Welcome to your Langhorne Rod & Gun Club March 2026 Monthly Newsletter. In January, we launched a new newsletter format designed to enhance your reading experience.
Key improvements include:
• Mobile Optimization – Easier viewing on phones and tablets, eliminating the need to zoom into PDF documents.
• Navigation – Expanded use of links throughout the newsletter for quicker and easier access to content.
• Archiving – Continuous, automatic archiving of all newsletters for easy access at any time.
We have moved away from PDF newsletters. Monthly newsletter content will now live exclusively on the LRGC website, where it will remain available as part of the club’s permanent archive.
This transition will be a work in progress. As with any change, there may be issues discovered along the way that need to be addressed. Your patience—and your feedback—as we refine this new format are greatly appreciated.
During the transition, some previous newsletter content will be temporarily unavailable, and some content may be removed permanently.
Moving forward, the primary focus of the newsletter will be club-related news, issues, events, and activities.
Please keep in mind that this is your newsletter. As editors, we (Joe Mercede and Bruce Santos) welcome your input on recent and upcoming LRGC events, experiences, and club-focused information that benefits the membership and the club as a whole.
You are encouraged to reach out to us at editor@langhornerodandgun.com
📅**Upcoming Meetings & Special Events at the Club**
**General Membership Meeting**
Thursday, March 5 — 7:00 PM Tan Building
**Club Wide Work Party**
Saturday, March 14 — 8:00 AM-2:00 PM
**4H Meeting & Shooting**
Sunday, March 15 — Noon to 2:00 PM Tan Building & Short Range
**Fish & Game Committee Meeting**
Wednesday, March 18 — 7:00 PM Green Building
**Mailing Committee Meeting**
Thursday, March 19 — 7:00 PM Tan Building
**Board of Trustees Meeting**
Tuesday, March 24 — 7:00 PM Green Building
⭐ March 2026 Club Calendar
by Vince Sullivan
Event dates and times may change for various reasons. Please check the calendar on the website for last minute changes.
⭐ From President John Terrell
Greetings LRGC Members,
Hoping everybody is coping well through this cold and relentless snow. Most of the shoots were cancelled in February due to the weather, but John Palombi held his 6 Shoot on February 21. Thanks, John!
Thanks go to the work party for clearing snow from around the buildings and grounds in the most-used areas. We certainly appreciate the Wednesday crew for salting the walkways and parking areas where needed. Thanks, guys!
The Blood Drive is scheduled for Saturday, March 22 from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Please sign up and contribute to this lifesaving event. Thank you!
Sporting Clays were cancelled in January and February due to inclement weather. Clay shoots will resume on Sunday, March 22nd.
Spring arrives on March 20—can’t be soon enough. Looking forward to seeing some green again and enjoying time outside at the club.
Hope to see you there!
Stay Well and Be Safe,
John Terrell
📢 **Special Announcements & Upcoming Events**
Steel Challenge Match – March
Please note that the March Steel Challenge matches will be a “6 Shot Steel Shoot”.
Rules and scoring will be very different compared to the usual Steel Challenge matches.
Please read the following from Match Director John Palombi:
“6 Shot Steel Shoot” matches will be held the 3rd Saturday of January, February & March annually.
This is a 6 Shot per String Steel Plate Match.
Iron Sights Only
Center Fire Handguns ONLY – No Magnum Calibers
There Will be 3 Stages with 4 Strings per Stage – 72 Round Count Maximum
Each String has a 6 Shot Limit – Bring at Least 4 Magazines, 1 per String
Children 12 & Under May Shoot any Pistol Caliber Firearm
Eyes & Ears Mandatory
Registration is 8:00AM-8:30AM – Hammer Down at 9:00AM”
Blood Drive Chairmen Ken Jankowitz & John Freitag Jr will be hosting another Red Cross Blood Drive at LRGC in the Tan Building, 8:30AM to 1:30PM. If you would like to participate, please use the button below to schedule your donation on the Red Cross website. Signing up in advance is a huge help to Ken & John and guarantees the time that works best for you.
If you are experiencing an issue with the “Click to Schedule…” button above, please copy the following link and paste onto your browser to schedule your donation appointment.
https://www.redcrossblood.org/give.html/drive-results?zipSponsor=LRGC
Contact Blood Drive Chairman Ken Jankowitz at kenjankowitz@verizon.net with questions
Contact Scott Russell @ 215.378.8797 -or- email scott-russell@comcast.net with questions
Contact Terry Budge @ 267-549-4689 -or- email terrybudge60@gmail.com with questions
⭐**Matches and People**
Multi Gun, February 21st
Six Shot Steel Shoot, February 21st
Congratulations to Revolver Guy for yet another outstanding first-place win. Thanks to all for coming out and we hope to see you next month, Saturday, March 21st.
Photos by Les Trzesniowski
Practical Rifle WW2 Match, February 28th
Good Afternoon All,
First a big thanks for your support of our WW2 History Match. You all did amazing! Thank you for being safe. A big thanks to everyone who came early to help set up and stay afterwards to help clean up.
A big congratulations to Dominic on his first place finish. Also congrats to Steven K and Craig F on their second and third place finishes.
Have a great weekend and we’ll see you in March.
Gary, Mike and Jay
Guest column & photos below submitted by Les Trzesniowski
I attended the February Practical Rifle match — the annual WWII-themed event — where period rifles are used exclusively. The match gives participants a great excuse to take those iconic wood-stocked service rifles out of the safe and back onto the firing line.
As expected, M1 Garands were accounted for, along with a variety of classic bolt-action rifles from different countries. I spotted a U.S. M1917 Enfield, a Japanese Arisaka, British SMLEs, and multiple Mosin-Nagant variants, including an M44 carbine and a Finnish M39.
Engaging steel at 100 and 200 yards with iron sights proved challenging — especially from the standing position. Still, shooting these historic rifles alongside a great group of people made for a very enjoyable day outdoors, particularly after the run of rough winter weather.
If you love old military rifles, if you love the smell of cosmoline in the morning, and if you think you know World War II trivia, you should give the annual Practical Rifle World War II match a try. The annual WWII Practical Rifle match is a uniquely enjoyable day on the range.
Les T.
⭐ **Monthly Work Party**
Saturday, February 14th
Photos by Rob McHugh
🗄️ From the LRGC Archives
Preserving our club’s history and memories
A Call to our Members for Our History
A HUGE thank you to Bill Engle for scanning and emailing the November 1978 LRGC Newsletter.
Archery hunter Barbara Matuszewski — and the button buck she harvested in the opening hour of the first day of the 1978 archery season — made front page news, and deservedly so. Photo courtesy of her proud husband and club member, Dick Matuszewski.
Preserving and sharing our club’s history is important, and member contributions like this help keep LRGC’s story alive for future generations. We would like to make From the LRGC Archives a regular monthly feature highlighting pieces of our club’s past. We’ll need your help to do so.
If you have newsletters from years past that you would like to share, please reach out to us at editor@langhornerodandgun.com
Hard copies that need scanning are welcome — we are happy to help digitize and preserve them.
We would also love to hear about any club artifacts, photos, or memorabilia that help tell LRGC’s story.
While we’re looking back at our history, we’re also interested in what members are doing today. If you have recent hunting, fishing, or outdoor photos you’d like to share, please send those along for possible inclusion in an upcoming issue.
⭐ **Monthly Columns**
March Gun Shows
by Vince Sullivan
This Month in History
by Mark Lambdin
Historic Dates in Shooting, Hunting, and the Outdoors
Smith and Wesson Founded
On March 15, 1852, Horace Smith and Daniel B. Wesson formed what would become the Smith and Wesson Company in Norwich, Connecticut. Their work on metallic cartridge revolvers advanced repeating handgun technology and helped standardize self contained ammunition. Smith and Wesson revolvers became widely used in civilian sport shooting, law enforcement, and military service around the world.
Congress Establishes the United States Fish Commission
On March 3, 1871, the United States Congress created the United States Fish Commission in response to declining fish stocks along the Atlantic coast. The agency focused on scientific fisheries management, hatchery programs, and restoration of depleted species. It later evolved into what is now the National Marine Fisheries Service, forming part of the foundation of modern fisheries science and stewardship.
Boone and Crockett Club Established
On March 7, 1887, Theodore Roosevelt and George Bird Grinnell founded the Boone and Crockett Club in New York. The organization promoted ethical hunting practices, fair chase principles, and wildlife conservation. It played a central role in the early North American conservation movement and influenced game laws, habitat protection, and the creation of public lands.
Notable March Dates in U.S. History
Evacuation of Boston
On March 17, 1776, British forces evacuated Boston after General George Washington fortified Dorchester Heights with artillery captured at Fort Ticonderoga. The maneuver forced the British fleet to withdraw, marking the first major strategic American victory of the Revolutionary War and demonstrating the effectiveness of coordinated artillery and field fortification.
Battle of Guilford Courthouse
On March 15, 1781, American forces under Major General Nathanael Greene engaged British troops led by General Charles Cornwallis in North Carolina. Although the British held the field, they suffered heavy casualties. The losses weakened Cornwallis’s army and contributed directly to his subsequent campaign into Virginia, setting conditions for the decisive American victory later that year at Yorktown.
Battle of the Monitor and Merrimack
On March 9, 1862, the ironclad warships USS Monitor and CSS Virginia fought at Hampton Roads, Virginia. This marked the first combat between ironclad naval vessels and signaled the end of the era of wooden warships. The engagement reshaped naval warfare and influenced ship design globally.
Battle of the Monitor and Merrimack
On March 9, 1862, the ironclad warships USS Monitor and CSS Virginia fought at Hampton Roads, Virginia. This marked the first combat between ironclad naval vessels and signaled the end of the era of wooden warships. The engagement reshaped naval warfare and influenced ship design globally.
⭐**Membership – Misc**
First Aid Boxes – Keeping Them Stocked
You’ve probably noticed the First Aid boxes at different locations throughout the club. Please use them if needed, but PLEASE reach out to Fred Olivari if you use a substantial amount of the supplies treating an injury, or if you notice supply levels are low. You can reach Fred at his cell number 215-559-1007.
Thank you Fred, for keeping these well stocked & maintained.
NOTE: The contact list seen below is in the process of being updated with privacy and accuracy in mind. If you are included in this list, and would like your contact information updated, please send an email to editor@langhornerodandgun.com
