Keith Garcia defeated SureFire's Barry Dueck two bouts to none in a finals showdown to claim the 2012-2013 3-Gun Nation Championship, winning $50,000 from Leupold Tactical Optics and NRA Sports.
Garcia, a law enforcement officer from California, is one of the most successful 3GN Shoot-Off competitors to date, this his third 3GN Shoot-Off victory. However, the two previous weren't nearly so lucrative, as Garcia took home $5,000 at Superstition Mountain Mystery 3-Gun in 2010 and 2011. But up until now, Garcia had yet to qualify for 3-gun's biggest day.
"I was disappointed last year when I didn't make the Shoot-Off," Garcia said. "I was on a mission to get to the finals this year. It was a very talented field. I'm proud of the effort. It took everything I had to beat these guys."
After securing a first-round bye in the 28-man bracket, Garcia was solid in a second-round win over West Chandler. Then in the night session, the NRA Sports Rumble on the Range, presented by Brownells, Garcia settled into the moment, ripping off wins over Vertx teammate Burton Thompson and then Taran Butler, setting up the finals showdown with Dueck.
Barry Dueck was equally impressive during his run through the tournament; with an opening-round win over the legendary Jerry Miculek and a second-round victory over Adam Popplewell before advancing to the night session. There, Dueck pulled off the biggest upset of the tournament with a quarterfinal win over tournament favorite Daniel Horner, of the U.S. AMU. Dueck, riding extremely hot rifle shooting, along with his Grand Master-level pistol skills, then knocked off the tournament's number four seed, FNH USA's Greg Jordan, in the semi-finals, setting up the match-up with Garcia.
Ultimately though, the night belonged to Garcia, who showed fierce determination and focus, especially in the final round when the competitors switched over to sponsor gear, an FN SCAR 16, fitted with Leupold Tactical Optics scopes and SureFire suppressors, SLP shotgun and FNS-9 pistol. After an initial sighting in period with Federal Premium Ammunition products, where Dueck struggled a bit to get comfortable behind the SCAR, Garcia cruised to the win in straight bouts, winning his first 3GN Championship.
Look for full coverage on the 2013 Rumble on the Range, including the 3GN Lady Championship, 3GN Semi-Pro Championship, and all the action from the 3GN Pro Series Championship, in the upcoming issue of 3GN Magazine, slated to release this week.
