History of the MLAIC

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.

First a short legend:
WCSR = World Championship Short Range
WCLR = World Championship Long Range
WCup = World Cup
EZC = European Zone Championship
EZPM = European Zone Postal Match
PZC = Pacific Zone Championship
PZPM = Pacific Zone Postal Match

1971INAUGURAL,Vaudoye en BrieFrance
19721st WCSRMadridSpain
19732nd WCSRBisleyGreat Britain
19743rd WCSRSchwaebisch HallGermany
19754th WCSRCordognoItaly
19765th WCSRVersaillesFrance
19776th WCSRZuerichSwitzerland
19787th WCSRMadridSpain
19808th WCSRQuanticoUSA
19819th WCSRBisleyGreat Britain
198310th WCSRVersaillesFrance
19841st EZCLeusdenThe Netherlands
19841st PZCCamp Perry, OhioUSA
198511th WCSRMadridSpain
19862nd EZCVersaillesFrance
19862nd PZCColesville, NJUSA
198712th WCSRKitchenerCanada
19883rd EZCMataróSpain
19883rd PZCCamp Perry, OhioUSA
198913th WCSRPforzheimGermany
199014th WCSRLeusdenThe Netherlands
19914th EZCBresciaItaly
19914th PZCCamp Perry, OhioUSA
199215th WCSRCamp Perry, OhioUSA
19935th EZCBad ZellAustria
19935th PZCHilo, HawaiiUSA
199416th WCSRChurSwitzerland
19956th EZCVitoriaSpain
19956th PZCJohannesburgSouth Africa
199617th WCSRWedgnock, WarwickGreat Britain
19977th EZCLeusdenThe Netherlands
19977th PZCPortland, OregonUSA
199818th WCSRWedgnock, WarwickGreat Britain
19998th EZCPforzheimGermany
19998th PZCHilo, HawaiiUSA
19991st WCLRBisleyGreat Britain
200019th WCSRAdelaideAustralia
20002nd WCLRBisleyGreat, Britain
20019th EZCBad ZellAustria
20019th PZCCamp Perry, OhioUSA
20013rd WCLRCape TownSouth Africa
200220th WCSRLuccaItaly
200310th EZCHalikkoFinland
200310th PZCBristol, IndianaUSA
20034th WCLRCamp ButnerUSA
200421st WCSRBatesville, IndianaUSA
200511th EZCPforzheimGermany
200511th PZCBarrie, OntarioCanada
20055th WCLRBisleyGreat Britain
200622nd WCSRBordeauxFrance
200712th EZCParmaItaly
200712th PZCBatesville, IndianaUSA
20076th WCLRCape TownSouth Africa
200823th WCSRAdelaideAustralia
200913th EZCValenciaSpain
200913th PZCOntarioCanada
20097th WCLRCamp ButnerUSA
201024th WCSRBarcelosPortugal
201114th EZCHaminaFinland
201114th PZCWinchester, VirginiaUSA
20118th WCLRBisleyGreat Britain
201225th WCSRPforzheimGermany
201315th EZCEisenstadtAustria
20131st PZPM
20139th WCLRCape TownSouth Africa
201426th WCSRGranadaSpain
201516th EZCBarcelosPortugal
20152nd PZPM
201510th WCLRCamp ButnerUSA
201627th WCSRSarlóspusztaHungary
201717th EZCGranadaSpain
20173rd PZPM
201711th WCLRAdelaideAustralia
201828th WCSREisenstadtAustria
201918th EZCSarlóspusztaHungary
20194th PZPM
201912th WCLRBisleyGreat Britain
20211st EZPM
20215th PZPM
202229th WCSRPforzheimGermany
20221st WCup-LRSzentendreHungary
202319th EZCChâteauroux-DéolsFrance
20236th PZPM
202313th WCLRVészpremHungary
202430th WCSRValeggio sul MincioItaly

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