Pistols At Twenty Paces

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29916, 1 September 1962, Page 9

Pistols At Twenty Paces

rpHE whine of bullets echo- -*• ing down the 20-yard range of a tiny rifle club building in St. Asaph street recently heralded the first positive move towards New Zealand competing in Olympic pistol shooting The marksmen were members of the pistol section of the Christchurch East Smallbore Rifle Club who had gathered, without ceremony, to fire the first interclub pistol shoot in the Dominion —a postal match with a Wellington group. As the only country in the British Empire without a permit for pistol shooting, New Zealand has been unable to participate in Olympic musketry. But. through the untiring efforts of the patron of the New Zealand Smallbore Rifle Association

(Mr D. Davies, of Invercargill)—who battled for 16 years for the recognition of pistol shooting in this country—it has now taken the first step towards reaching that objective. To the Christchurch East club’s pistol section fell the difficult task of proving to the authorities that pistol shooting was a safe sport. It was virtually as the guinea pig for New Zealand that it was issued with a 12-month probationary permit. The success or failure of the sport in the Dominion depended on its showing. But the tremendous zest with which the members tackled the task from the start made it clear what the outcome would be. Many hours of voluntary labour were given willingly in an

effort to bring the range up to standard. Wood and steel to the value of £l5O were used in the perfecting of facilities and very strict rules for the supervision of shooting and for the care of pistols were imposed. As a -result, the range has been passed by the Defence Department and its operation has been sanctioned by the Police. This means that the sport has virtually been opaned up, the club president (Mr E. Briden) said recently. The range, he added, was a credit to club members. Christchurch East’s pistol section, now in its second year, has 20 members who shoot on Monday and Tuesday nights with the club’s two .22 rim fire Webley and Scott pistols. Only slow fire

is carried out at present but the intention is to introduce rapid fire shooting later on. Olympic Games musketry embraces both types. With the sport established, the pressing need now is for increased competition. Christchurch East and the Wellington group are the only two in operation at present but it is understood that a further four or five clubs are getting under way in the North Island. Christchurch East, however, would welcome the formation of another club in the city. ‘‘We realise that it is only through competition that our shooting is going to .mprove,” says Mr Briden. We hope the Wellington postal match is the forerunner to more competition with other areas.”