NATIONAL RIFLE JOURNAL ASSOCIATION Winter 2014 – Volume XCIII No. 4 £4.25£4.25 HISTORIC DAY AT THE TRAFALGAR Two reports from the ranges SAVAGE 12F/TR An F Class rifle for two grand – How does it compare? PAGES OF EVENT REPOrtS 11n F Class European BRITS ON TOUR Championships GBRT TOUR 2014 n Multi-gun shoot CADETS IN CANADA n English VIII n Gallery Rifle round-up BIG GAME RIFLE MEETING NRA MUSEUM HISTORY MEET THE NEW TRUSTEES THE REVIVAL OF LBR 001 NRA Winter Cover_REV2.indd 1 03/12/2014 17:37 14 www.nra.org.uk 002.indd 14 27/11/2014 10:06 NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION Winter 2014 – Volume XCIII No. 4 4 INTRODUCTION 39 BIG GAME RIFLE Andrew Mercer looks forwards to the year Derek Stimpson on his trip to the 5th ahead and improvements at Bisley International Big Game Rifle Match in Australia 6 NEWS All the essential news for target shooters, 43 MATCH REPORTS including tips on unannounced police visits A round up of results from autumn competitions including Long Range, 8 LETTERS Match Rifle and Practical Shotgun More of your views on the type of dress seen on Bisley camp 47 MEET THE TRUSTEES We welcome three new members to the 10 GUN REVIEW NRA Council: Alice Gran, David Lacey Nick Parrish on the new Savage F/TR and James Harris 15 TRAFAlgAR REPORT 48 MUSEUM Two reports from the biggest Trafalgar Ted Molyneux introduces the new piece Front cover: Trafalgar Meeting meeting yet filling a gap in the museum, an Enfield- Cover photo by Matt Limb Whitworth pattern 1863 rifle Managing editor: Colin Fallon 19 F-CLASS EUROPEANS Sub-editors: Mary Martin, Alex Ormiston Des Parr reports on the winners and 50 LONG RANGE SHOOTING AT ORION Graphic design: Jessica Riley losers at the record-breaking annual Raf Jah travels to Wales to see what his Ad design: Matt Smith F-class European Championships rifle can do at Orion Firearms Training Advertising sales: Charlie Ward Operations director: James Folkard Assistant publisher: Ruth Burgess 22 GB ON TOUR 52 LONG BARRELS Publisher: Wes Stanton The 2014 Great British Rifle Team and Richard Wilson is an advocate for long Contributors: Gary Alexander, LouLou Brister, Matt Charlton, Jonathan Elliot, British Commonwealth Rifle Club give the barrelled revolver and long barrelled pistol Chloe Evans, Neil Francis, George low down on their stateside touring Granycome, James Harris, Raf Jah, Silke 54 ClUB FOCUS Lohmann, Ted Molyneux, Des Parr, Sarah 27 DiSCIPliNE ROUND UP Not one but four clubs in the spotlight. Proudlove, Nick Parrish, Peter Ryder, Derek Stimpson, Richard Wilson Neil Francis wraps up the gallery rifle Get an insight into how other clubs run Stock photography by Lee Bowditch, autumn season Matt Limb and James Marchington 57 OBITUARIES NRA chief executive: Andrew Mercer 28 MULTI-GUN We look back on the lives of Peter Page, Chairman: John Webster James Harris reports on some end-of- Derek Sanvoisin, Don Truby and other Address: National Rifle Association, Bisley, season multi-gun action NRA members Brookwood, Surrey GU24 0PB T: 01483 797777 F: 01483 797285 31 CHARITY SHOOT 60 ClASSIFIED RESULTS W: www.nra.org.uk News from the annual Shield charity shoot Scores from the autumn in our classified The NRA Journal is published on behalf raising funds for the air ambulance results section of the National Rifle Association by Blaze Publishing Limited. Address: Lawrence House, Morrell 32 REPORT 62 NOTICES Street, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, News from the CSR winter league and The GB Match Rifle Team travelling to CV32 5SZ. target shotgun fest Tazmania in 2016 is announced and other T: 01926 339808 notices from NRA representatives F: 01926 470400 E: [email protected] 34 MARKSMAN’S CALENDAR The definitive guide to events for the 64 NRA TRADE MEMBERS © Blaze Publishing Limited, 2014 coming year Full listings and contact details for the All rights reserved. Editorial matter, pictures and text may not be reproduced without NRA’s trade members permission. Views expressed are not 36 YOUNG SHOTS necessarily those Sarah Proudlove from the British Cadet 66 MESSAGE 10 of the National Rifle Rifle Team recounts the 2014 Athelings David Luckman on his shooting career Association. tour to Canada and Commonwealth gold medals National Rifle Association 3 003 Contents_REV4.indd 3 03/12/2014 17:36 New year developments Chief Executive Andrew Mercer takes us through some prospective improvements and plans for the future from the NRA at Bisley and beyond busy autumn of shooting has As demand continues to grow for our MoD will ease a number of contentious made delivering the programme of ranges, we need to increase the efficiency of issues; for example we have arranged a Arefurbishment and improvement how we present and manage the extensive ‘train the trainer’ session for the new SARTS difficult at times. Balmy, dry weather lulls suite of facilities at Bisley. Electronic system that should improve access to ranges us into a false sense of security as the targets are a key element and six new with these targets for civilian clubs. inevitable heavy rains that follow highlight Kongsberg targets have been ordered for There has been a flurry of events that poor drainage, worn range floors and firing Century range with delivery scheduled for could potentially put us at loggerheads with points, leaking roofs and blocked guttering. January 2015. Hard-wiring for monitors the police. Instinctively this feels like bad We have rediscovered the delights of at 100, 200 and 300 yards has also been news; shooters share a common interest wood chip as an all-weather surface, and installed. Developing and delivering an with the police to ensure firearms are held following the installation of new drainage, effective service to support what is already safely and responsibly. However, we should three bays on Melville range have now had a substantial investment will test our staff, not shrink from protesting if we think the muddy grass replaced with the new chip. and it will be interesting to see how the initiatives are clumsy or potentially counter- A recent downpour confirmed the wisdom targets stand up to a heavy rate of attrition. effective. The initiative for unannounced of this work; shooters were complimentary Contractors have just about finished home visits and the now-shelved though they did suggest that a different work on the new Spencer caravan site six Crimestoppers line are cases in point. colour would help retrieval of spent cases. weeks ahead of schedule. It looks terrific, The case of John Lowe, the puppy Similar work will shortly start on Butt Zero, but brings the shabby appearance of much farmer who murdered two women, posed a and an extensive programme of works of the rest of Bisley into focus. Working challenge when dealing with the inevitable including four new sets of turning targets with our tenants, caravan owners and other press enquiries about firearms law and a new toilet block and even heating in camp users to improve the appearance and gun safety. We know the Surrey police Cheylesmore range will be completed by the character will demand a great deal of energy, firearms team well and they have showed end of January 2015. not to mention considerable investment. themselves to be hard-working, honest, and While shooting at Bisley is on an upward supportive of shooting at Bisley. They now trajectory, matters in the regions are more face possible gross misconduct charges. An problematic. We will shortly be recruiting a error of judgement does not invalidate laws, regional manager, based away from Bisley, processes and procedures, and criticising to improve services for our many members the police when they make a mistake risks who shoot on MoD and other regional alienating our key partner in ensuring safe ranges. I hope recent negotiations with the and responsible firearms ownership. Plans for Cheylesmore range include four sets of turning targets, new toilets and heating Melville range has benefited from new drainage and an all-weather surface 4 www.nra.org.uk 004 Chief ExecLetter_REV3.indd 4 03/12/2014 17:36 National Rifle Association 5 005.indd 5 27/11/2014 10:06 FIREARMS LICENCE FEE CONSULTATION The Home Office has announced plans to raise the firearms certificate fee to £88 – a figure it is putting out to REPORTS public consultation. Licence fee rises had long been NEWS expected, but the Labour party sparked fears over how high they would rise earlier this year, when Yvette Cooper MP indicated the party would push for full cost recovery DISABLED should it come to power. This could have meant certificate fees of up to £200, four times the SHOOTING PROJECT current figure. Instead, the granting The Disabled Shooting Project (DSP) outside the sport and her DSP activity of a new FAC is set to rise to £88, an is undergoing a major transformation is entirely voluntary. FAC renewal to £62, and a shotgun into a fully independent charitable The DSP says: “Inevitably this will certificate to £79.50. organisation. This step follows a mid- have an effect on the services the DSP A coterminous grant will rise to term review between Sport England and can deliver in the shape of personal £90, while a replacement certificate British Shooting as a result of which the visits and meetings. However, once the will drop to £4. latter decided to re-organise the way new organisation is fully operational, The figures were put forward by an it uses its Sport England funding for the working group will put together a all-party working group, and take into disabled shooting development. scheme to do as much as possible on account the cost increases since the Following that decision, the DSP’s this front.