Richard “Dick” Baldwin, Danbury, CT shot his first registered target in February, 1948 at the age of 11. At age 12 he won his first major title. From 1952 through 1955 Dick was a member of the ATA Junior All American Team. There were no sub-junior teams selected at the time. He was named to the 1952 Junior Team when he was still a sub-junior. For almost three years Dick authored a historical column for Trap and Field called "The Road to Yesterday" Dick has also authored many articles for various sporting magazines.

In 2005 he published his book "The Road to Yesterday" which sold over 3000 copies. On September 27th,  2003, Dick was enshrined into the Eastern United States Trapshooting Hall of Fame in Millington, MD. 

He was the second junior shooter in the history of the ATA to be punched to the than maximum 25 yard line (August, 1954). In 1933 ATA Hall of Fame member Ned Lilly proceeded him to the 25 yard line. The 27 yard line was introduced in 1956.

At the end of his career in 2006 Dick had shot at 147,500 singles, 103,800 handicap and 72,700 doubles targets in his long 58 year ATA career.

YEAR    MAJOR JUNIOR TRAPSHOOTING WINS OR AWARDS

1949      NYAC Championship of America at Clay Targets, Junior Champion
1951      NYAC Championship of America at Clay Targets, Junior Champion
1952      NYAC Championship of America at Clay Targets, Junior Champion
1951      Connecticut State Junior Singles Champion
1952      Connecticut State Junior Singles Champion
1953      Connecticut State Junior Singles Champion
1954      Connecticut State Junior Singles Champion
1954      ATA Eastern Division Junior Singles Champion
1951      Grand American Sub-Junior Clay Target Champion (North American)
1951      Grand American Junior Preliminary Handicap Champion
1951      Grand American Junior Champion/Champion, Runner-up
1954      New England States Junior Singles Champion
1952      Junior All American Team (as sub-junior), Second Team
1953      Junior All American Team, First Team
1954      Junior All American Team, Second Team
1955      Junior All American Team, First Team
1954      Second Junior in ATA history to be punched to maximum 25 yards

Dick Baldwin at 2001 HOF Inductions

YEAR    MAJOR AMATEUR TRAPSHOOTING WINS OR AWARDS

1951      Connecticut State Handicap Championship, runner-up
1951      Connecticut State HAA, runner-up
1952      NYAC Handicap Champion
1952      NYAC HAA Champion
1953      Westy Hogans HAA Champion
1953      Westy Hogans HOA Champion
1954      Vermont State Open Handicap Champion
1954      Vermont State Open Doubles Champion
1954      White Mountains Doubles Champion, Franconia, NH
1954      New England State HAA Champion
1954      New England State HOA Champion
1954      ATA Eastern Zone Singles runner-up
1955      ATA Eastern Zone HAA runner-up (lost shoot-off for title)
1955      New Jersey State Open Doubles Champion
1955      New York State Open Doubles Champion (99x100, highest score in NY history at that time)
1956      ATA Eastern Zone HAA Champion (won in a shootoff)
1956      New York State Open HOA Champion
1956      New York State Open HAA Champion
1956      New York State Open Handicap Champion
1957      Middle Atlantic Doubles Champion
1957      New England State Singles Champion
1988      Grand American, Class A runner-up, Doubles Championship (99x100)
1992      Northeast Grand, Class A Champion, Doubles Championship (96x100)

• The last year Baldwin shot as a amateur was 1957. He was hired by Remington Arms Company in October, 1957. At 20 years of age, he was the youngest ever to represent them. In 1985 he became an amateur again after retiring from Remington in 1984.

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Joe Hiestand and Dick Baldwin

YEAR     MAJOR INDUSTRY TRAPSHOOTING WINS OR AWARDS (REMINGTON)

1961      Grand American, Preliminary Handicap, 2nd Place, Professional (95x100)
1961      Grand American, Special Doubles (now Class Doubles)  Professional Champion (tied for first with high amateur)
1962      Grand American, Dayton Homecoming. 2nd Place, Professional (198x200)
1962      Grand American, Preliminary Day Handicap, Professional Champion (94x100)
1962      Grand American, Preliminary Day Singles, Professional Champion (100x100 plus 100 in shootoff)
1962      Grand American. Preliminary Day Doubles, Professional Champion (95x100)
1962      Grand American, Third Place, Professional, HAA
1962      Grand American, Third Place, Professional, HOA
1962      ATA High Average, Professional Doubles
1963      Grand American, Doubles Championship, Professional Champion (tied for second over field of amateurs)
1963      Grand American, Second Place, Professional, HAA
1963      Grand American, Second Place, Professional, HOA
1963      ATA High Average, Second Place, Professional Doubles
1964      ATA High Average, Second Place, Professional Handicap
1965      Professional Trap/Field All Around Average Champion (.9443) (9th highest among all amateurs in ATA)
1965      ATA High Average Leader, Professional Doubles (8th highest among all amateurs in ATA)
1965      ATA High Average Leader, Professional Handicap
1965      Grand American, HAA, Professional Champion
1965      Grand American. HOA, Professional Champion (tied for 5th among all amateurs in tournament)
1965      Grand American Handicap Championship, Second Place, Professional
1965      Grand American, Doubles Championship, Second Place, Professional
1965      Grand American, Special Doubles (now Class Doubles), Professional Champion (99x100) (tied for second
among all amateurs)
1966      Captain, Professional ATA All American Team
1966      ATA High Average, 4th Place, Professional Doubles
1967      ATA High Average, 2nd Place, Professional Doubles
1967      Grand American, Doubles Championship, Second Place, Professional (99x100, lost shootoff)
*Tied for highest score ever shot by a professional (Cliff Doughman, 1959)
*Tied for 3rd among all amateurs in entire field
1973      Grand American Handicap Championship, Second Place, Industry
1973      Grand American, Dayton Homecoming, Second Place, Industry (199x200) (lost shootoff for championship)
1975      Grand American, Budweiser Handicap, Second Place, Industry
1977      Spring Grand American, HAA, Industry Champion
1978      Spring Grand American, Doubles Championship, Industry Champion
1979      Spring Grand American. Second Place, HAA, Industry
1980      Grand American, Class Doubles Championship, Industry Champion (98x100)
1980      Grand American, Doubles Championship, Industry Champion (95x100 plus 19 in shootoff)
1980      Grand American. Second Place, HAA, Industry (lost shootoff for title)
1980      Spring Grand American, Doubles Championship, Industry Champion
1980      Spring Grand American, HAA, Industry Champion
1981      Grand American, Vandalia Handicap, Industry Champion (95 x 100 plus 25 in shootoff)
1981      Grand American, Vice Reinders Singles, Industry Champion (99x100)
1981      Spring Grand American, HAA, Industry Champion
1981      ATA High Average, 2nd Place, Professional Doubles

• Member of 12 Industry All American Teams, Captain in 1966.
  Attended 51 Grand American Tournament through 2003.

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Dick Baldwin and Mel Stottlemyre, pitching coach of the NY Yankees

          Dick Baldwin worked twenty seven years for Remington and held a number of managerial positions. He retired as the company’s Advertising and Shooting Development Manager in 1984.

• Throughout his Remington career, trapshooting promotion was foremost in his mind. He worked diligently instructing new shooters at small grass root clubs as well as the major tournament he attended. He has attended 54 Grand American Tournaments through 2006. There were no professional shooting instructors or clinics in those days. The gun and ammo men did the teaching back then and it was free of charge. Mr. Baldwin was recognized as one of the top instructors in the nation.

• In 1963 while returning from the national sheet championships, he survived a horrific plane crash in Buffalo, NY, which claimed many lives. He found himself outside of the burning, destroyed aircraft with no shoes and his tattered clothing. He had no recollection of the accident or how he survived. He badly injured his back in the crash but was one of the few survivors. He suffered back problems the rest of his life. 

• He contributed greatly to the Remington 1969 instructional book “Trapshooting with D. Lee Braun and the Remington Pros.” He wrote the chapter on the early days of trapshooting and did all the instructional writing in the book for left handed shooters. Over 300,000 copies of this book have been sold. It is far and away the most popular trapshooting “how to” book ever written.

• As a sequel to the book, Remington produced a twenty eight minute color 16mm instructional film. Baldwin demonstrated the left handed shooting sequences. In later years it became available as a home video. Hundreds of gun clubs and schools viewed the film on ”beginners” or fund raising evenings. Part of Baldwin’s Remington responsibilities was the distribution of this film to gun clubs free of charge.

• In addition to his Remington duties he wrote many magazine articles on Trapshooting for the major publications of the 1960’s and 1970’s. From 1965 to 1970 he was Trap and Skeet editor of “Guns and Hunting” magazine and an active member of the Outdoor Writers Association of America. Throughout his writing career the promotion of trapshooting was always emphasized.

• When a new trapshooting or clay target consumer magazine began production he, as Advertising Manager, saw to it that Remington advertisements were inserted in the publication. Even though the advertisements were not cost effective he always supported the new shooters publications and the sport they promoted. His philosophy was “If it’s good for trapshooting, in the long haul, it will be good for Remington.”

• In the early 1970’s he recommended to Remington management that a new shot size be made available to trap shooters in factory loaded “RXP” shot shells. As a result, the number 81/2  shot first appeared in Remington trap loads in 1972. Other major companies soon followed with number 81/2 shot in their ammunition as well.

• Ten years later it was his suggestion, as well, that 71/2  and 8 shot be mixed in a target load for more effective patterns. This innovation became known as the “DuPlex” load and is used today by many trapshooters. Millions of rounds have been sold.

• When the price of a standard twenty box case of factory loaded target shells began to reach $100.00 per case, Mr. Baldwin recommended that these shells be packed ten boxes per case to keep the shooters costs down. This packaging innovation made it more affordable for the average shooters to buy factory loads. All major ammunition companies soon followed with ten box cases and costs to shooters who prefer factory loads were cut in half.

• Baldwin is the author of the famous “Remington Trapshooting Fundamentals Chart”, a large 22” x 22” diagram that illustrates the correct lead, by feet and inches, for targets from all five shooting positions. Singles, Doubles and Handicap shooting is covered. This chart hangs today in countless gun clubs throughout the United States and Canada. It was also bound into the books “Trapshooting with D. Lee Braun and the Remington Pros.” It remains one of the finest instructional aids to new shooters ever printed.

• His recommendation to Remington management in 1974 to begin promoting clay target shooting in high schools and colleges resulted in a very successful trap and skeet development program which he administered. Remington guns and clay target traps were consigned to hundreds of schools and new shooting programs sprung up throughout the country. Thousands of students were now active participants. Some schools constructed their own shooting fields while others utilized local gun clubs whose members helped with the instruction. This program introduced many young people  to trap and skeet, many of whom still compete.

• In 2005 he published his book "The Road to Yesterday". The book featured trapshooting short stories of many of the great trapshooters, as only he could pen.  

Ray Stafford and Dick Baldwin at 2004 PA State Shoot

Dick Baldwin and his wife Sally in Florida in 2001

Jimmy Robinson and Dick Baldwin
1954

In 1990 he initiated the Connecticut State Trapshooting Hall of Fame. In the late 1980’s, Baldwin arranged for the ATA Hall of Fame to receive, through a donation, the gold and diamond metals of the late Ben Higginson of Newburgh, New York. Quite possibly the ATA museum’s most valuable display. He also arranged the donation of the J. A. R. Elliott and Fred Gilbert shooting medals. He is currently the director of the Trapshooting Hall of Fame museum.

Dick's father, Cliff Baldwin on the far left. He was also a Remington man.
Also shown, (left-right) are Baldwin, Al Burns, Al Mullhaupt,
Clyde Bogardus Wells and F. O. Williams. Photo was from 1937
at the NYAC.