TargetTalk

Does anyone know the year the UIT (now ISSF) declared tyrolean stocks unsuitable for 10 meter air rifle? 1973?

Anyone who has shot a tiro knows why.

OK, forgive my obvious ignorance but what exactly is a "Tryolean" stock?

Sorry tyrolean not (typo corrected) tryolean.

Do you know the these were bannished?

I never knew they were but I would assume they felt their was either some unfair advantage or it didn't fit in with their size regulations. You could always try asking them and see what they say (?)

Rob.

They are not banned per se but, like any other style of stock, would have to comply with the relevant rules (currently 7.4.3.5, 7.4.3.6 & 7.4.3.7) which might prove a bit difficult.

Daivd -

Do you know the dates these rules went into effect. I suspect a rule change on air rifle stocks were modified in the 1970's and now doing research for a pending bookcovering the history of post 1954 air rifle competition.

Thanks.

Jim Edmondson

Way before my time I'm afraid Jim. I only discovered the sport in 1980.

To be perfectly honest I'm still much more interested in pistol than rifle.

OK, forgive my obvious ignorance but what exactly is a "Tryolean" stock?

I wasn't questioning the spelling, I genuinely don't know what a "Tyrolean" stock is? Is it something to do with the shape of the cheekpiece?

Yes, cheekpiece shape, curved up & around the cheek. Tyrol is a province in Austria (they spell it: Tirol), well noted for air rifle shooting, especially against Napolean's troops.

Sorry. Can't help with the answer, but I had to make a comment. That is a beautiful and comfortable looking stock. I've never seen one before, but it looks terribly smart.

Dave.

wrc wrote:Yes, cheekpiece shape, curved up & around the cheek. Tyrol is a province in Austria (they spell it: Tirol), well noted for air rifle shooting, especially against Napolean's troops.

They shot air rifles against Napolean ???! ;-)

Rob.

RobStubbs wrote:They shot air rifles against Napolean ???! ;-)

There was a rumour that the Girandoni air rifle was used against Napolean, but it wasn't - by the time Napoleon came on the scene they had been phased out. However, they were used in battle against the Turks and French in various wars for the guts of a century by the Austrians. And they were far, far better than the powder-burning rifles of their day.


The Girandoni air rifle.
Animation of the rifle's action.

Current theory is that this was the air rifle used in the Lewis&Clarke expedition.

RobStubbs wrote:

wrc wrote:Yes, cheekpiece shape, curved up & around the cheek. Tyrol is a province in Austria (they spell it: Tirol), well noted for air rifle shooting, especially against Napolean's troops.

They shot air rifles against Napolean ???! ;-)

Rob.

According to one of the shooting classes I was in Napolean was the first to ban guns, in this case air guns. They were quieter and smokeless, therefore harder for his troops to spot and kill the bad guys. The picture I saw resembled a musket with a steel ball, between a beach ball and a softball under the barrel in front of the trigger.

Mike
Wichita KS

Back to topic (even if the thread title is a bit misleading...)

The tyrolean air rifle stocks (never seen one on a sb rifle) were in use in german official competitions until 1972. In 1973 they were forbidden by the stock description in the german rules. And because the german shooting federation DSB traditionally adopts any international changes of the rules immediately and effective for the following season (general assembly in november, changes from 1st january), I assume that the (then) UIT redefined the stock rules in 1972, assumably at the general assembyl during the munich olympics.

But it's only a guess, judging from my remembrance (I started shooting air rifle in march 1972 and later air pistol and free pistol). And my then favourite air rifle was indeed a Walther LGV with tyrolean stock. The rule change forced my to replace it with a Feinwerkbau 300 (both only club air rifles, not mine, I was 16 then and had no money...)

Sorry, the last posting was mine. Was logged out during writing and didn't see it...

Ulrich Eichstädt
VISIER magazine

[quote="mikeschroeder
According to one of the shooting classes I was in Napolean was the first to ban guns, in this case air guns. They were quieter and smokeless, therefore harder for his troops to spot and kill the bad guys. The picture I saw resembled a musket with a steel ball, between a beach ball and a softball under the barrel in front of the trigger.

Mike
Wichita KS[/quote]

There is a lot of apocryphal information here which is not taken in context. The poor steels of the Napoleonic era made it difficult to build rifles that could retain their rifling when shot continuously. The standard French firearm of the time was the Charleville musket of 1777, as a result. It was easy to build airguns with rifled barrels because, not having a propellant that burned, they would hold the rifling almost indefinitely. Ranges were short in those wars (one of the reasons why bayonets and swords were still employed and muskets were made long so that they could also be used as lances with baoynets mounted on them.) As metallurgical technology improved enough to make rifles practical, the battlefield use of the air rifle ended swiftly and there is no possibility that it will ever come back. Not trying to demean air rifles in any way, but history often has a way of being misinterpreted.

KMJ