The following article, from 1923 is one of many attempts over the past century to increase interest in international (ISU/ISSF) shooting amongst American shooters. These efforts have largely gone unheeded and this country remains somewhat isolated in it's development of rifle competition. The author, L.W.T. Waller, was at the time of this writing a retired Major General of the Marine Corps.
International Rifle Shooting and the Free Rifle
by: L. W. T. WALLER, Jr., U. S. M. C.
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| Major General L.W.T. Waller USMC |
International Matches are held every year by the International Shooting Union, and in the countries of the various nations affiliated. We have had them before, in 1913, and since that time the interest in the "free rifle game" has picked up considerably. We have sent three teams abroad in recent years to participate in this class of matches, the last two teams having been successful in winning, in 1921 at Lyon, France, and in defending, in 1922 at Milan, Italy, the much-desired Argentine trophy, the cup emblematic of the World's Championship in this type of shooting. This trophy was presented to the Union by the Argentinos about seventeen years ago, and except for our two wins has been held by the Swiss ever since its presentation.
The United States also holds the International Long Range Trophy, the Palma Trophy. Under the present rules of the match, this must be shot for with the military arm of the competing nations; and as other nations consider our Springfield the best military rifle in existence, it is unlikely that they will compete. Great Britain and her colonies are about the only ones who shoot long range, apart from ourselves, the Palma will never attract as many competitors as the free rifle matches.
| The Palma Trophy |
The advantages of being a regular contestant in International Rifle and Pistol Matches are rather obvious. It gives us a broader viewpoint and a more general understanding of shooting conditions the world over. To rub shoulders with the rifle "cranks" of all nations is a liberal education in itself. They have many ideas in which we would never concur, but at least it does us no harm to know what these are. They also have many ideas it would pay us to study and apply to our own use. Other reasons why we should participate in International Matches could be advanced, but that seems hardly desirable. It can be assumed that such participation is advantageous. Starting with this assumption and looking the field over, it would appear that the Free Rifle Matches of the International Shooting Union offer the best means to this end. We can shoot the Palma whenever it is possible; we can shoot the free rifle every year, and while this is not the American type of shooting and should never supplant our open range shooting, approximating service conditions, still it is an old established shooting sport; one in which we can rub shoulders with the world, and, finally, one in which we have been successful, and, therefore, in which we must continue to put the best we have.
I think it will be agreed that we should continue to do the best we can. In 1921 we won both the Team Match and the Individual Championship, while in 1922 this was repeated, Mr. Walter Stokes, of Washington, D. C, successfully defending his individual championship, winning the championship of the kneeling position and tying for the championship in the prone position, but being outranked. Commander Carl Osburn, of the Navy, tied for the championship standing, and was outranked. With this fast pace set as an example to follow, to continue to do the best we can narrows itself down to winning all events. For the benefit of those who have not followed the Free Rifle Matches, a brief description of them is given.
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| The Argentine Trophy |
All shooting is done at 300 metres on a decimal ring target, in which the ten ring is approximately four inches in diameter and all counts down to the four are in the black. The match consists of firing 120 shots, forty in each of three positions, standing, kneeling, and prone. Ten sighting shots are allowed which may be taken at any time on a target for that purpose only. The match must be completed in one day, but apart from this there are no time restrictions. Teams consist of five firing members; coaching: is allowed. The Individual Championship of the World, and the Individual World's Championship in each of the positions are decided by taking the highest aggregate of the individual team members in the team match. No separate match is shot for these. Shooting is done from a house or shelter, the kneeling and prone positions being generally shot from a bench. As these benches are usually pointed straight down the range, and are very narrow, they seriously hamper us in prone firing by preventing our firing on an angle to the target, as is the custom on our ranges. The matches are shot with the "free rifle" which means literally what it says. No glass is allowed in the sights, but apart from that there is no restriction - any calibre, length of barrel, weight, stocking, etc., are permissible. Range rules vary in the different countries, and are in many respects different from ours. Last year it became necessary to throw a member of the Swiss team out of our booth while the shooting was going on because he was protesting the position of one of our shooters. Instead of making his protest to a range officer, he came in talking at the top of his voice, and was about to grab our shooter while he was firing when he was bodily seized and ejected.
In European countries, Switzerland particularly, rifle shooting creates more interest than it does in this country. In Switzerland it is the national sport, and the best shots are known in much the same way as our best baseball players are. One of our team members visited Switzerland after the match and was continually spoken to by hotel managers, porters, cab drivers, etc., all of whom knew the results of the matches, scores, why the Swiss had lost, and all of whom took a great interest in everything pertaining to shooting.
On the other hand, apart from the comparatively few "shooting cranks" in this country, hardly anyone knew there had been a match. In the tryouts for the American team, held at Quantico, Virginia, thirty men appeared, and of these seven were taken abroad. At Milan the Swiss had about two hundred shooters, and while they were very close to home, it is true, they actually brought more men to the matches than we had in our tryouts. Who knows how many men tried out for their squad! We would have had more men to try out except for the expense involved. To try to obviate that, this year it is intended to hold regional tryouts under the Corps Area Commanders, and to hold a final tryout at Camp Perry. This should get the best material in the country, and it is pleasing to note that more interest is being shown daily in these tryouts and in the International Matches.
Because of increased interest by the shooters, and the proposed tryout system, I believe we will have the best team this year we have ever had. This does not mean we will certainly win the match. The Swiss, our principal opponents, are smarting under two consecutive defeats and will leave no stone unturned to stage a come back, and it is to be noted that neither of our winning teams have topped their high record. Last year they were shooting much better in practice than they did in the match, while the reverse was true of our team. We had had a long hard trip, during which we had been subjected to many annoyances which culminated in having our ammunition taken away from us, which, however, was recovered prior to the match.
Our two wins are due to one thing alone, our ability to use the sling in the prone position. Both years we have won we were badly beaten in the standing and kneeling positions, but were able to offset this prone. We have taught the European countries how to use the sling, so in time they should be able to shoot prone as well as we do; therefore it is up to us to equal them standing and kneeling. And I might add that we are improving in these positions—I hope as fast as our opponents are improving prone.
One of our serious handicaps in the free rifle game is the lack of a suitable arm. Abroad nearly everyone who shoots at rifle matches has a free rifle of some description. As our shooting is largely done with the military rifle, we have no suitable free rifle. Even the small bore rifles are patterned after their larger military brothers, and the old Scheutzen rifles and Scheutzen clubs are almost a thing of the past.
Abroad the Martini is generally used - being a lever action its lock time is faster than our Springfield. These guns are fitted with peep sights well back to give the maximum sight radius. They are long barreled and heavy, with palm rests, double set triggers, and deeply curved butt plate, which permits the butt to nestle into the shoulder offhand. I am inclined to believe, however, that many of these butt plates are so made that they do not give the best results prone. The trigger guards are large and made up of curves and grooves, so that the fingers fit into them, always resting in the same place. The rifling of one of these guns is given as a matter of interest, and it may be said that many of our shooters do not believe our present twist is productive of the best results for 300 metres. This rifle has a groove diameter of .311, and the pitch is one turn in slightly over twelve inches.
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| Walter Stokes |
Last year we took the Springfield with a pressure barrel as the base of our free rifle, stocking it with what might be called a modified sporting stock, long, fairly straight, and with a broad beaver-tail fore end. A palm rest adjustable for length and fore and aft movement was designed and added. An "L" shaped butt hook was fitted to a special butt plate, having the effect of a pronged butt plate and being adjustable for length; the vertical shank of the "L" fitting into a groove in the butt place. This was used for standing and kneeling, and removed for prone shooting. Such an arrangement is very essential, as the free rifle is muzzle heavy and needs some steadying arrangement at the butt. An adjustable front sling swivel was added, the sling swivel itself sliding in a dove-tailed groove in the fore end. Double set triggers were added and the lock time speeded up as much as possible. This was accomplished by cutting off the cocking comb, reducing the travel of the firing pin, milling the pin itself to make it lighter and increasing the length of the spring to get the necessary force. The rear sight used was the standard Lyman 48, but very large disks, 1 1/4 inches in diameter, were fitted, the peep hole in these being smaller than in the standard disk. For a front sight, a hooded sight cover was permanently fitted, forming a cover and front sight mass. Into this various types of sights could be used, such as the aperture, post, etc.
The specifications for this year's rifle are essentially the same as those for last year, with the important exception of length of barrel, which will be thirty inches instead of twenty-four.
The question of a suitable free rifle is one which is arousing much interest, and more and more of these guns are being made available. We should conduct experiments to settle many disputed questions, and to act as a basis for the development of a free rifle essentially American and within reach of the pocketbook of the average shooter. We should know, for example, the proper length of barrel, size, depth and number of grooves, the proper pitch of rifling, the proper weight and shape of bullet and powder charge to produce the best results at 300 metres. These and other questions along the same lines will doubtless in time be fully answered, in fact, I feel sure that much valuable data is now available in different places and only needs to be coordinated and carried to conclusions. The shooters rather look to Aberdeen to answer these questions, as far as the rifle is concerned, while the loading companies can give much data on bullets and loads.
The training of free rifle shooters will almost take care of itself once sufficient interest is aroused, and suitable weapons are obtainable. Already matches are proposed to closely follow the International Match rules and conditions. The essentials to good shooting at this game are the same as for all other shooting—good physical condition and practice. Constant practice is even more essential in this type of shooting than in our own kind. There is little wind doping, for example: to see properly, hold steadily, and to have the stamina to hold up under the grind of a long match are the principal factors which enter into the make-up of a successful shooter. I know of men who have a free rifle in their rooms and who, while dressing and at other times when possible, snap in for ten or fifteen minutes every day. These men are excellent shots, and they are made right in their rooms and not on the range. Range work is necessary, but is more in the nature of a demonstration of ability than of training after a shooter has mastered the elements of the game.
It is hoped that these notes will add a little to the growing interest, and help to popularize the free rifle game.
Related Articles:
Morris Fisher, Master Rifleman and Musician, by Hap Rocketto
Springfield Armory - International Match Rifles
