From an early document by our Patron, Paul Marchand 1976.
While M.L. guns were always used in Europe, especially hunting by farmers, there was no shooting club for old gun fans. In the U.S.A., Red Farris and Oscar Seth held a first shooting match at Portsmouth (Ohio) on February 22nd-1931, then founded the N.M.L.R.A. in 1935, and held a yearly championship at Friendship (Indiana) attended by many shooters. Their scope was mainly civil free guns, and folklore, while Europeans were more concerned with military muskets and rifle events.
In Europe, the M.L.A.G.B. founded on October 25th 1952, held a first shoot at Bisley on August 1st 1953, then first British Championship on May 9th 1954. In France, some collectors, grouped around Mr Demaison, began to shoot old rifles at the Tir National de Versailles in 1960, and founded a special division of T.N.V. to shoot old guns. They then founded “Les Arquebusiers de France” in 1962. The first French—British Championship organized at Bisley on June 1st and 2nd 1953 by President Burton of M.L.A.G.B. and Mr Demaison—This “Entente Cordiale” cup became a yearly event, and attracted, as well as British and French shooters, some foreign spectators. During this time some postal matches were organized with South Africa and U.S.A. The Entente Cordiale continues till this day.
In 1967, Piero Vergnano founded the.”Archibugieri di Piemonte” (Torino) and had a first shoot with A d F, in Lyon, on the 7th and 8th of October 1967.
In 1969, the manager of the Deutsches Waffen Journal, Richard Horlacher decided to sponsor M.L. shooting, and organized a first match at Schwtibisch Hall, that was a big success, and became a yearly championship. The rules for M.L. Shooting were different in each country and in 1971, Arquebusiers de France invited all countries interested, to an international championship at Vaudoy-en-Brie, based on roughly agreed rules, and to a provisory international committee: “to establish common rules acceptable by all countries involved, so as to permit the use of the international rules for the national matches, with standard guns, and equipment, facilitate postal matches, and to initiate an international committee able to organize championship, and take necessary decisions”.
The response was enthusiastic, with British, German, Italian and Spanish shooters attending the match, and even two members of N.M.L.R.A. – U.S.A. – Jim Briggs and Thomas Evans. The committee formed by Landry, Marchand and Cunnington for ‘France, Bill Curtis for Great-Britain, Richard Horlacher for Germany, Piero Vergnano and Sterrantino for Italy, Jorge Sichling for Spain, and Jim Briggs for U.S.A., decided:
1) To found a M.L.A. committee-meeting at each yearly championship.
2) To adopt standard shooting rules.
3) To keep as Aim of the
a) Develop public interest in old arms thru shooting them as near as reasonably possible to original conditions and style.
b) Prevent any alteration spoiling historical value of old weapons, promote intelligent cleaning and repair to save old guns from destruction or damage beyond repair.
c) Develop historical research on old guns and on old shooting methods.
d) Organize postal and yearly matches, establish shooting rules, publish results, give cups and championship titles, settle all litigations about shooting rules, etc.
The first M.L.A.1.C. Championship, due to initiatives of Jorge Sichling, was held on September 23rd and 24th 1972 at Madrid, organized by the “Federacion Nacional del Tiro Olimpico Espanol”, under the Presidency of Jose Angel Escorial y San Felice, with British, French, German, Italian and Spanish teams. It was a big success with 31 expert-shooters, and contributed much to start M.L. shooting in Spain.
The next year, the 2nd Championship organized by the, M.L.A.G.B. (President E. Burton) at Bisley on September 29th and 30th, saw a greater number of shooters (83), and the miry of Danemark; clay pigeon events were tried, and officially adopted. The third championship was held on October 5th and 6th, at Schlibisch Hall (Germany) organized by the Deutscher Schiitzenbund (President Alfred Michaelis) under the direction of Hans Kowar, with 100 shooters, and addition of Switzerland and Netherlands, and attracted many spectators. The Fourth championship has been organized by the FIATA (Federazione Italiana Associazoni Tiro ad Avancarica), at Codogno, on September 27th and 28th 1975, with participation of South African and Austrian Teams, with 8 records broken. The fifth championship organised by Arquebusiers de France, Tir National de Versailles and Federation Francaise de Tir will be shot a T.N.V. range on September 25th and 26th, with participation of U.S. and Japanese shooters.
The following is a summary of the dates and venues of MLAIC World and Zone Championships since the first meeting in 1971.
1971, INAUGURAL, VAUDOYE EN BRIE, FRANCE
1972, 1st WORLD, MADRID, SPAIN
1973, 2nd WORLD, BISLEY, GREAT BRITAIN
1974, 3rd WORLD, SCWABISCH HALL, GERMANY
1975, 4th WORLD, CORDOGNO, ITALY
1976, 5th WORLD, VERSAILLES, FRANCE
1977, 6th WORLD, ZURICH, SWITZERLAND
1978, 7th WORLD, MADRID, SPAIN
1980, 8th WORLD, QUANTICO, USA
1981, 9th WORLD, BISLEY, GREAT BRITAIN
1983, 10th WORLD, VERSAILLES, FRANCE
1984, 1st EUROPEAN, LEUSDEN, NETHERLANDS
1984, 1st PACIFIC, CAMP PERRY, OHIO, USA
1985, 11th WORLD, MADRID, SPAIN
1986, 2nd EUROPEAN, VERSAILLES, FRANCE
1986, 2nd PACIFIC, COLESVILLE, NJ, USA
1987, 12th WORLD, KITCHENER, CANADA
1988, 3rd EUROPEAN, MATARO, SPAIN
1988, 3rd PACIFIC, CAMP PERRY, OHIO, USA
1989, 13th WORLD, PFORZHEIM, GERMANY
1990, 14th WORLD, LEUSDEN, NETHERLANDS
1991, 4th EUROPEAN, BRESCIA, ITALY
1991, 4th PACIFIC, CAMP PERRY, OHIO, USA
1992, 15th WORLD, CAMP PERRY, OHIO, USA
1993, 5th EUROPEAN, BAD ZELL, AUSTRIA
1993, 5th PACIFIC, HILO, HAWAII, USA
1994, 16th WORLD, CHUR, SWITZERLAND
1995, 6th EUROPEAN, VITORIA, SPAIN
1995, 6th PACIFIC, JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA
1996, 17th WORLD, WEDGNOCK, GREAT BRITAIN
1997, 7th EUROPEAN, LEUSDEN, NETHERLANDS
1997, 7th PACIFIC, PORTLAND , OREGON, USA
1998, 18th WORLD, WEDGNOCK, GREAT BRITAIN
1999, 8th EUROPEAN, PFORZHEIM, GERMANY
1999, 8th PACIFIC, HILO, HAWAII, USA
1999, 1st LONG RANGE, BISLEY, GREAT BRITAIN
2000, 19th WORLD, ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA
2000, 2nd LONG RANGE, BISLEY, GREAT BRITAIN
2001, 3rd LONG RANGE, CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA
2001, 9th EUROPEAN, BAD ZELL, AUSTRIA
2001, 9th PACIFIC, CAMP PERRY, OHIO, USA
2002, 20th WORLD, LUCCA, ITALY
2003, 10th EUROPEAN, HALIKKO, FINLAND
2003, 10th PACIFIC, BRISTOL, INDIANA, USA
2003, 4th LONG RANGE, CAMP BUTNER, USA
2004, 21st WORLD, BATESVILLE, INDIANA, USA
2005, 11th EUROPEAN, PFORZHEIM, GERMANY
2005, 11th PACIFIC, BARRIE, ONTARIO, CANADA
2005, 5th LONG RANGE, BISLEY, GREAT BRITAIN
2006, 22nd WORLD, BORDEAUX, FRANCE
2007, 6th LONG RANGE, CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA
2007, 12th EUROPEAN, PARMA, ITALY
2007, 12th PACIFIC, BATESVILLE, INDIANA, USA
2008, 23th WORLD, ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA
2009, 7th LONG RANGE, CAMP BUTNER, USA
2009, 13th EUROPEAN, VALENCIA, SPAIN
2009, 13th PACIFIC, ONTARIO, CANADA
2010, 24th WORLD, BARCELOS, PORTUGAL
2011, 8th LONG RANGE, BISLEY, GREAT BRITAIN
2011, 14th EUROPEAN, HAMINA, FINLAND
2011, 14th PACIFIC, WINCHESTER, VIRGINIA, USA
2012, 25th WORLD, PFORZHEIM, GERMANY
2013, 15th EUROPEAN, EISENTSTADT, AUSTRIA
2013, 9th LONG RANGE, CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA
2013, 15th PACIFIC, POSTAL
2014 , 26th WORLD, GRANDA, SPAIN
2015, 16th EUROPEAN, BARCELOS, PORTUGAL
2015, 10th LONG RANGE, CAMP BUTNER, USA
2015, 16th PACIFIC, POSTAL
2016, 27th WORLD, SARLÓSPUSZTA, HUNGARY
2017, 17th EUROPEAN, GANADA, SPAIN
2017, 11th LONG RANGE, ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA
2018, 28th WORLD, EISENSTADT, AUSTRIA