Americas, Gold (Junior Prone and Junior Women’s 50m Rifle Three Position), Silver (Junior Women’s 10m Air Rifle)

2010 Paralympic World Championships, 5th Place (R6)

2009 Paralympic World Cup Alicante, Silver (R8), Bronze (R2)

2008 Paralympic Games, Team member

2008 European Championships, 9th Place (R2)

2006 Paralympic World Championships, Team member

I also found an interesting article about the Fong sisters' relationship with Olympic swimmer Dara Torres (who is Jewish by the way...), involving Torres giving the young girls her gold medal!