By: Robin Taylor
Edited by ASI HQ
Considered by many a high point of the year, the Hand Sized Handgun Championship, or “HSH,” drew the Northwest ASI faithful to Puyallup, Wash. on Father’s Day, June 21.
If you haven’t shot one yet, the “HSH” is something special. It operates as a match-within-a-match focusing on “hand sized” handguns. All shooters compete for scores in a normal ASI match, but special awards are given to the top-placing shooters using “hand sized” handguns. Defining a “hand sized” handgun is tricky, so match organizers Jackie and Joey Russo opted to use the IDPA “BUG” box. The BUG box is small compared to prior definitions of “Hand Sized,” so it rules out many of the micro-compacts normally used in ASI (such as the P365 Macro, and certain configurations of the Canik MC9). In keeping with the spirit of ASI, if you showed up with a gun that you THOUGHT would fit the box but didn’t, you still shot the match with everyone, still got a score and all the benefits of the match but the special “James Bond-themed” plaques went to those with the smallest guns.
How small did a gun need to be? We saw shooters driving Glock 26’s, original P365s, and a .380 or two. We don’t think they fit the box, but we also saw a handful of guys shooting snub-nosed revolvers. (Bragging rights go to them, as reloading a snubbie quickly is really challenging.)
Paul Bunyan Rifle & Sportsman’s Club, and particularly the Russos, get double credit for hosting this wonderful event. They pulled off an excellent mid‑size shoot, showcasing the skill and energy they consistently bring to Northwest ASI. The Russos are a force in Northwest ASI, so keep an eye on the Paul Bunyan match calendar; the club hosts regular “normal” ASI shoots and has a history of putting on specialty matches.