The 2016 Bianchi Cup is scheduled to run through May 28, 2016 at the Green Valley Rifle and Pistol Club in Hallsville, Missouri. It is one of the crown jewels of shooting competition, and since its inception in 1979, the event has changed the landscape of competition shooting forever. First prize money in 2016 is $12,000, $2,250 for 2nd place, and $1,500 for third. Here are a few more fast facts about the Bianchi Cup:
1) Two men are primarily responsible for creating the Bianchi Cup: Ray Chapman and John Bianchi. The latter is the better known of the two, with Bianchi’s name long established as a holster maker, law-enforcement officer, and Hollywood cowboy. But as a law-enforcement officer and IPSC champion of the 1970s himself, Chapman was likewise integral in the creation of the event. Chapman passed away in 2008. The current shooting site at Green Valley Rifle and Pistol Club was formerly called the Chapman Training Academy.
2) The Bianchi Cup course of fire is a mixture of IPSC, Police Pistol Combat, and NRA Conventional Bullseye pistol-shooting styles. In 1984, the formal name of the event became the NRA Bianchi Cup, National Action Pistol Championship.
3) Citizens of any country may win the MidwayUSA & NRA Bianchi Cup Championship, except by those whose countries restrict participation and winning their championship to their own citizens.
4) The first of the four match sections is the Practical Event, followed by the Barricade Event, the Falling Plate Event, and the Moving Target Event.
5) Competitors are cautioned not to pick up dropped firearms unless under the direction of a tournament official. Dropping of an unloaded firearm and subsequently picking it up creates two safety violations and is reason for disqualification. Dropping an unloaded firearm is not sufficient reason for disqualification by itself, so competitors should contact a tournament official before picking up a dropped firearm.
To see results of this year’s competition, click here.
