In this issue: Re: rules / books / postal Future of Olympic smallbore competition Re: Drulov / Tau rapid fire air pistols Sydney range update ******************************************************************** Just some comments on some of the items listed this time: If anyone wants UIT rules, they can be bought from USA Shooting. I ordered a set, along with provisional rules for air pistol rapid fire from the UIT, and they came instead from USA Shooting along with an invoice. Was surprised to see this, but glad too. As for the Olympics going air - I have predicted this for at least 5 years to anyone who would listen to me. It is just a matter of finances and space, along with anti-gun sentiment around the world. Shotgun will probably not change, but everything else will be air gun only within 10 years, I predict. New books: If anyone knows when any shooting book, for UIT type shooting mainly, becomes available, I want to know about it. I want to add it to my large library. I do have a couple of books that I got by mistake that are in German and concern training for UIT shooting. If anyone can translate them, or wants to purchase them from me, let me know. Also, I would like to mention that I will be running a summer air rifle/pistol postal league much like my winter series. This one will consist of 6 rounds/matches of 20-shots for score due every two weeks beginning in June and running until mid-August. Cost is only $10. I had about 120 shooters in the winter series which is just winding up. Scores were great and competition was tough!! Interested? Contact me: Don Williams 17446 SW Granada Dr. Beaverton, OR 97007 bawilli@ibm.net ****************************************************************** [Editor - a response to my comment that the Olympics will be air-only in a few decades... I have paraphrased somewhat also to help conceal the identity since the person works in a high position.] > Can I post the info anonymously? Please do. I think it's important that competitors realise what's happening right under their noses. The number of events will also slowly taper off. The fact is that shooting of any kind is just plain unpopular and has poor public image. It's not going to be a matter of decades before smallbore is out of the Olympics. It will be much, much sooner than that. It will probably be out in a couple of Olympics. I don't know about the shotgun sports yet. All events will be held in Sydney, but I wouldn't count out changes by the time Athens rolls around in '04. I don't know if we as competitors can alter the world's image of the shooting sports, but we can't just let things progress like they are. A concerned shooter ****************************************************************** Michael, Thank you for your reply regarding the rapid fire event specs for airpistol. There has been several inquiries on the Airgunletter message board and what if any analogs to sports pistol and rapid fire will be incorporated. With respect to the Drulov and the Tau rapid fire pistols and their availability, the Drulovs are stateside retailing between $420-495 and no dealers are carrying the TAU-96/096 yet. One of the importers of the TAU has told me that a sample lot will be arriving soon for dealer evalution. Current dealers of the Drulov include Airguns of Arizona,Great lakes Airguns,Golden Toller Guns,Guns and Things (canada) and perhaps Airguns Express by now. The Drulov appears to be made in 2 forms. One has an identical grip to the TAU-7 and the other is a single piece unified grip that seems to be limited to Europe. The TAU-96 is a gun in the category of the FWB-55/Steyr lp55 and is more of a rapid fire analog that is supposed to be almost recoiless. The Drulov is similar to a sports/standard pistol with a jolt recoil that's quite substantial and similar trigger weight/frame balance. IMHO it would be better used as a weekday trainer for standard pistol then as a serious rapid fire pistol due to it's similar characteristics and judging from the factory litterature, it would appear that the design goal was intended was to complement their similar firearm. It does work very reliably,nicely finished, and is quite efficient with gas with about 60 shots to a fill. The sights are excellent with the rear sight being similar to the TAU-7. The trigger is is a bit rough initally with a seemingly single stage that's adustable only for trigger weight,breakpoint location,and stop. The 7mm blade is mounted on a dovetail allowing a bit of lateral adjustment and 8mm of distance. It balances and handles very well and similar to a FAS or Hammerli standard pistol. For weekday training for timed fire p.p. it's a winner. Overall finish is blued and a stippled-like blue finish and unlike the crude black oxide finish of the TAU-7.It comes packed with all of the filling acessories/bottle as the TAU-7/200 and is interchangable with them. The factory includes a CGA-320 adaptor to make up with a standard U.S. CO2 bottle and a piercing cap to use 12g bulbs. Let me know if you'd be interested in anything else about the gun or need tel. # to the above dealers, most of which are on the web. Thanks again Michael, Dale ****************************************************************** The Sydney Smallbore Shooting Federation was today formed and incorporated under New South Wales law. This new body aims to ensure that facilities are developed for smallbore shooting in Sydney in the lead-up to 2000, and beyond. Whilst the NSW Government seems intent on building a smallbore range for the 2000 Games, it does not seem too concerned about use afterwards. The costs involved in using the facility are yet to be determined, with its magnitude likely to attract a high fee from all users. Added to that is the fact that the Sydney International Shooting Centre is to be located in Sydney's west, well over an hour's drive from most of the present users of the Anzac Range, and too far for present school and junior groups to travel. For more information, please visit the web site http://www.psynet.net/smallbore Nathan Scudder ****************************************************************** End of UIT Mailing List #19 Michael Ray - Systems Engineer Rose-Hulman Inst. of Tech. Rifle Coach UIT Shooting Page - http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/1190/index.htm