Hi David,
so all the rumors we have heard here in Germany about the necessity having a special kind of restricted (military) area for the shooting events because of the weapon laws in England, particularly the ban of the hand guns, were wrong? And if they were wrong, why had your pistol shooting team to travel outside the UK for theirs training sessions?
Not to ride a dead horse here but for me as a long time shooter and always a great fan of all kinds of shooting sports it was really sad to hear from the plans to build only a temporary or provisionally shooting venue only for the games. Here in Germany we are really lucky about our Olympic shooting range from 1972, although the range was build at an other, maybe better time.
Regards
Frank
Who makes the modern pentathlon laser pistol/ target?
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David Levene
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Hi Frank
The whole shooting complex was a security area, but so were most of the venues for the Olympics. Everyone had to go through security searches and scanners on entering the venue, but that was the same at most of the venues.
Once inside the complex there were 2 sets of paths and areas. One for the accredited people and guns, and the other for spectators. Accredited people could pass from one area to the other, provided they didn't have guns with them, with just a quick check of their pass.
There were lots of scare stories before the World Cup and Olympics about how difficult it was going to be, but they came from people who didn't know what they were talking about. There were a few snags at the World Cup when spectators couldn't get into the ranges because there were insufficient security door staff, but that was why the World Cup was designated a "Test Event". Problems were identified and resolved before the OGs themselves.
I was in the fortunate position of being able to talk to many of the athletes and coaches during the training and match periods. Everybody was extremely relaxed about the security arrangements.
The whole shooting complex was a security area, but so were most of the venues for the Olympics. Everyone had to go through security searches and scanners on entering the venue, but that was the same at most of the venues.
Once inside the complex there were 2 sets of paths and areas. One for the accredited people and guns, and the other for spectators. Accredited people could pass from one area to the other, provided they didn't have guns with them, with just a quick check of their pass.
There were lots of scare stories before the World Cup and Olympics about how difficult it was going to be, but they came from people who didn't know what they were talking about. There were a few snags at the World Cup when spectators couldn't get into the ranges because there were insufficient security door staff, but that was why the World Cup was designated a "Test Event". Problems were identified and resolved before the OGs themselves.
I was in the fortunate position of being able to talk to many of the athletes and coaches during the training and match periods. Everybody was extremely relaxed about the security arrangements.
As jet we shooters can all be happy because of the fact this shooting simulation with light or laser doesn't really work. But from a technical point it can be improved to a state were it will work in the eyes of the believers and the clueless crowd.
We shooters have to be really alert. The danger comes from different sides. There are always some 'Ferengis" out who dream from making 'big money' and the easiest way to do it is to change the laws or the sport rules. On the the other hand we have world wide working gun grabbers, the still existing ban of some or all kinds of shooting weapons in some lands or regions and the big influence of the mass media. We all know facts do not count if it comes to ideology.
I know from some shooting sports officials who are strong believers of this kind of shooting simulation. They do not tell this at this time official but only behind closed doors. I have had some strange discussions about that in the German shooting forum 'meisterschuetzen.org' and i'm now banned there because i'm such a bad weapons guy. Yeah, they are so right. I'm a long time Olympic style air and small bore rifle shooter and also a long time official and i love my Annie and my Diana.
But these guys, most of them are not really active shooters, they are often 'only' functionaries and officials, believe to exchange our weapons with this laser or light things on the long run will give our sport a better image. They are really dreaming from a 'clean' sport without all this 'bad' guns. They do not understand that this exchange will only destroy our beloved and always peaceful sport, because a simulation can never substitute the real thing. But when some of our shooters and clubs promote this simulation things and some do that really strong here in Germany, they will give some of our politicians and our government some real strong arguments for jet stronger weapon laws and to ban our legal sport guns on the long run. These people doesn't interest if they will destroy our beloved sport. They need only 'good' arguments and a better legitimation (for the always clueless crowd) for their ideology or their own interests.
So we all have be alert!
Regards
Frank
We shooters have to be really alert. The danger comes from different sides. There are always some 'Ferengis" out who dream from making 'big money' and the easiest way to do it is to change the laws or the sport rules. On the the other hand we have world wide working gun grabbers, the still existing ban of some or all kinds of shooting weapons in some lands or regions and the big influence of the mass media. We all know facts do not count if it comes to ideology.
I know from some shooting sports officials who are strong believers of this kind of shooting simulation. They do not tell this at this time official but only behind closed doors. I have had some strange discussions about that in the German shooting forum 'meisterschuetzen.org' and i'm now banned there because i'm such a bad weapons guy. Yeah, they are so right. I'm a long time Olympic style air and small bore rifle shooter and also a long time official and i love my Annie and my Diana.
But these guys, most of them are not really active shooters, they are often 'only' functionaries and officials, believe to exchange our weapons with this laser or light things on the long run will give our sport a better image. They are really dreaming from a 'clean' sport without all this 'bad' guns. They do not understand that this exchange will only destroy our beloved and always peaceful sport, because a simulation can never substitute the real thing. But when some of our shooters and clubs promote this simulation things and some do that really strong here in Germany, they will give some of our politicians and our government some real strong arguments for jet stronger weapon laws and to ban our legal sport guns on the long run. These people doesn't interest if they will destroy our beloved sport. They need only 'good' arguments and a better legitimation (for the always clueless crowd) for their ideology or their own interests.
So we all have be alert!
Regards
Frank
Last edited by FrankD on Thu Jan 09, 2014 9:50 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Frank is 100% right.
Part of this is about the money - and I suspect that there's someone making big bucks from the MP laser-toy.
And we cannot discount the fact that some shooting federations are not being run by active competitors, or even former competitors. They're bureaucratic sinecures. We see the same sort of thing in the international muzzle-loading community. Some NGBs are run by the shooters, others by the sports bureaucracy.
Part of this is about the money - and I suspect that there's someone making big bucks from the MP laser-toy.
And we cannot discount the fact that some shooting federations are not being run by active competitors, or even former competitors. They're bureaucratic sinecures. We see the same sort of thing in the international muzzle-loading community. Some NGBs are run by the shooters, others by the sports bureaucracy.