United Kingdom Practical Shooting Association News by Tony Saunders
Rule changes in muzzle direction’ when not shooting
Following recent changes, the United Kingdom has now adopted the ‘muzzle up’ approach as opposed to the familiar ‘muzzle down. Like the old chestnut of “What’s the best airgun calibre .22 or .177?”, the way we carry our firearms when not shooting has been the source of much debate over the years.
Proponents of ‘muzzle down’ argue that in the event of a negligent discharge, the shot may ricochet but, is less likely to harm key parts of the body than a gun held with the muzzle up. The opposite view is that a negligent discharge upwards will not ricochet, and is likely to harm no-one unless it happens to hit someone on the way down...!
Here in the UK we have had a ‘muzzle down’ approach for years and all shooters competing in IPSC matches had to carry guns accordingly. However, when attending matches abroad, we were faced with ‘muzzle up’, which takes a little getting used to after years doing the opposite... sort of like driving on the opposite side of the road... it’s not difficult but needs some conscious thought for a little while.
However, getting it slightly wrong could earn you a disqualification (DQ)... not something you want after travelling a long way to a match.
So, with immediate effect, UKPSA matches will now be run in line with our other IPSC cousins. UK Range Officers will be adopting a maternal/ paternal approach for a while – gently reminding competitors and will not DQ a competitor in these early days if they have a temporary lapse. However, you will need to get used to it... it’s here to stay!
It is worth practicing this (silly as it sounds) at home before attending a shoot. Think about such things as how you will take the gun from the bag, put it in the rack, etc. Simple stuff, but easier to practice in the quiet of your home, or down the local range.
The Tapco Safety Flag – a welcome improvement!
I could go on obviously... but you get the idea. I am not going to argue the merits here. The safety checks shooters carry out mean that we have a ‘layered’ approach to safety, with multiple checks and balances that mean if one element fails, the other layers work to minimise injury. So, gun direction when carrying is just one part of this... the key thing is that the gun should be in control at all times when carrying.
Safety Flags
One of the many questions that has been repeated on the shotgun circuit is about safety flags. Remember, you should ensure your shotgun has a safety flag in it when turning up for a sanctioned match and, it is good practice to keep one in the breech at all times when not shooting. With regard to flags... there are many, many styles and designs out there. From the Napier black plug
74
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94