THE SPIRIT OF THE OLD WEST & FAST DRAW HAVE ALWAYS APPEALED TO THE PUBLIC
* MUNDEN STAGE SHOW
Bob and Becky Munden performed their stage show all over the United States, including Alaska and overseas. Their first performance as a duo was in 1968 in Bishop, California. During their career, they took their cowboy six-guns to New York City, to school assemblies, radio stations and television studios across the nation, as well as to already extra handgun-wary places like London, England, and Auckland, New Zealand.
Because they used only blank ammunition in the stage show, indoors or out Bob and Becky safely performed at many different venues including car dealerships, sport shows, conventions, fairs, amusement parks, shopping malls and at corporate and private events. For audiences of all types, the show, in which the Mundens always promoted GUN SAFETY, was fascinating and fun.
The great 19th century, American showman P.T. Barnum said, Without promotion something terrible happens: Nothing! Bob Munden instinctively knew how to promote and how to entertain and interact with audiences. The stage show was a great draw for car dealerships especially, because Bob and Becky’s appearances attracted lots of spectators to each lot, and those spectators became buyers. Top weekends for sales could exceed 50 cars when a dealership followed specific, seasoned advertising advice Bob & Becky provided to ensure effective promotion of the shows.
“Our job is to get people there. We arrive early, in time to do radio and TV coverage. The spectators enjoy the show and afterward, can come up and look at our gun display and ask questions. While they are on the property having a good time, sales associates introduce them to vehicles on the lot and answer questions. Inevitably, in this relaxed environment, people buy cars.” — Bob Munden
All the Mundens required to set up a stage for outdoor performances was a flat-bed truck. For indoor shows the performance area could be even simpler, with just a back stop to block any unburned powder.
The Mundens’ stage show was not a kids’ Howdy boys and girls type of show, although kids also defnitely enjoyed the show and were some of Bob and Becky’s best fans. Bob and Becky talked about the history of FAST DRAW and explained that historically, the face-to-face at sundown, “Draw!” fast-draw duels never happened, but were instead invented by dime novelists in the late 1800s, then later made famous by Hollywood and television westerns.
Bob and Becky used a 1-second, Fast Draw timer to introduce the speed of professional Fast Draw, and amazed audiences by demonstrating something that has been called, The fastest thing a human does.
During the show, Bob, who held 18 world records in speed shooting, or Fast Draw, from 1960 until his death December 10th, 2012, shot balloon targets during the stage show, placed in target stands about 8 feet away. The balloons broke when hit with unburned powder from the blank ammunition. His dramatic finale, the double-balloon shot, was so fast, spectators could swear it seemed like Munden fired only one shot.
* LIVE-AMMO EXHIBITION SHOWS USING HANDGUNS, RIFLES & SHOTGUNS
At appropriate and safe venues such as gun ranges or large, private areas with safe back-stops, Bob and Becky Munden would begin their live-ammunition exhibition shows by demonstrating their prowess with Fast Draw, as they did in their stage shows, by using single-action revolvers loaded with blank ammunition.
Then they moved on to real bullets and Bob, well known for his incredible exhibition shooting on television, entertained the crowd by shooting Fast Draw with live ammunition. This is extremely dangerous and Bob always warned spectators never to try Fast Draw with real bullets, EVER. He emphasized the importance of the precautions he took as a professional, including his use of a bullet-deflector plate attached to the holster boot, and explained that even that could not guarantee his safety should he make a mistake.
Bob did rapid-fire shooting with accuracy as well as incredible, seemingly impossible shots like hitting playing cards on edge first vertically and then horizontally with a Colt Single-Action revolver loaded with .45 caliber bullets traveling at 782 feet per second. The Mundens always enjoyed the challenge of shooting with full-charge ammunition rather than using light loads.
Bob always included a long-distance shot using a Derringer. When Bob picked up a rifle and drew with bullet holes a happy face on a target, Becky found some way to critique and make fun of his accuracy. Bob then challenged her to do better, which led to a display of her skills with a rifle or 1911. Often they picked up shotguns, and Bob showed that he was also more than proficient with the double barrel, pump or semi-auto by busting fun aerial targets like oranges, cookies, candy, eggs, etc. A crowd favorite was Becky ad-libbing jokes and issuing challenges to Bob. It was interesting because she never knew exactly which shot Bob was going to attempt. This flexible method of performing, sometimes affected by the weather, added to the challenges, and the fun, for Bob and Becky. Audiences loved the spontaneity of the entertainment.
Sometimes Bob would hand Becky a .45 ACP semi-automatic pistol and challenge her to shoot a target off hand 50 yards away, without the assistance of any optics; or, he would challenge her to duplicate an over-the shoulder mirror shot made famous by Annie Oakley. After many more shots, the show finale was Bob and Becky shooting together. Bob would set up empty shot shells on a target board for Becky to shoot with her rifle and make them fly into he air, while Bob shot them again in the air with his shotgun wherever they flew. This was an exciting climax.
Bob and Becky Mundens’ stage and live-ammunition shows were good, family entertainment that hearkened back to exhibition shooters of the past like Annie Oakley and The Fabulous Topperweins shooting exhibition team.
Bob also enjoyed achieving a shot that was completely unpracticed and outrageous. In 1986 at the End of Trail World Championships of Cowboy Action Shooting in Coto de Caza, California, Bob borrowed a .45 single-action revolver (a Dakota, no longer made,) from EMF Company owner Boyd Davis, and split a playing card in flight. Over time, for television Bob split other cards he thew into the air. Bob would say later that of all the exhibition shots he achieved during his career, using a handgun to split a playing card he threw into the air was the most difficult.
Naturally, the Mundens’ live-ammo show had to be held at a gun range where this type of shooting could be done safely. The performances were perfect for shooting clubs, firearms training schools, corporate or private events on land available for such a special attraction. Bob and Becky performed exhibitions at least 55 times at the Single Action Shooting Society’s (SASS) End of Trail World Championships of Cowboy Action Shooting. One year, the temperature was so hot when EOT was still held in Southern California, Bob and Becky’s hands blistered from holding and using their guns; but, the show had to go on. At least once during that performance, one of their single-action revolvers became so hot that Bob had to partially wrap the gun in a towel in order to use it.
For a significant percentage of their appearances, Bob and Becky brought a gun display. For the benefit of interested members of the audience, the Mundens made numerous guns available for people to touch and handle after Bob or Becky first demonstrated how to ensure the guns were unloaded. In addition to talking about gun safety, Bob and Becky described the fun and challenges of the various shooting sports so many people enjoy. Becky’s guns had custom grips with rose designs. For women who had not grown up around firearms and only heard about guns described in a negative light, Becky said most women seemed surprised by the heavy, original weight of her guns and were interested in necessary skills Becky developed in order to compete. During the after-show contact with fans and the curious, as women in particular handled her pretty single-action revolvers, Becky said she felt she had the opportunity to answer questions, correct misconceptions and, soften the image some people have about guns and the shooting sports.
