The 2013 IPSC European Handgun Championships were held in Portugal. This event takes place every three years and was held in the north of the country, near the town of Barcelos, inland from Porto. The competition was organised by IPSC Portugal, which ensured the Fervenca Shooting Complex was fit for purpose. The stages in the match were themed on Portuguese exploration and there was an abundance of nautical pictorial displays and props used.

EXTREME suitably describes just about everything for this match, with 30 stages, 548 minimum round count with the top IPSC shooters across all Divisions. This year’s event also included an extreme weather event, not just in the location of the range, but across Europe. Looking at images posted on the competition web site showed everyone that the stage build and pre match were taking place in heavy rain, which caused everyone to pack their wet weather gear.