25 m Rapid Fire Pistol
25 m Rapid Fire Pistol is one of the ISSF shooting events. Though its rules changed heavily until after World War II assuming similarity to today's rules, the event has been a part of the Olympic program ever since the beginning.
Today, the competitors use semi-automatic handguns in caliber .22 (5.6 mm). It is allowed to use cartridges of the type .22 short, which has lower recoil, so any serious shooter does so. However, in April 2004, it was decided to restrict the event to .22 LR ammunition and adjust the rules to those of 25 m Standard Pistol, a change that will take effect from January 1, 2005.
A series 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. The current world record, held by German Ralf Schumann, is 597.
In major competitions, the top six shooters qualify for a final round of two additional 4-second series. The results of the qualification round and the final are added together, and any ties are broken by firing an additional 4-second series.
Some famous RFP shooters
- Hungarian Takácz Károly 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 current world record holder and the most merited RFP shooter of all times, is the only shooter ever to achieve the three-time Olympic victory: 1992, 1996 and 2004.
