OLIVE HILL — Gary Stevens knows the importance of being able to properly handle a firearm in a practical situation.

Stevens, a retired Kentucky State Police officer, recently earned yet another top title in the Senior Single Stack division during the U.S. Practical Shooting Association’s TechWare USA Area 8 Regional Handgun Championship in Fredericksburg, Va.

Stevens, a regional director for the USPSA, said the organization has events divided into categories designed to allow shooters to compete with people and firearms on an equal footing. As he has gotten older, Stevens said he is is pleased to shoot against people in his own age range.

“You take you gold nuggets where you can find them,” he said with a chuckle. Citing difficulties with his own eyesight, reflexes, knees and hips, Stevens said the young shooters without such concerns would likely have a tremendous competitive advantage against more experienced shooters such as himself, concluding “99 percent of the time that will be beat old age and treachery.”

The sport of practical shooting has evolved since it began around 1976 with an emphasis on self-defense scenarios, although the sport continues to utilize firearms carried and used for personal protection.

“We try to maintain the self-defense roots, but it has evolved into competition,” Stevens said.

In the division he competes in, for example, contestants must use firearms based upon the original 1911 service pistol often considered John M. Browning’s masterpiece. The firearms used in practical shooting competition have evolved considerably since Browning designed his .40-caliber pistol for military use, he said, explaining people who are serious about hitting their targets have improved the gun’s ergonomics, as well as improving the sights and accessories that help put bullets where they are intended to hit.

“Military guns stayed the same because if you were down to your pistol, you were in trouble,” he said. “We discovered John M. Browning’s masterpiece could be improved.”

Stevens got involved with practical shooting sports after reading a magazine article about a shooting organization.

“I said, ‘Wow! That looks like fun ... run and gun and shoot targets.’ I went with three friends to a club in Butler County, Ohio, and as they say, we were hooked.”

Practical shooting enthusiasts in this area formed an alliance with the Ashland Gun Club at Rush in 1980 and have been hosting practical shooting matches on a monthly basis, with an average of 40 to 50 competitors at each match. Women and young shooters are welcome, he said.

“It’s not a bunch of rednecks with ambeer running down their chin,” he said with a big grin, later adding he has been beaten by many fine female shooters.

“Our sport today is more about gun handling — drawing quickly, manipulating it and hitting your target,” he said. “Our sport is open to seniors, kids, men and women. We have five generations of shooters out there. Betty Jo Ratliff is one of our best shooters. I wish I had a dollar for every time Betty Jo beat me!”

For more information about local competitions, Stevens advises potential competitors to check the event schedule at agcpd.com.

“If you already own a pistol, we probably have a division you can shoot in,” Stevens said, explaining safety is the organization’s absolute priority and there is no particular need for an expensive investment in equipent to give it a try.

“People don’t have to go out and spend a lot of money,” he said, noting participants need a holster that conceals their pistol’s trigger, a couple of extra ammo magazines and protection for eyes and ears. “And, if they don’t have any of that we can let them borrow it if they want to give it a try,” he said.

Stevens said those interested in learning more about practical shooting may call him at (606) 255-7281 and leave a message if he can’t answer.

TIM PRESTON can be reached at tpreston@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2651.