Hot News from Sigma

Following the 1997 ban on pistol shooting in England, Scotland and Wales, we need to resurrect the sport of pistol shooting before the 2012 London Olympic Games, this will give all target pistol shooters a chance to prepare and hopefully take part in the Olympics. The following website should provide all the information required for you to give your support. www.ResurrectTheSport.net

Not sure how or why but I have just managed to get Archer Range dates for January, February and March...! (Unfortunately, the January booking has been cancelled already) See Fixture List for more information.

This should have been good news for Bisley at the possibility of an enquiry by the House of Lords. A statement has just been released by the NRA, read it here: http://www.nra.org.uk/common/asp/content/content.asp?site=NRA&id=668 It appears that the fight has been lost 27/08/09

If you have just downloaded 'Internet Explorer 8' or '7' recently and are having problems accessing the Members Only page - go to the bottom of this page for suggested fixes, see note 1 first.

Bisley have just lost the fight to have the shooting events for the 2012 London Olympics. The NRA have just issued a News Bulletin regarding the venue for the 2012 London Olympic games - Bisley has been officially rejected, The NRA is appealing for everyone to write to their MP - building facilities at Bisley will cost £10 million less than the Olympic Committee's decision chosen Woolwich venue, surely this cannot be right, more details here: http://www.nra.org.uk/common/asp/content/content.asp?site=NRA&id=635

20/04/09 Policy details of the Clubs Insurance cover from April 2009 to March 2010 can be viewed on the Members Only Page. Again we have extended the cover to include Members Shooting Equipment and Personal Injury. Ensure that the 'cover' provided is adequate for your needs.

New/revised Rules for users of Bisley dated January 2009 (see Members Only page) In addition the NRA have just released a new Handbook also dated January 2009, for Gallery Rifle & Pistol Shooting GRPHandbook.pdf please read this if you are a competitor in these events.

20/01/09 Scandalous... Due to a £50 million shortfall in the funding for the London 2012 Olympic Games just announced, shooting is one of several 'Low Profile' sporting events which has just been 'hit' by a massive cutback in funding (£3.8 million) Now instead of 46 shooting competitors taking part there will only be 10...! Read the story here: Perhaps this may help the NRA at Bisley to be reconsidered for the shooting venue after all... assuming the UK can afford to continue funding the games at all...! Ironically, Lord Sebastian Coe was once the President of the National Pistol Association...!

We recently received 'accreditation' from the NRA regarding Sigma's Training Manual for Probationary Members. We are now 'approved' to run courses for new members joining us since July 1st 2008, wishing to use MoD ranges.

30/06/08 Following the conclusion to the recent negotiations between the NRA and MoD, the NRA have just released the new criteria for clubs using both NRA and MoD ranges, there are many more hoops for us all to jump through it's in everyone's interest to read details of some of the hoops here mod.nra.org.uk The Committee will be very busy deciphering and implementing the new requirements, your help and cooperation over the next few months would be appreciated.

19/03/08 The NRA/MoD have arrived at a solution for allowing the use of firearms with a muzzle energy between 4,500 and 7,000 Joules. At this stage, existing club RCO's will be required to attend an additional training course (RCO/HME) to ensure that users of ammunition above 4,500J will have been sighted in and authorised at 200 yards before use. As of today and until further information becomes available, it appears that the MoD (Archers Range) have been informed that the range is only useable up to 4,500J...? During 2008, It will be a MoD requirement that club officials will need to issue a Certificate of Competence, where necessary, to users of MoD ranges.

24/07/06 New website - Dunblane: The author of a recently published new book "Dunblane Unburied". considers an alleged conspiracy theory regarding the tragic events in Dunblane, there is also a new website - below. The author of the book/website, 'Sandra Uttley, lived in Dunblane at the time of the school massacre and was working as a paramedic. She was involved in relieving the first crew to attend the scene and has never forgotten the trauma they endured. It was Sandra's strong belief that Central Scotland Police should have been prosecuted for criminal maladministration. However, the parents chose not to take any legal action.' http://dunblaneunburied.co.uk/

Having read the book there is a website reference link to access the transcript of the Cullen Report at Transcript

05/10/05 This article appeared in the Daily Telegraph on 3 October 2005. (Source NRA.)

"Secret files on the Dunblane massacre reveal a catalogue of "incompetence" by police and the prosecution service, the father of one of the victims claimed yesterday. Dr Mick North, whose daughter Sophie died, said the authorities missed several opportunities to take action against Thomas Hamilton before he killed 16 children and their teacher. He was speaking after reviewing hundreds of documents that were to have been "closed" for 100 years, but which will be made available for the first time today. The files reveal that several complaints were made about Hamilton's behaviour towards children before the shootings at Dunblane Primary School in 1996. Dr North said: "The documents I viewed confirmed what I believed I knew about the role of the police and the involvement of the procurator fiscal service. There was incompetence. Hamilton's behaviour in the years before the massacre caused great concern and the documents prove a lack of joined-up thinking among police and prosecutors." Dr North viewed the 106 sets of documents over several weeks at the Crown Office in Edinburgh this summer. They include police and witness statements and medical reports."

I have every sympathy with Dr. North having lost his daughter in the Dunblane tragedy. His findings, if accurate, would seem to confirm what shooters have suspected.

If the police and the judiciary in Scotland are to blame for allowing Hamilton access to both guns and children, it begs the question why was it target shooting sportsmen and women who were made to pay the price for their folly?

The National Rifle Association will be writing to Government to be given access to the papers and to make the point that their rationale for banning pistols was flawed, in that the authorities themselves were potentially to blame for Dunblane and despite the ban, firearms related crime, involving pistols, has risen dramatically, because they seem unable to deal with the illegal import and use of such firearms by criminals.

Any review of the files is likely to take an extended period of time and will require legal opinion. The Association would be grateful for the assistance of any appropriately qualified members, presuming authority is given to examine the documents.

20/06/05 Very sad to announce that Maurice has passed away. Maurice joined the club in 1980 and brought a special 'presence' to the club. Over the years he has supplied the club with our targetry needs and enjoyed operating the control tower on our MoD fixtures.

MEMBERS ONLY Page Access Problems, likely to be caused by the need to enter a password and your antivirus software? First try this:

1. Having just downloaded the latest version of Microsoft's Internet Explorer 8 today, when trying to access the Members Only page the following message appeared. 'Internet Explorer cannot display this webpage' Above this message in a yellow strip appears 'This website is using a scripted window, if you trust this website - click here' another message appears 'Temporarily allow scripted window' if you trust this website click here: A further message appears 'Internet explorer cannot display webpage' Click on the back arrow and a box asking you for the Sigma password should appear enter the password and that should take you to the Members Only page.. It works for me...!

2. Add the Sigma website to 'My Trusted Sites' in Internet explorer . Do this by going to Control Panel, selecting Tools/Internet options in internet explorer. Select 'Trusted Sites', click sites and add the url http://homepage.ntlworld.com . also untick the 'require server verification' box .

3. An alternative fix is select the Members Only page, a 'pop up' 'information Bar' appears. 2a. Click on 'pop up' and it disappears. 2b. Click on 'Information Bar' a 'drop down' menu appears. 2c Click on first 'drop down' 'Tempxxx' - allow it. 2d 'Page Back' on browser (top left, left arrow) This should show the club password screen - enter password. It has also been suggested that you will need to ensure that JavaScript is enabled, this link will provide instructions.. http ://www.nasa.gov/home/How_to_enable_Javascript.html Note it appears that Macaphee Antivirus causes the biggest problem..?

4. Perhaps try this: Lower the Security Settings in Internet Explorer - Tools - Options - Security. Lower the level of security from say High to Medium/High or Medium/High to Medium. That should work.

5. One member has recently found that changing his internet browser to 'Firefox' allows access to the password entry page?

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