Fastest quickdraw shooter-- Bob Munden

[tazman]

I just watched a fascinating video of Bob Munden handling his six shooter on video and in slow motion. It was incredible!
He handles a single action revolver faster than anyone I have ever seen.
He is also incredibly accurate at the same time.
Link is here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GflTkHaigo

[Traffer]

If you like him you should check out Jerry Miculek. Jerry is a competition shooter as opposed to Munden who is a trick shot artist and quick draw artist. But if you watch Jerry shoot and reload a revolver and are not impressed you must not be alive.

[Skipper]

I just watched a fascinating video of Bob Munden handling his six shooter on video and in slow motion. It was incredible!
He handles a single action revolver faster than anyone I have ever seen.
He is also incredibly accurate at the same time.
Link is here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GflTkHaigo

Bob passed away in 2012

[tazman]

If you like him you should check out Jerry Miculek. Jerry is a competition shooter as opposed to Munden who is a trick shot artist and quick draw artist. But if you watch Jerry shoot and reload a revolver and are not impressed you must not be alive.

I have watched Jerry many times on YouTube. He is nothing short of amazing. I own the S&W 929 like the one he used to shoot 16 shots in 4 seconds. I can't even reload the thing as quickly as he shoots 16 shots and reloads.
I will grant that Munden's skill set seems to be very narrow, but in his niche, his skill is outstanding.

[osteodoc08]

Miculek is something else. I think we will find out later he is part machine.

[ReloaderFred]

Bob Munden was also an excellent shot with a pistol, besides being the fastest ever recorded to date. His wife, Becky, is no slouch, either. I talked to both of them at several SHOT Shows, and we had a mutual friend. I also talked to him at the last End of Trail that he put on a demonstration at. Once you got through the stage bravado, he was a nice guy, and Becky is the salt of the earth.

There are videos on-line of some of his shooting exploits besides the fast draw. I've seen him split a playing card by shooting the edge, and shoot an aspirin in the air (using a solid bullet, not a shotshell).

His last few years were tough on him, and the last time I saw him at the SHOT Show, he was riding a Hov-a-round, and looked like death warmed over. He died on the trip home from Missoula to Butte, where he and Becky lived, after a visit with his cardiologist. Becky was driving, and that had to be hard on her.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[OS OK]

I've enjoyed watching these fellas for years, esp. Jerry...but, I cringe when I hear of someone wanting to learn 'fast draw' as I think it is a very good way to have an accident. Just leave it to the pro's who have spent most of their lives perfecting these skills. Spend your time perfecting the art of 'hitting the bullseye' and leave this skill to the few.
We do not allow any such antics on any of our private ranges around here.
There is a very good example on You Tube of a fella making a fast draw and shooting himself through the thigh. I'm sure most everyone is aware of this video by now, but if you are not...Search the phrase..."I just shot myself"...I hesitate to include the link as it has strong language...It has an even 'stronger message' though.

OS OK

[bubba.50]

in the late 50's or early 60's I saw Bill Jordan on the "What's My Line" TV show. when the little light came on he processed the info from the timer, drew his double-action revolver, fired & busted the attached balloon in less that 1/4 second.

and on one of our local channels we had Stan Sweet as a weatherman. he was a several time national quickdraw champion & occasionally would give a demonstration if it was a slow news day.

both were very awesome but, as OS OK says, I'll leave the drivin' to the pros.

[osteodoc08]

.
There is a very good example on You Tube of a fella making a fast draw and shooting himself through the thigh. I'm sure most everyone is aware of this video by now, but if you are not...Search the phrase..."I just shot myself"...I hesitate to include the link as it has strong language...It has an even 'stronger message' though.

OS OK

Is this the one where he is standing in front of a "pretend bad guy" target and tries to draw and shoot the "bad guy"?

I hate it for him but that was just plain stoopid.

[OS OK]

Is this the one where he is standing in front of a "pretend bad guy" target and tries to draw and shoot the "bad guy"?

I hate it for him but that was just plain stoopid.

Yep...that's the guy. Stupid is as stupid does. I wonder what he was thinking? Was he thinking?

Bubba, I have old VHS tapes of shooting exhibitions from the early 50's...some amazing shotgun work. One fella throwing, I think 6 clay birds and using a shotgun to 'smoke' all of them before they reach the deck.

[cainttype]

I can't help but believe Bob's record fast-draw time to stop the clock will never be beaten. At 0.0175 seconds (that's no misprint, 1.75 ONE-HUNDRETHS of a second) you could say that his reaction time, draw, and clock-stoppage was 7 times faster than a human blinks, which some say averages about 0.15 seconds (15 one-hundreths).

The "Stan Lee's 'Super-Humans'" series featured Bob at 71 years old, in the 2nd episode I think... With motion sensors attached to his hand, the scientist controlling the test said Munden's draw (with a SSA in hand) was faster than the strike of a rattlesnake. He knew that because he'd previously tested rattlers, too.
The segment ended with Bob drawing and shooting two small balloons which had been placed about 6 feet apart. The shots sounded like a single discharge when both balloons burst seemingly simultaneously.
Slowing the high-speed film down actually captured the muzzle-blast/bursting balloons in consecutive frames. It's the only way to actually SEE what Munden was capable of... at 71 years old!

I doubt that there will ever be any serious challenge to Bob's records. I'm just glad we have video and scientific evidence that a man was actually able to accomplish such things.

RIP Bob.

[Piedmont]

I saw on youtube what cainttype is referring to with the two shots and had trouble comprehending that you only heard ONE shot but he fired two. That's fast.

[tazman]

If you watch the video closely during the 2 balloons sequence, you will see just one flash. He was working the action so fast that the high speed camera can barely tell that there is a separate flash for the 2nd shot.
Even in super slow, frame at a time motion, there is only one frame between the flashes of the 2 shots.

[pmer]

Does anybody know what he did to his revolvers to help them shoot that fast?

[Tom W.]

Practiced with them???

[dverna]

I had two SAA that Munden had tuned. Both were the slickest SAA's I have ever handled and like a fool I sold them both.

[cainttype]

Bob was that fast. The question was if a revolver could withstand Bob's speed.
Bob's SSAs were modified by opening the frames for extra large cylinder bolts and matching recesses in the cylinders. The strength required to withstand the force generated by the speed of the cylinder's rotation was beyond the Colt's original design. It was said that Bob could ruin a brand new SSA with a single draw if those modifications weren't made before he used it.
The Colt SSA has stood the test of time for well over a hundred years, even withstanding the likes of legendary gunmen and John Wayne's movies, but it was too fragile for Mr. Munden's speed.

Sounds crazy, kinda hard to believe?
That's how special Bob Munden was.

[cainttype]

It's also possible that Bob's SSAs may have been the fastest firing single-barrelled firearms ever seen, faster than the Uzi, faster than the MACs...
Bob could/would open-hand fan his Peacemaker, each finger throwing the hammer back for 1 more round... The result was 1 big boom sending every round in the gun downrange in an instant.
If you aren't familiar with Bob Munden (and his amazing skills), do yourself a favor, get familiar with Bob Munden.

[Skinny]

I used to watch(tv mostly, live a handful of times) him do a whole lot of unbelievable stuff with those single action revolvers. But the neatest thing I saw him do did not include the blazing speed he was known for.
I saw him pop balloons at 400yds with .45Long ctg.! Only took two misses to zero in. Once he had a point of ref on them, he busted 7 of them in a row! It looked like he was aiming for the moon!

[waksupi]

Does anybody know what he did to his revolvers to help them shoot that fast?

Just well tuned and smoothed up. I shot one of his this past February. Very accurate single action, was keeping the majority of shots on target at 100 yards. I also got to shoot Captain Jack Crawford's Sharps carbine that same day.