25 meter center-fire pistol is one of the ISSF shooting events, and is normally a men-only event. Its origin lies in competitions with military-style service pistols, and as such its history dates back to the 19th century.
25 meter pistol (formerly called sport pistol) is essentially the women's equivalent of this event, the only difference being the smaller rimfire caliber handguns used (often the same models only chambered for the smaller caliber).
Handguns
Caliber The name center-fire describes the type of cartridges used distinguishes this event from other ISSF events shot with handguns chambered for small caliber rimfire cartridges.
The rules specify that matches are to be shot with handgun of any caliber between 7.62 mm (.30) and 9.65 mm (.38), but the most popular cartridge is the .32 S&W Long Wadcutter, because it has good performance characteristics. Many countries also have laws restricting civilian ownership of firearms chambered for cartridges also used by military forces which would not apply to the rather obscure .32 S&W Long.
Type Using a revolver is not a disadvantage because the "rapid-fire" stage is not as demanding or fast as the true rapid-fire event of 25 meter rapid fire pistol. The current record is set with a revolver (Toz 49). The most popular handgun choices, however, are larger caliber versions of rimfire semi-automatic pistols originally designed for 25 meter standard pistol. Many of these pistols can be changed from one caliber to the other by simply changing the barrel and magazine. Examples of such firearms are usually from companies specializing in firearms for ISSF events like Pardini Arms, Benelli, Morini, Walther and Hämmerli and include: Hämmerli SP20 Pardini HP Morini CM32M Walther GSP Benelli MP-90 and Benelli MP-95
Course of fire
A center-fire match consists of two parts of 30 shots each, both shot at 25 m: A precision stage where 5 shots are to be fired during a 5-minute period. A rapid-fire stage where, for each shot, the shooter has 3 seconds to raise his arm from a 45-degree angle and fire. As with all ISSF pistol disciplines, all firing must be done with one hand, unsupported.
The score zones of the targets are different for the two stages, but scores are usually similar for the two courses. In the precision stage, the target is the same as in 50 meter pistol (although at half the distance), with a 10-zone of 5 cm diameter, and in the rapid-fire stage, the target is the same as in 25 meter rapid fire pistol, with a 10-zone of 10 cm diameter.
Popularity The event has not made it into the Olympic Games, and so gains little attention. It is part of the ISSF World Shooting Championships however, as well as the CISM World Championships. It is also notable for being the inspiration for the 25 meter pistol event, which is an Olympic event for women.
World Championships, Men
Year Place Gold Silver Bronze1947 Stockholm1949 Buenos Aires1952 Oslo1954 Caracas1958 Moscow1962 Cairo1966 Wiesbaden1970 Phoenix1974 Thun1978 Seoul1982 Caracas1986 Suhl1990 Moscow1994 Milan1998 Barcelona2002 Lahti2006 Zagreb2010 Munich2014 Granada2018 Changwon2022 New Administrative Capital
World Championships, Men Team
Year Place Gold Silver Bronze1947 Stockholm FinlandKallio M.Mauri KuokkaJaakko Eliel RintanenVaeinoe Villiam Skarp SwedenHelmisalo A.Holmberg E.Sven LundquistTorsten Elis Ullman Great BritainBennett R.Staton B.Henry Albert SteeleWillott B.1949 Buenos Aires United StatesHuelet Leo BennerHancock W.Logie C.Harry Wendell Reeves SwitzerlandHeinz AmbuehlGaemperli H.Heinrich KellerBeat Rhyner FinlandKallio M.Leonard RaviloJaakko Eliel RintanenEino Antton Saarnikko1952 Oslo United StatesHuelet Leo BennerWilliam Mc MillanHarry Wendell ReevesWalter Rudolph Walsh SwedenFagerholm E.Holmberg E.Roback C.Schoett G. MexicoRafael BermejoPedro AvilésJose ReyesCarlos Rodriguez1954 Caracas Soviet UnionAnton JasinskyKonstantin MartazovMakhmud UmarovLev Vainshtein United StatesHuelet Leo BennerJohn JagodaWilliam Mc MillanHarry Wendell Reeves CubaTomas CabanasRafael Antonio Cadalso FernandezDediot L.Rodriguez C.1958 Moscow CzechoslovakiaKarel MuchaFrantišek MaxaVladimír KudrnaVaclav Trojan Soviet UnionAnton JasinskyVassili SorokinMakhmud UmarovLev Vainshtein United StatesHuelet Leo BennerDavid CarterWilliam Mc MillanAubrey Smith1962 Cairo Soviet UnionEfim HaydurovIgor BakalovVladimir StolipinAlbert Udachin United StatesWilliam BlankenshipFranklin GreenWilliam Mc MillanCecil Wallis East GermanyJoachim FichtnerJohann GarreisLothar JacobiGottfried Wehle1966 Wiesbaden United StatesWilliam BlankenshipJohn DitmoreFranklin GreenEmil Heugatter Soviet UnionIgor BakalovRenart SuleimanovVladimir StolipinAlbert Udachin CzechoslovakiaLadislav FaltaLubomír NácovskýJosef ŠvábJaroslav Veselý1970 Phoenix CzechoslovakiaLadislav FaltaHynek HromadaVladimír HurtLubomír Nácovský United StatesWilliam BlankenshipJimmie DorseyElmer HildenFrancis Higginson Soviet UnionIgor BakalovGrigori KosychAfanasij KuzminVladimir Stolipin1974 Thun Soviet UnionGrigori KosychVictor TorshinGeorgi ZapolskichMikhail Ziubko United StatesBonnie HarmonFrancis "Frank" HigginsonBobby TinerMilo Vlasin FinlandEino KohvakkaSeppo MakinenVaino MarkkanenLassi Riitinki1978 Seoul FinlandOlavi Johannes HeikkinenSeppo MakinenHannu PaavolaSeppo Saarenpaeae SwitzerlandMarcel AnsermetPhilippe KlayReinhard RuessAlex Tschui SwedenOve GunnarssonBoo LevinStaffan OscarssonRagnar Skanåker1982 Caracas Soviet UnionAfanasij KuzminIgor PuzirevSergei RysevVladas Turla SwitzerlandMarcel AnsermetReinhard RuessSigisbert SchnyderAlex Tschui FinlandSeppo MakinenHannu PaavolaPaavo PalokangasJouni Vainio1986 Suhl Soviet UnionIgor BasinskiAfanasij KuzminOleg Tkachyov SwitzerlandHans BuerkliAnton KuechlerAlex Tschui AustriaDieter AggermannHermann SailerKarl Pavlis1990 Moscow Soviet UnionMiroslav IgnatiukAfanasij KuzminSergei Pyzhianov FinlandSeppo MakinenAsko MakinenReijo Paerepalo United StatesDon NygordEduardo SuarezDarius Young1994 Milan RussiaSergei PoliakovSergei PyzhianovValentin Osipenko UkraineMiroslav IgnatiukTaras MagmetOleg Tkachyov South KoreaLee Sang-HakLee Ki-ChoonPark Byung-Taek1998 Barcelona South KoreaPark Byung-TaekLee Sang-HakKim Sung-joon RussiaSergei PyzhianovMikhail NestruevSergei Alifirenko BelarusIgor BasinskiSiarhei YurusauKanstantsin Lukashyk2002 Lahti South KoreaPark Byung-TaekLee Sang-HakKim Sung-joon NorwayPetter BratliPaal HembreErik Baekkevold UkraineOleksandr PetrivOleg TkachyovRoman Bondaruk2006 Zagreb RussiaMikhail NestruevSergei PoliakovSergei Alifirenko South KoreaPark Byung-TaekHong Seong-HwanLee Sang-Hak North KoreaKim Hyon-ungRyu Myong-yonKim Jong-su2010 Munich BrazilJúlio AlmeidaEmerson DuarteJosé Carlos Batista FranceSebastien BlachouinFranck DumoulinThierry Riedinger South KoreaHong Seong-hwanPark Byung-taekJang Dae-kyu2014 GranadaOleksandr PetrivRoman BondarukPavlo KorostylovLeonid EkimovAlexei KlimovAnton Gourianov BrazilEmerson DuarteJúlio AlmeidaJosé Carlos Batista2018 ChangwonKim Young-minKim Jin-ilJang Dae-kyuClément BessaguetAlban PiersonBoris ArtaudYao ZhaonanJin YongdeZhao Xiankun
World Championships, total medals up to 2006
Current world records
Current world records in 25 metre center-fire pistol Men (ISSF) Men (CISM) Teams 1763 (Gao, Jin, Liu) 2006 Rena
World champions Year Venue Individual Team 1947 Stockholm 1949 Buenos Aires 1952 Oslo 1954 Caracas 1958 Moscow 1962 Cairo 1966 Wiesbaden 1970 Phoenix 1974 Thun 1978 Seoul 1982 Caracas 1986 Suhl 1990 Moscow 1994 Milan 1998 Barcelona 2002 Lahti 2006 Zagreb 2010 Munich 2014 Granada
References