Wearing a MTP Camouflage Jacket while shooting on a range

[Airbrush]

In 1980, one of my friends was approached by an officious gentleman wearing an NSRA badge who asked what right he had to wear the union jack badge that was sown on to his coat---was he a National Squad Member? He replied that it was his flag, he was born in this country and the NSRA guy should go and do something impossible to himself.
Fred

clapclap

[Maggot]

It really only refers to the wearing of full kit unless you are a serving member of HM Forces, TAVR or Cadets who do use the range.

The CSR people referred to as "Wearing head to toe cammo" was (or should have been) wearing waterproofs. We self Police and usually one item of cammo is accepted, with full waterproofs being also acceptable.

This is mainly because you can get a half decent set of MTP Goretex for £30 and trash it in a season. I wear mine and will continue to do so.

Personally, as long as you lay off the trade/rank/TRFs and various other badges, I dont care what you wear....but if you were not an airborne gunner then you have no right what so ever to wear an RA DZ Flash and wings...or a staffies badge of rank (You know who you are...oddly the bloke stopped this particular practice after getting asked where he served). If you are entitled and want to wear it...great, you earned it.

I also believe it is an offence to impersonate a member of HM forces (Army act ONO....IIRC) which covers full kit and the above.

It is also a contravention of various cadet regs to wear issued kit unless agreed with the powers that be or you are on official cadet business....and that includes full kit but forgetting to wear the rank slides that clearly show you as ACF or CADET...in which case again you are impersonating a member of HM forces.

SO its full kit identifying you as a CFAV or cadet, and nothing else.

In essence, be sensible. There is no ban on cammo at Bisley, just a ban on walts and bad taste.

If you are entitled, wear it, if not, you will be found out and dealt with by the MTP elves that live in the bog on butt 19

As regards wearing the Union flag, or any other flag or morale patch for that matter...bring it on dick head

[hitchphil]

This subject has been round the buoy before ............

For Bisley only - Bisley is still an official designated MOD place & the Uniforms Act Applies. The Bisley rules also say this.
For many MOD / Lanmarc ranges I think there is a condition of hire that military garb should not be worn on the premises unless serving & on duty - certainly for the Help for Hero shoots at Pirbright DPM etc was banned.
For private ranges there is no law other than the uniforms act.

There is no HO guidance either, that is BS.

Previous discussion on this resulted in Mr Mercer/NRA issuing some guidance to the effect that a smock or trousers were acceptable but that full appearance as in uniform (regardless of lack of badges that cant be seen from a distance) should not be worn. Enforcement of that is minimal, there is a bit of self management by clubs.

Am lead to believe, but dont know if its actually true? that the Camp Commandant Pirbright made official comment on a picture on the front of the NRA magazine / facebook page on people wearing camo.... some might have been his staff? off duty having fun on a Sunday no less... if so & in uniform then ... er oops.

CSR has successfully made the point & case that many military smocks jackets are designed & made to move & fire so are much more suitable vs the leather & canvas bondage jackets we TR shooters wear. I believe thats in the CSR hand book now. & NB the NRA rule about not firing more than 14 shots in a string has been quietly dropped too so 25rnd ruger mags are ok, however indiscriminate fire inst allowed.

Page 107 of the Bisley Handbook says:

Dress and Equipment
397 Hearing protection is mandatory during all live firing.
398 The wearing of gloves is permitted during all matches.
106 RANGE OPERATING PROCEDURES
Clothing
399 Any jacket or combination of clothing designed or intended to provide support to the body is not permitted. Padding or soft material for the purposes of protection or comfort may be used on the shoulder, on the elbows and on the
upper arm.
This padding may be affixed internally or externally to a loose fitting jacket of any design or style having a lightweight, single thickness outer, provided that the combination of the padding and jacket does not provide support to the upper body. Strap-on elbow and knee pads may be worn.
400 Modern medium-weight and heavyweight purpose-designed canvas, leather or synthetic shooting jackets are prohibited. Similarly, the wearing of excessive layers of clothing, with the purpose of restricting upper body movement (thereby providing support), is also prohibited. The wearing of the UK military issue sniper smock is allowed. Sling keepers are allowed.
401 During inclement weather waterproof clothing may be worn in all matches by firers and team officials (if any).

Other organisations may have different rules.

Regardless of the right to wear whatever one wants, wherever one goes, carry carry what ever, go shopping in Asda with an AR on your back in a DPM coat, the image of portly shooters in camo on ranges attracts a fair bit of 'banter' & criticism in some circles (& not just the 'straw hat shooting clubs' ;-) ) & the image created by it & one of paramilitary style shooting is not seen as innocent & positive even vs the more strange, even quaint TR bondage gear worn by 3P/air rifle & target rifle shooters.... by people, like parents of scouts & kids coming shooting.

So when the Daily Fail run a story that one day & they will do, about this we will be having the Image debate in public & will loose the argument to prejudice from public/voter even dare i say a politician bandwagoning for an increase in share of their vote.

[breacher]

Certainly the NRA rules are that unless you are serving military you shouldn't be wearing Camo on the range.

It's about the image of Gung Ho Rambo wannabes that having armed guys in Paramilitary wear displays about shooters to the wider public.


Sent from my boing using "An application"

Not quite.

It says "uniform" not "camo". Is a pair of army boots worn with jeans, uniform ? Is a camo jacket worn with jeans, uniform ? Is camo trs and jacket worn with trainers , uniform ?

I would suggest the spirit of the wording is to prevent impersonation rather than use of milsurp clothing.

[toffe wrapper]

At my home club the rule is unless you are a serving soldier in uniform, one item of camouflage clothing is fine - but head-to-toe is not.

Why would a serving person be wearing uniform when not at work, if your club rule is over 20 years old it was pointless when it started. As no one was allowed to wear uniform off duty or when traveling for obvious reasons.
Nothing wrong with a bit of camo clothing if is functional but dressing up and Walting is a no no.

I bet if it was tweed nothing would have been said.

[Tithras]

Well all I can say is that I went on the NRA 5 day training course, a few months ago, and on 2 of them I had current army surplus camo trousers and on 1 of them I had the full camo trousers and jacket (gortex stuff for the wet s*** we have!). Nothing was mentioned, oh and I wasn't the only one there either wearing it both during the NRA courses and outside of that.

[DaveB]

At my home club the rule is unless you are a serving soldier in uniform, one item of camouflage clothing is fine - but head-to-toe is not.

Why would a serving person be wearing uniform when not at work, if your club rule is over 20 years old it was pointless when it started. As no one was allowed to wear uniform off duty or when traveling for obvious reasons.
Nothing wrong with a bit of camo clothing if is functional but dressing up and Walting is a no no.

I bet if it was tweed nothing would have been said.

Our Service Rifle Club routinely shoots against the Army rifle team and they tend to turn up to shoot in uniform, even on weekends.

[Strangely Brown]

Certainly the NRA rules are that unless you are serving military you shouldn't be wearing Camo on the range.
Sent from my boing using "An application"

Not true!

In CSR at Bisley the wearing of the current issue sniper smock is allowed, in fact mine is an old DPM one and I always wear it.
It's in the Bisley Bible FFS!

[froggy]

What a F*cking storm into a tea-cup ...

[rox]

What a F*cking storm into a tea-cup ...

Absolutely. No one had any problem whatsoever with the walting t*at in head to toe MTP I shot next to on the weekend.

..