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Reviews of the Code of Practice
We are told that the COP started out as a set of notes for the Range Officers Courses that were being run by the author on behalf of the MLAGB. Such courses have been held on behalf of the muzzle loading shooting community at large. Since that time it has been expanded and tuned to become a comprehensive document covering many areas of the M/L arts, and significantly it is supported by all the major shooting organisations in the UK whose members may shoot muzzle loading arms, however infrequently. Its purpose - to make available to all shooters all the things that matter about handling and shooting muzzle loading arms. This includes the details of arms and courses of fire for many competitions. It lists clearly the variety and importance of range commands, safety in handling black powder, range officer's training and qualifications, classifications of m/l arms and much more besides. The Code of Practice runs to over 80 A4 pages of script and computer generated drawings. Written in an easy to read style with a comprehensive index, the COP is divided into two parts. The first gives the common elements of safety and rules of behaviour on the range, whilst the second lists essential information for shooting and controlling some thirty or more pistol, revolver and long arm competitions under the control of a number of shooting organisations. The COP is supported by a number of appendices. Why is the COP so necessary? The MLAGB have for some years been designated by the MoD as the subject experts in muzzle loading disciplines, despite such arms being shot by shooters belonging to organisations and associations other than the MLAGB. Having taken over the responsibility of organising and running the MLAGB's courses - redesignated in late 2001 as the M/L Appreciation Course and the Range Officers Course, Mr Fuller immediately set to work to generate a manual that could be used as a reference document for these courses. The intention was that it could be taken away at the end of the day by the course members as a set of rules which could be integrated into their everyday shooting activities. Whilst it still performs this function for the non-assessed Appreciation Course, it is now used as essential study for those taking the assessed Range Officers Course. And to ensure that the COP has as wide an approval within the shooting community as possible, the agreement to the content has been sought from many of the shooting organisations outside the MLAGB. It now has the active support of the MoD Accident and Inspection Team at Netheravon, who have the responsibility for defining 'modes of range conduct', and the MoD at Warminster, who have the responsibility for range construction and approval. A key partner in the generation of this tome was the National Rifle Association (the NRA). Many of the attendees at the MLAGB Range Officers Courses are NRA members keen to gain endorsements in muzzle loading techniques to their existing Range Conducting Officers (RCO) qualifications. The RCO qualification is a key element for civilian clubs wishing to hire MoD ranges for their own use, and the M/L endorsement is an additional requirement if these clubs wish to shoot M/L arms during this period of hire. The NRA plan to replace the section in their own RCO training manual covering muzzle loading with a direct reference to this COP. Further support has come from the Vintage Arms Association, the Historical Breechloading Smallarms Association, the Army (in the form of both the Army Rifle Association and the Army Target Shooting Association), the International Long Range Pistol Shooting Association, the Scottish Pistol Association and the Welsh Muzzle Loading Association. And why a COP rather than a manual? As a COP it is clear as to the responsibilities which lie with a club's executive and ordinary club members with regard to all aspects of safety. In support of this requirement the responsibilities and training of club range officers is clearly detailed. It is also an excellent reference document for club training sessions, and should become required reading for all entering the M/L disciplines of the shooting sports. Why? The problem is that you often find out how poorly club members are trained and a club is organised when an accident happens and the law and the HSE descend on the club. In the COP the requirements are clear, from the safe handling of black powder, the loading of arms, the handling of arms on the range, the use of safe black powder loads and the practice of capping off and the safe discharge of fouling shots. Where both members and a club's executive comply with the COP, you have a built in defence in the unlikely event that an accident happens in your club. A further advantage in designating the document a COP is that it allows the integration of an existing COP which referred to the Use of M/L Arms on Indoor Ranges. This COP was issued by the MLAGB way back in 1995, with an amendment issued in 1998. This is or has been widely used in the past to build, modify and assess indoor ranges for safety when shooting M/L arms. It remains a formal requirement for the operation of civilian clubs shooting on indoor ranges in many parts of the UK. In integrating this existing document as an Appendix to the new COP, the opportunity has been taken to update its contents and to bring it in line with current information and thinking. It also ensures that there is no confliction between the information in the Appendix and with Part I of the new COP. Readers will note that many of the extracts from HSE documents have been dispensed with, making it much easier to read than its predecessor. Readers will also find that new rules make it much easier to comply with the requirements for training and appointing Range Officers at club level. Next: Amendments to Code Of Practice |
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Copyright © 2003 Derek Fuller
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