To: ALL MEDIA
For Immediate Release

May 4, 2009
For more information contact:
Dave Thomas
(360) 855-2245

Simi Valley's Top Gun Takes 3rd
­­At National Shooting Championship

SEDRO-WOOLLEY­, Wash. — Simi Valley top gun, Taran Butler, finished third at the 2009 U.S. Practical Shooting Association (USPSA) Single Stack National Championship on Saturday.

Butler claimed third for the second year in a row by winning four of the 20 stages and posting a final score of 1161.7933, just over 35 points out of first. Earlier this year Butler won the Western States Single Stack Classic facing off against many of the same shooters.

The match, which was held at the PASA Park range in Barry, Illinois, and sponsored by Illinois-based firearms maker Springfield Armory, drew more than 255 top 1911 shooters from around the country.

The name Single Stack refers to the model 1911 pistol used in competition which features magazines that hold just a single column of ammunition. The 1911 is one of the most popular firearms sold in America and a favorite of thousands of competition shooters.

The Single Stack Nationals were established in 1994 as the Single Stack Classic by famed pistolsmith Richard Heinie, and then USPSA Illinois Section Coordinator, Russell Cluver. The match was designed specifically for the 1911 model pistol and no other pistol design is permitted in the competition. In 2006 USPSA designated the popular match as a national championship and it has remained the preeminent showcase for the venerable 1911 ever since.­­

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Note To Editors: High resolution images of Taran Butler are available for download in the USPSA Online Media Center. Photos should be credited "Courtesy of USPSA."­­

About USPSA: The United States Practical Shooting Association is a non-profit membership association and the governing body for the sport of Practical Shooting in America. USPSA has over 17,000 members and more than 350 affiliated clubs which host weekly matches throughout the country providing recreational shooters with the opportunity to test and refine their shooting skills in a safe, competitive environment. USPSA is also the US Region of the International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC), which is comprised of approximately 67 nations. For more information, visit www.uspsa.org.