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Hey I wasn't kidding about the pin shoot in Denmark-- Here's the scoop from the very guy who got pin shooting started in Denmark 15 years ago..... and who visited me a couple times to go to Second Chance and got several walks to the prize case, along with my other Danish pal, Alex Zimmermann of Guncrafter Industries. As you can see, Danes want to shoot but it's hard dancing around all the government silliness which bascally pours cold molasses on everything and has fostered a shooting culture there that is somewhat stunted.
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On August 23 & 24 2008, the small land of Milk & Honey.....and Carlsberg beer, called Denmark, hosted the Danish/Nordic Championship in Pinshooting. Being a combined Nordic championship, our neighbors Sweden, Norway and Finland was also invited. However, only a couple of Swedes showed up for a total of 50 competitors.
The Danish Sports Shooting Association, which have been forced to change their name 3 times over the past 15 years, due to government regulations on "Politically Correct" names for sports shooting, was founded in 1993. I was a co-founder of this association, helping out translating rules for Bianchi Cup, Steel Challenge and Second Change Bowling Pins into Danish.
I was at the rainy shooting range, one hour after my arrival in Copenhagen...the capitol of Denmark. After greeting old friends, which I hadn't seen for 13 years, the pin shooting started. It consisted of 21 different classes, where only handguns could be used. Only non-residents were allowed the use of .45 caliber handguns, or any other type of non approved handgun, in accordance with goverment regulations.
Since no Danish shooters can own any handguns in a caliber bigger than .38/9mm, all the pins were set up about 1 foot from the back edge of the tables, in order to make it a fair game for everyone. Being on a government controlled shooting range, the whole target set up, was of temporaril format, and had to be torn down after the championship. Each championship requires a dispensation from the goverment, before it is allowed-go figure!
Anyway, the pin shoot had 5 primary classes, that could only be shot once, and 16 secondary classes that could be shot multiple times. The primary classes consisted of 5-pin and 9-pin tables, that was shot 3 times each with 1 throwaway string. The 2 best strings from both the 5 and 9 pin classes was added together for a combined total time. A real good overall time was considered to be around 18-22 sec. All shooting was scored with an electronic timer.
The primary classes were divided up in open/stock pistol, open/stock revolver and production pistol for a total of 5 classes. The remaining secondary classes, was a mix of these same type of guns used on both 5 and 9 pin tables, where only the best string out of 3 counted for score. There was a .22 LR class and 2 & 3 man teams using this same format.
Being on the range, and well, in Denmark as a whole, one can actually feel the tension and scrutiny the Danish gun owners suffers from their own government. They try really hard to get the best out of everything under these harsh conditions, but right under the surface, one can sense the grudge against the government, and it's "uncalled for " heavy restrictions on guns and sports shooting. They are smiling...but not as much as US gun owners !
Suffering from jet-lag, I still managed to come out on top in the revolver, 2-man team and .22 LR classes. Being a small country, Denmark only have a handful of top shooters, and the remaining classes were won between these shooters. Overall, it was a mixed bag experience competing in my old native country, after so many years here in the great USA. Considering the conditions in Denmark, they did a good job hosting this pinshoot. One thing though ! there was no payback to the winners at all....OK I let this one slide...hmm I must be getting Americanized after all ....
Jess Christensen
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Jess is a great friend, a great shooter, and a great gunsmith (at GI). He has never not kicked my butt at the Single Stack..... sometimes I can keep up with him shooting pins, at least last time we shot them together. Thanks for report old pal!
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Sure seems like it would be a lot of fun.