A Personal History of the Peninsula Rifle & Pistol Club
To my understanding, the club was formed in 1942. Until the indoor range and club house was built in about 1947 all shooting was done outdoors at the airport site.
During the war (W.W.II), there was a squadron of P-38s stationed at the airport. Some of the armor plates that were supposed to protect the pilots from enemy gunfire had been removed and were being used by the early club members for a target. When the pilots discovered that they were able to punch holes in the plates with a .22; (actually a 220 Swift) they became rather upset. For, after all, these armor plates were supposed to be able to stop a .50 cal bullet.
I started shooting small bore pistol with the Peninsula Rifle and Pistol Club in about November of 1959 and became a member in early 1960.
At that time we held our winter indoor league at the Coast Guard range on Ediz Hook. There were a number of Coast Guardsmen who shot pistol and this way they could make the shoots even when they were on duty. Some of their names were Peel, Wally Gentry, John Steadman, Stoneback and "Mouse" Hollerback.
Some of the members of the PR&PC that shot pistol at that time were Al Goerg, (who owned the Makah Sporting Goods) Joe Ferguson, Laurel Wood, George Wright, John Fishburn, (club secretary for many years), Bob Rooney, Dick Smelling, Don Alward, Pultz, Leonard Johnson, Harry Uiilson, Bob Cole, Ed Waldorf and Vic Hulse. In about 1962, some of the wives started shooting too. Betty Wood, Lucille Wilson and Sherma Wright were among the first.
After a couple of years the interest dropped off among the Coast Guard, mostly due to the diehard shooters being transferred to other duty stations. We began to hold the winter leagues at our club house.
In the winter, we fired the National Match Indoor Course and shot a postal match with other teams around the state. After the end of the winter league we would start shooting centre fire indoors until the advent of daylight saving time. Then we would start shooting on our outdoor range at 50 and 25 yds. Later on the Port let Diversified Industries have our outdoor range site. As the Port didn't charge us much for rent, we didn't complain. After the loss of our outdoor range, we started to hold our summer leagues up at Harry Wilson's place on Bagley Creek Rd.
Other pistol shooters that came along were Jerry Holman, Jerry Leech, Larry Neece, Larry Wilson, Glen Wood., Joe Glover, Erland Hansen, George and Lucille Smith, Orville Rogers and his daughter Linda, (park ranger), George Sawn, Jim and Chris Bower, Chuck and Lucille Hassel, Dave Hogland, Gene and Edith Brown, Jack and Harriet McEwan, Al Smith and Dave Schultz.
The small-bore rifle shooters met on Monday night. They included Frank Finch, Joe Ferguson, Ed Waldorf, Ed Gunnel, Paul Schorder from Cllallam Bay, Dick Smelling, Laurel Wood, Ed Williamson and Dave Wood. I also shot rifle one season but it didn't hold my interest like pistol.
Harry Brown coached the Junior Rifle Team that was sponsored by the Eagles and used our indoor range for many years.
Joe Ferguson was very active in maintenance and Work days around the club. He cut the grass, reroofed the building and did anything that needed to be done.
Before we lost the outdoor range we would hold an NRA sighting in day each fall for the hunters.
Al Goerg, who was instrumental in creating an interest in hand gun hunting, held several 200yd. pistol matches on the range.
Every spring, we held a series of high power rifle matches at Camp Hayden. They were part of a postal match and culminated in the DCM match which qualified us for more ammunition. At that time; prior to the infamous Johnson regime; the club would receive so many rounds of 30-06 ammo from the Army for every person that shot and qualified in the DCM match. The range at Camp Hayden was still usable at that time although it took at least one work party each spring to get the target frames functioning. The targets and other materials we stored in one of the old bunkers. We usually started shooting in April and tried to be finished by early June so as not to be there when the park had a lot of people there. Then as now, there were those who opposed shooting and would complain to the county park board. And some of the board members were not partial to shooting. In fact, it became harder each year for us to get permission to use the range.
Some of our high-power rifle shooters were, Joe Ferguson, Frank Finch, Ernie Hannawell, Ed Gunnell, Laurel wood, Harry Wilson, Max Reidel, Ted Ranta, John Fishburn, Al Goerg, Al Brannin, Gene Brown, George Smith, Ed Hainstock, Fred Feakes, Dick Smelling, Bob Cole, Ed Waldorf, Vic Hulse, Chuck Hassel and Ed Williamson.
Toward the end of our use of the Camp Hayden range we started having a pot-luck lunch with the wives and families. This was rather nice and helped in some measure to show the general public that shooting can be family oriented. Most of the comments that we had from the public were favorable. But, unfortunately, there was always one or two who complained. They were in a definite minority, but then again, radicals are usually in a minority. However their influence is far out of proportion to their actual numbers.
Some of the wives also shot the DCM. Of those that I can recall there were, Betty Wood and Lucille Hassel.
Several times deer would walk across the range between the firing line and the targets while firing was in progress. They never seemed to be at all disturbed by bullets flying over their heads.
The high-power shooting at Camp Hayden ceased when the Johnson regime cut off the funding for the DCM and the ammo supplies to the affiliated. clubs in retaliation for the assassination of President Kennedy. Part of the media and liberal attempt to discourage shooting and disarm America that is still going on today.
In the late 60's and early 70's a number of our members became involved in black powder shooting. We started to hold monthly shoots up at Jim and Cris Bowers’ place and out of these members was formed. the Peninsula Long Rifles in early 1970. The people that I remember were Laurel and Betty Wood, Jim and Cris Bower, Dick Smelling, Ken (Mac) McPetrie, Glen wood, Dave Shultz and myself. For a period of time the memberships between the two clubs were pretty much interchangeable.
In the 1970's several of us went to a turkey shoot at Hadlock. The events were strung out over such a long period of time that the blackpowder event didn't come off or came off after we left. In any event, McPetrie elected to shoot his flintlock along with the breech-loaders. When the smoke cleared, the snickers of the spectators ceased, for Mac and his flint had shot the closest to center and took home the turkey.
Larry Lack was another who shot smallbore rifle and served as club secretary. Also Dennis and Dottie Reynolds, (USCG) shot pistol with us during his tour of duty here.
At the Coast Guard indoor range there was a 35 gal, oil drum into which was put all the brass that was swept up off the floor after each shoot. Along with the dust from the floor there was apparently a certain amount of unburned powder that ended up in the barrel too. For I remember at least one occasion when someone snubbed out a cigarette on the screen covering the top of this barrel. As they stepped away, a flame erupted from the barrel, shooting a couple of feet above the top for several seconds. Rather like burning a handful of powder in the open. Apparently enough residue powder had accumulated so that once a few grains ignited, it all went. Rather spectacular for a couple of seconds.
At the outdoor summer league the shooters would patch their targets in order to save money and get more mileage out of the targets. The second relay had finished firing and started forward to score. About half way down to the target line; Bob Cole suddenly said rather loudly, "What the Hell?" It appeared that all of his shots had gone low and to one side. However, when he reached his target, he found that all his shots were in the black. But the previous shooter; Larry Neese, I believe; had drawn a series of simulated hits with his pencil low and to the side for Cole's benefit. And he certainly had Bob rattled for a few moments.
Jerry Holman came to one of our outdoor shoots on his motorcycle. He was shooting between two .45's but had forgotten to bring his ear muffs. I suggested to him that his helmet might provide him with a measure of prot¬ection as it was padded on the inside. He tried it on the first timed fire string only to discover that the effect was more like trying to shoot with a bucket on his head, amplifying rather than dulling the sound.
The awarding of medals and trophies for the pistol leagues was done in a manner to spread the awards among the greatest possible number of people. For example; if you placed first Expert and also first in rapid fire, you would receive only the first Expert award. This helped to encourage the newer shooters.
The outdoor range was located in an revetment of the runways of the airport. The backstop; a mound of dirt; naturally suffered from the effects of shooting. On at least one occasion the Coast Guard donated us some old telephone poles and the use of a Cat to rebuild the backstop. The poles were set in the ground and faced with plywood. Then dirt was bull dozed up against it. Ed Gunnell got the plywood from Penply for us.
I have been told that my father-in-law, Bill Coplin, was active in the club prior to my becoming involved.
If I have missed mentioning anyone, I apologize and must place the blame on my faulty memory. Which, along with my body, is starting to show the effect of the ravages of time.
Allen S. Brannin
462 Hwy. 101 W.
Port Angeles, Washington 98362