- National Smallbore Rifle Association
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The National Smallbore Rifle Association, The NSRA, is the national governing body for all Small-bore Rifle and Pistol Target Shooting in the United Kingdom, including Airgun and Match Crossbow Shooting.
Originally formed in 1901 as the Society of Working Mens Rifle Clubs (SWMRC) with national hero Earl Roberts of Kandahar as its first President, it was created to promote the formation of civilian rifle clubs throughout the country. The SWMRC amalgamated with the British Rifle League in 1903 to become the Society of Miniature Rifle Clubs. The SMRC then changed its name in 1947 to become the National Smallbore Rifle Association (NSRA).
The NSRA is based at The Lord Roberts Centre, within the grounds of the National Shooting Centre, Bisley Camp, Surrey. National postal competitions are organised all year round, together with a series of meetings, culminating in the Bisley Rifle Meeting, or National Meeting in August, preceded by the Scottish Rifle Meeting in June/July.
In 2006, the NSRA founded the National Association of Target Shooting Sports (NATSS) working group in association with the National Rifle Association of the United Kingdom and Clay Pigeon Shooting Association, to explore the practicalities and benefits of a merger between the bodies. The project was shelved in July 2009 following the withdrawal of the CPSA, followed by the NRA.
Bisley Rifle Meeting
The first meeting was held in 1922 and has been held annually with the exception of the war years.
The meeting is normally held for a week starting on the third Saturday before August Bank Holiday Monday. Most competitions are shot on about 200 firing points sited on the 200-yard firing point of Century Range. The remaining matches, including the three positions events, are fired at the Lord Roberts Centre on Sius Ascor electronic targets broadly under ISSF Rules. The entry for the meeting is about 900 competitors.
Programme
- The British Prone Rifle Championship, the "Roberts", first stage on Friday, second stage on the second Saturday morning (both 20 shots each at 50m and 100 yd); final for the top 20 on the second Saturday afternoon (40 shots each at 50m and 100 yd).
- British Men's 3x40 and Women's 3x20 Championships, an Unsquadded 3x20 (open to all) and an Individual Double English Match, fired on electronic targets.
- Finals of the Astor Club Team Championship (club teams of 6), the Queen Alexandra Cup (county teams of 6 and individual) and the NSRA/Eley Competitions in Prone and 3P rifle (individual), the initial stages of which are run as postal competitions.
- During the "First Weekend" volunteers run the "SMRC Meeting" --- a two-day event for Historic Arms in timelined designs (Classic = pre-1919, Veteran = 1919-1945, Open Historic = pre-1946 and some "Extended period" courses for basic rifles up to about 1960 design. Courses of fire for Prone, Offhand (Standing unsupported) an a "new" Standing Supported couse based on 19th-Century pracices: Classes of rifle include Target, Sporting, Military Training and --- unusually for the NSRA --- allow "pistol-calibre" rifles.
External links
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