The Gallery Rifle discipline covers events shot at short and medium distances by rifles chambered for pistol calibre cartridges.

Originating in the UK in the late 1990’s as a way to keep handgun Ranges viable after legislative changes made pistol shooting impractical, Gallery Rifle events involve using longarms chambered for pistol cartridges.

Typically, the rifles are lever-action types of the kind also used in Single Action Shooting matches such as the Winchester Model 1873, Winchester Model 1892, and the Marlin Model 1894C. There are also events for “long-barrelled pistols” with 30cm barrels.

The SSAA is the Australian affiliate of the World Gallery Rifle Federation and most events are graded so competitors shoot against others of similar ability. The SSAA Queensland Gallery Rifle community is an open and friendly group who welcome new shooters.

Competitors are able to compete in matches ranging from Branch level, through to State and aspire to National and International championships.

There are four main events in the International Rule Book.  At this stage SSAA Queensland will be principally supporting the Gallery Rifle Centrefire event at a State level.

GALLERY RIFLE CENTREFIRE (GRCF):

Based around scoped and iron sighted tubular magazine lever action rifles in traditional pistol calibres, such as .32/20, .38/.357, .44 and .45,  other types of pistol calibre rifles are supported in side events.

Most GRCF events are shot at distances between 10 and 50 metres. The matches mirror popular pistol competitions with some adaptation to accommodate tubular magazine lever action rifles. Competitions include both deliberate precision and action type events that require a shooter to load and shoot very quickly, such as falling plate, barricade match, 50 metre precision, practical match, Los Alamitos and the mover.

For a full list of matches consult the GRCF Rule Book. The most common shooting position is standing unsupported, but some events do test shooters agility and skills from other positions such as sitting, kneeling and shooting from the weak shoulder. Targets can be stationary paper, turning, reactive and steel plates. Individual Range templates and velocity/energy templates will govern ammunition choices.

COMPETITIONS

There is a wide variety of competition available – Branch level matches can be as simple as a single event, and State Championships are 2 days of intense competition, as are the National Championships. There is a World Championships every two years at one of the current five member countries and the Phoenix Meeting in the UK, the spiritual home of the discipline, is a huge multi discipline event held at the famous Bisley Range in May every year.