Brief Background

In 1997 following the handgun ban in GB, former pistol shooters rather than give up their sport, decided to adapt the various pistol courses of fire for use with Gallery Rifles.

Gallery Rifles are essentially .22 semi auto rifles and centre fire under lever carbines.

A highly organised and successful discipline now exists with teams from Wales, Scotland, England, Republic of Ireland, South Africa and Germany competing regularly in a number of high profile events at the NRA ranges at Bisley and elsewhere in Europe.

The biggest and best event is perhaps appropriately known as the ‘Phoenix’. The Phoenix Match takes place over the second Bank Holiday weekend in May and incorporates both a Home Countries Match and an International Match as well as circa eighty individual matches shot not only with Galley Rifles but shotguns, target and military rifles – there is something for everybody as the Phoenix also includes a substantial Trade Fair and Arms Bazaar with bargains for all.

Teams of five shooters including a reserve compete for the Home Countries Match using smallbore semi auto rifles usually the Ruger 10/22 or a variant thereof. Another team of five including reserve compete in the International Match using centre fire carbines with the Marlin under lever in .357 or .44 being the most prevalent firearm – sights are generally optical.

The Gallery Rifle disciplines require only ear and eye protection, rifles and ammunition. Equipment can range from the most basic and unmodified rifles to custom built race guns. At the end of the day it doesn’t matter what you shoot, if you don’t point it in the right direction it doesn’t matter how much it cost!

There are a number of very interesting articles that describe the sport and most everything to do with it at http://www.galleryrifle.com/skills.html the NRA also have a Gallery Rifle section on which you can access details of the various competitions, courses of fire etc. http://www.nra.org.uk/

A lot of URA members have visited Bisley over the years and know what a unique venue it is – for those of you yet to make the pilgrimage …………… its roughly a 840 mile round trip from Stranraer or 260 from Liverpool. Accommodation is available on site either from the NRA, some of the Club pavilions or local hotels and guest houses. Staying on camp can be fairly basic as little has changed since the early part of the twentieth century!

The UK NRA’s last rulebook for Service Pistol/Multi Target or Police Pistol/Timed and Precision One was published in 1997, prior to the GB handgun ban. Since then, handguns and related regulations have evolved.
Gallery Rifle and Pistol discipline encompasses numerous Gun Types/Categories. Although all competitors participate simultaneously in the same course of fire, results are categorised by gun type.

The main Rifle and Pistol Clubs in Northern Ireland have adopted the following gun Types/Categories for the primary events: 25m Precision, Timed & Precision 1, Multi-Target Phoenix A, Grand, Imperial Silhouette, and Granet.

HG Historic pre 1918
HG Historic pre 1945
HG Open
HG PCC
HG Pistol
HG Pistol Optics
HG Pocket Pistol
HG Revolver
HG Revolver 2″
HG Small-bore Pistol
HG Small-bore Pistol Open
HG Small-bore Revolver
GRSB Smallbore
GRSB Smallbore Iron Sights
GRCF Standard
GRCF Classic
GRCF Open
LBR
LBP
Shotgun Semi-Auto
Shotgun Manual