The Sportsman’s Association would like to draw its members attention to the following paper:

The British Shooting Sports Council

The BSSC is a body that represents shooting sports in dealing with Parliament on our behalf. Its aims and objective is to promote and safeguard the Lawful use of Firearms and Air weapons for sporting and recreational purposes in the United Kingdom amongst all sections of the community.

The Organisations that are part of BSSC are:

Association of Professional Clay Target Shooting Grounds

Association of Professional Shooting Instructors

British Association for Shooting and Conservation

Countryside Alliance

Clay Pigeon Shooting Association

Gun Trade Association

Institute of Clay Shooting Instructors

Muzzle Loaders Association of Great Britain

National Rifle Association

National Smallbore Rifle Association

Sportsman’s Association of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

United Kingdom Practical shooting Association

BSSC policy on the return of competitive pistol shooting in Great Britain

Background: The National Rifle Association submitted a paper to the Technical & Research Committee on the 11th February, seeking an agreed Council policy on pistol shooting. There was agreement among those Association representatives present that such a policy was necessary and timely. The NRA was asked to convene a meeting of interested parties and to submit a report to Council.

A meeting was held at the NRA on the 24th March 2010. Present were: Glynn Alger, Secretary NRA (Chair), Alan Westlake and Mike Wells (SAGBNI), David Thomas (Chairman, British Pistol Club), Barbara Barber (BPC and British Women’s Pistol Association) and David Penn (BSSC). Geoff Doe (NSRA) sent his apologies.

Glynn Alger indicated that the Conservatives, were they to act on pistol shooting, would wish to do so early in a new government and wanted an agreed position from the sport. Timely agreement on a BSSC policy was therefore essential. He had discussed infrastructure and coaching issues already with Geoff Doe and the NRA and NSRA were already co-operating on a Sport England coaching project. There was also discussion on how best to manage the understandable wish of clubs and shooters to lobby parliamentary candidates on the subject. Following wide-ranging discussion of the political dimension, the following draft statement was agreed for consideration by the Council.

1. The British Shooting Sports Council wishes to see competitive shooting with cartridge pistols re-instated under controlled conditions in Great Britain. It considers that the most straightforward way of initiating this would be by the repeal of the Firearms (Amendment) (No.2) Act 1997. This would adhere to the policy position of the Conservative Government in 1996 and is, we understand, straightforward and quick to achieve in terms of Parliamentary process. It would allow the re-commencement of .22 pistol shooting in ‘Licensed Pistol Clubs’. Subject to agreement on details of implementation and licensing, it would allow the development of a proper performance pyramid at the grass-roots level, essential  if we are to put our athletes on a level playing field and to achieve long-term podium success at Olympic, World Championship and Commonwealth Games levels. 
2. The National Associations, mindful that public safety is paramount, will develop the security, training and coaching infrastructure for the Licensed Pistol Clubs. Coaching for national shooting success is already being developed in conjunction with Sport England and it is anticipated that similar programmes will be introduced in Scotland and Wales. 
3. The BSSC notes that, according to NaBIS, .22 rimfire firearms and ammunition are only rarely used in crime, despite the very widespread use of .22 rifles for target shooting, small game hunting and vermin control. It further notes that the 1997 Amendment Acts have demonstrably had no effect on the growth in the criminal use of firearms in recent years. The BSSC is seeking to address the re-establishment of a well-controlled competitive sport which is far removed from criminal misuse.