Section II: Safety
A) General:
Adherence to generally accepted firearms safety procedures, and the specific
procedures detailed below, is the absolute top priority at any IHMSA-sanctioned event.
While the Match Director has the primary responsibility for overseeing the conduct of the
match, safety is the responsibility of every shooter, spotter, and match official. Safety
is the only reason a competitor can be interrupted during the course of fire.
B) Specific Safety
procedures:
1. If a safety or rule violation occurs, the competitor should not be interrupted during
the loading or firing period, unless it is a serious safety problem (i.e., poses an
immediate threat to the safety of the competitor or any other individual). The Match
Director or line Officer shall give the competitor a warning of the rule or safety
violation. If the same violation recurs during the same course of fire, after the warning,
the competitor shall be disqualified for that course of fire.
2. It is mandatory that appropriate eye and ear protection be worn
by all competitors, spotters, line officers, and any other personnel on the designated
firing line. It is recommended that side shields be worn on the eye protection.
3. Upon the command "Cease Fire", shooters shall
immediately unload their guns and put them in a "safe" condition (i.e., action
open). Other than transporting their guns to the next shooting position, shooters may not
handle their guns until the "Load" command is given. Upon reaching the next
shooting position, the gun must be immediately placed on the shooting mat (or in a
suitable stable carrier) and visible so that its safe condition can be verified by a Line
Officer.
4. Muzzle control:
a) From the moment a gun is placed on the firing line, until it is removed, the muzzle
shall point down range.
b) At no time during the loading or firing stages shall competitors
allow their gun to point at any part of their anatomy, or at any other person.
c) While in the firing position, no part of the shooters body may be
in the "Danger Zone", which is a cone shaped area extending down range from the
muzzle at a 45 degree angle above and below, and to the left and right, of the center line
of the bore.
d) During firing, competitors shall not allow the muzzle of their
gun to recoil past vertical.
5. A Match Director shall have the authority to remove from the
firing line any gun shaving bullet material. The competitor may substitute another gun,
which must pass inspection for the
appropriate category. However, the match will not be delayed.
6. Competitors have the responsibility for assembling ammunition
that is safe to fire in the gun
for which it is loaded. Since there are no commercial standards for the popular
"wildcat" and "improved" cartridges, it is up to the competitor to
exercise caution and common sense in working up loads. Handgun silhouette requires higher
working pressures than any other handgun usage except hunting. There is, however, no
acceptable reason for subjecting a gun to dangerous pressures, or risking injury to any
person as a result of using such ammunition.
7. Triggers set so light as to be prone to accidental discharge are
not allowed. This will normally be tested by cocking an unloaded gun and rapping it
sharply with the palm of the hand on the butt. If the sear mechanism disengages, the gun
will not be allowed in competition. The above procedure notwithstanding, a Match Director,
may disqualify a gun if it is believed to be unsafe for any reason.
8. A misfire must be handled as a hang fire and the gun must be
pointed safely down range for a safe period after the trigger is pulled. It is not safe to
open the action on a firearm immediately after it has misfired.
9. Any load that regularly requires extraction of the cartridge case
by any method other than the internal extractor will be considered unsafe and not allowed.
The Match Director shall use his discretion in determining the safety of reloaded
ammunition and is given the authority to enforce this rule.
10. Should any round be discharged before the command
"Load" is given, the shooter will be disqualified from the match. Should any
round be discharged after the "Load" command, but before the "Fire"
command, it will be judged as a lost shot.
11. All handgun actions must be open, except on the firing line
after the "Load" command is given.
12. Handguns shall not be handled between the stages, for the safety
of the competitors on the firing line and the target setters in the field position.
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