IPAPC VISIT JERSEY PISTOL CLUB

It seems like a long time ago now but in August a few of us headed for the Channel islands and visited our friends at the Jersey Pistol Club having been invited by long-time member Gerry Weir, an Irish native whose father served as a Garda through-out the country.

Five of us John Travers, Brian Murphy, Pat Donnelly, Neil O'Malley and Alan Lynch took the 1 hour flight with AerLingus from Dublin. Some of the group brought their own .22" pistols and ammunition, which proved to be a straight forward process if a little expensive when compared with flight costs. Jersey folk have a healthy interest in firearms with forty five gun clubs on the island. Clubs ranging from target pistol and long range rifle clubs to military rifle and black powder clubs can be found. Basically if you can think of it you can shoot it. All clubs are closely linked with members usually joining multiple clubs which often share facilities. On our arrival we were met by Gerry at the airport and brought to the ranges and given a tour of the pistol ranges and excellent club facilities which are guarded by Max, the biggest cat I have ever seen. After lunch at the club-house we were brought to the military rifle club next door where we tried our hand at 100m rifle shooting with a number of different rifles including the .223" AR-15 as well as .308", .222" and a .577" black powder rifle. The following morning we were provided with the opportunity to try out a few of Gerry's pistols on the 25 and 50m ranges. Everything from a .22" single shot Beretta to the .44"magnum Ruger Red-hawk was put at our disposal. The shooters were also provided with 9mm Sig 210's and the STI Target as well as a H&K USP Elite in .45" calibre. Gerry also provided a number of his highly tuned S&W target revolvers in .38" calibre which we used for T&P and Multi-Target courses of fire. Using the speed loaders to reload the cylinders of the revolvers was an interesting experience for us semi-auto shooters. After a barbecued lunch on the range we were introduced to John Germain a member of the British Channel Islands IPSC region. John gave our shooters the chance to try a number of progressively technical drills by way of a taste of IPSC shooting. For this we used the STI and Beretta PX4 Storm both in 9mm. This was a new experience for our shooters were scores are calculated

Date: 3rd December 2013 - Volume 4, Issue 8

IPA Pistol Club Newsletter

In this issue: IPAPC JERSEY TRIP WPFG Upcoming IPAPC Events EU –Whitepaper Firearms Funnies Harbour House Xmas Shoot News From Around the World

through a formula using a combination of scores achieved and time require. The drills involved engaging a number of targets from a number of firing points with reloads throughout. The following morning saw us back at the range for a last few shots before heading home again. We had the chance to try out some courses of fire which are familiar to IPAPC club shooter but with the twist that we had the chance that we were able to use centre fire pistols or revolvers on turning targets. This took a bit of getting used to as the shooter must acquire a sight picture on target and discharge the appropriate number of shots before the targets turn away again. Targets are side-on to the shooter during the away times so the chance to focus on the scoring in advance of the timed exposure area just isn't there.

A great trip was enjoyed by all and Jersey is well worth a visit for any shooter. Gerry and all members of each of the clubs we visited made us feel welcomed and went to great efforts to keep us entertained and constantly shooting from the moment we arrived. A great thanks goes to all for their kindness and hospitality particularly to Gerry for his initial invitation and assistance throughout. With luck an annual (at least) visit to our friends at the Jersey Pistol Club can be arranged for our members who will be guaranteed a thoroughly enjoyable shooting experience. Keep an eye on their web-site, http://www.jerseypistolclub.info/, for details of events at which IPAPC members are welcomed.

Revolvers on display at Jersey IPAPC Presentation to Club John Travers Shooting AR-15 Rifle

IPAPC MEMBERS RETIRES FROM

AN GARDA SÍOCHÁNA The International Police Association Pistol Club would like to congratulation John Riordan on his retirement from An Garda Síochána. John who retired this month, finished his service with the title of being the most senior member of the force. John’s 40+ plus years, mostly served in Co. Cork saw him complete his service as an immigration official at Cork Airport. The very best of luck on your retirement John from all at the IPAPC.

IPAPC Represented at World Police

Fire Games 2013

This summer the biennial World Police and Fire Games was held in Northern Ireland from August 1st

- 10th. The Police Service of Northern Ireland and the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service ran

the 56 sporting events at a number of venues through-out Northern Ireland with the games HQ and

athletes’ village based in Belfast city centre. The games provided IPAPC members with the opportunity

to compete against some of the world's top shooters at a top class facility.

All pistol and rifle shooting events were staged at the army's

Ballykinler Training Centre near Newcastle, Co. Down.

Competitions included police action pistol, precision pistol,

small and full bore rifle, biathlon and SWAT events. The

facilities at the centre are of the highest standard receiving

praise from all competitors and are well worth a visit by any

shooter who is afforded the opportunity to do so.

Three IPAPC members, Tom Mansfield, Derek Healy and Alan Lynch, competed against the 98 strong

field in the Police Action Pistol event with Derek Healy also competing in the 60 shot distinguished

pistol match in precision pistol disciplines as well as a number of full bore rifle disciplines.

A total of 18 countries were represented in the Police Action Pistol competition which consisted of 6

stages with a 7th stage shot for the purposes of team scores. The competition was organised and run

by the Northern Ireland IPSC region in accordance with current IPSC rules. Stages included multiple

paper and steel targets set at differing distances which could be engaged from various points as the

shooter moved through the stage against the clock.

Shooters had to decide how they wished to approach and move through each stages as well as how

fast and from where to shoot in order to afford themselves the best opportunity to achieve a maximum

double alpha score in the minimum time. The stages were designed to test even the most

accomplished shooter with some targets set at distances of over 55m.

Other stages consisted of shorter range targets but which were laid out along longer

more complex courses which involved a lot of movement over the ground thus

impacting on both accuracy and time as the shooters fitness, or cunning as the case

may be, was tested.

Some stages included targets which were to be engaged through high and low apertures which

involved shooting from kneeling and prone positions while others introduced obstacles such as the

Cooper Tunnel (named after inaugural IPSC president Colonel Jeff Cooper) where the shooter must

enter the tunnel to engage targets through apertures to the side, a simple enough task but for the laths

in the roof of the tunnel which carried a 10 point penalty for each lath knocked off.

Through-out the competition the Irish shooters were grouped with the teams from the Singapore and

Hong Kong Police, both with very differing strengths and approaches to the stages. Both teams were

made up of members from the elite units of their respective police forces.

The Singapore team were all shooting the high quality Sphinx 3000 pistol in 9mm. Their fitness came

to the fore in every stage as they moved very quickly around the stage while still maintaining their

accuracy. The Hong Kong shooters were using their service issued S&W revolvers in .38" calibre.

Naturally the 6 shot capacity proved something of a handicap where time was concerned but the

numerous and rapid reloads were an interesting spectacle for us semi-auto shooters. The more

frequent reloads also meant that the shooters had to approach the stages differently from the semi-

auto shooters. Again the teams’ fitness was evident but this was eclipsed by their accuracy with each

shooter scoring very neat double-alphas on almost every target regardless of distance.

Watching both teams highlighted just what was possible in the sport but things felt somewhat surreal

when the RO's and assistants on each stage started to tell us about the Hungarian shooter who ran

through each stage at a sprint and still managed to maintain a high hit factor.

The fun aspect of the games was more prevalent with some shooters with certain teams burning

through plenty of ammo without causing too much work for the target patchers, made up of teams of

army junior cadets. This, unfortunately, included the author on one particular stage.

All in all the WPFG proved to be a unique and highly enjoyable shooting experience with shooters

gaining the experience of shooting at a world class event. Congratulations go to Tom Mansfield who

finished in the top 10 of the seniors class and also to Derek Healy who won 1 gold, 2 silver and 1

bronze medals in the full bore rifle competitions making a long week of shooting well worthwhile.

To view Results (Click Here)

JUDGE SAYS LEGISLATION GOVERNING FIREARM APPLICATIONS HAS NOT “BITTEN THE BULLET”

Judge Eugene O’Kelly was speaking during a lengthy district court sitting for a number of firearm application appeals. The owners of guns, including two semi-automatic rifles and two 9mm pistols, appealed the decision by Chief Superintendent David Sheahan not to grant them firearm certificates.

The introduction of the Criminal Justice Miscellaneous Provisions Act imposed extra conditions on applicants including that there must be a good and sufficient reason to possess handguns of high calibre, the firearm must be appropriate for its intended use and applicants are required to have secure storage for weapons and ammunition when they are not in use.

In terms of semi-automatic, the crux of the issue comes down to if the guns are civilian or military, or “resemble” a military weapon the court heard. Judge O’Kelly said he is being given opposing evidence by both parties. “The chief superintendent is being placed in an invidious position. His concern is the public who he must protect and what if they [guns] got into the wrong hands. It is a very restrictive framework.

“The legislation has not grappled with the kernel of the issue. They are not biting the bullet - are they lawful or not lawful,” said Judge O’Kelly. The same arguments are being heard year after year, he added.

“They are refused in some districts and accepted in some districts. The proliferation of high powered weapons in Limerick is different to others,” said Judge O’Kelly. State solicitor, Aidan Judge said it was akin to “working in a legislative strait jacket”.

Barrister for the applicants, Tom McGowan said there is a lot of expense involved in these appeals. “Legislatures should make a proper decision - yes or no,” said Mr McGowan.

The first application was for a semi-automatic rifle. The applicant, who cannot be named as ordered by the judge, said they needed it for a three position shoot. “You must have a semi-automatic. That’s why I want the firearm.” “Is it a military/police firearm?” asked the barrister.

“No, it is civilian. The difference between a civil and military is how fast you can discharge rounds.”

Asked by Mr Judge was the gun a clone of a military firearm he said no. “Is it similar to a military rifle?” asked Mr Judge. “Some may look like military rifles,” replied the applicant.

An ordinance expert, a witness for the applicant, said it is a “completely original item”. “It was specifically brought to market for civilian target shooting and hunting. It is not a military rifle,” said the witness.

Detective Inspector Kevin Brooks, head of Garda ballistics section, said in his opinion the semi-automatic rifle is a clone of a military rifle.

“It not only closely resembles it, it is an exact copy,” said Det/Insp Brooks, who had not seen this competition [three position shoot].

Judge O’Kelly asked that the state be present at a competition of the type. “It would give an

indication how many weapons are being fired legitimately. It could turn out that nobody is there to compete or if they are queuing up to take part. An inspection on the ground would be very helpful,” said the judge.

A date was agreed between the parties. Judge O’Kelly adjourned the appeal until after the

competition and asked for information on what weapons were used and general circumstances of the competition.

He renewed the licence of one person’s 9mm pistol. The court heard that he had been licenced in a neighbouring Garda district but when there was a boundary change his application was refused. The applicant told the court that he had spent €4,000 on an AIB safe and AIB vault door installed in his home.

“Is that safe? Look at all the money AIB have lost,” said Judge O’Kelly. He said he was satisfied that the gun was needed for target shooting competitions. An appeal for a semi-automatic rifle by the same individual was also adjourned until the state attend the shooting competition.

The judge allowed another application from a different person for a 9mm pistol. Chief

Superintendent Sheahan said he has no issues concerning the character and integrity of the applicant. “My concern is the safety of the public in my division and if it got in to the wrong hands,” said Chief Supt Sheahan.

He told the court that it was not the only weapon appropriate for target shooting. “It is used by the Gardaí, DEA in America and many other police forces. It is primarily designed to kill humans and not target shooting,” said Chief Supt Sheahan.

The applicant said that he uses the pistol for a number of competitions including centre fire bulls eye. He had previously been issued a licence subject to a restriction that the magazine holds no more than five bullets. However, he requires to have six for his competitions.

Judge O’Kelly renewed the licence on the condition that the magazine be plugged in four of the

magazine limiter restricting bullets to six.

MAN MISTAKES GUN FOR LIGHTER, ACCIDENTALLY SHOOTS HAND

An employee at a North Texas Target accidentally shot himself in the hand with a gun dropped

by a customer on Wednesday afternoon, police say.

Hurst Police Assistant Chief Steve Niekamp said a shopper with a concealed handgun license

brought the .22 calibre revolver into the store at 1400 Precinct Line Road. As he was leaving,

the small gun fell out of his pocket without his knowledge.

A store employee who found the gun thought it was a lighter and tested the trigger, shooting

himself in the hand, Niekamp said.

He was taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. No one else was injured.

Police do not anticipate filing any criminal charges in the incident.

OTTAWA POLICE COLLECT MORE THAN 1,000 GUNS IN AMNESTY

After weeks of grabbing guns and taking names

from people across Ottawa, all with the promise of

a shiny new digital camera, Ottawa police revealed

the total tally on Monday of guns collected during a

month-long amnesty: 1,035.

“Some of them are quite old, some of them are

quite new, but as you can tell they’re all very

intimidating,” Chief Charles Bordeleau said before

an arsenal of weapons at the Ottawa police’s

evidence control room on Swansea Crescent.

“We can safely say that these guns won’t be used in a crime, they won’t be used to help a

person commit suicide, and will be destroyed safely.”

The 30-day amnesty, extended after what police said was a successful first two weeks, asked

citizens to trade in their unwanted or unlicensed firearms for a voucher for a digital camera.

In doing so, police said they would not lay any possession charges against people participating

in the program.

Staff Sgt. Mark Patterson had pegged his goal at 1,000 guns before the amnesty’s launch. He

said he was thrilled to see his goal reached and exceeded by the collection.

“Each one of these guns kind of tells a story,” Patterson said.

As head of the guns and gangs unit, which investigates all shootings in the city, Patterson was

professionally ecstatic to see 178 handguns, the guns typically used in the commission of

crimes in Ottawa, turned in to police.

“A lot of these could be used by some of the guys that we investigate, on the gangs’ side,” he

said. But personally, there were some bright moments, too.

One man in the Centretown area wanted to turn in a long gun out of concern for the safety of

his children. With two small kids, he didn’t have any additional cash to buy his wife a birthday

present, Patterson said. Swapping his gun for a camera voucher changed that.

“Those are feel-good stories for us,” Patterson said.

Generally, the guns tended to come from homes with older residents who were worried about

having them around children or grandchildren.

Walter Webb, 89, had tried to get rid of his Second World War-era pistol, even offering it to the

Canadian War Museum before taking police up on their amnesty offer.

One of the key issues driving the amnesty was concern that unlicensed and improperly stored

guns could be easily stolen by people who could then use them in committing other crimes.

Police found one man storing his long gun in a suitcase in an unlocked garage in an area they

consider a “hot spot” for crime, Patterson said.

Police were able to get to all the calls in the queue, at times more than a hundred people long,

save for a few that police were still committed to following through on this week.

Patterson said all serial numbers have been checked and a handful will be sent for ballistics

testing to be sure, but not a single gun was used in the commission of a crime.

By the Numbers

$159,775: total value of all vouchers for cameras issued

2,500 F: temperature at which guns will be destroyed

1,035: total guns collected

735: total long guns, or shotguns and hunting rifles

490: amount of guns turned in last Ottawa police gun amnesty run in 2008

178: total handguns

104: total air guns

90: days the guns will be held before being destroyed

21: most guns turned in by one person

18: replicas, starter pistols, other types of guns turned in

1: gun exchanged for wife’s birthday present

0: guns believed to have been used in the commission of a crime

POLICE LOSE SIX FIREARMS IN FOUR DAYS

Police have lost at least six firearms including G3 and AK 47 rifles, and over 100 rounds of

ammunition in the last four days. The losses have been reported across Africa.

Security experts say the losses are likely to complicate the war against insecurity, coming at

a time when the country is experiencing a surge in insecurity incidents and proliferation of

small arms. The statistics are based on police records seen by Nation, a newsgroup. However,

not all cases are formally reported, especially when the officer involved is senior in rank.

On Sunday night, a constable based at the Mathare

police depot lost an AK47 rifle loaded with 30 rounds of

ammunition. The officer had collected the firearm from

the armoury for night patrol duties but instead went to

his house within the quarters.

He left the house briefly, leaving his girlfriend and the firearm inside. When he went back, the

woman had left and the firearm, serial number 75DU4268, was missing.

On Sunday morning, another constable based at

the Maseno Police Station had his MP5 sub-

machine gun loaded with 30 rounds of ammunition

stolen from the reporting desk. Constable

Jonathan Shani was manning the reporting desk

when a man who appeared drunk went to the police

station and said that he had been robbed.

The officer, unable to escort him to his residence, allegedly told him to rest next to him so that

he would leave in the morning. The officer is suspected to have slept and later reported that

he only realised that his firearm, serial number 750482, was missing and the drunken man had

also disappeared.

Police records also indicate that on Friday night at around 11pm, a Sergeant of police in charge

of the Sirembe Police Post in Siaya County lost a G3 rifle loaded with 30 rounds of ammunition.

Sergeant Vincent Juma claimed that the firearm had been snatched by unknown people who

raided the station. However, initial investigations indicated that the officer could have been

beaten and his firearm stolen as his colleagues were having a drink at a local bar. The officer

and his colleague were later arrested.

In another incident involving misuse of a firearm, a constable in Elwak has been arrested after

he tried to shoot his colleagues at the police station. Constable Peter Kigen, who had not

returned his firearm to the armoury, left Elwak shopping centre and went straight to his house

where he picked a G3 rifle and went straight to the station. Without saying a word, he started

shooting indiscriminately at his colleagues. No one was injured. He was later disarmed and

placed in custody.

Meanwhile, police in Mombasa have disarmed a pilot with the Kenya Airways who accidentally

discharged his firearm at the airport injuring a constable attached to the Kenya Airport Police

Unit (KAPU) on Thursday evening. Mr Abubakar Ahmed Bajaber, a pilot and a civilian firearm

holder, had arrived at the Moi International Airport aboard a Kenya Airways flight KQ601 and

was conducting the normal safety precautions when he accidentally fired one round from his

Ceska pistol.

The next IPA Pistol Club Event has been arranged and the details are as follows:

Castlebridge Pistol Club, Wexford– Tuesday 10th December 2013 – 11am

This will be the last outing of the year for the IPAPC and also our Christmas competition. Event 10/2013 will see lots of prizes for all who attend. The course of fire for 2014 will also be sampled by the members attending. We hope to see you there

LEMONADE STAND ROBBERY 'BY BOY WITH BB

GUN'

Bizarre incident sees child target fellow youngster while he was

touting soft drinks.

A 12-year-old boy with a BB gun has robbed another youngster

who was running a lemonade stand, US authorities have said.

The child approached the 10-year-old boy with what appeared to

be a handgun in his pocket and threatened him, according to

police in Johnstown, western Pennsylvania.

Sergeant Patrick Goggin said the pair "got into a wrestling match

over the money box" before the older boy took $30 and ran away.

Three other children chased the suspect home and helped police

track him down.

Officers then determined the child had a BB gun.

Police are not identifying the suspect because he will be charged

in a juvenile court where most cases remain confidential.

A New Attack from the European Commission …… (Article From: all4shooters.com)

The European Commission lists nine points − each one more asinine than the previous and

less than the latter − in the white paper that should point out the guidelines to face this so-

called "emergency":

A ban on private ownership of all semi-automatic firearms, even when not military-style: all of them, pistols, rifles

and shotguns, centerfire or rimfire.

Declare magazines and other components as "fundamental parts", making them available only to licensed gun

owners, contradicting the 2008/51/CE directive.

Capacity limitation for all magazines (without further specifications).

Limitation, by type and quantity, of ammunition that can be purchased and detained by private citizens.

A ban on Internet sales of firearms and ammunition.

A ban on the sale of decorative, parade, or ceremonial guns and reproductions.

Restrictions to Airsoft trade and ownership, if not an outright ban.

Imposing mandatory biometric protections on privately-owned firearms

Imposing centralized storage for firearms, forbidding citizens to keep them at home.

.

It won't take a genius to see how this kind of policy would be stupid, totally impossible to apply, totally ineffective in

safeguarding security in Europe, and an infringement to many basic rights of the European citizens. It's also blatantly clear

how this text appears to have been written out of mere oplophobia rather than by somebody really trying to provide sensed

solutions for common security in the EU.

We may be naive, but we can't understand how could we possibly be safer with a ban on ceremonial guns, reproductions,

and Airsoft replicas − as a matter of fact some restrictions are already in place in some European Countries, like the

United Kingdom, with no advantage whatsoever for public safety! This should be enough to show how safety is not the

point: the point is the hate for guns and for what they're supposed to represent (and what do they represent?).

Another thing that's clear is that whoever redacted the white paper isn't exactly up to date with European regulations and

with the gun laws of the EU-member States: On-line purchase of firearms and ammunition is already illegal everywhere

in the EU. It's impossible to purchase a gun by mail, anywhere in Europe!

The proposals for a ban on semi-automatic firearms, for magazine and ammunition ownership restrictions really deserve

no further attention: they're already blatantly half-assed, totally idiotic, and on this basis alone the DS Home Affairs of the

EC, Cecilia Malmström, should be ashamed of herself and of her contributors who helped in drafting such a silly pile of

garbage. So much for the white paper overtly stating that "safeguarding the licit market for civilian firearms" should be a

goal: there's only one way to safeguard the licit market for civilian firearms, and that is, refraining from imposing further

restrictions, and force a removal of these already in place!

The "White Paper" seeks to impose restrictions to general availability of Airsoft replicas as well! The proposal for centralized custody of privately-owned firearms reminds us of certain laws and regulations currently in place in Communist China, and there is no way that these could match the private property rights protected by the EU itself and by the Constitutions of the individual EU-member States.

Last, but not least, biometric protections should be discussed more deeply. Aside from sci-fi theories about providing

civilian-legal firearms with something that could allow a Government to make them inert from a central control room (which

is technically impossible), some companies have been working for years to come out with "security systems" that could

make a gun accessible or usable only by its legitimate owner. German-based ARMATIX GmbH − which also owns most,

if not all, of the current patents related to biometric firearms safety systems − has been lobbying for quite a while in

America and Europe to make them mandatory. Despite what the latest 007 movie tells you, biometric safety systems for

firearms simply don't work.

And this doesn't just means that in the event of a malfunction, they could make guns inoperable by their legitimate users,

with catastrophic results in case of an emergency: independent tests have repeatedly shown how ARMATIX systems that

make guns inert by being inserted in the barrel can be removed much more easily than what the Company says, without

damaging the gun; the iP1 system, including a biometric sensor embedded in a wristwatch that the shooter has to wear

in order to fire his gun, can be cheated into making the gun work anyway if a thief takes the gun away from the owner and

still remains at short distance from the person wearing the transmitter! The "White Paper" also proposed centralized gun custody for sports shooters, who would not be allowed to keep their guns at home anymore

Our readers should be aware of one thing: there's no cause for alarm. This white paper is not a new directive, it's not a

law, is not even a trace for anything yet. Up to date it's... nothing, and with the European gun industry counting global

powerhouses such as Beretta, Tanfoglio, Heckler & Koch, Glock, SIG-Sauer, FN, Steyr-Mannlicher, Walther, and many

others, there's literally almost no chance in hell that such an abomination could ever see the light of the day.

It's however the responsibility of all law-abiding gun owners in Europe to help the gun lobby

in the struggle to defend our sports and rights. We can do this by writing a message to

Commissioner Cecilia Malmström and state out loud that we OPPOSE any and all restrictive

EU policy about guns.

By European law, the European Commission must provide an answer to all inquiries posed by European citizens in fifteen

days. Do it, and spread the word: flood Brussels with letters and E-Mails, requesting the white paper to be thrashed and

the EU to cease and desist from any attempt to restrict the gun rights of honest citizens. The more, and louder, we are,

the harder will it be for them to ignore us!

CHRISTMAS SHOOT AT HARBOUR HOUSE On Saturday the 30th November 2013 Harbour House hosted nearly 150

shooters for their Christmas outing on the Co. Kildare range. Competitors

were registered to compete at different rifle and pistol matches on 3

separate ranges.

The IPAPC had 6 shooters travel to the festive event and 4 of these won a medal in 4 different

competitions.

After the shooting stopped and medals awarded, a full Christmas dinner was served to all

attending. The IPAPC would like to thank all the Staff, committee and members of Harbour House

Sports Club for their help during 2013 and we hope to see you more often in 2014. Happy

Christmas.

MEMBERSHIP REMIMDER

There are still some memberships outstanding. If you intend to renew your association with the IPAPC, please let us know. If you have any questions email us on ipapistolclub@gmail.com.