1968
The shower of medals continued at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City. Gary Anderson once again proved that he was a top-class shooter. He won gold in the "Free Rifle Three-Position Shooting 300m" discipline with 1157 rings, setting an Olympic record in the process. Czechoslovakian Jan Kůrka won the gold medal and world record in thesmall bore prone position 50m discipline with 598 rings. A year later, Kůrka visited Dieter Anschütz at his factory in Ulm.
Jan Kůrka (2nd from right) during his visit to ANSCHÜTZ with Dieter Anschütz (2nd from left), 1969
Last but not least, the German Bernd Klingner gilded his trip to Mexico. In the discipline "small bore Three-Position Combat 50m" he triumphed with 1157 rings ahead of the American John Writer with 1156 rings. A world record was not to be missed here either: He scored 396 out of 400 rings in the kneeling event. Thus, as in 1964, all gold medals possible with a small bore rifle went to ANSCHÜTZ shooters.
Bernd Klingner lays the foundation for his gold medal in the prone position, 1968
Dieter Anschütz (left) chats in Mexico City with Olympic gold medalist Peter Kohnke (2nd from right) and his teammate Bernd Klingner (right), who later won gold himself, 1968
At the end of 1968, on the occasion of a company party in the Donauhalle in Ulm, the fourth generation change was completed. Rudolf and Max Anschütz went into well-earned retirement and handed over sole management to Dieter Anschütz, Max's eldest son. He saw his most important tasks in rationalizing the production processes, expanding capacities and consolidating the scope of business, as well as adapting the company's performance to the constantly changing market.
Dieter Anschütz (left) takes over sole management from Max (center) and Rudolf Anschütz (right), 1968
For their retirement, Max and Rudolf Anschütz each received an oil painting from the ANSCHÜTZ staff, 1968
Dieter Anschütz also took his takeover of management as an opportunity to introduce the ANSCHÜTZ badge of honor in gold. Given the large number of outstanding shooters, it was not easy to set the conditions for awarding the badge of honor. Since this type of honor was to be something special, only world champions, Olympic champions and world and Olympic record holders who achieved their successes with ANSCHÜTZ rifles were awarded the badge of honor. In addition, it was only awarded once to each athlete, even if, for example, they had won several world championship titles. And since many titles and gold medals have been won and many records set with ANSCHÜTZ rifles, Dieter Anschütz's summary of this pin is thoroughly positive. No other manufacturer can boast a comparable award with such a long tradition and prestige.
The ANSCHÜTZ Gold Badge of Honor has been awarded since 1969 to
Despite the new challenges and duties as Managing Director, Dieter Anschütz did not miss the opportunity to continue to travel with the service bus to international competitions and to support the ANSCHÜTZ shooters on site. The contact to and the feedback from the shooters had always been important to him. In addition, Dieter Anschütz also knew how to use the competitions to exchange ideas with other personalities in the industry.
Dieter Anschütz (3rd from right) at the European Championship in Pilsen in the Soviet Union in 1969. His wife Elfi is seated on the far left, Mike Tipa of the American NRA on the right.
Something extraordinary happened at the European Championships in Pilsen in 1969: Gary Anderson had come to Munich with his wife shortly after his marriage to study German at the Goethe Institute. There he also bolt the Königlich Privilegierte Hauptschützengesellschaft München in order to continue participating in shooting sports. He asked to take part in the European Championships in Pilsen and was granted permission. At the opening ceremony and the march-in of the nations, all the teams, except the Soviet team, were greeted with warm applause. The Prague Spring in Prague, only 95km away, had just taken place a year ago, which is why the Russian team received a rather cool reception. Behind the Russian team, Gary Anderson entered the stadium, representing the United States alone, and was greeted with thunderous applause. This fact later even had political repercussions for the International Shooting Federation, as from then on only Europeans were allowed to take part in the European Championships.
American Gary Anderson took part in the European Championship in Pilsen, 1969
At the 1970 World Championships in Phoenix, USA, ANSCHÜTZ shooters once again won a number of medals. This included Margaret Murdock, who won gold in the discipline "three-position single ladies 50m" and became world champion. As she had already won this title four years previously in Wiesbaden, Germany, she was the first woman to successfully defend this title. An extraordinary achievement that only one other female shooter has ever achieved. In the team competition in the same discipline, she and her teammates also won the world championship title.
Margaret Murdock after the award ceremony at the World Championships in Phoenix, 1970.
The medal of the World Championship in Phoenix 1970
Due to the many national and international successes with air rifles as well as with small bore rifles, the demand for ANSCHÜTZ rifles grew more and more. Therefore, the ANSCHÜTZ booth at trade fairs was always well attended and full of interested shooters. Those who had an ANSCHÜTZ rifle in their hands once, were usually reluctant to give it back.
Reinhart Grassdorf, then Sales and Marketing Manager, shows the latest ANSCHÜTZ models to a Native American at the NSGA trade show in the USA, 1970
The ANSCHÜTZ Match Air Rifle 250 was built from 1968 on.
