Did you know?
- The often quoted "world record" shooting by Ed McGivern was not done in Lead, South Dakota on August 20, 1932 (as stated by Wikipedia, Guinness Book of World Records, and others). It occurred in Lewistown, Montana at the Armory headquarters of Company K, 163rd Infantry on September 13, 1932. This was when McGivern first fired 5 shots from a double action .38 revolver in 2/5 of a second, a record that stands to this day.
However, the shooting in Lead, South Dakota might be considered a record for the fastest shooting with accuracy: Twice he fired 5 shots in 9/20 of a second from 20 feet in a group that could be covered by a half dollar
- McGivern equaled the world record at least 9 times, with one group timed at "a very slight fraction less than 2/5th of a second"
- With a .38 revolver in each hand, McGivern fired 5 shots from each revolver at the same time in 1 & 1/5 seconds, with all ten shots within the area of a playing card
- McGivern could fire a double action revolver at a cyclical rate of 750 rounds per minute. That's greater than an AK-47 automatic rifle (600 rounds per minute)
- That in addition to being a phenomenal shooter, McGivern was known as a firearms expert and testified in at least 37 trials involving firearms between 1914 and 1943
- In addition to McGivern's book "Fast and Fancy Revolver Shooting," he authored at least 15 articles that documented his "experiments" and which appeared in many outdoor and shooting magazines from 1932 to 1957
- X-rays of McGivern's hand were taken and sent to FBI director J. Edgar Hoover
- A story exists that credits McGivern for thwarting a bank robbery in Lewistown just by his reputation and presence at the bank. Current research says this story is false
- The 2011 Montana legislature considered legislation that would have designated Ed McGivern as the Montana "Official State Shooter." The legislation failed because only the sponsor and one other person testified
- Sadly, the remains of Ed McGivern lie nearly forgotten in the dark and dank basement of a mausoleum in a small unadorned alcove
- EdMcgivern.com (still in its infancy) was established to raise the awareness of this extraordinary man and his amazing accomplishments, and to provide the public with access to historical documents and photographs