All this discussion around 'creative' equipment reminds me of a story.
In 2011 I planned to attend the Field Target National Championships; largely because they were to include a pistol event and I learned a well-known airgun merchant had the ear of the pistol-inexperienced Match Director, advising him on rules for the pistol event. Also a sponsor, said merchant had ample influence. Witness the fact hangy-tank guns were allowed with no caveats. That meant not only that shooters planting hangy-tanks in their crotches or against their bellys would enjoy no small advantage over more traditional pistol shooters, but likely set a precedent forever-after rendering non-hangy-tank pistols uncompetitive at the highest levels.
So I assembled an
in-your-face-asinine hangy-tank pistol (middle gun in photo), to kick hangy-tank butt. I was gonna plant that
low center-of-gravity, stabilizing-ballast tank against my knee to not just capture the title, but expose what an equipment race hangy-tanks would unleash on Humanity. Unfortunately my dad passed away shortly before Nats, so I couldn't attend. Of course hangy-tank 'pistols' prevailed.
By 2012 pistol FT was gaining enough popularity to attract AAFTA's attention, and the need for a set of national PFT rules to end the confusion of each club operating under different sets of rules. Thankfully (for pistol FT) I was one of five members of the PFT rules committee (plus a committee chairman) enlisted by the AAFTA Board of Governors to assemble a set of rules to submit for consideration before 2012 Nats.
To say that rules-making process (conducted by email) was arduous would be a serious understatement. It was often quite contentious, as pistol traditionalists argued for some semblance of
pistol parameters against others essentially arguing for rifles with pistol grips rather than butt stocks; that contingent also as vehemently for including hangy-tanks without restrictions as opponents were against them. Like other compromises eventually agreed (15" barrels and 12X maximum scope magnification), hangy-tanks were allowed only in Open Class, with no part of the tank allowed to contact any part of the shooter's anatomy while shooting.
With that decided, before 2012 Nats I built a pistol I hardly consider a pistol, but falling within all PFT rules parameters (middle gun above). With the most VOCAL and
invested advocate of hangy-tank pistols in attendance and grudgeful of me prevailing in disallowing hangy-tanks
braced against the body, I was so motivated that I shot my first perfect field target score (42/42) in capturing the 2012 Hunter Pistol title.
In decades before and since I have witnessed all manner of quest for equipment advantage(s); legal and not. And though I begrudge no-one using any equipment or techniques within the rules, in over thirty years of airgun competitions I've lost a State Champion and two National Champion titles to individuals that crossed the line (only to be exposed years after the facts). Each such incident renews my crusade of talent versus technology.
"Beware the geezer shooting the raggedy old gun."
