Team FNH USA Turns Up the Heat
OutdoorHub 07.10.12
With the summer heat climbing by the day, Team FNH USA has gotten even hotter. A series of matches nationwide have recently showcased the talent of Team FNH USA and the reliability of their firearms in the harshest of competitive conditions.
Mark Hanish dominated the MGM Ironman match in Parma, ID in early June. Shooting both matches back-to-back, Mark finished 2nd in Heavy Optics and followed it up with a 2nd place finish in Tactical Optics. Over the course of the week, the weather varied between 95 degrees and sunny, to mid-40s with rain and 40+ MPH winds. But Mark noted that his FN firearms gave him a competitive advantage: “The Ironman is a brutal test of not only the competitor, but the equipment they bring. Just having firearms that can survive the match is half the battle! I had total confidence in my FN guns to reliably fire over 2000 rounds through the rain, dust, and dirt, which definitely gave me an advantage shooting two back-to-back Ironman matches.” Teammate Erik Lund placed 3rd in Heavy Optics at Ironman.
The following weekend, the best 3-gun shooters in the country converged on Covington, GA for the 3-Gun Nation Pro Series pro-only match. Greg Jordan posted a 4th place finish against some of the sport’s toughest competitors; Mark Hanish was close behind in 13th place. Once again, FN firearms provided a competitive advantage. Greg said, “The 3-Gun Nation Pro Series has evolved the sport of 3-gun into drag racing with guns. With the places being decided by mere tenths of a second or less you must have gear that performs at all times. My gear from FN does just that, allowing me to direct my focus to other aspects of the match.”
In late June, Joe Satterfield claimed first place in Standard Manual division at the first annual Benelli Rockcastle Shotgun Championship. With afternoon temperatures averaging around 105 degrees, this 24 stage match was endurance challenge both for the competitors and their gear. Joe commented, “This match was a year’s worth of shotgun experience in one weekend. It was an excellent warm-up for the Shotgun World Championship in Debrecen, Hungary in late September.”
As June rolled into July and temperatures climbed into the hundreds, team FNH USA co-captain Larry Houck dispatched hundreds of zombies to take first place at the Hornady Zombies in the Heartland Match in Grand Island, Nebraska. The match drew a different crowd than the typical 3-gun competitor. Mostly amateur shooters came out in full zombie-slaying battle rattle – helmets, axes, gloves, knives, machetes, and of course, guns! Larry noted the different atmosphere, “Most of the competitors were first time 3-gun participants, so I enjoyed helping several squad mates break down the stages for the best course of fire while diagnosing equipment issues.”
Team FNH USA will compete at the AR15.com ProAm at the Rockcastle Shooting Center in August, and the Ozark 3-Gun Championship in September. Team FNH USA will host the FNH USA 3-Gun Championship at the Peacemaker National Training Center in Glengary, WV in September.
FNH USA, LLC is a U.S. subsidiary of FN Herstal S.A., a global leader in the development and manufacturing of high-quality, reliable firearms for the military, law enforcement and commercial markets. A pioneer in innovative firearm technology since the days of John M. Browning, the company supplies a variety of products to customers in more than 100 countries worldwide. Based in McLean, VA with manufacturing operations in Columbia, SC, FNH USA is responsible for all U.S.-based sales and marketing efforts.
