Event 1: DPMS Superstition Mountain Mystery 3-Gun

March 25-28, 2010; Mesa, AZ

After a brutal winter of blizzards hammered much of the eastern United States, shooting enthusiasts from all over the country converge on Mesa, Arizona to celebrate Spring and the coming warm weather, bringing with it the shooting season, at what has become one of the standard bearers of multi-gun competition, the DPMS Superstition Mountain Mystery 3-Gun (SMM3G). And after months of rumor and speculation circulating throughout the shooting world, Superstition Mountain also marks the beginning of a new era as the first event in the inaugural season of the 3-Gun Nation (3GN) Tour.

The longest-continuously running major 3-gun event in the country, SMM3G provides a fitting backdrop for the 3GN Tour, where never-before-seen cash payouts will amplify the competition, all of which will air on Versus beginning in July 2010. By partnering with SMM3G, the 3-Gun Nation team pays homage to the entire history of the sport of 3-gun.

“2010 is the 15th year for the Superstition Mountain Mystery 3-Gun,” said Dan Furbee, SMM3G match director and founder. “The match has grown from 67 shooters in 1996 to 275 shooters this year. (I) saw a need for a quality match. Prior to 1996, the only real serious 3-gun competition in the U.S. was the Soldier of Fortune match in Las Vegas. SOF would not allow competitors to use IPSC-style ‘race guns’ or any other high-tech innovative gear other than military or SWAT approved equipment. By opening the competition field up to ‘open class’ shooters, the 3-gun competition as we know it today burst forward.”

The sport of 3-gun, largely due to the success and ingenuity of several matches that have evolved into what are now considered majors, none more pivotal than SMM3G, is currently experiencing an unparalleled explosion in popularity, considered by most industry experts to be the fastest growing discipline in the entire shooting sports. The first major of the year, Superstition has relied on innovation and out-of-the-box thinking to keep it a favorite for 15 years.

“SMM3G is known as the match to attend,” Furbee said. “We use the natural terrain of the Arizona desert on some of our stages to enhance the shooting experience. Our stages utilize great props and equipment on the range along with innovative and fun targets. We were the first to use the Larue self-setting rifle target system. The SMM3G is also the first 3-gun match of the shooting season, and a lot of our dedicated shooters can’t wait to get out of their snow-bound states to shoot in sunny Arizona. In addition to all that, sponsors such as DPMS, FNH USA, LaRue Tactical, Bushmaster, Patriot Ordnance Factory, JP Enterprises, Dillon Precision, Samson Manufacturing, Nordic Components, Trijicon and SureFire, just to name a few, ensure fantastic prize tables that total more than $175,000 and make this the premier match of the shooting year.”

Superstition also stands as a seminal match due its overwhelming effect on the sport of 3-gun. Not only have stage design and target concepts been developed and proven in the Arizona desert, but rules and scoring doctrine that has influenced most of the major matches were developed by Furbee and his associates.

“SMM3G is the standard,” Furbee said. “We developed the scoring system currently used in the 3-gun competition world. The International Multi-gun Association Rules (an SMM3G affiliate) are accepted as the rules used by most of the 3-gun competitions in the U.S.”

Ultimately, the appeal of SMM3G derives from the fact that this is event designed for shooters, by shooters. Understanding the wants and desires of the best pistol shooters in the country, the pool from which most elite 3-gunners are drawn, has evolved into a recipe that draws interest from shooters all over the country.

“All of the serious 3-gun competitors are primarily competition pistol shooters who also happen to own these high-tech and very expensive rifles and shotguns,” Furbee said. “We needed places and events where we could compete with ‘our other toys’ and have a little fun. It’s turned into a monster, and it’s getting bigger! All any pistol shooter has to do is come to one of these matches and he or she will be hooked.”

Click here for event results.

Posted on 3/26/2010

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3-Gun Events

Date	Name
March 25-28	DPMS Superstition Mtn. 3G
April 23-25	Sabre Defense Blue Ridge 3G
May 21-23	FNH USA Midwest 3G
June 10-12	MGM IronMan 3G
Aug 5-7	JP Enterprises Rocky Mtn. 3G
Sept 9-12	USPSA Multi-Gun Nationals
Sept 13	3GN Championship

Overall Standings

view all completed events

Rank	Name	Class	Total
1	Taran Butler	TS	762.65
2	Jeff Cramblit	TS	683.05
3	Keith Garcia	TS	664.88
4	Bruce Piatt	TS	659.10
5	Henrik Blixt	TS	655.83
6	Ben Fortin	TS	652.67
7	Dave Neth	TS	636.35
8	Ty Gentry	TS	634.34
9	Chris Sechiatano	TS	622.36
10	Adam Popplewell	TS	608.47
11	Kurt Miller	TS	604.63
12	Mark Hanish	TS	602.65
13	Travis Gibson	TS	591.06
14	John Bagakis	TS	590.39
15	Sterling White	TS	590.16
16	Scott McGregor	TS	582.70
17	Doug Bowdler	TS	572.66
18	Kerry Dematos	TS	568.14
19	Kalani Laker	TS	561.55
20	Ken Hebert	TS	545.67
21	Rustin Bernskoetter	TS	544.90
22	Eric Lund	TS	543.73
23	Scott Carnahan	TS	531.43
24	Jamie Foote	TS	517.85
25	Daniel Nickel	TS	511.10
26	Vance Schmid	TS	508.79
27	James Casanova	TS	496.71
28	Brian Payne	TS	476.27
29	Dianna Liedorff	TS	467.70
30	Tasha Hanish	TS	463.03
31	Andy Horner	TS	458.69
32	Kenneth Anderson	TS	456.80
33	Christopher Leach	TS	454.44
34	Patrick Kelley	HM	800
35	JJ Johnson	HM	532.53
36	John Gangl	HM	493.52
37	Barry Dueck	HS	800
38	Michael Pinto	TI	721.32
39	Ken Pfau	TI	416.7
40	Jerry Miculek	O	781.32
41	Tommy Thacker	O	723.33
42	James Darst	O	676.15
43	Robert Johnson	O	671.35
44	Tony Holmes	O	669.63
45	Don Bednorz	O	633.3
46	Larry Houck	O	618.19
47	Brian Butcher	O	610.78
48	Doug Hartley	O	584.09
49	Ralph Arredondo	O	571.2
50	Craig Outzen	O	536.42