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New Jersey Arms Collectors Club Marksmanship Contest In Celebration of the END OF THE EVIL EMPIRE October 26, 2008 At The Association of New Jersey Rifle and Pistol Clubs Cherry Ridge 100 Yard Range 10:00am - 3:00pm LUNCH WAS INCLUDED WITH ALL PAID ENTRIES

In celebration of the End of the Evil Empire, the fall of the Soviet Union, the Arms Collectors Club conducted our annual shoot featuring weapons prevalent during the period of Soviet Influence. Arms of the period range from the bolt action Mosin-Nagants of 1891, 1930, 1944 and others to modern Kalishnikov type semi-auto rifles

The New Jersey Arms Collectors Club held its traditional End of the Evil Empire Shoot at the ANJRPC Cherry Ridge Range again this year. Realizing that turn of the century Mosin Nagant rifles and recently imported Rumanian SAR and the common SKS were not competitive against Match grade ARs and M1A's the club sponsors shoots with equal firearms.

Many people collect firearms from the former communist bloc and buy modern variations of current issue infantry rifles and sniper rifles. Since the New Jersey Arms Collectors Club is organized for collectors and shooters it has offered competition with period firearms. Since shooters compete with similar firearms, the competition does not go to the more expensive equipment. It also gives collectors and bargain gun hunters an opportunity to fire vintage firearms. (Or give you another reason for buying Jersey legal AK look alikes).

The Shoot

We had glorious weather sandwiched between two miserable days. We got lucky. However we did encounter scheduling conflicts that affected our shoot. The clubhouse was not available until noon because a black powder club was holding their meeting. A high-power sniper event was being held on the 300-yd range, and the pistol range was super active too, which made for tight parking.

We were saddened to hear of the passing of Anne Lutz, just days before the shoot. Anne was the wife of our chief cook and life member, Joe Lutz. This is one of the few shoots Joe has ever missed. Several of the members attended Anne's wake after the shoot on Sunday. -Please keep the Lutz family in your thoughts and prayers.

Although we managed to put on a lunch of pierogies, kielbasa, and kraut, it just was not the same without Joe. Tom Plante and Lou Sonnenberg managed to fill in. Tom even managed to set off the smoke alarm when a pan overheated and smoked up the club house.

Because of the great weather this year, we expected had a good turnout. However due to circumstances, several of our regular members did not show this year, but we did have several guests. After all was said and done, the club made about $100. All total, we had about 15 shooters and a couple of walk-ons for lunch.

New targets were used this year. The 5-ring targets were scored 1-5 ∓ X. X's were used to break ties. The sniper target had even a smaller bull and X ring.

Several events were scheduled that featured the arms of specific eras in Soviet History. The guns were limited to curios and relics of the period with original iron sights. Each contest was a two minute timed fire event requiring ten shots at 50 yards except for the the sniper match, which required a military issue sniper rifle and scope and was limited to a single shot at 100 yards.

All the events had at least one entrant. Our big winner this year went to Rich Choate. Rich won the Bolschevic Rifle (47) with his Mosin Nagant 1891, and just edged out Ray Waugh who shot (47-2x)his M-N 91-30 in the Mosin Nagant Rifle Contest. Rich shot a 47-3x with his 91/30. He then shot the only 'perfect' score of the day ( 50-4x ) using his Mosin Nagant M38 Carbine in the Comblock Carbine Event.

Herbe Keuhne, a regular at our events arrived in time to shoot and win the Tokarev Match Herb shot a 38 to win the event.

Andy Gisondi our perrennial winner took two matches. Andy won the Kalishikov Match with his Jersey-Legal variant. Andy shot a 40-3x. - A descent score even though he was the sole contestant. There was no question about his Soviet Sniper Score though. Andy used his scoped 91-30 to shoot a DEAD X Jeff A. came close to a tie, shooting an X that was on the X-ring. Jeff went on to win the Young Pioneer Instructor with a score of 40 in that event.

The Waugh family made up three of the five shooters in the SKS Match.
Ray Waugh shot a pair of 44's to win the match. His son Ray, shot a 38-1 with his SKS to win the Junior SKS Match and Caroline Waugh earned Female Soviet Honors for he score of 31 in the SKS match.

The Young Pioneer Match was won by Jason Belleau who shot a 34 in that event.

The results follow: