Air Pistol
The 10 meter air pistol is an Olympic shooting event governed by the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF). It is similar to 10 meter air rifle in that it is shot with 4.5 mm (or .177) caliber air guns at a distance of 10 metres (11 yards), and that the match consists of a qualification round of 60 competition shots within 75 minutes. If an Electronic Scoring System (EST) is not available, 15 minutes are added to the time limit. Competitors are allowed to shoot an unlimited number of shots during the 15 minutes preparation and sighting time.
At IDRPC we are please to announce that we have three operational Electronic Targets ready for this engaging sport which is supported by SSBSA competition leagues.
The club currently has one ISSF compliant .177 compliant pistol for members to explore before committing to purchasing their own.
The Pistol
The pistols used are gas-driven with a caliber of 4.5 mm. The minimum trigger pull weight is 500 grams. The grip restrictions are similar to sport pistols, but the box in which an air pistol must fit is larger which allows for longer sight lines. The pistol must be operated buy only one hand from a standing position and landed with only one pellet at time. Please note Sport pistol is prohibited in Great Britain as this falls under section 5 handguns (live-fire centerfire/rimfire) and as such this activity will not be supported at IDRPC.
As with other ISSF/NSRA pistol events, clothing that restricts the movement of joints for support is not allowed. Unlike the rifle disciplines Optical aids such as iris diaphragms or prescription glasses are allowed as long as they are not mounted on the pistol, which may have open sights only.
Why .177 caliber ?
.177 caliber or 4.5 mm caliber is the smallest diameter of pellets and BB shots widely used in air guns, and is the only caliber generally accepted for formal target competition. It is also sometimes used for hunting small game, like fowl. It is also used in field target competitions, where it competes with .20 caliber (5 mm) and .22 caliber (5.6 mm) rifles.
If two guns fire pellets of different weights, the gun firing the lighter pellet must fire it at a higher velocity to achieve the same muzzle energy. This is an important consideration in locations where air guns are legally restricted by muzzle energy. Because a .177 pellet is lighter than a larger caliber pellet of similar design, the .177 pellet can be propelled faster and therefore on a flatter trajectory, without exceeding the legal limit on energy. However, because the lighter projectile has a lower ballistic coefficient, it loses its initial energy to air resistance faster than a heavier, slower pellet. Therefore, a heavier pellet (typically of a larger caliber) may be preferred for distance.
