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If an accident to the target, difficulty in operating the same, or any other reason over which the competitor or team has no control, causes delay, such time credit as the range officer may decide will be allowed, the effect of which will be to extend the time limit by that amount. In team competitions, range officers will allow no time credit for delay in successive pairs taking their positions and firing the first shot, unless such delay arises from causes beyond the control of the team captain or competitors.

All shots fired after expiration of the time limit will be recorded as misses.

44. Drawing targets. -Targets in team firing will be drawn at each range by team captains at the executive officer's headquarters, or such point and at such time as may be designated by the executive officer.

45. Coaching. In team matches no coaching or communication of any kind with men at the firing point will be permitted except by the team captain, and then only for the sole purpose of preventing infractions of the conditions of the match, except that the competitors actually firing may communicate with each other.

46. Position of captain, etc.-In team matches, at least 3 yards in rear of each firing point, there will be permitted one team captain, one coach, and one spotter, who may observe the firings of the members of their team and check the value of each shot as called by the scorer. The captain, coach, and spotter shall not be permitted to shield a competitor from the wind, throw a shade upon his sight, or aid him in any other way.

47. Positions. The following positions only will be permitted in competitive firing: At 300 yards, 600 yards, and 1,000 yards, prone, with head toward target, except at 600 yards, where a sandbag rest (either rifle or back of hand resting on the sandbag) will be used. At 200 yards, rapid fire, the position as described in paragraphs 52 to 55, Small Arms Firing Manual, 1913. At 300 yards, rapid fire, the position as described in paragraphs 58 and 59, Small Arms Firing Manual.

48. Use of gun sling.—The gun sling may be used at all ranges as an auxiliary to steady the piece, in connection with one arm only, provided that for the purposes of adjustment for shooting neither end shall have been passed through either sling swivel. No knot will be tied in the sling and the sling itself will not be added to or modified in any manner.

49. Loading arms. No arms shall be loaded except at the firing point, the muzzle of the rifle or pistol being kept in the direction of the target until the arm is either discharged or unloaded. In all slow fire with the rifle it will be used as a single-loader, with the magazine uncharged. When

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not at the firing point and in the act of firing, rifles shall be carried at all times during the matches with chambers open. When not at the firing point and in the act of firing, pistols will have their magazines withdrawn and the slide pulled back. 50. Challenges.-If a competitor desires to challenge his shot, just fired, because of failure of any record from the pit, such challenge will be sustained and the record from the pit given without cost. If a competitor in any of the national divisional matches, or in any other team matches, desires to challenge his shot, just fired, for alleged incorrect marking, he must pay $1 to the range officer. If the competitor's challenge is sustained and it is shown that the marking was incorrect, the money will be returned to him. All money paid in fines as prescribed in this paragraph will be turned over to the designated financial officer.

PROTESTS.

51. Protests and objections must not be directly submitted to the executive officer, but to one of the range officers. In case a competitor considers the decision of the latter unwarranted by the facts as presented, he may appeal to the executive officer. Final appeals from decisions of the executive officer must be made in writing and forwarded through that officer to the National Board for the Promotion of Rifle Practice.

SCORING AND MARKING.

52. Hits in the different divisions of the targets and ricochets will be signaled and recorded as prescribed in the Small Arms Firing Manual, 1913. Ricochets count as hits. 53. Spotter.-In slow fire the exact location of all bullet holes will be marked by a spotter, which will be shown on the target. The last shot fired by the last competitor on each team will be spotted and shown.

54. All shots fired count.-All shots fired by the competitor after he has taken his place at the firing point, and it is his turn to fire the target being ready-will be considered in his score, even if his piece is not directed toward the target or is accidentally discharged.

55. Shots upon wrong target.—Shots fired upon the wrong target will be entered upon the score of the man firing as misses. 56. Two hits on target.-In slow fire, if two shots strike a target at the same or nearly the same time, both will be signaled, and if a shot was just fired from the firing point assigned to that target, the hit having the higher of the two values signaled will be entered in the competitor's score and no record made of the other hit.

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57. Value of shot, change of record.-Competitors must pay attention to the score as announced and recorded, so that any error may be promptly investigated. The record value of any shot will not be changed after the following shot has been fired, unless some special message with reference to it is received from one of the range-officers in the target pit.

58. Sighting shots.-No sighting shots allowed.

DUTIES OF SCORERS.

59. The score keepers will be seated close to and in the rear of the firing-point stakes, and will, as each shot is signaled, announce in an audible tone the name of the competitor, the value of the shot, and number on score card, marking same on the blackboard and competitor's card. At the conclusion of the score of each competitor the score keeper will repeat his name and total score, and request the range officer on duty at that target to verify the blackboard and score card (no scores will be allowed unless recorded on a blackboard by the scorer as shot). All scorers will be supplied with field glasses. The executive officer will prescribe the manner and form for all telephonic communication between firing points and pit.

TIES IN RIFLE COMPETITION.

60. Ties, when shooting with the rifle, will be decided in team and individual matches, as follows:

1. By the highest aggregate score made in rapid fire. If still a tie, by the highest total score in rapid fire at 300 yards. If still a tie, by the highest total score in rapid fire at 200 yards.

If still a tie:

2. By the fewest misses in rapid fire.

3. By the greatest number of hits in the figure in rapid fire.

4. By the fewest misses in slow fire.

5. By the fewest outers (twos) in slow fire.

6. By the fewest inners (three) in slow fire.

7. By the shots in slow fire in inverse order.

8. If still a tie, by firing single shots, slow fire, at the longest range.

TIES IN PISTOL COMPETITION.

61. Ties, when shooting with the pistol, will be decided as follows:

1. By the highest aggregate score made in rapid fire.

2. If still a tie, by the highest total score at 25 yards, rapid fire, 15 seconds per score.

3. If still a tie, by the highest total score at 15 yards, rapid fire, 15 seconds per score.

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4. If still a tie, by the highest total score at 50 yards, rapid fire, 30 seconds per score.

5. If still a tie, by the highest total score at 25 yards, rapid fire, 30 seconds per score.

6. If still a tie, by the value of each shot at 75 yards, slow fire, in the inverse order.

7. If still a tie, by firing single shots at 75 yards, slow fire.

MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS.

62. Ammunition, unauthorized.-Any competitor having any ammunition in his belt or about his person when he takes his place at the firing stand, other than that authorized, will be immediately disbarred, and his score will not count for record.

63. Cartridge, defective. A defective cartridge is one where the mark of the firing pin appears on the primer and which, when tried in the same or other rifle, still remains unfired. 64. Entries.-Competitors who have made entries for any match will be ruled out if not at the firing point and ready to fire at the hour designated for the match. 65. Field glasses, use of.-Competitors may use field glasses or small telescopes such as might reasonably be carried to the field as a part of a soldier's equipment. They may also use a micrometer and small individual score book. They will not be permitted any other aid or device at the firing point. 66. Firing, hours of.-Assembly will be sounded and firing begun at 8 o'clock a. m., and "Cease firing" will be sounded at 6 p. m. unless otherwise ordered by the executive officer. The range will be closed for an hour in the middle of the day for lunch.

67. Firing, unauthorized. No firing except at the targets in prescribed competition or practice will be allowed without special permission from the executive officer. Any violation of this rule will disqualify the offending competitor for that season.

68. Lubricants.-The use at the firing point of such lubricants as are not injurious to the rifle or pistol is authorized. 69. Members, shooting. This term shall at all times be construed

as applying to the principals who shoot in the team as constituted by the rules of the match. It does not include the three alternates authorized by the provisions of paragraph 19.

70. Penalties.-No two competitors shall in any match or competition use the same rifle, nor shall a competitor change his rifle during any match, unless it has become unserviceable, which fact must be verified by a range officer. Willful violation of this regulation will warrant the executive officer (in his discretion) in excluding the competitor from further competition. This rule also applies to the pistol.

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Any person, whether a competitor or not, interfering with any of the firing squads, or annoying them in any way, will be warned to desist, and if he repeats the offense he will be at once ordered off the range.

Any competitor

(a) Who shall fire in a name other than that under which he entered, or who shall fire twice for the same prize; or

(b) Who shall be guilty of any conduct considered by the executive officer to be discreditable; or

(c) Who shall be guilty of falsifying his score or of being accessory thereto; or

(d) Who shall offer a bribe of any kind to any employee or other person; or

(e) Who shall be detected in an evasion of the conditions prescribed for the conducting of any match; or

(f) Who shall refuse to obey any instructions of the executive officer or a range officer; or

(g) Who shall be guilty of disorderly conduct or of being intoxicated, shall, upon the offense being proved to the satisfaction of the executive officer, be forever disqualified from competing at any time in the national matches, and shall not be entitled to have any prize won by him at the time of the competition awarded to him.

71. Piece, disabled.-A disabled piece is a rifle or pistol which can

not be fired, or which in the opinion of the ordnance officer has been so damaged that it can not be fired with accuracy. 72. Sights. No alteration of the sights will be allowed, but different sizes of authorized front sights and drift slides or slide caps for the rifle as issued may be used. The front or rear sights may be blackened according to the judgment of the competitor. The use of permanently affixed micrometers, orthoptic eyepieces, telescopic sights, spirit levels, and temporary shades is prohibited.

73. Trigger pull.-The trigger pull for the rifle must always be at least 3 pounds; for the pistol, at least 6 pounds, and will be tested (holding the barrel vertically) by a range officer, before firing, each day and at each range.

Competitors will submit their arms for further inspection whenever required.

74. Uniform.-Military competitors will wear the service uniform, with or without blouse, and with the woven cartridge belt.

75. These regulations and such special rules or directions as the executive officer may give must be rigidly complied with by competitors and all other persons upon the range grounds.

76. Competitors and all others connected with competitions must make themselves acquainted with the foregoing regula tions, as well as with the conditions of competitive firing in which they may be participating, as the plea of ignorance of either of them will not be entertained.