Newport Rifle Club

Robin Kasckow, left, Newport Rifle Club chief instructor, coaches Lisa Knowles of Middletown at a recent women-only firearms safety and marksmanship session. Pistol safety class for women held at Newport Rifle Club Newport Rifle Club recently held its third free pistol safety and shooting skills session for women only.

Eight women participated in the two-hour, hands-on class, the maximum number the indoor range accommodates. The idea for the training came from one of the club’s female members, who pointed out the growing number of women at the club who are new to shooting. Female membership began growing about 10 years ago and has now reached approximately 20 percent of the club’s 700 members.

Founded in 1876, Newport Rifle Club is the oldest continuously operating gun club in the US. The club provides a wide range of safety, marksmanship and firearms care training for youth and adults and offers a number of competitions within the club and throughout the state. General and membership information can be found at newportrifleclub.org.

In Newport This Week, 12,28/17

Honoring Battle of the Bulge
For the seventh straight year, the Newport Rifle Club held a shooting competition to commemorate American servicemen who fought in the Battle of the Bulge. Shooting at 50 and 100 yards with the types of rifles that were used in the battle, Kevin Mathis of Middletown finished first, Keith Silvia of Bristol was second and Paul Donovan of Newport was third. Craig Corsetti of Newport won the Panzer shoot, which was a 100-yard one shot from the prone position at a nine-inch wide picture of a German tank.

On Dec.16, 1944, Hitler launched the Battle of the Bulge, the largest and bloodiest fighting of World War II involving U.S. troops in Europe. The
battle raged for 45 days in such bitter cold, snow and rain that tanks froze to the ground and many soldiers suffered severe frostbite and trench foot. Of the 610,000 U.S. forces in the fighting, 19,000 died and 70,000 were wounded. The Battle of the Bulge was the last major German offensive and left their military so depleted that they surrendered less than five months later.

Founded in 1876, Newport Rifle Club is the oldest continuously operating gun club in the country. With a membership of 700, the club provides a wide range of safety, marksmanship and firearms care training for youth and adults and offers a number of competitions within the club and throughout the state. For more information, visit newportrifleclub.org.