New ISSF rules for 2017

[RobinC]

Oh dear, here we go again! For those of you who shoot Air rifle in local events its of no impact but for those who shoot in ISSF competition and have national team or International aspirations there is some bad news in the new rules, still not in final print but now confirmed on the ISSF website for implimentation from the 1st of Jan 2017.

A few of the usual stupid rule changes, no side blinders, and now no electronic ear defenders ( as we could coach with radio's!) paranoid or what!

But there is one with serious implications for rifle shooters both air and smallbore using wooden stocks, they have added a rule restricting the dimension from bore line to the lowest part of the butt stock of 140 mm. This dimension will be be for the total area between the pistol grip and the butt plate, and this will make most wooden stock rifles illegal!
The have increased the allowed forend depth from 90 mm to 120 mm, and the depth of the toe of the buttplate was 220 mm is now free.

But it is the 140 rule that is the crazy one, I have checked on modern Walther Universals, and Junior wooden stocks used by a couple of my shooters who shoot at Championship level, and they both exceed the 140. Most older wood air rifles and wood smallbores will also not comply.

Most alloy stock will comply.

I have looked at modifying, and although possible is not straightforward as the area to be removed includes buttplate support and mounting, so I'm looking at making alloy plates to mount the buttplate.

We will have to see if its enforced in the UK but I'm sure it will be, if not initialy at the Feb airgun Championships, then at least later.

At least they have not changed the clothing rules!

So guys and gals, the ISSF continues its march towards destroyng our sport!

We work hard developing young shooters and there are times when I wonder if its all worth it, beam me up Scotty!

Have Fun
Robin

[thirdwheel]

Hum
Just measured our newish ANS 8001 junior and it's way over and it looks like cutting it down would also take out some of the lower adjustable but plate tube.

Now scratching my head, sure I could make something but it looks really lovely as it is.

George

[Hemmers]

Ludicrous rule - if it's a problem, then it's been a problem for a few decades, but now that 95% of athletes are using (compliant) metal stocks, it's bad enough to need attention to rid the remaining 5%

I don't see widespread implementation. The British 50Metre Championships and the British Airgun Championships certainly will. They're key selection shoots, and they're the most prestigious UK event for those disciplines, so they need to be there or thereabouts given they are used for GB Selection and it's no good getting selected for GB using a rifle that you won't be allowed to use at an international.

The ESSU might choose to be picky about it. We don't know yet.

Certainly the NSRA's August National Meeting does not worry about such things, nor will the BFRC. I doubt the Welsh or Scottish 50M or Airgun matches will worry about it either. Overall, not really a big issue for 99.9% of shooters, but the ISSF is hardly maing life easy for organisers or selectors who either have to choose to ignore certain rules, or be "Mr Unpopular" and take the hit on their entry numbers by being strict and excluding pretty much anyone with a wooden stock.

[RobinC]

Many of the offenders use alloy stocks! Its crazy, just enforce the existing rules, within the current rules they can issue warnings, yellow cards, penalties, and DQ's, and I presume still will.

"I don't see wide spread implementation", I certainly do, the British Jobsworth will not miss a chance to enforce a rule! And all the meetings named are qualifying shoots, we all know this will only not be enforced at minor county events.

Some prefer wood stocks, its about freedom of choice, what's next enforcing the use of one make of homologated rifle!

Crazy rules, from a stupid outfit, full of stupid old men.

[Hemmers]

"I don't see wide spread implementation", I certainly do, the British Jobsworth will not miss a chance to enforce a rule! And all the meetings named are qualifying shoots, we all know this will only not be enforced at minor county events.

British Jobsworth? You do a great disservice to the pack of volunteers who man these events. Most of whom (by and large) do a good job (eh, you get what you pay for!).

And all the meetings named are qualifying shoots, we all know this will only not be enforced at minor county events.

No, qualifying shoots or nay, at the Welsh 50M they generally do not have the EC equipment there or set up - note they run the event as a mixed match, so they're off-piste with regards ISSF Compliance anyway. Range officers will pull people up on gross infringements, but EC isn't available.

Same at the BFRC. The entire point of the BFRC is to get people shooting ISSF with the equipment they have and without having to worry about EC.

They haven't been running round measuring the curvature on people's butt plates except at the British and ESSU, and I strongly doubt the BFRC or Welsh are going to set up Equipment Control for the express purpose of measuring stock depth. They can't afford to lose the entries from club shooters for a start.

I've not shot the Scottish 50M, so can't comment on their vigour for full-compliance (though looking at their entry form they have EC available and do post-shoot checking, so I assume they're reasonably strict) but broadly, the only events I see implementing are the British 50M/Air and the ESSU. Other events aren't going to turn away entries based on it, and if they were minded to be anal over this, then they'd be anal about other things and I'd have received a lot of hassle over my Gemini buttplate (which looks like it should be infringing the 50mm heel rule but isn't. Just!).

Definitely

• British 50M
• British Airgun

Maybe

• ESSU
• Scottish 50M?
• Surrey Air Open

Definitely Not

• BFRC
• Torfaen Open
• Welsh 50M Open
• NSRA August National Meeting (3P/Double English bits - obviously Dewar on Century isn't ISSF anyway)
• NSRA Scottish Meeting

[RobinC]

If the rifle has to have extensive mods to to shoot at one event, then the others are irrelavent, as its been done!

Regardless, I have been conversing with Gary Anderson (Vice president of the ISSF) on the 140 mm issue and a few weeks back had made some proposals as to how they could meet their objective, and by having the 140 mm dimension between the pistol grip, but not applying it to the last 70 mm, i.e. where the butt plate is screwed onto a wood stock, I provided pictures of modern Walther stocks, but all the other makes are similar. As most are already cut away to 140 or below in this area this would meet his objective, whilst the current stocks would remain legal. I have just recieved a reply which was also copied to the chairmen of the Rifle committee and the Technical committee.

"Dear Robin
Thank you for your comments regarding the rifle butt-stock depth issue. I will leave it to the Rifle committee to make final decisions on whether stocks like the Walther will be legal under the new rules. I suspect that it will be legal, however. I also expect that the rifle committee will review this issue when they meet on 20-21 Nov. They can certainly consider your proposal for a clarification regarding the part of the butt-stock near the butt-plate. I am confident we will work out a reasonable solution.
With best regards
Gary"

I am aware that also a protest had been made by the German Gun trade association on behalf of all the manufacturers. so perhaps common sense will reign after all.