United States Revolver Association
1900
- National as well as state & local handgun matches
- 1908 – 1936 ran the U. S. Olympic pistol & revolver teams
- oldest known continuously operating organization for the handgun competition community
- formed to standardize the handgun competition rules etc. in the United States,
- to organize International and Olympic handgun competitions
About the USRA
The United States Revolver Association (USRA) was the first national body dedicated to handgun competition in the United States. It was formed in New York in 1900 after a meeting called by Capt. James Conlin, owner of a New York shooting gallery, and Reginald Sayre, prompted by French shooters at the Gastinne-Rennette gallery in Paris who proposed a match between American and French pistol shooters. The new association won that international match, and in 1903 it published rules for handgun shooting and record-keeping, giving American pistol competition its first common standard.
According to the NRA’s Shooting Sports USA, the USRA selected, trained and financed U.S. Olympic pistol teams for the 1908, 1912, 1920, 1924, 1932 and 1936 Games. Its influence waned as the NRA’s shoulder-to-shoulder pistol program grew, since most USRA matches were postal and it lacked a national headquarters or publication. A 1978 reference still listed the USRA in Springfield, Massachusetts, running postal matches, but by the 2020s it was reported to be no longer active. For handgun competitors, the USRA’s rules are an early ancestor of today’s bullseye and international pistol events.
Key Facts
- 1900: The USRA is formed in New York after a meeting called by Capt. James Conlin and Reginald Sayre.
- 1903: The USRA publishes rules for handgun shooting and record-keeping.
- 1908 to 1936: The USRA selects, trains and finances U.S. Olympic pistol teams, including 1908, 1912, 1920, 1924, 1932 and 1936.
- 1978: The USRA is listed as headquartered in Springfield, Massachusetts, conducting postal matches.
- 2020s: The association is reported to be no longer active.
Sources
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