ASSRA EVENTS WITH GERMANIC RIFLES
In the spirit of acknowledging the Germanic origins of our sport and encouraging participation with Germanic rifles, the ASSRA Board has approved the establishment of two new classes of targets at ASSRA events.
The Germanic Traditional Class will be for Germanic (German/Swiss/Austrian Schuetzen style) rifles of traditional configuration. Shot Offhand.
The Germanic Unlimited Class will be for Germanic rifles that are used with scopes, palm rests, click type iron sights, or other nontraditional configurations or are shot from the bench. The Germanic Unlimited Class would be the equivalent of current ASSRA “Any Sight” targets and the Germanic Traditional Class would be the equivalent of current ASSRA “Traditional” targets, shot with rifles satisfying the definition of traditional in form and use.
Any existing target type being shot at ASSRA events that is shot with a Germanic rifle can qualify for an ASSRA record in one of the two categories.
A person shooting a traditional Germanic rifle would indicate entry in that class by stamping their target “GERMAN” AND “TRADITIONAL”.
A person shooting a modified Germanic rifle or shooting ANY Germanic rifle from the bench would indicate entry in that class by stamping their target “GERMAN” only.
Unless target rules specify otherwise, targets may be shot during any relay with Germanic rifles just like they may be with American or custom rifles. Centerfire Germanic rifles will qualify for all ASSRA centerfire events as long as targets are properly stamped, and .22 LR Germanic rifles-if you’re fortunate enough to own one-will qualify for all ASSRA .22 events as long as targets are properly stamped.
Targets that are shot in the Traditional Class will ONLY be offhand targets with guns of a traditional configuration because that’s, well, traditional.
There will be no “Traditional Class” for bench rest events, because that’s not traditional. Modified Germanic rifles may be shot at “Any Sight” offhand targets or at benchrest targets and would be stamped “German” only because neither of those is a traditional use of a Germanic rifle. Traditional rifles may be shot in irons or any sight benchrest events, but mark them ONLY “German”, NOT “Traditional” because bench events were never shot in European events and still aren’t. Shooters may choose to shoot their Germanic rifles in benchrest events to determine what ultimate accuracy they are capable of and to compete for records in those events, but we will never pretend that doing so is in any form a traditional use of these guns.
Members of the ISSA (International Single Shot Association) have agreed to let us use their definition of Traditional German rifles. Thanks! Their definition is found Here . Their rules have been in effect since 2008 and it looks like they have the bugs worked out. Rather than reproduce those rules here, we ask you to refer to the ISSA website. Check out the rest of their site, too, and see if it would work out to attend one or more of their events. They are brothers and sisters in single shot arms. Instead of shooting their course of 20 shots on a 25 ring target, we will shoot 3 shot Honor targets, reentry, with both centerfires and .22s (75 possible) at 100 yards and 200 yards. These would be considered new targets-unique to Germanic guns.
I have initial interest from ISSA that these 3 shot Honor targets would be what we would use for postal matches I’ve proposed between us-if we can agree on the details of such matches. I’ll make the same offer to engage in 3 shot postal matches to the GGCA and NMLRA and keep reaching out to Biggi in the hope of starting international postal matches, too.
Now shooters will have the option of competing with their Germanic rifles at any current ASSRA targets to compete for national ASSRA records in the two new classes of “Traditional Germanic” and “Unlimited (any sight/configuration) Germanic” rifles. When shooting Germanic guns at already existing ASSRA targets, the course of fire will be whatever number of shots have always been used on those targets: 10 shots for a Schoyen, Zischang, or Brockway for example, 5 shots for a Kelly, 100 shots for a Hudson, etc. If you want your target to get recognition as being shot with a Germanic rifle, you will need to satisfy the rules for that target event and rifle and stamp it correctly. ASSRA EVENTS WITH GERMANIC RIFLES: INFORMATION WILL BE AVAILABLE AT EVERY MATCH TO AID SHOOTERS IN CORRECTLY APPLYING THE RULES. In the case of a Schoyen, Brockway, Kelly or other BENCHREST target, that would mean ONLY a German stamp-even if shot with a rifle of traditional configuration-because these guns were not, and are not, shot from the bench in European Schuetzen matches. If shooting a Zischang target, for example, the course of fire would be the standard 10 shots, offhand. This is specified as an iron sight offhand match at 200 yards for CF and 100 yards for RF. If you shoot this event with a Germanic rifle fitted with Redfield Olympic sights (which are not traditional) you would stamp that target “German” only. If your rifle satisfies the Traditional German Rifle configuration in all respects, you will stamp that target “German” AND “Traditional” because it satisfies both the Traditional German Rifle rules AND it is being shot the traditional way, which is offhand. Again, a benchrest target would NEVER be stamped “Traditional” -even if the gun is of a traditional configuration- and neither would a target that was shot with a rifle that doesn’t satisfy ALL of the requirements of the definition of a Traditional German Rifle, even if it’s an offhand target.
This is all a work in progress. I’ll expand on this announcement and turn it into an article for the ASSRA Journal with refinements, clarifications, and answers to any questions I receive in time to include them.
Because the folks there are also brothers and sisters in single shot arms, please take a look at the German Gun Collectors Association to introduce yourself to more lovers of the Germanic guns and lots of great information about them at: germanhuntingguns.com
We hope to see you soon at an ASSRA range with one or more Germanic rifle/s in hand.