25 m Rapid Fire Pistol
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| 25 m Rapid Fire Pistol | |
|---|---|
| Men | |
| Number of shots: | 2x30 + 20 |
| Olympic Games: | Since 1896 |
| World Championships: | Since 1933 |
| Abbreviation: | RFP |
25 m Rapid Fire Pistol is one of the ISSF shooting events. The event has been a part of the Olympic program ever since the beginning in 1896, although its rules changed heavily until World War II, after which they were only slightly changed until the two major revisions of 1989 and 2005. The latter conformed the equipment rules to those of 25 m Standard Pistol, thereby banning .22 Short cartridges as well as encircling grips and low trigger-pull weight. This caused a decline in results: the pre-2005 world record was 597, while the present world record is 591.
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[edit] Course of fire
Traditionally, RFP competitions use paper targets that are able to turn 90 degrees to appear to the shooter and then turn back to disappear when the shooting time is up. During the last few decades, these targets have gradually been replaced by electronic devices which use red and green lights to indicate the beginning and the end of the shooting time, and which automatically handle late shots. As these systems are expensive, they are normally only used in international competitions.
A series (or string) consists of five shots fired at one target each within a limited time. The targets stand next to each other at a 25 m distance from the shooter. When the targets appear, the competitor must raise his arm from a 45 degree angle, and fire his five shots. If a shot is too late, it will score as a miss.
There are three different time limits for the series: 8 seconds, 6 seconds, and 4 seconds. A stage consists of two series of each type, and a full course of fire comprises two such stages, or a total of 60 shots. Since the targets are divided into concentric score zones with 10 being the most central part, the total maximum score is 600.
In major competitions, the top six shooters qualify for a final round of four additional 4-second series, using decimals of points. The results of the qualification round and the final are added together, and any ties are broken by firing an additional 4-second series.
[edit] Notable RFP shooters
- Hungarian Károly Takács not only had to change from his right hand to his left due to an accident, but also thereupon became the first to win two successive Olympic gold medals, in 1948 and 1952.
- Pole Josef Zapedski was the second to achieve this, in 1968 and 1972. Ammunition malfunction prevented him from attempting a third gold.
- German Ralf Schumann, the most merited RFP shooter of all times, is the only shooter ever to achieve the three-time Olympic victory: 1992, 1996 and 2004.
- Russian Sergei Alifirenko won the 2000 Olympic gold, and was the shooter who was most successful in the first year with the new rules, winning the European championships and the World Cup Final.
[edit] Current world records
| Men - Qualification | 591 |  Alexei Klimov |
2006, Granada | Team | 1743 |  China |
2006, Zagreb |
| Men - Final | 787.7 587+200.7 |
 Ralf Schumann |
2006, Milan | ||||
| Junior Male | 577 | Philipp Wagenitz |
2005, Belgrade | Team | 1716 | Germany |
2005, Belgrade |
[edit] Olympic and World Champions since 1947
[edit] External links
- The International Shooting Sport Federation - Official site
- The Young Persons Guide to ISSF Rapid Fire
| ISSF shooting events |
|---|
| 300 m Rifle | 300 m Standard Rifle | 50 m Rifle | 10 m Air Rifle |
| 50 m Pistol | 25 m Pistol | 25 m Rapid Fire Pistol | 25 m Center-Fire Pistol | 25 m Standard Pistol | 10 m Air Pistol |
| Trap | Double Trap | Skeet |
| 50 m Running Target | 10 m Running Target |
