I've read on another website that Bob Munden passed away yesterday (12/10). I haven't been able to confirm that yet, but the last time I saw him, he looked pretty sick. That was a few years ago.
Bob was known as "The Fastest Gun Who Ever Lived" and held many speed shooting world records. He was also a renowned pistolsmith.
sad stuff,...he use to come up here and show his stuff!( about 200yds north of where i sit rite now)......sad.....rip .. on the tv, the one shot at what/? 300yds with 2" stub nose.....
RIP Bob. My Ruger SBH has a Munden custom action job. I went to Bob's house for the action job. Bob and his wife were gracious hosts. Bob was quite a character.
Click on any topic below to access previous In His Own Words articles. � How is your health, Bob? August, 2011 Okay, okay, I didn�t know the crew from Shooting USA�s Impossible Shots was going to tape me talking about my health. Well they had a camera crew recording my interview, but I was somehow surprised that they aired the part when I talked about my health problems. Go figure. Camera crew not do their job? Unlikely. Well, I�ve never been shy about talking about what�s going on. Yes, my kidneys are not happy right now. I have never had a drink or puff off a cigarette, but other things can cause problems too, like growing up poor and liking to have lots of food when I could get it. In fact, as a kid, hunting for my family with guns, a bow, sling-shots and rowboat paddles that my brothers and I used to finish off wounded ducks in the lake, those activities filled the big pot of soup my mom always had ready at our house in Big Bear, Calif.
Oh yes, then an extremely busy professional Fast-Draw competition schedule followed by a very demanding contract to entertain at school assemblies � then traveling for all the other performances Becky and I have done for 42 years across the country and overseas � we got hooked on fast, fast-food from the as the then advertised �wholesome� foods from new restaurants like McDonalds that popped up and made our lives easier, and later, not so healthy.
Okay, I wore out my knees with hard-core athletics. When I was in my 40s I tried to get my knees replaced because I have zero cartilage, but I was told I was too young. Should have maybe kept looking for a surgeon, but our schedule didn�t allow that and I basically had to stop exercising regularly and ended up with what so many other people have these days, Type II diabetes. Wonderful.
Did I really know what was going to happen with diabetes? Nope. I was at the range, on stage, in the shop and on the road.
Now I know for sure that you can�t go on ignoring diabetes and eating what you want when you want � or skip breakfast. And you have to find a way to keep exercising.
I still have 20/10 vision in both eyes, don�t take cholesterol medication, my heart is good and I lost a bunch of weight, but as of now I need to start on dialysis and my liver isn�t too happy either. Oh, Man. But I�m going to do it and then move forward with trying to get my body back to reasonable shape as I continue to work in the shop, go to the range, ride my Harley with Becky and enjoy my family.
So, I am doing pretty good for the shape I�m in. Thanks for all your good wishes. The crew from SUSA�s Impossible Shots is coming back up to Montana in October to film for another season. Do I have good ideas lined up?
Bob Munden (February 8, 1942 - December 10, 2012) Kansas City, Missouri, United States[1], is a world-renowned exhibition shooter with all types of firearms, but is most well known for holding 18 world-records in Fast Draw and holding the title, "Fastest Man with a Gun Who Ever Lived."
Bob Munden started his shooting career at age 11. Beginning in high school, Bob competed in Jeff Cooper's Big Bear "Leatherslaps" shooting competitions at Big Bear Lake, California in the 1950s. The Leatherslaps eventually became the South Western Combat Pistol League (SWCPL). When Bob Munden was 17, he placed second in the 1958 Leatherslap using a Colt .45 Single Action borrowed from Cooper. He claims to have won over 3,500 fast draw trophies.
Since taking up exhibition shooting, Bob Munden has given many demonstrations to audiences, once with John Satterwhite. Bob Munden has also given shooting demonstrations on television shows the world over, most notably featured in "Super Humans" on the History Channel, American Shooter, Shooting USA, Shooting USA's Impossible Shots and Ripley's Believe it or Not. Munden has also become a custom gunsmith.
Bob Munden, known perhaps equally as a fierce Fast-Draw competitor who was recognized by Guinness World Records as The Fastest Man with a Gun Who Ever Lived, as an exhibition shooter of the highest order with all kinds of firearms; an entertainer as well as a master gun smith who developed groundbreaking methods of customizing to perfection the beloved .45 caliber single action revolver and other guns, died Monday of heart failure.
Munden�s wife and performance partner Becky said Tuesday she was driving home with Bob after treatment at a Missoula hospital for what doctors described as a mild heart attack. At some point between Missoula and their home of Butte, Bob mentioned he was experiencing chest pains, told Becky to keep on driving, and died.
The 70-year-old shooting sports superstar was pronounced dead upon arrival at St. James Heathcare in Butte.
Sorry to hear about Bob. I went to school with him, nice kid and great athlete and life was tough for alot of families in Big Bear those days.talked to last about 15 yrs ago seemed like the same guy. RIP
Bailed him out once. Back in the the early 90's, delivered 20k in cash to some lawyer in Cape May, NJ. in exchange for a bag of handguns. Turns out, they were his and my employeer put up,the cash for his handguns. Just remembered that I got drunker than 10 indians waiting for my return flight to Chicago, and had a difficult time bringing the guns on the flight. Needless to say the airlines okayed bringing on the guns in a carry on soft flight bag. Those were the days.
Sorry to hear Bob Munden died. Several years ago, I watched him put on his show at the Boise Gun Show. You can't realize just how fast he was without standing nearby and watching him draw and shoot.
After the exhibition outside the building, I talked with him and John Taffin at length, at their table inside the show. Interesting conversation.
Rocky, did you have a booth at that particular show when Bob was there?
I was privileged to have met him twice. I wasn't ready for his passing. Really was a good guy and humble. Okay, I lied about the humble part but still a good guy. RIP
Never had the pleasure of meeting Bob, spoke with him a few years ago on the phone, realized we knew some of the same people in different parts of the country. Prayers to his family.