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Current rules |
The current rulebook for PA
Black Powder events is the Jan 2005 Edition, with corrections and
interpretations as per the information on this webpage |
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On this page |
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Black Powder (all matches) – use of converted ‘modern’
pistols: |
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The 2008 revision paper for PA Black Powder
Range Officers is available for download>> from the PA website
This revision paper is to be completed by all PA Black
Powder ROs, and forwarded for ‘marking’
The NRC is undertaking a series of RO revision
papers, starting with our PA Black Powder Range Officers. This revision paper is to ensure that our Range
Officers are using the current rules and interpretations, and to enable the NRC
to maintain the database of Range Officers (address, club, etc.).
The RO revision papers will be available for
download from the internet, as:
·
Previous
revision papers have been mailed out, but this is expensive – particularly when
a number of our ROs have changed their address since their qualification (lots
of returned mail), some have left the sport, etc.
·
Every
body has either direct or indirect access to a printer and internet access
(whether home, work, family, neighbour, club acquaintances, etc.)
Given that there is a small (but steady) demand
for Black Powder rule books, the NRC is (extremely) unlikely to scrap the existing
stock and print an updated version.
The 2005 edition of the PA Black Powder Rules
are available from your PA Affiliate office, or your PA State Referee Council.
The compiled amendments are available
as a PDF file>>
Following considerable consultation among those
NSWAPA 13-shot BP shooters who cared to contribute, an NSWAPA version has been
prepared and adopted.
As background, the general format for this
match was written back in the early days of PA adopting the Black Powder events
to provide our shooters with an event similar
to the MLAIC 13-shot event, but enabling the use of non-‘original’ black powder
pistols. At the time most PA Black
Powder shooters were using .44 Rugers, and these do not meet the MLAIC
regulations.
The NRC provided a basic set of rules that each
Affiliate could use; these rules covered targets, distances, series time and
safety; the Affiliates could divide up equipment categories to meet their
needs.
The PA 13-shot Match is most popular in NSWAPA,
with long standing (and hotly contested) categories for:
·
adjustable
sight revolver
·
fixed
sight revolver
·
adjustable
sight single-shot
·
fixed
sight single shot
Available as a
download click
here>>
Modern revolvers fitted with inserts for the
percussion caps technically fall outside the rules requirements for
breech-loading BP pistols to be held in a safe direction for 15 seconds after a
misfire before opening the pistol. The
potential of a hangfire igniting a chamber of a ‘modern’ revolver with cylinder
swung out is not one that we can risk.
Current Printing:
2.5.1 at
least 5 (five) seconds for revolvers.
2.5.2 at
least 15 (fifteen) seconds for single shot pistols.
A single shot breech loading pistol must be
held in a safe direction for at least 15 seconds before opening the breech.
In the event of a misfire for breech loading
pistols, the barrel should be brought to a safe direction before opening the
breech so that the breech plug could not cause injury in the event of a
hangfire.
Amendment:
2.5.1 at
least 5 (five) seconds for revolvers without
swing-out cylinders.
2.5.2 at
least 15 (fifteen) seconds for single shot pistols, and revolvers with swing-out cylinders.
A single shot breech loading pistol, and revolvers with swing-out cylinders
must be held in a safe direction for at least 15 seconds before opening the
breech.
In the event of a misfire for breech loading
pistols, and revolvers with swing-out
cylinders, the barrel should be brought to a safe direction before
opening the breech or cylinder
so that the breech plug could not cause injury in the event of a hangfire.
The recapping procedure as per the
Black Powder appendix A.1 is only to be allowed to clear a chamber after all
else has failed. In a Precision series
(rule 8.3.1) recapping after a misfire and similarly recapping for 25 M Rapid
Fire Stage (rule 8.4.2) was, and is only intended to refer to recapping after a
percussion cap has ignited but failed to ignite the powder charge; it is
definitely not the first option if a cap has failed to ignite – Appendix A.1.2
clearly refers to “If a chamber has failed to ignite after repeated attempts…”,
Removing a live percussion cap over
a charge of Black Powder is not to be undertaken casually! The procedures set put in Appendix A.1:
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Are
only to be attempted if repeated attempts to discharge the chamber by cocking
and releasing the trigger fail to ignite the cap, and
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Are
under the direct supervision of a Range Officer.
In particular, for 25 M Rapid Fire Stage, recapping (i.e. replacing) an unfired
percussion cap is not allowed prior to a re-shoot for a misfire.
The previous 15 seconds between “ASSUME THE
READY” and ”ATTENTION” has been changed to 30
seconds, effective immediately.
This applies to both procedures; loading from a
bench behind, and loading at the firing point
When all shooters have loaded capped, placed
their pistol in a safe condition on the bench, and stood back from the firing
line,
“ASSUME THE READY”
After 30
seconds,
“ATTENTION” and activate the targets
Guides currently available for
download as .pdf files (Yep! But the pdf should allow you to get the desired
guide on one page, irrespective of your operating system and printer).
To download, right click on a link and take the ‘save
target as…’ option, then merrily print out the file/s:
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Cover Page |
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25m Black Powder -
Precision |
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25m Black Powder –
RF Stage |
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50m Black Powder |
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It is mandatory that at all times on the firing
range, all personnel near the firing line wear safety glasses or other approved
eye protection. (See also Appendix C – Approved Eye Protection).
·
The wording has been
changed to “…at all times on the firing range, all personnel near the firing
line…”,
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This includes
Preparation time.
·
When a shooter wishes
to change from shooting glasses to other glasses or v/v, he/she should do so in
a manner that minimises the exposure of unprotected eyes.
Misfires – see below
Disposal of unused Black Powder
All spilt black powder must be safely and
properly disposed of.
Safe triggers
All
triggers must be safe.
Note:
To test if a trigger is to be considered safe, place the hammer in the full
cock position over an uncapped nipple, and lightly bump the base of the grip
with the heel of the other hand. If the
hammer falls, the trigger is unsafe.
Safety barriers between
nipples of revolvers
Where
the rear of cylinders of revolvers are modified to facilitate the easy use of
cappers, only the wings restricting the capper may be removed. It is not permitted to remove the safety
barrier between nipples.
50m Black Powder
Single shot
break-action pistols using inserts – the insert must not be capped while it is
in the breech.
In all cases the shooter must wait five
seconds with the pistol in a safe direction before re-cocking. First occurrence, warning; second occurrence,
disqualification.
Single shot break-action pistols, the shooter
must wait fifteen seconds with the pistol in a safe direction
before opening the action.
First occurrence, disqualification.
Shooters may clean pistol parts while personnel
are forward ONLY if:
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Permission is granted by the range officer to
the individual shooter/s concerned and the pistol is disassembled
before the personnel go forward, AND
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The pistol is (AND
REMAINS) in an obviously disassembled state until the
Range Officer has checked that all personnel have returned and gives the next
command “LOAD and START”.
Projectiles must be
made of soft lead.
25m Black Powder – Precision Stage
In all cases the shooter must wait five
seconds with the pistol in a safe direction before re-cocking. First occurrence, warning; second occurrence,
disqualification.
Shooters may clean pistol parts while personnel
are forward ONLY if:
· Permission is granted by the range officer to
the individual shooter/s concerned and the pistol is disassembled
before the personnel go forward, AND
· The pistol is (AND REMAINS) in an obviously disassembled state until the Range Officer has checked that all personnel have returned an