PPP grip rules question

[rmarsh]

My son (age 12) shot in our state PPP/PTO match today. He shot basic supported. Our state (Arkansas) is new at this, our 4-H director is running these USAS sanctioned matches. He, nor anyone who has normally run the ranges for 4-H events has any experience with PPP or on into olympic pistol matches.

When we arrived at the match today and went through equipment check they rejected his LP10 pistol because of the heel on the grip. They said it goes too far back. They were judging by, if the bottom of the grip extended past the line where the hand and wrist meet. His grip did not touch his wrist or supply any support. Some competitors had to hastily carve or go home and sand their grips. I told the director that he used the same pistol in a PPP at the OTC and there was no problem, he said OK use it, then someone else complained and he came back and told me it was not OK.

I simply removed the heel entirely and re-submitted the pistol. Since my son was shooting supported, it did not bother him much. He still managed to win the match even though he was several points off his normal.

How is that rule normally interpreted?

He shot a PTO back in December at the OTC using the same pistol (there were no equipment checks). None of the range officials made any comment about the grips. Is this something that is normally even checked for basic supported? I asked that of our director and he said he did not see anything in the rules that said it did not apply to supported so "the rules are the rules".

Don't get me wrong here either..... I am not complaining about what happened or about our 4-H director. I simply want to know if this is normal? Everyone involved is very inexperienced at this. I have been to a grand total of one PPP match at the OTC, no one else involved in this match today has ever been to a PPP or Olympic pistol match.

Our 4-H director is a good guy, and is just trying to learn and run his competitions correctly. I am just trying to learn from those of you who are well versed in this what is normal accepted practice at most competitions.

[rmca]

For ISSF events this is the rule (page 343):

8.4 EQUIPMENT AND AMMUNITION
8.4.1 Standards for All Pistols
8.4.1.1 Grips. For dimensions and details of grips see the PISTOL
SPECIFICATION TABLE and the PISTOL CONFIGURATION
DRAWINGS.

 Neither the grip nor any part of the pistol may be extended or
constructed in any way that would allow it to touch beyond
the hand. The wrist must remain visibly free when the pistol
is held in the normal firing position. Bracelets, wristwatches,
wristbands, or similar items are prohibited on the hand and
arm that holds the pistol; and

 Adjustable grips are permitted providing that when they are
adjusted for the athlete's hand they conform to these Rules.
The adjustment must not be changed after the Equipment
Control check in any way that would conflict with these
Rules.

You can get the full rule book here:
http://www.issf-sports.org/documents/ru ... st-ENG.pdf

[David M]

One problem with the rules is that their is no real defination of the location of the wrist.
As a RO on gun check I would ask the shooter to put the pistol in their hand. If the wrist is free to move up, down, left and right then the wrist is not supported.
Some gun checkers get carried away and have destroyed good grips with some rulings.