Olympic Small Bore Free Rifle

[Potashminer]

I recently came into a Schultz and Larsen Model 61 - weighs 15 pounds or so, apparently an all-out set up for Olympic Free Style small bore - 40 rounds each from prone, kneeling and standing - .22 Long Rifle - single shot - no safety, no ejector, front and rear aperture sights, but early 1960's design - I have been told this type rifle was used into early 1970's until replaced with something "better".

So, can anyone direct me to a listing of the gear that was used in various Olympic games - seems to be easy enough to find listings of medal winners, etc. but not having any luck finding what rifles were used. This S&L will out shoot me 6 ways to none, even though it's design is 60 years "out of date". I am mostly wanting to confirm this type rifle was actually used at Olympic level and for what period. Also a bit curious to see what replaced it - what does "better" look like...

A few pictures:

 

[Rod B]

You have an excellent rifle. Mine isn't quite as nice it's a S&L model 70 with the aperture sights, a great shooter & a very well made rifle.

 

[njohnson]

It’s hard to find definitive lists for the 60’s through to the 80’s being pre internet times. I know the US competitors used Rem 40x and Win 52 rifles initially with shooters like Wigger, Bassham and Anderson, then switched the Anschutz in later years.

Not sure what the USSR and other European shooters used though. I have some older books on small bore shooting from that era but they don’t detail equipment much.

Try a Google image search for “Olympic free rifle” and the photos might show various models used.

Sorry that’s the best I could come up with!

Nice rifle by the way.

 

[maple_leaf_eh]

My father shot free rifle in the 1952 Olympics and at a couple of World Championships. I think he used a Winchester 52. The idea of a free rifle was to have limited rules and the shooter was "free" to use as much hardware as possible to shoot consecutive tens. It is a he-man's sport by far!

The ISU or UIT has been making shooting less masculine/feminine over the decades and letting more events come in that make it easier for even the smallest countries to get a team together. I think Standard Rifle is the closest current edition. Also, not every country will have a 300m range for training and matches.

 

[Potashminer]

My father shot free rifle in the 1952 Olympics and at a couple of World Championships. I think he used a Winchester 52...

Just amazing! From Wikipedia, the Model 52 Winchester target .22 rifle was designed in 1920's, and continued to be made until about 1980. So, when your father competed with it, the rifle's design was already 30-odd years old!!! As per Wikipedia - that year, 1952, Gold was won by Romania, Silver by Soviet Union, Bronze by USA and Canada was 4th. A total of 5 points out of 400 possible separated the top 25 shooters!!!

 

[turbo_bird]

I have one as well, awesome rifles. The trigger pull is 1.5oz, takes a bit of getting used to after shooting anything else. Mine even had some very nice wood hiding under the years of grime. It's one of my favourite rifles, and an absolute joy to shoot. I wish I could shoot well enough to do it justice though.

The top target is 5 rounds, bottom is 10 rounds. Shot prone with a sandbag at 25 yards with Eley practice ammo. I have yet to try any high end stuff through this rifle, but even CCI standard works pretty well. I need to print out some bigger targets and try for the 50 yards 1/2" challenge. The limiting factor will definitely be me, not the rifle.

Kristian

 

[Brutus]

My father shot free rifle in the 1952 Olympics and at a couple of World Championships. I think he used a Winchester 52. The idea of a free rifle was to have limited rules and the shooter was "free" to use as much hardware as possible to shoot consecutive tens. It is a he-man's sport by far!

The ISU or UIT has been making shooting less masculine/feminine over the decades and letting more events come in that make it easier for even the smallest countries to get a team together. I think Standard Rifle is the closest current edition. Also, not every country will have a 300m range for training and matches.

True they have degraded the shooting sports. IOC announced there is no more 50 meter Free Pistol event. So I think the pistol matches in Rio De Janeiro were the very last Olympic medaled events.

This shooting discipline was the oldest event started in 1896. Disgusting they dropped it like a hot potato.

 

[Hitzy]

I think they were mostly used in ISSF competitions in Europe. S&L were the go to rifles for a lot of clubs, but eventually they all switched to Anschutz.

 

[iron cat]

I think they were mostly used in ISSF competitions in Europe. S&L were the go to rifles for a lot of clubs, but eventually they all switched to Anschutz.

That is identical to an S&L I had years ago.
The Russians used the Vostock Strela for years, then went to Anschutz
Cat

 

[maple_leaf_eh]

My father shot free rifle in the 1952 Olympics and at a couple of World Championships. I think he used a Winchester 52. The idea of a free rifle was to have limited rules and the shooter was "free" to use as much hardware as possible to shoot consecutive tens. It is a he-man's sport by far!
... .

Have to correct myself. He shot free rifle in the 1960 Olympics. That was fullbore not small bore. He finished 24th, 51 points off the leader, but he was the top Canadian finisher. The way I was taught, making it to the national team was sometimes more important that having a top finish. The athlete represented his country as well as he could. A personal best sometimes your best. That year there were 39 competitors from 22 nations. His scores were total 1,078/1200 prone 391, kneeling 367, standing 320. (I had to go dig a bit, because I don't carry that detail around in my head.)

 

[iron cat]

Have to correct myself. He shot free rifle in the 1960 Olympics. That was fullbore not small bore. He finished 24th, 51 points off the leader, but he was the top Canadian finisher. The way I was taught, making it to the national team was sometimes more important that having a top finish. The athlete represented his country as well as he could. A personal best sometimes your best. That year there were 39 competitors from 22 nations. His scores were total 1,078/1200 prone 391, kneeling 367, standing 320. (I had to go dig a bit, because I don't carry that detail around in my head.)

I remember your father very well, he was a top shelf guy!
Cat

 

[maynard]

OP, nice rifle, sorry for the hijack.
Terry,
Here are a few of your fathers accomplishment stolen from the DRCA Hall of Fame web page, I am sure there are many more.

Edson Warner has been shooting for well over 50 years. In Ottawa, he has qualified for 9 Bisley teams, has been runner up for the Grand Aggregate 3 times and third on 3 occasions also.

In Bisley he came second in the Queen’s Prize in 1956 and third in 1960. He was in the Grand Aggregate top 50 once and the Queen’s Final twice. In 1968 he came second in the New Zealand Queen’s Prize.

In addition to his successes in our game, Edson won 5 Queen’s medals in service rifle shooting and won 3 Canadian small bore Championships. He was on Canada’s Olympic Team in Helsinki in 1952 and Rome in 1960.

 

[maple_leaf_eh]

OP, nice rifle, sorry for the hijack.
Terry,
Here are a few of your fathers accomplishment stolen from the DRCA Hall of Fame web page, I am sure there are many more.

.....

Without highjacking the original post about a fine old rifle, here is a bit of context on the calibre of shooters who used them. The Wikipedia article on Edson Warner has had a few edits recently, and therefore a little more content for the general reader. FWIW, I've been contacted by a local historian who is writing books on military careers for people from the Eastern Townships. I submitted a three page biography skimming the tops of the many threads of his life.

To put into context for CGN here is a paragraph I put in, "Edson trained as a tank commander at Camp Borden and assumed regimental duties with The Sherbrooke Regiment in Sherbrooke. In 1955 then 2nd Lieutenant Warner won the Queen’s Medal for Champion Shot at Connaught Rifle Ranges near Ottawa. For a period in the 1950s both the Militia and the Regular Army competed for one medal. Just take a moment to consider how in the few years from his teens being taught casual target practice by his war veteran uncles, up to the age of 25, he had become the best shot in the entire Canadian Army."

This is of course after qualifying for the Olympics at age 22, and making several national teams for international matches. We should all hope for such successes in our lives.

 

[billbmcleod]

Please excuse my silly question but does the trigger on "turbo bird"'s rifle not look backwards.

 

[maple_leaf_eh]

I have one as well, awesome rifles. The trigger pull is 1.5oz, takes a bit of getting used to after shooting anything else. ....

...
Kristian

That is a genuine set trigger. Push forward to basically #### a little hammer inside. Then ever so gingerly TOUCH the rear trigger to fire the hammer which drops the sear super fast.

 

[turbo_bird]

That is a genuine set trigger. Push forward to basically #### a little hammer inside. Then ever so gingerly TOUCH the rear trigger to fire the hammer which drops the sear super fast.

Yup. Also allows for dry fire practice without actually cocking the striker in the bolt. Which is handy, because it takes a bit to re-calibrate my trigger finger when I'm shooting it. Absolutely incredible how light the trigger is, I've never shot anything else remotely like it. It breaks the shot almost as soon as you brush up against the trigger. The brochure I found online calls this the hair trigger, which it certainly is. They had two other trigger setups as well, a 14 oz two stage and a 3.25 lb two stage, both of those were also set triggers. Here's a link to the brochure.
http://www.schultz-larsenrifleclub.dk/index_htm_files/Model 61 0g 620001.pdf
Kristian

 

[AlexisCreek]

That is a genuine set trigger. Push forward to basically #### a little hammer inside. Then ever so gingerly TOUCH the rear trigger to fire the hammer which drops the sear super fast.

You'll find a similar very light set trigger on free pistols. My TOZ35 goes off with a touch. I had to practice dry firing it to get to the point where I could touch the trigger at all without firing the round. It's probably a little harder to control such a light trigger pull in a handgun, since you're supporting the firearm with that hand while actuating the trigger. Very beneficial once you get used to it.