October 15, 2024 • 10 mins
On this episode of Our American Stories, we’ve all heard of gunslingers “Wild” Bill Hickok, Doc Holliday, and Billy The Kid. These quick-draw legends had nothing on Bob Munden.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
And we continue with our American stories. We've all heard
of gunslingers. While Bill Hiccock, Doc Holliday, and Billy the Kid,
these three quick draw legends have nothing on the guy
you are about to meet. Here's Greg Hengler with the story.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
We all know, the classic Cowboy film story where the
bad guy shows up in town and picks a fight
with the good guy. Well, you wouldn't want to pick
a gunfight with the good guy you're about to meet.
After all. If gunslinger Bob Mundon would have existed in
the wild West, he would have simply been called death.
(00:52):
Bob Mundon is one of the great characters in all
the shooting sports. If you don't believe me, just ask him.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
I'm not perfect, Like I tell people all the time
in jest, I'm not perfect. I'm just the closest thing
you're going to get to it now, That's what I
tell them, you know, And they all ingest, of course,
and I have fun with.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
It, all jokes aside. Bob is the most decorated fast
draw competitor of all time, a feat that earned him
the title the fastest gun who ever lived. It takes
a human three tenths of a second to blink. Bob
can draw cock fire from his hip. It's called instinctive
(01:31):
shooting and Reholster faster than an eye can blink.
Speaker 4 (01:36):
I first realized I was I had this ability when
I first started shooting competition on electronic timers. The speed
of my draw to the mechanics of drawing and firing
the gun is a one in three quarters one hundreds
of one second, or less than one half of one
half of one tenth of.
Speaker 3 (01:52):
One second, or just fast. Whatever's easy for you to say.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
Here's Bob being interviewed at one of his fast draw competitions.
In nineteen eighty six.
Speaker 5 (02:02):
You were known as one of the fastest guns thingers
in the world.
Speaker 4 (02:05):
You know, well, I'm listed in the again this book
a world record just the fastest man with the gun
who ever lived. Oh, there are eighteen world records you
can hold in this sport. I hold all eighteen and
have since nineteen sixty. Now I've won three five hundred trollies,
eight hundred major championships as well.
Speaker 5 (02:21):
Okay, now, how do you compare to some of the
you know, the old Wild West heroes that we hear
about and see on movies and stuff like that. And
you know how how they used to have like duels
and draw against each other.
Speaker 4 (02:33):
And how did Bill Hickock die?
Speaker 5 (02:36):
I think they were shut in the back.
Speaker 3 (02:37):
That's the way they all that.
Speaker 4 (02:39):
I've taken what they've built, the movies have created, and
I've built the show around it, and I have pushed it.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
We've made a science of it.
Speaker 4 (02:46):
Fastraw is the fastest thing a human being does. Nobody
does anything faster than what I do with guns?
Speaker 5 (02:53):
Can you give it a comparison to something that would
come close?
Speaker 6 (02:55):
But it's not as fast.
Speaker 4 (02:57):
Speed of light, which is far beyond it. Right there
is nothing next to it. Now you're saying a way
you're talking about so well? I mean, and then I
have to show you.
Speaker 5 (03:06):
Okay, ladies and gentlemen, the fastest gun in the world
right here.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
Wow, Bob is the fastest gun slinger who ever lived.
But what makes him even more superhuman is his incredible
accuracy at these phenomenal speeds. His ability can only truly
be appreciated using the fastest technology in the world. In
twenty ten, the sixty eight year old London was tested
(03:37):
by sports physiologist David Sandler, who is an expert in
human movement. Here's David.
Speaker 7 (03:44):
We have a couple different kinds of accelerometers that we're
going to place on Bob's hand, and so as Bob
goes through the range of motion, we're going to pick
up the actual acceleration of his hand and be able
to determine velocity from that. We have the ability to
measure in thousands of a second, so hopefully we can
we can catch its having. You know, the human eye
can't keep up with anything like that in no way.
Speaker 6 (04:06):
Ready and three two, one, go, wow, Wow, that was incredible.
Speaker 7 (04:22):
So what's happening is your hand When you do that
pop the max acceleration peak registers up here. You reach
nearly ten G of acceleration with your hand. Okay, what
that means in normal language is it's incredibly fast.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
G stands for the force of gravity. On Earth, fighter
pilots are tested to withstand a maximum of nine g's,
but Bob's muscles for a fraction of a second are
generating ten g's of force. But more incredibly, the results
show that Bob can draw cock fire and rehold ls
is gun faster than the reaction time in the average
(05:03):
human brain. But Bob wants to prove he's not only
superhuman with his speed, but also with his accuracy. He
sets up two targets six feet apart and attempts to
hit both faster than the blink of an eye. Listen closely.
He does it so quickly that he will not be
able to hear two distinctive shots.
Speaker 4 (05:25):
Yeah, I'm gonna bring the gut up, fire two shots,
one for each targets, fast as they can, and the gun.
Speaker 3 (05:31):
Must be cocked and fired for each shot.
Speaker 8 (05:33):
Yeah, so you've got to cock it bang, cock it,
ban again, cock it and bang.
Speaker 3 (05:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (05:42):
That was absolutely incredible.
Speaker 8 (05:45):
He just shot two bullets and I heard one shot
and that was it. Did you hear another one?
Speaker 7 (05:50):
I only heard one shot. That is amazing. That is unbelievable.
I've never seen anything like this. Two shots and under
a tenth of a second. Remarkable feat of dexterity and
and eye control.
Speaker 6 (06:01):
Just incredible.
Speaker 7 (06:02):
I mean, bottom line is, he exceeds what every other
human on this planet can do.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
But Bob doesn't work as a solo act. Wherever he is,
so is his wife, Becky, also a world champion shooter.
The two are married in nineteen sixty four after a
three month courtship.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
My life has revolved around my wife, My wife, Becky.
I don't do anything without her, and I can't. I
don't even want to do anything without her.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
After winning every Fast Draw competition multiple times, Bob sought
out new challenges. So Bob and Becky began performing together
beginning in nineteen sixty eight, emphasizing the importance of gun safety.
Here's Becky remembering the early days when they first started
to tour with their Fast Draw Trick Shot show.
Speaker 8 (06:54):
Started traveling performing in nineteen sixty nine, so it's been
quite a few years. And we started out in a
station wagon and we had our two daughters with us,
four years old and two years old, and we put
them in the back with their toys, and we had
all of our equipment in the middle seat, you know,
and then we were in the front and we did
(07:16):
school assembly programs.
Speaker 2 (07:18):
The Londons have performed in convention centers, malls, and car dealerships.
Speaker 8 (07:24):
We've done shows at amusement parks in New Jersey and
New York. And they had no idea that you could
shoot a gun and not kill somebody. I mean, really,
it's astounding, but they're out there, we're proud that we
can represent the shooting sports in our own way and
maybe introduce them to people that don't even know they're
(07:44):
out there.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
After years of traveling, the Londons spend less time on
the road in more time in their Butte, Montana home.
This open land is the perfect place for the California
Natives to do what they do well.
Speaker 3 (07:59):
First of all, we got the freedom to do what
we do. There's nobody saying, well, you can't do this,
can't do that, California. It's not illegal.
Speaker 6 (08:06):
It cost you.
Speaker 2 (08:07):
As an example, whether it's trick shooting or gun slinging,
Bob learned early on he would need the right equipment
to keep up with his talents. Bob would get this
equipment by building it himself, custom made Cold forty five
single action revolvers. This skill would become Bob's second career.
Speaker 3 (08:27):
So to the process of trial and error, changing the
gun around, the lock system and so on. Then I
learned how to build guns for my own verbose first,
and then other people started asking to do their guns
because my guns were so efficient.
Speaker 2 (08:40):
Those other people include fellow shooters and celebrities like Kurt Russell,
Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Randy Travis. Until his death from
a heart attack on December tenth, twenty twelve. Seventy year
old Bob Munden was in his shop on a regular
basis doing action and trigger work on single actions, Smith
(09:02):
and Wesson, double actions, and bond derringers. A public celebration
at Butte Gun Club for Bob Munden took place on Saturday,
June twelfth, twenty thirteen. A six gun salute began at
high noon in keeping with the tradition in Western movies,
under a beautiful sky. Bob's wife of almost fifty years
(09:24):
started things off by stepping up to the firing line
and fanning off five rounds. Family members and special guests
use single action revolvers to complete the seventy shot salute,
one for every year of Bob's life.
Speaker 1 (09:42):
And a terrific job on the production by Greg Hengler
and a special thanks to Becky Mundon for providing the
footage for her husband's story. To find out more about
Bob and his legacy, go to Bob Mundon dot com,
That's Bob Munden dot com and finess nine g's topped
by ten and That's what Air Force pilots have to
(10:05):
deal with his nine g's. And here's one human being
with the acceleration of that draw in his hand, pulling
ten g's and accurate at that too. And of course,
in nineteen sixty nine, he does what so many Americans do.
He lives the American dream. He pursues his interest, and
that is to go around the country doing gun shows
(10:25):
and doing what he does with his wife and family
packed in a station wagon, presenting the shooting life to
Americans across this country. Up until his death, he did
what he loved and what a way to go, working
on his guns in his shop. The story of Bob
London and so much more here on our American Stories
And we continue with our American stories. We've all heard
of gunslingers. While Bill Hiccock, Doc Holliday, and Billy the Kid,
these three quick draw legends have nothing on the guy
you are about to meet. Here's Greg Hengler with the story.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
We all know, the classic Cowboy film story where the
bad guy shows up in town and picks a fight
with the good guy. Well, you wouldn't want to pick
a gunfight with the good guy you're about to meet.
After all. If gunslinger Bob Mundon would have existed in
the wild West, he would have simply been called death.
(00:52):
Bob Mundon is one of the great characters in all
the shooting sports. If you don't believe me, just ask him.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
I'm not perfect, Like I tell people all the time
in jest, I'm not perfect. I'm just the closest thing
you're going to get to it now, That's what I
tell them, you know, And they all ingest, of course,
and I have fun with.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
It, all jokes aside. Bob is the most decorated fast
draw competitor of all time, a feat that earned him
the title the fastest gun who ever lived. It takes
a human three tenths of a second to blink. Bob
can draw cock fire from his hip. It's called instinctive
(01:31):
shooting and Reholster faster than an eye can blink.
Speaker 4 (01:36):
I first realized I was I had this ability when
I first started shooting competition on electronic timers. The speed
of my draw to the mechanics of drawing and firing
the gun is a one in three quarters one hundreds
of one second, or less than one half of one
half of one tenth of.
Speaker 3 (01:52):
One second, or just fast. Whatever's easy for you to say.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
Here's Bob being interviewed at one of his fast draw competitions.
In nineteen eighty six.
Speaker 5 (02:02):
You were known as one of the fastest guns thingers
in the world.
Speaker 4 (02:05):
You know, well, I'm listed in the again this book
a world record just the fastest man with the gun
who ever lived. Oh, there are eighteen world records you
can hold in this sport. I hold all eighteen and
have since nineteen sixty. Now I've won three five hundred trollies,
eight hundred major championships as well.
Speaker 5 (02:21):
Okay, now, how do you compare to some of the
you know, the old Wild West heroes that we hear
about and see on movies and stuff like that. And
you know how how they used to have like duels
and draw against each other.
Speaker 4 (02:33):
And how did Bill Hickock die?
Speaker 5 (02:36):
I think they were shut in the back.
Speaker 3 (02:37):
That's the way they all that.
Speaker 4 (02:39):
I've taken what they've built, the movies have created, and
I've built the show around it, and I have pushed it.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
We've made a science of it.
Speaker 4 (02:46):
Fastraw is the fastest thing a human being does. Nobody
does anything faster than what I do with guns?
Speaker 5 (02:53):
Can you give it a comparison to something that would
come close?
Speaker 6 (02:55):
But it's not as fast.
Speaker 4 (02:57):
Speed of light, which is far beyond it. Right there
is nothing next to it. Now you're saying a way
you're talking about so well? I mean, and then I
have to show you.
Speaker 5 (03:06):
Okay, ladies and gentlemen, the fastest gun in the world
right here.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
Wow, Bob is the fastest gun slinger who ever lived.
But what makes him even more superhuman is his incredible
accuracy at these phenomenal speeds. His ability can only truly
be appreciated using the fastest technology in the world. In
twenty ten, the sixty eight year old London was tested
(03:37):
by sports physiologist David Sandler, who is an expert in
human movement. Here's David.
Speaker 7 (03:44):
We have a couple different kinds of accelerometers that we're
going to place on Bob's hand, and so as Bob
goes through the range of motion, we're going to pick
up the actual acceleration of his hand and be able
to determine velocity from that. We have the ability to
measure in thousands of a second, so hopefully we can
we can catch its having. You know, the human eye
can't keep up with anything like that in no way.
Speaker 6 (04:06):
Ready and three two, one, go, wow, Wow, that was incredible.
Speaker 7 (04:22):
So what's happening is your hand When you do that
pop the max acceleration peak registers up here. You reach
nearly ten G of acceleration with your hand. Okay, what
that means in normal language is it's incredibly fast.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
G stands for the force of gravity. On Earth, fighter
pilots are tested to withstand a maximum of nine g's,
but Bob's muscles for a fraction of a second are
generating ten g's of force. But more incredibly, the results
show that Bob can draw cock fire and rehold ls
is gun faster than the reaction time in the average
(05:03):
human brain. But Bob wants to prove he's not only
superhuman with his speed, but also with his accuracy. He
sets up two targets six feet apart and attempts to
hit both faster than the blink of an eye. Listen closely.
He does it so quickly that he will not be
able to hear two distinctive shots.
Speaker 4 (05:25):
Yeah, I'm gonna bring the gut up, fire two shots,
one for each targets, fast as they can, and the gun.
Speaker 3 (05:31):
Must be cocked and fired for each shot.
Speaker 8 (05:33):
Yeah, so you've got to cock it bang, cock it,
ban again, cock it and bang.
Speaker 3 (05:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (05:42):
That was absolutely incredible.
Speaker 8 (05:45):
He just shot two bullets and I heard one shot
and that was it. Did you hear another one?
Speaker 7 (05:50):
I only heard one shot. That is amazing. That is unbelievable.
I've never seen anything like this. Two shots and under
a tenth of a second. Remarkable feat of dexterity and
and eye control.
Speaker 6 (06:01):
Just incredible.
Speaker 7 (06:02):
I mean, bottom line is, he exceeds what every other
human on this planet can do.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
But Bob doesn't work as a solo act. Wherever he is,
so is his wife, Becky, also a world champion shooter.
The two are married in nineteen sixty four after a
three month courtship.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
My life has revolved around my wife, My wife, Becky.
I don't do anything without her, and I can't. I
don't even want to do anything without her.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
After winning every Fast Draw competition multiple times, Bob sought
out new challenges. So Bob and Becky began performing together
beginning in nineteen sixty eight, emphasizing the importance of gun safety.
Here's Becky remembering the early days when they first started
to tour with their Fast Draw Trick Shot show.
Speaker 8 (06:54):
Started traveling performing in nineteen sixty nine, so it's been
quite a few years. And we started out in a
station wagon and we had our two daughters with us,
four years old and two years old, and we put
them in the back with their toys, and we had
all of our equipment in the middle seat, you know,
and then we were in the front and we did
(07:16):
school assembly programs.
Speaker 2 (07:18):
The Londons have performed in convention centers, malls, and car dealerships.
Speaker 8 (07:24):
We've done shows at amusement parks in New Jersey and
New York. And they had no idea that you could
shoot a gun and not kill somebody. I mean, really,
it's astounding, but they're out there, we're proud that we
can represent the shooting sports in our own way and
maybe introduce them to people that don't even know they're
(07:44):
out there.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
After years of traveling, the Londons spend less time on
the road in more time in their Butte, Montana home.
This open land is the perfect place for the California
Natives to do what they do well.
Speaker 3 (07:59):
First of all, we got the freedom to do what
we do. There's nobody saying, well, you can't do this,
can't do that, California. It's not illegal.
Speaker 6 (08:06):
It cost you.
Speaker 2 (08:07):
As an example, whether it's trick shooting or gun slinging,
Bob learned early on he would need the right equipment
to keep up with his talents. Bob would get this
equipment by building it himself, custom made Cold forty five
single action revolvers. This skill would become Bob's second career.
Speaker 3 (08:27):
So to the process of trial and error, changing the
gun around, the lock system and so on. Then I
learned how to build guns for my own verbose first,
and then other people started asking to do their guns
because my guns were so efficient.
Speaker 2 (08:40):
Those other people include fellow shooters and celebrities like Kurt Russell,
Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Randy Travis. Until his death from
a heart attack on December tenth, twenty twelve. Seventy year
old Bob Munden was in his shop on a regular
basis doing action and trigger work on single actions, Smith
(09:02):
and Wesson, double actions, and bond derringers. A public celebration
at Butte Gun Club for Bob Munden took place on Saturday,
June twelfth, twenty thirteen. A six gun salute began at
high noon in keeping with the tradition in Western movies,
under a beautiful sky. Bob's wife of almost fifty years
(09:24):
started things off by stepping up to the firing line
and fanning off five rounds. Family members and special guests
use single action revolvers to complete the seventy shot salute,
one for every year of Bob's life.
Speaker 1 (09:42):
And a terrific job on the production by Greg Hengler
and a special thanks to Becky Mundon for providing the
footage for her husband's story. To find out more about
Bob and his legacy, go to Bob Mundon dot com,
That's Bob Munden dot com and finess nine g's topped
by ten and That's what Air Force pilots have to
(10:05):
deal with his nine g's. And here's one human being
with the acceleration of that draw in his hand, pulling
ten g's and accurate at that too. And of course,
in nineteen sixty nine, he does what so many Americans do.
He lives the American dream. He pursues his interest, and
that is to go around the country doing gun shows
(10:25):
and doing what he does with his wife and family
packed in a station wagon, presenting the shooting life to
Americans across this country. Up until his death, he did
what he loved and what a way to go, working
on his guns in his shop. The story of Bob
London and so much more here on our American Stories
Host
Lee Habeeb
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