Metallic Silhouettes - Origin and in Brazil
Origin:
The Metallic Silhouettes originated as an event of shooting with rifles in Mexico, where live animals were used as targets. At the beginning of the 70’s, american shooters discovered this sport but replaced the live animals for metallic silhouettes. It developed as a long gun event (rifles and carbines), until John Adams started practicing with handguns. Adams helped to found the IHMSA - International Handgun Metallic Silhouette Association, and it is one of the sports that has increased the most in the USA in the shooting area. Many guns manufacturers have manufactured special guns for this sport, thus benefiting the hunters who prefer handguns. The new precision and power demanded brought about new calibers, which, in turn outdid the previous one.
In Brazil:
At the end of 80’s, the Metallic Silhouettes were the most common shooting sport among the shooters. This happened due to the easier purchasing of guns for the existing categories and the technical level of the time.
Events are held in the categories of long gun .22 caliber, handgun .22 caliber, Field Pistol and carbine .38SPL caliber at the maximum distance of 100 meters. In all events the Field Pistol targets were used in a total of 20 shots - 5 targets at each distance. In Sao Paulo State, at that time, there were some categories resembling that of the IHMSA (International Handgun Metallic Silhouette Association) entity founded in the USA, which coordinates and rules this sport all over the world.
From 1990 on, target and rules of the IHMSA were adopted. At the begining there was some difficulty on the part of shooters, to assimilate the smaller tarrget dimensions (mainly in the use of carbines) and the quantity of shots doubled, from 20 to 40. The lying position was also adopted for handguns, which also made the score increase, for this position is much more stable.
Also in 1990, the just-founded ABTP - Associacao Brasileira de Tiro Pratico (Brazilian Practical Shooting Association), today CBTP - Confederacao Brasileira de Tiro Pratico (Brazilian Practical Shooting Confederation), composed a specific board of Directors for the Metallic Silhouettes and started to organize the Brazilian Championships of practical shooting, with the first in Brasilia, D.F., where unfortunately it was not possible to participate in the Big Bore categories, due to the prohibition of the use of guns with calibers not allowed by Brazilian legislation. In that championship, for the first time, the international rules were applied.
Since then, in all events organized by the CBTP and the State Federations, it has become compulsory to use the rules of IHMSA. The matches are of 40 targets, 10 at each distance. World Championships are 80 targets, 20 at each distance.