WFDA

by

World Fast Draw Association

formed in 1976

  • nonprofit group
  • dedicated to governing, preserving and promoting the sport of Fast Draw
  • Mid-Western and Western Fast Draw Associations merged
  • one of the largest sanctioning bodies in the sport of Fast Draw
  • active members in the United States, Canada, Japan, Korea, the United Kingdom, Germany, and more
  • blanks and wax bullets are the recommended

http://www.fastdraw.org/

About the World Fast Draw Association

The World Fast Draw Association (WFDA) is a nonprofit sanctioning body for the timed sport of Fast Draw, in which shooters draw a single-action revolver from the holster and fire at a target as quickly as possible, using blanks or wax bullets rather than live ammunition. The WFDA was formed in 1976 through the merger of the Mid-Western Fast Draw Association and the Western Fast Draw Association, and it has members in the United States and abroad.

The sport itself grew out of 1950s California. Dee Woolem, a stuntman at Knott’s Berry Farm, began practicing with a single-action Colt and designed a clock-faced timer to measure draws against balloon targets fired with blanks. Woolem went on to win the National Fast Draw Championship four times and set a self-start record of 0.12 seconds. Electronic timing remains central to the sport, and in self-start events the shooter starts the clock by releasing a button as the draw begins. For gun owners, Fast Draw preserves a piece of Western gun culture while emphasizing safe gun handling with non-lethal loads.

Key Facts

  • Early 1950s: Fast Draw begins in California with stuntman Dee Woolem
  • Mid-1950s: Woolem designs a clock-faced Fast Draw timer
  • 0.12 seconds: Woolem’s self-start record
  • 1976: Mid-Western and Western Fast Draw Associations merge to form the WFDA

Learn More

Sources

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