National Rifle Association Journal Winter 2008 Volume LXXXVII Number 3 NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION CONTENTS JOURNAL 2 Notes from the Secretary General WINTER 2008 5 NRA Chairmanship VOLUME LXXXVII NUMBER 3 7 Membership Matters 8 Notes from the Director of Shooting Published three times a year by the 13 Notes from the Managing Director of NSC 14 Notes from the Director of Training National Rifl e Association 16 Notes from the Firearms Liaison Offi cer Bisley, National Shooting Centre 17 NRA Fireworks Display Brookwood, Surrey GU24 0PB 18 Notes from the Regional Manager Telephone: 01483 797777 21 Forthcoming Tours 0845 1307620 (local rate) 23 Shooting Discipline Matters Fax: 01483 797285 25 Regional Matters Range Offi ce: 01483 797777 ext 152 27 Ammunition for the 2009 Imperial Meeting 28 Clay Range Offi ce: 01483 797666 NATSS - A Personal View 31 European Benchrest Championships E-mail: [email protected] 34 Update from NSC Marketing Director Website: http://www.nra.org.uk 35 Territirial Army Skill at Arms Meeting Chairman: Bill Richards 36 Schools Meeting Secretary General: Glynn Alger 39 Match Rifl e Meeting 42 Target Rifl e Meeting Membership Secretary: Heather Webb 50 Running Deer and Sporting Rifl e Managing Director NSC: Jeremy Staples MRICS 52 F Class Meeting Director of Shooting: Martin Farnan MBE TD 57 ICFRA - The Saga Continues Financial Manager: Bruce Pollard ACA 67 The Athelings 71 Thanks a Lot Editor: Karen Robertson 73 General Council and Committee Attendance Editorial Advisory Panel: 74 NRA Council and General Council Glynn Alger, Colin Judge, Tony de Launay, Committee Members 76 Talking With Nigel Ball Ted Molyneux 78 T Rex - Fuming in the Aftershock Advertising: 79 The Athelings Centenary Print-Rite, 31 Parklands, Freeland, 80 European Gallery Rifl e Championships Nr Witney, Oxon OX29 8HX 82 V Bull Bonanza 83 Obituaries Tel/Fax: 01993 881662 85 Letters 87 Trade Members Material for inclusion in the Journal should be sent to: 88 Members Page Karen Robertson National Rifl e Association ADVERTISERS INDEX Bisley, National Shooting Centre 77 Bisley Kitchens and Bathrooms Brookwood, Surrey GU24 0PB 86 Bisley Pavilion Telephone: 01483 797777 ext 146 56 Centra E-mail: [email protected] 72 Churchleys Gun Shop 22 Norman Clark Production and distribution of the NRA Journal by 6 Diverse Trading Company Print-Rite, Oxford. bc Edgar Brothers 13 A Ford Material for inclusion must reach the Editor before: 12 Fox Firearms 15 January for Spring issue 6 Haring 1 April for Summer issue 51 HPS Target Rifl es Ltd 56 Imperial Security Products 1 September for Winter issue 55 Lapoche-Daglan Holiday Home ibc Midway UK The Editor reserves the right to determine the contents of the NRA Journal 55 Sam Monaghan and to edit or shorten material for publication. The views expressed by 20 contributors are not necessarily those of the Publishers. Whilst every care is NSRA taken to ensure that the contents of the magazine are accurate, the Publishers 26 Tommy Atkins Media assume no responsibility for errors. The publication of advertisements or 66 Andrew Tucker Target Sports editorial relating to fi rearms or associated requisites is not a guarantee 19 TWP Designs that such items are endorsed by the NRA. Whilst every care is taken with ifc Viking Arms advertising the Publishers cannot accept any responsibility for any resulting unsatisfactory transactions. Artwork originated by the NRA Journal for its Cover photo: Zainal Abidin Md Zain (GM SM) by TonyTony de Launay customers will remain under the copyright of the NRA Journal and may only be reproduced with specifi c permission. Every possible care will be taken of Expected publication dates manuscripts and photographs but the Publishers cannot accept responsibility Spring End of February for any loss or damage however caused. The NRA Journal reserves copyright Summer Middle of May on all material contained in the Journal. Winter October/November 1 NOTES FROM THE Bisley needs a great deal of investment. Investment on a scale that far outstrips the income we can achieve SECRETARY GENERAL through conventional use of the National Shooting Centre as at present. Traditionally we would batten down the hatches and hope the problems will go away until the next crisis. This strategy, particularly in the current fi nancial climate, can only result in one outcome - a return to large scale debt and possible demise of the by Association. Glynn The modern world demands we think differently. Efforts to attract more people to shoot at Bisley and Alger spend more money have had little effect on the bottom line. Every time there is a price rise or any attempt to charge commercial rates for shooting or rents, fi ngers are pointed at the NRA for being profi teering and failing to support the sport. Membership is limited by our focus on Bisley, our failure to invest in regional A Trustee’s Dilemma ranges and truly to represent fullbore shooters. This The National Rifl e Association was created to promote has restricted our ability to recruit members and thus Marksmanship in the United Kingdom and overseas. increase income and our standing in the world. The original expectation was that the Open British However, if the NRA does the right things at this point Championships would be hosted by the Association in time, there are great possibilities for target shooting. around the country, not just Bisley. As such there Those opportunities only exist if we are willing to was an implicit intention to own ranges nationwide. work closely with the other target shooting bodies to The NRA never achieved the ambition to host events create an inclusive and representative sport. Critical around the country nor did it make provision to create to this whole matter is Bisley, its ownership and use. a national range structure. This is where the Trustees come under the most The modern day Association still exists under Royal pressure to act in a traditional manner. The Trustees Charter and has charitable status on the basis of know that the best interests of the National Rifl e those original aims. Over time, either because of Association lie in working with others, to meld all circumstance or fi nance, the NRA has failed to meet the elements of the sport into an organisation that those original objectives. Instead the National Rifl e delivers shooting in all of its forms from playground Association has chosen largely to focus on Bisley and, to podium. They know that to support shooting as a result in more cynical circles, is known as the best, Bisley needs to be developed into a modern, fi t ‘Bisley Rifl e Club’. It has to be said that Bisley is a for use facility, while retaining its essential charm. fabulous asset. Contrary to popular opinion however, Unfortunately for them, most Trustees are also well it is not owned by the NRA and its members do not known shooters and as such are offered opinions on have shares in it. The Association is a charity and as the need to retain Bisley as it is, exclusive to shooters, such it holds Bisley in trust for the promotion of rifl e particularly fullbore shooters. marksmanship as part of its national obligation. It has to be said that, if we stay as we are, it is In more recent times the NRA has started to try and likely that the NRA will return to being a failing fulfi l some of its obligations away from Bisley by organisation, the ‘Bisley Rifl e Club’. The Trustees developing a national strategy. In the short term there have an onerous responsibility to act on behalf of the has been more fi nancial support for clubs trying to Association nationally. Bisley is an important part develop their ranges and much effort has been put into of those considerations but not an exclusive one. It keeping civilians using military ranges. The medium is important that members’ views are considered and long-term strategies demand that the Association when we can place all the facts before them. It is also acts differently by working with others and not important that during this process the Bisley members concentrating its resources exclusively at Bisley. do not bring undue pressure to bear, through informal The Trustees now fi nd themselves in a very diffi cult lobbying, in an effort to predetermine views within position. As you are all aware the NRA narrowly the Council that are not in the Association’s wider survived bankruptcy in recent years. We are close national interest and responsibilities. to paying off our debts. However, much of the debt repayment has been achieved through savings on Good News? infrastructure at Bisley which is in dire need of some In recent weeks a number of matters have arisen or attention. To create a world class shooting centre progressed that have the potential to benefi t the NRA 2 and shooting generally, if we are willing to do the right create an organisation, recognised by Government and things and in some cases step outside our comfort national sports funding bodies, that could infl uence zone. The issues that are core to the Association’s the standing of the sport nationally, politically and future are: publicly. If we are seen as a sporting body with the correct aims, properly organised and delivering a mass • NATSS appeal sport, we have the potential to draw down • A Whole Sport Funding Bid funding to promote the ‘playground to the podium’ • Olympics approach. If we demonstrate that we are capable of • Development working closely together, putting aside old prejudices, All of these matters are intrinsically linked in that we put ourselves back in the running for the Olympics during the course of the potential merger project and what that all brings.