RULES FOR PISTOL AND REVOLVER SHOOTING.
The need of rules governing pistol and revolver competitions has been
apparent during the past three years. The distance, trigger-pull, and some
general rules were briefly laid down by the clubs where matches were shot.
For a time it has been generally believed that the arms used in these
competitions should be classed; that a decision arrived at in regard to
trigger-pull, the sights permitted clearly defined, ammunition described,
and rules determining the amount of cleaning permitted, manner of loading
and firing, positions permitted, and other rules explicitly stated. The
Massachusetts Rifle Association, after a long and careful consideration,
adopted the following rules:--
All meetings for competitions will be conducted by an executive officer,
aided by assistants.
The executive officer shall have control of the range for the conduct of
matches, and shall give such directions to the employés of the club as in
his judgment are necessary for the proper management of the same, and for
the preservation of order.
The executive officer and his assistants are required to see that the
regulations, and such directions as the executive officer may give, are
rigidly complied with by competitors and all other persons upon the range.
[Illustration: MISS ANNIE OAKLEY, Expert Lady Pistol Shot.]
They will see that the squads of competitors are stationed in rear of
firing-points, and that each competitor remains there until called by the
score-keeper to take his position at the firing-point. The score-keepers
will be seated in rear of the firing-points.
Score-keepers shall, as each shot is signalled, call in a loud voice the
name of the competitor and the value of the shot, and, at the conclusion
of the score of each competitor, announce in like manner his name and
total score.
All competitors shall be allowed to examine the records of the
score-keeper during the progress of the match, but in such a manner as not
to interfere with or inconvenience the score-keeper.
Any competitor feeling himself aggrieved by the ruling of the executive
officer, may make to the secretary a statement of his grievance in
writing, which shall be handed at once to the executive committee for its
consideration. The decision of the executive committee shall be final,
subject, however, to the discretion of said committee, or any two members
of it, to refer the matter to the board of directors for its decision.
Challenges will only be permitted at the discretion of the executive
officer. The executive officer may, in his discretion, challenge the
marking of any shot the allowance of which would be unjust to other
competitors, and correct the score accordingly.
[Illustration: HOLSTERS FOR REVOLVERS. 1. Leather. 2. Rubber. 3. Leather.]
Any objection to the scoring of a shot as signalled, or to one not
signalled, must be made before another shot shall have been fired on the
same target.
It shall be the right of the shooter to challenge the scoring, and the
executive officer may decide upon the evidence the actual value of the
shot.
Any alteration of a scoring-ticket must be witnessed by an officer in
charge of the firing-point, and indorsed with his initials.
Double entries are prohibited, no shot being allowed to count in more than
one match.
No sighting-shots shall be allowed except on targets specially designated
for that purpose by the executive officer, and in no case on targets on
which a match is in progress, unless in an emergency, to be decided by the
executive officer.
Unfinished scores shall be considered worthless after having been
withdrawn from the scorer, and no shots can be claimed under or by virtue
of the same after having been so withdrawn.
No scorer is allowed to have at one time more than one score-card for each
shooter, and no shooter is allowed to shoot without having an unfinished
score-card deposited with the scorer.
Ties shall be decided as follows, viz.: each competitor shooting three
shots, until decided.
[Illustration: BEAN'S PERSPIRATION-PROOF PISTOL HOLSTERS. (Manufactured by
John P. Lovell Arms Company, Boston.)]
No scores with handicap shall exceed a perfect score.
Competitors who have to shoot off ties will be notified as soon after each
match as practicable. When the ties are shot off one sighting-shot shall
be allowed without charge. Competitors not present at the firing-points at
the hour named for shooting off the ties lose their right to shoot, and
will be placed accordingly.
Temporary discontinuance of matches, on account of bad weather, and the
closing limit for receiving entries shall be at the discretion of the
executive officer.
An entry-ticket, except when sold in block, maybe transferred at any
reasonable time, by presenting it to the statistical officer for exchange.
Any erasure or substitution of name by the holder will forfeit the ticket.
In single-entry matches no entry shall be made after the firing begins if
any participant objects.
Competitors will have choice of prizes unless otherwise stated.
PENALTIES.--Competitors must make themselves acquainted with the
regulations, as the plea of ignorance will not be entertained.
No competitor shall be allowed to use more than one name besides his own
in any one match.
A competitor failing to report at the time and target to which he is
assigned, or shooting at pool or practice after the hour set for the
simultaneous opening of a match, shall forfeit his entry. (The last
clause will not prevent pool-shooting between scores in reëntry matches.)
Any member shooting at pool or practice between shots of a score shall
forfeit the score.
All competitors and other persons must preserve order and decorum, submit
to the direction and decisions of the executive officer, and make all
objections and protests, if any, to the proper officials, in a manner
which will not disturb others.
Pistols and revolvers may be discharged only in firing at the target in
pools or matches, or into such warming-pits as may be designated (in that
case without bullet), and any competitor or other person discharging
pistols or revolvers otherwise, or having a loaded shell inserted in his
pistol or revolver while elsewhere than upon the actual firing-point, may
be disqualified for the time being, or fined a sum not exceeding three
dollars, at the discretion of the executive officer.
Any violation of rules or discreditable conduct which the executive
officer may consider of such magnitude as to require it, shall be reported
to the directors for their action.
Any shooter firing upon the wrong target shall be recorded a miss.
The rules governing rifle competitions, so far as they are applicable,
shall be in force in all pistol competitions.
In all matches, when not otherwise mentioned, either single-shot pistols
or revolvers will be permitted upon equal conditions; but if matches call
for the revolver the single-shot pistol will not be admitted, unless
specially mentioned.
SPECIAL RULES.
Pistols and revolvers allowed in competitions must conform to the
following conditions:--
_A._--Army or navy revolver.
_B._--Any revolver.
_C._--Any pistol.
_A._--_Army or Navy Revolvers_ must be such as have been adopted by any
government for the armament of its army or navy, and must conform in all
respects of model, sights, and ammunition used, to the service revolver of
such nation.
_B._--_Any Revolver._--Revolvers of any calibre, maximum weight, three
pounds; maximum length of bore, including cylinder, ten inches.
_C._--_Single-Shot Pistols._--Any breech or muzzle loading pistol, maximum
weight, three pounds; maximum length of bore, ten inches.
_Trigger-Pull._--In all matches, or in practice shooting, the minimum
trigger-pull shall be three pounds.
_Sights for any Pistols or Revolvers._--The front and rear sights must be
open; the notch of a rear sight, to be considered open, must be as wide at
the top of the notch as at any part; no aperture or peep sights, nor any
manner of covered sights, shall be permitted. Lateral sliding-bars or
wind-gauge may be used on rear open sight, also any elevating front or
rear open sight. The use of a notch for a front sight will not be
permitted. Sights may be smoked or blackened in any desired manner. No
device shall be worn on or over the eye, or on glasses, to secure the
sight through an aperture.
[Illustration: Diagram of six consecutive shots, fired from a rest, at 50
yards, with a Colt's Frontier Model revolver, .44 calibre, full
charge,--40 grains of powder, 200 grains of lead.]
_Ammunition._--If factory ammunition is called for it shall be of any
make, of any established manufacturer, generally procurable in stores, and
brought to the shooting-point in unbroken boxes, with the label of the
manufacturer intact.
_Cleaning._--In any match where both pistols and revolvers are allowed,
competitors may clean their arms at will, provided such cleaning does not
delay the firing, which shall be at the rate of one shot per minute, or
oftener during the firing of each score, except in case of accident. In
such case the time may be extended, in the discretion of the executive
officer.
In matches confined to revolvers the cylinder must be fully charged, or a
sufficient number of chambers charged to complete the score. Blowing into
or cleaning the barrel in any way will not be permitted, except when the
cylinder is completely discharged.
_Loading and Firing._--No arms shall be loaded except at the firing-point,
the muzzle of piece being kept in the direction of the target till the
arm is either discharged or unloaded.
Miss-fires shall not count; but an accidental discharge shall, in every
instance, be counted.
_Position._--The position shall be as follows: Standing, free from any
other artificial support; the pistol or revolver held in one hand only,
with the arm extended free from the body, and unsupported in any way. The
rear sight of the pistol or revolver shall not be nearer to the eye than
twelve inches.
_Targets._--The Standard American target, full size, having an eight-inch
bull, shall be used in matches at fifty yards' distance. The same target
reduced to one-half size, having a four-inch bull, in matches at thirty
yards' distance. The same target reduced to one-quarter size, having a
two-inch bull, in matches at twenty yards' distance. The target reduced in
the same proportion to distance, in matches of a lesser range.
_Marking and Scoring._--Unless otherwise specified, each competitor will
have a separate target provided and will fire his score throughout, when
the target will be examined by the scorer and the score recorded. In case
of any dispute as to the value of a shot, the same may be challenged, as
provided for in Rule 3, sec. 4, of shooting rules governing rifle
competitions.