April showers bring May flowers …
We didn’t really get the April showers this year and the fire danger is high in our area.
We offer our prayers for the several hundred wildland firefighters battling blazes in the Flagstaff area and just south of Prescott. (As well as other areas of the country.) If you are in our area, and especially at Gunsite, please be safe with smoking (only in your car), loose chains that might cause sparks, and fires/BBQ in the campground.
We just celebrated a long-time champion of our way of life during a special class at Gunsite. Wiley Clapp has served the Republic as a United States Marine, Deputy Sheriff, and a staunch supporter of the Second Amendment. We have hosted a “Wiley Clapp Special “class at Gunsite for many years and this year it was even more special. His friends and family had their annual firearms training, but Wiley was celebrated with a commemorative challenge coin, a cowboy barbeque dinner and more. Gunsite owner and President Buz Mills made remarks and named the Gunsite Classroom “The Wiley Clapp Training Room.” It brought near tears to Wiley. It was a grand evening.
If you look elsewhere in the newsletter, you will see our new hire. Long-time Gunsite friend/family member Shari LeGate is the new Director of Marketing. Shari brings decades of experience (See article.) in the firearms industry to Gunsite. We look forward to working with Shari as we expand our presence in social media and within the firearms community. Please make her feel welcome. Jane Anne Shimizu is now our Community Liaison Director, continuing her work in the office and now focusing on our community.
We have sad news to share. Long-time Gunsite Instructor LaMonte Kintsel passed away this week. LaMonte had suffered a slight stroke several years ago and retired from instructing. However, he visited Gunsite regularly, often in one of his period military uniforms. (He also belonged to a group that would dress in period clothes and walk about the Prescott Town Plaza on Saturday mornings.) La Monte was one of those great Coaches that we could hand off a challenged student to with the words: “Fix him.” LaMonte would disappear for a bit with the student, returning with the issue resolved. As we learn of arraignments, we will share. We are diminished.
Have you noticed that we are hosting our first Glock Shooting Sports match May 14-15? Training Director Lew Gosnell has worked with our industry partners at Glock to make this happen. Visit this link https://gssf.pro to register to participate or as a volunteer. We hope to make this an annual event.
Classes continue to fill here at the Gunsite Ranch. The special Jeff Cooper 250 Pistol is near full if not already full. (Remember, if Jeff Cooper wouldn’t wear the gun or the gear, don’t bring it!) The 250 Pistol Classes this month have doubled and tripled! A grand problem to have.
The Calams Combat Competition returns on June 18. We have hosted this fun match here for several years and it continues to grow. The monies raised stay in Yavapai County as scholarships for local students. Visit this link to register: https://www.stephaniescholarship.org/gun-combat
The Armed Women of America (formerly The Well-Armed Woman) Arizona State Conference returned to Gunsite. Over eighty (80) women from all over Arizona attended, shot the various learning stages, had a great lunch, shot more stages and finished with the Mind Set Lecture. Thanks to the great Gunsite staff who volunteered their day and to the Gunsite Chapter women who served as Coaches. This is a great nation-wide organization empowering women. Look for Gunsite to attend their Regional Conference in Ogden Utah later this summer.
Continue to watch television and social media for Gunsite. Outdoor Life, Mossberg, Gun Stories, Guns and Ammo TV, Defensive Handguns were all here recently. Crimson Trace, Frankford Arsenal. and American Outdoor Brands will be here in the very near future as well. We love working with our industry partners. As Ben Franklin said: “If we don’t hang together, we will surely hang separately.”
If Ben would have known me, he also would have said: “When are you coming to Gunsite!”
Ken
