Team Smith & Wesson Starts Off 2010 Season With Three Divisional Titles
Smith & Wesson
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. ––(AmmoLand.com)- Smith & Wesson Corp., announced that Team Smith & Wesson members earned three division titles during the first matches of the 2010 competitive season.
Leading the team to a fast start were teammates Craig Buckland, Gordon Carrell and Jeff Degracia who won division titles in both International Defensive Pistol Association (IDPA) and United States Practical Shooting Association (USPSA) regional events.
In January, accomplished Revolver Champion Craig Buckland took home two Stock Service Revolver (SSR) Division titles in early season IDPA events. At the IDPA Arctic Blast in Hunlock’s Creek, Pa., and again at the Chili Monkey Championships in East Granby, Conn., Buckland used his Smith & Wesson Model 67 to win the division title. After the matches, Buckland commented on the unique challenges of competing outdoors in cold weather conditions.
“Both the Arctic Blast and the Chili Monkey were challenging matches that tested each shooter’s ability to deal with the cold both mentally and physically,” said Buckland. “Despite Mother Nature’s attempts, the staff at each event did a great job. The courses of fire were fair and well thought out. During both competitions, my Model 67 revolver ran flawlessly giving me that extra confidence that every shooter likes to have at the beginning of a new season.”
At the 2010 West Texas Regional Championships in Lubbock, Texas, fellow teammate Gordon Carrell earned his first title of the season in the Stock Service Pistol (SSP) Division. Using a Smith & Wesson M&P Pro Series pistol, Carrell posted the fastest overall time besting 66 other competitors.
Jeff Degracia took home the third and most recent victory for Team Smith & Wesson by winning the Limited-10 title at USPSA Florida Open. The Florida Open is the first major USPSA match of the 2010 season with over 300 competitors from across the United States as well as Central and South America participating in the event.
Competing with a Smith & Wesson M&P40 pistol, Degracia captured the Limted-10 title after consistently finishing among the top four shooters in every stage of fire and posting top scores in three out of the ten stages of fire.
“Many consider the Florida Open to be the first major match of the year, drawing top shooters coming to warm up for the 2010 shooting season,” said Degracia. “I decided to compete in Limited-10 for the first time in a major match and was pleased to show how competitive a standard M&P40 could be against purpose-built race guns in this division. My M&P never missed a beat and took me to the top place in the division.”
“On behalf of Smith & Wesson, I would like to congratulate each of the team members on a job well done,” said Tom Kelly, Vice President of Marketing for Team Smith & Wesson. “We anticipate great things from all of our team members this year and with three division titles in only two months, Team S&W is off to an exciting start. During each competition, the shooters and the various Smith & Wesson firearms they used delivered stellar performances. A strong drive for perfection and meticulous attention to detail are just two of the characteristics that we strive for in our products and in Team Smith & Wesson. We look forward to the rest of the 2010 season as we anticipate more trips to the winner’s circle yet to come.”
About Smith & Wesson
Smith & Wesson Holding Corporation (NASDAQ: SWHC) is a U.S.-based, global provider of products and services for safety, security, protection and sport. The company designs and constructs facility perimeter security solutions for military and commercial applications, and delivers a broad portfolio of firearms and related training to the military, law enforcement and sports markets. SWHC companies include Smith & Wesson Corp., the globally recognized manufacturer of quality firearms; Universal Safety Response, a full-service perimeter security integrator, barrier manufacturer and installer; and Thompson/Center Arms Company, Inc., a premier designer and manufacturer of premium hunting firearms. SWHC facilities are located in Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, and Tennessee. For more information on Smith & Wesson and its companies, call (800) 331-0852 or log on to www.smith-wesson.com; www.usrgrab.com; or www.tcarms.com.
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