SB USIS == Free Pistols in IHMSA?

[benenglish]

My apologies for the cross-post, but after several views I've gotten no replies in the small bore subforum, so I thought I'd ask here since this is also rules-related.

I'm returning to IHMSA after a long layoff so I perused the rules. I figured there had to be some changes in the 10 years it's been since I went to a match. I see there are now more different types of competition.

Section III.C.1 references three unlimited small bore categories - Unlimited, Unlimited Standing, and Unlimited Any Sights.

Section III.G.1 then lists several categories "regardless of discipline", including Unlimited Standing Iron Sight.

In the "Records" post elsewhere on the SB sub-board, there is a record for "Unlimited Standing 32+" but no reference to whether that was shot with iron sights or something else.

I'm trying to figure out what this means.

Does there now exist in IHMSA a class/category/discipline/whatever that consists of unlimited .22lr pistols shot from a standing position using only iron sights?

My first reaction to this is that such an event would best be shot with pistols designed for the ISSF Men's 50M Pistol event (formerly called Free Pistol). Given the traditions of IHMSA, I would have never thought a class/category/discipline/whatever would be created that encouraged the use of free pistols. I love the idea. If this actually exists, I'm definitely going to shoot it. I just want to confirm that the rules actually say what I think I'm reading.

Thanks in advance for any help.

[19 Turkeys]

Here is the breakdown of all the standing disciplines.

1. Standing. Shot with a Production legal handgun equipped with iron sights. These sights can be a rear peep with a front post or a rear peep with a front aperture (generally an acrylic disk with a hole drilled in the center). Since peep sights are held close to the face, this setup would not be practical in Big Bore as you would be wearing the rear sight in your forehead. Standing is shot in Big Bore, Small Bore and Air Pistol.

2. Unlimited Standing. An Unlimited pistol equipped with a red dot or rifle scope shot from the standing position. Rifle scopes are generally mounted using a Ken Light mid rise or high rise scope mount. (http://www.kenlightmfg.com for this mount setup. Unlimited Standing is shot in Big Bore, Small Bore, and Air Pistol.

3. Unlimited Standing Iron Sight. Shot in Air Pistol only with an Unlimited pistol equipped with iron sights.

As to free pistols, see rule Section VI.A.11. regarding adjustable grips. Also, your free pistol must meet all the requirements for a Production pistol.

I hope this helps & welcome back to the sport. I remember that we had many interesting email exchanges when I was editor of the paper.

Yours,

Steve W.

[benenglish]

1. Standing. ... 2. Unlimited Standing. ... 3. Unlimited Standing Iron Sight. Shot in Air Pistol only ...

Well, that's disheartening. I'd love to shoot an unlimited standing iron sight pistol in Big Bore or Small Bore but I'm not going to bother if I'd have to go up against the scoped guns in riser mounts. I'll just concentrate on Production Standing, both Big Bore (with an MOA) and Small Bore (with a Hammerli 120 SportPistole).

As to free pistols, see rule Section VI.A.11. regarding adjustable grips. Also, your free pistol must meet all the requirements for a Production pistol.

The only free pistol I own right now is a Tompkins from 1947 with only semi-adjustable sights. It's a lot of fun but wouldn't be worth beans at silhouette shooting.

As an aside regarding free pistols, has anybody ever noticed that the rule at VI.B.7 makes no sense at all?

It says "All .22 caliber UIT Free pistols are classed as Unlimited handguns,..." I don't know where to list all the problems with that rule. First, it hasn't been the "UIT" since 1998 when the name was changed. It's now the ISSF.

Second and most important, the ISSF definition of a free pistol includes the T/C Contender (and the MOA and any other single shot in .22lr). If you look around the web for info about free pistol shooting and advice on picking a pistol, you'll inevitably find articles that say, to paraphrase, "Yes, the T/C Contender is a free pistol and it's a cheap way to get started, but it's not a very good free pistol so don't bother getting one."

I imagine if a match director actually enforced VI.B.7 and forced all T/C Contender (and MOA, and other) small bore pistols to compete in Unlimited, they'd get a little push-back, wouldn't they?

I hope this helps & welcome back to the sport. I remember that we had many interesting email exchanges when I was editor of the paper.

Thanks. I felt at the time I really let you down. I had the best of intentions, shot one or two matches, got an article published and then the heart attack hit me right out of nowhere. For years afterward, work and family priorities mostly frustrated my attempts to take care of myself. About 6 months ago, though, I got "early retired" out of my job (It's funny how many names they can come up with for putting people out of work) so I've said goodbye to all the job stress and I've been regularly biking and weightlifting. I'm actually healthier now than I've been in a decade.

I'm really looking forward to the next year. Now I just need to get that MOA pistol of mine shipped off for repair. I hope the turnaround time for a trigger repair (hammer falls by itself) and a couple of new barrels is short enough that it won't eat into too much of the coming season.

And I imagine that about now you're remembering that I was pretty long-winded, too.

Thanks and take care.