Brian Zins is a retired
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...
Military Police
Military police (MP) are law enforcement agencies connected with, or part of, the military of a state. In wartime operations, the military police may support the main fighting force with force protection, convoy security, screening, rear recon ...
Gunnery Sergeant. He is also a competitive shooter known for his proficiency with the
M1911 pistol
The M1911 (Colt 1911 or Colt Government) is a single-action, recoil-operated, semi-automatic pistol chambered for the .45 ACP cartridge. The pistol's formal U.S. military designation as of 1940 was ''Automatic Pistol, Caliber .45, M1911'' for th ...
with which he holds various records at the
NRA
The National Rifle Association of America (NRA) is a gun rights advocacy group based in the United States. Founded in 1871 to advance rifle marksmanship, the modern NRA has become a prominent gun rights lobbying organization while conti ...
and other events. He is also known for competing in the
second season of
History Channel
History (formerly The History Channel from January 1, 1995 to February 15, 2008, stylized as HISTORY) is an American pay television network and flagship channel owned by A&E Networks, a joint venture between Hearst Communications and the Disney ...
's marksmen competition ''
Top Shot
''Top Shot'' is an American reality television show that debuted on the History Channel on June 6, 2010. In the show, 16 contestants, split into two teams of eight, compete in various types of shooting challenges. One by one, the contestants are ...
''.
Early years
Brian Zins was raised in
Canfield, Ohio
Canfield is a city in central Mahoning County, Ohio, United States. The population was 7,699 as of the 2020 census. A suburb about southwest of Youngstown, the city lies at the intersection of U.S. Routes 62 and 224 and is part of the Young ...
. He grew up playing baseball and also learn how to
juggle
Juggling is a physical skill, performed by a juggler, involving the object manipulation, manipulation of objects for recreation, entertainment, art or sport. The most recognizable form of juggling is toss juggling. Juggling can be the manipula ...
at a young age, both of which he credits for his good hand–eye coordination in shooting. After graduating from high school, Zins went to college to study Law Enforcement. However, he decided to quit and joined the
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...
in 1988.
Military career
After completing the
Recruit training
Military recruit training, commonly known as basic training or boot camp, refers to the initial instruction of new military personnel. It is a physically and psychologically intensive process, which resocializes its subjects for the unique deman ...
program at
Parris Island, South Carolina
Parris Island is a district of the city of Port Royal, South Carolina on an island of the same name. It became part of the city with the annexation of the Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island on October 11, 2002. For statistical purposes, the ...
, Zins attended the Military Police School at Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas. During that time, he received the Top Gun Award for having the highest qualification score with the
M1911 pistol
The M1911 (Colt 1911 or Colt Government) is a single-action, recoil-operated, semi-automatic pistol chambered for the .45 ACP cartridge. The pistol's formal U.S. military designation as of 1940 was ''Automatic Pistol, Caliber .45, M1911'' for th ...
.
Through his career of 20 years at the Marine Corps, Zins served in various capacities, like:
*Primary Marksmanship Instructor
*Assigned to Weapons Training Battalion in
Quantico, Virginia
Quantico ( or ; formerly Potomac) is a town in Prince William County, Virginia, United States. The population was 480 at the 2010 census. Quantico is approximately 35 miles southwest of Washington, DC, bordered by the Potomac River to the east a ...
*Permanent member of the Marine Corps Pistol Team
*Mobile Training Team at
Camp Lejeune, North Carolina
Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune () is a United States military training facility in Jacksonville, North Carolina. Its of beaches make the base a major area for amphibious assault training, and its location between two deep-water ports ( Wilming ...
*Military Police Patrol Supervisor, Watch Commander, and Hostage Rescue Team's designated marksman in
Iwakuni
is a city located in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan.
History
Iwakuni was formerly the castle town of the Iwakuni han, which was formed by Lord Hiroie Kikkawa after he was banished there for supporting the defeated shōgun. The Kikkawa clan ruled ...
, Japan (1994)
*Recruiter in the Detroit area for three years
*Doctrine developer with Marksmanship Program Management Section (2004)
*Staff Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge of the Pistol Team (2006 - 2008)
During that time, he participated in various competitions, setting several records.
* 1991, first Lance Corporal to become Pistol Distinguished
* 1992, 2nd Place at the NRA National Matches at
Camp Perry
Camp Perry is a National Guard training facility located on the shore of Lake Erie in northern Ohio near Port Clinton. In addition to its regular mission as a military training base, Camp Perry also boasts the second largest outdoor rifle range ...
,
Ohio
Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...
* 1993–1994, 1st Place at the Inter-service Pistol Championship with the Pistol Team
* 2006, set National Records for the Center Fire 900 and Center Fire Timed Fire
* 2006, tied National Record for the .45 National Match Course
* 2006, 2nd Place at the NRA National Matches
* 2007, set National Record Score for Military Police Corps Trophy
* 12x National Pistol Champion (1996, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2012 and 2013)
Zins retired from the Marine Corps in May 2008.
Post-military career
Since retiring from active duty, Zins has worked as National Manager of NRA Pistol Programs in the Competitive Shooting division. He also works as an independent security contractor. Zins also started his own line of
ammunition
Ammunition (informally ammo) is the material fired, scattered, dropped, or detonated from any weapon or weapon system. Ammunition is both expendable weapons (e.g., bombs, missiles, grenades, land mines) and the component parts of other weap ...
called Gunny Zins Ammo. In 2011, he was hired by Cabot Gun Company as spokesman and ambassador. In 2012 he married Mary Jo Boomhower and they reside in Ohio. He has two children, Connor and Danielle and 3 stepchildren, Connor Loze, Laney Boggs, and Jacob Manente.
Brian Zins Official Website
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In 2017 Brian and Mary relocated to Monroe, North Carolina
Monroe is a city in and the county seat of Union County, North Carolina, United States. The population increased from 32,797 in 2010 to 34,551 in 2020. It is within the rapidly growing Charlotte metropolitan area. Monroe has a council-manager f ...
where he accepted a position as Training Director a
Point Blank Range
in Matthews, North Carolina
Matthews is a town in southeastern Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, United States. It is a suburb of Charlotte. The population was 27,198 according to the 2010 Census.
History
In the early 19th century, the new settlement that would become Ma ...
. He oversees all training programs at Point Blank Range and conducts hi
Bulls-eye Competition class
as well
1911 – 101 course
''Top Shot''
In 2011, Zins appeared in the second season of History Channel
History (formerly The History Channel from January 1, 1995 to February 15, 2008, stylized as HISTORY) is an American pay television network and flagship channel owned by A&E Networks, a joint venture between Hearst Communications and the Disney ...
's marksmen competition ''Top Shot
''Top Shot'' is an American reality television show that debuted on the History Channel on June 6, 2010. In the show, 16 contestants, split into two teams of eight, compete in various types of shooting challenges. One by one, the contestants are ...
''. During the first half of the competition, Zins competed as part of the Red Team. His team ended up winning six challenges, and Brian was never nominated for elimination during that period. During the final half of the competition, Zins won three of the last individual challenges before the final. In the final, he lost to Chris Reed.
In 2013, Zins appeared in the fifth season. He finished fourth overall out of 16 all-star contestants from previous seasons.
References
External links
Brian Zins Bio
on History Channel
History (formerly The History Channel from January 1, 1995 to February 15, 2008, stylized as HISTORY) is an American pay television network and flagship channel owned by A&E Networks, a joint venture between Hearst Communications and the Disney ...
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zins, Brian
Living people
American male sport shooters
United States Distinguished Marksman
People from Canfield, Ohio
United States Marine Corps non-commissioned officers
Year of birth missing (living people)