How will the Olympic shooting sports be going on with regards to the U.K. gun laws? Does any body have a guess? You would think that since it is a special event that they might allow for them to bring thier own personal firearms.

Yes, the uk gave a special permit for the shooting sports.

Most of the guns used for shooting sports in the Olympics are legal in the UK anyway, shotguns and target guns are GTG in the UK.

.22LR is on the list of allowed firearms because it's rimfire and because all the target grade guns are single shot. Shotguns are allowed because they are double barrel break open types.

KBK

Like Kayback said....
Business as usual for the shooting sports.
The British would maybe have a problem with
a High Power 1000 yard match but the Olympic
shoots are rimfire and shotgun matches.

Chuck

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They hold no Quarter

Chud, even then not so much. Bolt actions are also allowed, so long as they have a 30cm+ barrel and an OAL of 60cm+.

You couldn't run a Barrett M81A1, but then who does

Just for reference, if you could get an M81A1 in straight pull (i.e. non-semi auto), then it would technically be legal in the UK

There are no specific restrictions on calibre (other than what your intended range has been approved as safe for) or magazine capacity, or any 'assault rifle' aspects (can have as many Magpul goodies as you have available rail space!).

However, the restrictions for S1 FAC (Firearms Certificate) holders are:

All guns must be min 24" total length, with min barrel length of 12"
All mechanisms short of full auto (bolt/semi/pump/lever) are allowed in .22LR

Lever action (Winchester/Marlin etc.) are allowed in centrefire, but no pumps.

Revolvers in any calibre are allowed if meeting the above minimum dimensions (e.g. Taurus long barrel revolvers).

Fullbore/centrefire rifle mechanisms are limited to bolt actions/straight-pull (including non-readily convertible AR-15s without gas systems) or any approved mechanism which is not semi-auto. No mag restrictions, but obviously gun action cycling is manually operated.

Further to this, percussion revolvers (e.g. black powder) are allowed in any calibre and in any overall length (the 24/12" restrictions don't apply).

Shotguns with max 2 shell mag capacity (so that could be 2+1 in the spout for semi/pumps) are allowed on a SGC (Shotgun Certificate); higher mag capacities would require registering this as a S1 FAC firearm.
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Strictly speaking, single shot .22LR target pistols would not be legal here if they fell under the 24/12" rule, but as I understand it, permits have been granted to allow these to be held/used for the duration of the Olympics.

As a UK ex-pistol shooter myself, I do find it somewhat frustrating that we have an excellent national team in a sport that cannot be legally conducted in our own country However, in Isle of Man and Northern Ireland, pistols are still legal (even more )

I do believe they use semiauto pistols for some if not all pistol events.

Cool, thanks for the info. It's always interesting to learn about other places.

I thought the .22's were exempt from the 24/12" restriction. Huh. Something new. I always thought it was the semi auto's that were restricted.

The bolt action M82 is the M95



Go to town with the Magpul gear!

Huh, I thought they dropped the rapid fire events. I thought they were only using Free Pistol shoots.



Lookit that. Semi auto rapid fire Sports Pistols and single shot Free Pistols.

Something new every day V2.1

pretty crazy looking stocks/grips.

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od: xd9 3"&4", 15-22, 1911 .22

Free pistol is single shot. International Rapid Fire uses semi-auto.

As I understand it, even single shot pistols are taboo Great Britain which is why the UK shooting team practices elsewhere.

Ooh that Grizzly looks nice!

Semi-auto .22LR pistol wise, the UK law of the land for S1 FAC holders still requires that firearms be of min 12" barrel and min 24" total length, hence the need for long-barrel pistols with butt rods (pictured .22LR 1911s with barrel shrouds)

[IMG]http://www****defatdog.com/Pro-TSC-1911.png[/IMG]

That's pretty cool. I like the fact there is a way "around" the laws. I mean you can't carry in the UK anyway, so it doesn't need to be a true pistol.

Why a barrel shroud though? Would a permanently attached suppressor not work? I know someone who when he was in the UK used OHAS as motivation to get suppressors.

Interesting, I did not know that about the butt rods and barrels (okay, that sounds really bad)

My beliefs were based on this from the Met's website

As tragic as the UK handgun may be for subjects of the Queen, it worked out well for me because I rescued a pristine Colt Government Model from England.

Mmm, not sure. Suppressors need their own FAC 'slot' in the UK (we have to have each firearm held, or intended to acquire).

There's a peculiarity that if any firearm is of a prohibited type (i.e. a 'short' barrelled 1911), then it remains prohibited, regardless of any further modification - I think it's a concern regarding the ability to reverse-engineer it back to a prohibited type...

In any case, I've never really needed a suppressor (only target/practical shooting) so I'm not slotting bunnies or stalking game to the extent that I need to remain that quiet!

Why do I have a sudden urge to shout "Wolverines" when I see that gun?

BTW...very nice!

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Existimo ergo sum armis

I used to shoot International Rapid Fire with my Browning Olympic. Uses a .22 short, firing at 5 separate, turning semi-humanoid shaped targets. Gun starts at a 45 degrees down (not pointing at the target like Bullseye), when the targets turn, you raise and fire one shot into each of the five targets in 8 seconds. Then 6 seconds. Then 4 seconds. You're just sweeping across the targets, pulling the trigger at the appropriate times, sighting black sights on a black target, mostly (in my case) by instinct. It's surprising how well it can be done.

They are selling tickets for rapid fire. As a bullseye shooter I can appreciate the difficulty of the 50m free pistol event. Some of the guns we use are very similar to the rapid fire guns but in LR and without the wrap around grips.

I used to shoot with a "kid" who was on the US Shooting team for rapid fire. You rapid fire shooters astound me far more than free pistol, air pistol or even IPSC Grand Pooh-bahs.

None of it is "easy" no matter the competition it's still humans preforming at the cutting edge of ability for that particular sport.

KayBack,

OK, I will bite. What am I missing here. What is that lever action gun you posted the picture of? When I searched M85/M95 I got back just what I expected. Info on Barrette sniper rifles. The gun you posted is something like what I would expect to get back from Wilson Combat if I were allowed to send my Winchester Model 94 into the same program they have for Remington 870s!

Oh sorry, those were two separate "comments" made to BlueLizard with regards to the UK gunlaws.

They aren't allowed semi auto rifles there, but there is no restrictions on caliber, so they won't be allowed a Barrett M82A1, but they can get a Barrett M95 or the M99 for long ranged events. They wouldn't be restricted to low calibers. Almost ironic for a country that restricts firearms as much. So your options would be a neutered M82A1 which had its gas system removed, or buy an off the shelf version, The M95.

The picture was in relation to his comments about leaver action center fire's being OK, but not semi auto. But you can bling the Magpul and "evil assault rifle elements" out of your rifle with no restrictions if it fits the manual operation like his 9mm AR with the thumb cocker.

The picture is a Grizzly Customs lever action, with a "tactical" setup. The top rail will allow Aimpoints and other sights, the side and bottom rail will accommodate your light, angled forward grip and other wants. That specific one has a Surefire pressure switch mounted forwards on the rail, and an intergrated sight in the magazine tube end cap.

It looks to be a .44 Magnum Marlin lever action that's been modified. It would make a nice little package for anyone not allowed to own "assault" rifles, but still be allowed to use them for defense (not the UK in other words). It is $2000 worth of rifle though.....

KBK

Thanks, but I'm not that shooter any more, and was never anywhere near Olympic caliber. But I did enjoy it (after painting my sights a contrasting matte white), and was rather shocked how good you can shoot "by instinct", just sweeping the gun across the target centers and pulling the trigger at the right time. Today, my instincts lie more toward preservation.

But then, even when I shot competition bulleseye, I was shocked when I could hit something I couldn't see: Clear front sight, fuzzy rear sight, both sitting under a fuzzy black circle 8" in diameter and 50 yards away, and hitting the 3.5" 10-ring 95% of the time, with a /pistol/ waving back in forth of my eyes! I was amazed even when I could do it, and more so today, when I can't.

Unlike eyes and steady hands that can deteriorate with age. “INSTINCT” can be improved upon with experience, age and confidence. Never give up!