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 Jim
Hallam
Vice-President, N.R.A. (GB);
Vice-President emeritus,
H.B.S.A. (Historical
Breechloading Smallarms Association);
Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Gunmakers;
Assistant Curator, NRA Museum, Bisley;
M.L.A.G.B. Member 1962, H.B.S.A. Member 1977;
Chairman, South London Rifle Club (founded 1874!)
I lost my Contacts
/ Tasks when my PC hard drive crashed - - and all the backups
were corrupt, so if you have heard nothing about an enquiry PLEASE
re-send it -- thanks .
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ABOUT ME ... ... ...
I
bought my first “real” firearm (a boxlock percussion
pistol) at the age of 12 from the local antique shop and with it
earned my first really good walloping from my father! Both parents
were Sergeant-Majors and disapproved of “playing with guns”.
I have been playing with them for over 50 years now – somewhat
more responsibly --- first in the School Cadet Force where I shared
my time in the Band and the Armoury, then at College.
I joined the
MLAGB in 1963 (in the days when it was no problem leaving my shotgun
and revolver in
the
Hall
of Residence) and on returning to London my time was so taken up
with teaching (Head of Science and also running the school Brass
band), semi-pro Tuba playing and being Musical Director of a Brass
Band that I dropped out of shooting-related matters for a while.
In
1976 I discovered that
one
of my sixth-formers
was a pistol-shooter and I was introduced to the Epping Forest
Pistol Club (formed when the pistol-shooters of the old Epping
Rifle Club felt marginalised) and was soon shooting Target
Pistol VERY seriously there, at Loughton
Hall
RC and
then
Marylebone
Pistol
Club where
I became a Council member. MRPC encompassed all pistol-shooting
disciplines and I was soon embroiled in the Wednesday evening “Classic” sessions,
where David Penn, Fred Wilkinson and others led me to
the HBSA.
The 75th Anniversary of MRPC led to the
formation of the NPA and the establishment of the "Pistol A.D.
Meetings" and
I was inveigled into running the Pistol Gallery /
writing the Rules
for
the Classic
Pistol and
Revolver
events, although that did not stop me bringing down my Military
Band to play on the lawn outside the Dukka Hut on the Bank Holiday
Monday afternoon, whilst NPA Stats were being completed. Does
anyone remember that?
My involvement
with the near-dormant South London Rifle Club (founded 1874) at
the behest of Tony Benham coincided with a resurgence in all sorts
of Historic Arms and setting up the HBSA “1910” Service
Rifle Meeting was just one example. Commemorating the
Centenary of the SLRC Revolver Section (founded
1886) led to me setting up their October Open meeting, which is
now the NRA “Trafalgar Meeting”. I couldn't
keep my nose out of things and found myself on NRA Council, writing
their Historic Arms rules, setting up the Historic Arms section
of the “Imperial Meeting” and also the Historic Arms
Resource Centre. Somewhere along the way I found myself delving
into the NSRA August Meeting, where there is now a successful “S.M.R.C.
Weekend”.
After 20 or so years I needed
more time for myself so I came off NRA Council and then retired
early from teaching ------ so NOW I have even less time than before!
I still actively collect British Pistols and Revolvers and their
copies. (Webley fans will have seen many of my pieces
in the standard
reference books) and also “Zimmer” pistols (i.e., indoor
Gallery and Target pistols). I have been registered
as an R.F.D. for over 30 years, specialising in pistols. I have
Home Office Authority for several
types of “Prohibited Weapons” including full-auto and “disguised
firearms”.
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