# ISSF 25 meter center-fire pistol

25 meter center-fire pistol is one of the ISSF shooting events, and is normally a men-only event. Its origin lies in competitions with military-style service pistols, and as such its history dates back to the 19th century.
25 meter pistol (formerly called sport pistol) is essentially the women's equivalent of this event, the only difference being the smaller rimfire caliber handguns used (often the same models only chambered for the smaller caliber).

## Handguns
### Caliber

The name center-fire describes the type of cartridges used distinguishes this event from other ISSF events shot with handguns chambered for small caliber rimfire cartridges.
The rules specify that matches are to be shot with handgun of any caliber between 7.62 mm (.30) and 9.65 mm (.38), but the most popular cartridge is the .32 S&W Long Wadcutter, because it has good performance characteristics. Many countries also have laws restricting civilian ownership of firearms chambered for cartridges also used by military forces which would not apply to the rather obscure .32 S&W Long.

### Type

Using a revolver is not a disadvantage because the "rapid-fire" stage is not as demanding or fast as the true rapid-fire event of 25 meter rapid fire pistol. The current record is set with a revolver (Toz 49). The most popular handgun choices, however, are larger caliber versions of rimfire semi-automatic pistols originally designed for 25 meter standard pistol. Many of these pistols can be changed from one caliber to the other by simply changing the barrel and magazine. Examples of such firearms are usually from companies specializing in firearms for ISSF events like Pardini Arms, Benelli, Morini, Walther and Hämmerli and include:
* Hämmerli SP20
* Pardini HP
* Morini CM32M
* Walther GSP
* Benelli MP-90 and Benelli MP-95

## Course of fire

A center-fire match consists of two parts of 30 shots each, both shot at 25 m:
* A precision stage where 5 shots are to be fired during a 5-minute period.
* A rapid-fire stage where, for each shot, the shooter has 3 seconds to raise his arm from a 45-degree angle and fire.
* As with all ISSF pistol disciplines, all firing must be done with one hand, unsupported.
The score zones of the targets are different for the two stages, but scores are usually similar for the two courses. In the precision stage, the target is the same as in 50 meter pistol (although at half the distance), with a 10-zone of 5 cm diameter, and in the rapid-fire stage, the target is the same as in 25 meter rapid fire pistol, with a 10-zone of 10 cm diameter.

## Popularity

The event has not made it into the Olympic Games, and so gains little attention. It is part of the ISSF World Shooting Championships however, as well as the CISM World Championships. It is also notable for being the inspiration for the 25 meter pistol event, which is an Olympic event for women.

## World Championships, Men

| Year | Place | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
| 1947 | Stockholm | Torsten Elis Ullman (SWE) | Mauri Kuokka (FIN) | Rodeheffer N. J. (USA) |
| 1949 | Buenos Aires | Heinrich Keller (SUI) | Eino Antton Saarnikko (FIN) | Huelet Leo Benner (USA) |
| 1952 | Oslo | Harry Wendell Reeves (USA) | Walter Rudolph Walsh (USA) | Huelet Leo Benner (USA) |
| 1954 | Caracas | Torsten Elis Ullman (SWE) | Huelet Leo Benner (USA) | William Mc Millan (USA) |
| 1958 | Moscow | William Mc Millan (USA) | Vladimír Kudrna (TCH) | Károly Takács (HUN) |
| 1962 | Cairo | Igor Bakalov (URS) | Efim Haydurov (URS) | William Blankenship (USA) |
| 1966 | Wiesbaden | William Blankenship (USA) | Lubomír Nácovský (TCH) | Renart Suleimanov (URS) |
| 1970 | Phoenix | Rafael Carpio (MEX) | Seppo Makinen (FIN) | Lubomír Nácovský (TCH) |
| 1974 | Thun | Dan Iuga (ROM) | Francis "Frank" Higginson (USA) | Hynek Hromada (TCH) |
| 1978 | Seoul | Seppo Makinen (FIN) | Park Jong-kil (KOR) | Seppo Saarenpaeae (FIN) |
| 1982 | Caracas | Vladas Turla (URS) | Sergei Rysev (URS) | Jaques Cheres (FRA) |
| 1986 | Suhl | Oleg Tkachyov (URS) | Afanasij Kuzmin (URS) | Igor Basinski (URS) |
| 1990 | Moscow | Sergei Pyzhianov (URS) | Miroslav Ignatiuk (URS) | Park Byung-Taek (KOR) |
| 1994 | Milan | Paal Hembre (NOR) | Christian Kezel (FRA) | Oleg Tkachyov (UKR) |
| 1998 | Barcelona | Park Byung-Taek (KOR) | Paal Hembre (NOR) | Giovanni Bossi (AUT) |
| 2002 | Lahti | Park Byung-Taek (KOR) | Mikhail Nestruev (RUS) | Lee Sang-hak (KOR) |
| 2006 | Zagreb | Yadong Liu (CHN) | Mikhail Nestruev (RUS) | Michael Hofmann (SUI) |
| 2010 | Munich | Leonid Yekimov (RUS) | Júlio Almeida (BRA) | Pål Hembre (NOR) |
| 2014 | Granada | Yusuf Dikeç (TUR) | Oleksandr Petriv (UKR) | Tomas Tehan (CZE) |
| 2018 | Changwon | Julio Almeida (BRA) | Christian Reitz (GER) | Pavlo Korostylov (UKR) |
| 2022 | New Administrative Capital | Christian Reitz (GER) | Ruslan Lunev (AZE) | Peeter Olesk (EST) |

## World Championships, Men Team

| Year | Place | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
| 1947 | Stockholm | Finland Kallio M. Mauri Kuokka Jaakko Eliel Rintanen Vaeinoe Villiam Skarp | Sweden Helmisalo A. Holmberg E. Sven Lundquist Torsten Elis Ullman | Great Britain Bennett R. Staton B. Henry Albert Steele Willott B. |
| 1949 | Buenos Aires | United States Huelet Leo Benner Hancock W. Logie C. Harry Wendell Reeves | Switzerland Heinz Ambuehl Gaemperli H. Heinrich Keller Beat Rhyner | Finland Kallio M. Leonard Ravilo Jaakko Eliel Rintanen Eino Antton Saarnikko |
| 1952 | Oslo | United States Huelet Leo Benner William Mc Millan Harry Wendell Reeves Walter Rudolph Walsh | Sweden Fagerholm E. Holmberg E. Roback C. Schoett G. | Mexico Rafael Bermejo Pedro Avilés Jose Reyes Carlos Rodriguez |
| 1954 | Caracas | Soviet Union Anton Jasinsky Konstantin Martazov Makhmud Umarov Lev Vainshtein | United States Huelet Leo Benner John Jagoda William Mc Millan Harry Wendell Reeves | Cuba Tomas Cabanas Rafael Antonio Cadalso Fernandez Dediot L. Rodriguez C. |
| 1958 | Moscow | Czechoslovakia Karel Mucha František Maxa Vladimír Kudrna Vaclav Trojan | Soviet Union Anton Jasinsky Vassili Sorokin Makhmud Umarov Lev Vainshtein | United States Huelet Leo Benner David Carter William Mc Millan Aubrey Smith |
| 1962 | Cairo | Soviet Union Efim Haydurov Igor Bakalov Vladimir Stolipin Albert Udachin | United States William Blankenship Franklin Green William Mc Millan Cecil Wallis | East Germany Joachim Fichtner Johann Garreis Lothar Jacobi Gottfried Wehle |
| 1966 | Wiesbaden | United States William Blankenship John Ditmore Franklin Green Emil Heugatter | Soviet Union Igor Bakalov Renart Suleimanov Vladimir Stolipin Albert Udachin | Czechoslovakia Ladislav Falta Lubomír Nácovský Josef Svab Jaroslav Vesely |
| 1970 | Phoenix | Czechoslovakia Ladislav Falta Hynek Hromada Vladimír Hurt Lubomír Nácovský | United States William Blankenship Jimmie Dorsey Elmer Hilden Francis Higginson | Soviet Union Igor Bakalov Grigori Kosych Afanasij Kuzmin Vladimir Stolipin |
| 1974 | Thun | Soviet Union Grigori Kosych Victor Torshin Georgi Zapolskich Mikhail Ziubko | United States Bonnie Harmon Francis "Frank" Higginson Bobby Tiner Milo Vlasin | Finland Eino Kohvakka Seppo Makinen Vaino Markkanen Lassi Riitinki |
| 1978 | Seoul | Finland Olavi Johannes Heikkinen Seppo Makinen Hannu Paavola Seppo Saarenpaeae | Switzerland Marcel Ansermet Philippe Klay Reinhard Ruess Alex Tschui | Sweden Ove Gunnarsson Boo Levin Staffan Oscarsson Ragnar Skanåker |
| 1982 | Caracas | Soviet Union Afanasij Kuzmin Igor Puzirev Sergei Rysev Vladas Turla | Switzerland Marcel Ansermet Reinhard Ruess Sigisbert Schnyder Alex Tschui | Finland Seppo Makinen Hannu Paavola Paavo Palokangas Jouni Vainio |
| 1986 | Suhl | Soviet Union Igor Basinski Afanasij Kuzmin Oleg Tkachyov | Switzerland Hans Buerkli Anton Kuechler Alex Tschui | Austria Dieter Aggermann Hermann Sailer Karl Pavlis |
| 1990 | Moscow | Soviet Union Miroslav Ignatiuk Afanasij Kuzmin Sergei Pyzhianov | Finland Seppo Makinen Asko Makinen Reijo Paerepalo | United States Don Nygord Eduardo Suarez Darius Young |
| 1994 | Milan | Russia Sergei Poliakov Sergei Pyzhianov Valentin Osipenko | Ukraine Miroslav Ignatiuk Taras Magmet Oleg Tkachyov | South Korea Lee Sang-Hak Lee Ki-Choon Park Byung-Taek |
| 1998 | Barcelona | South Korea Park Byung-Taek Lee Sang-Hak Kim Sung-joon | Russia Sergei Pyzhianov Mikhail Nestruev Sergei Alifirenko | Belarus Igor Basinski Siarhei Yurusau Kanstantsin Lukashyk |
| 2002 | Lahti | South Korea Park Byung-Taek Lee Sang-Hak Kim Sung-joon | Norway Petter Bratli Paal Hembre Erik Baekkevold | Ukraine Oleksandr Petriv Oleg Tkachyov Roman Bondaruk |
| 2006 | Zagreb | Russia Mikhail Nestruev Sergei Poliakov Sergei Alifirenko | South Korea Park Byung-Taek Hong Seong-Hwan Lee Sang-Hak | North Korea Kim Hyon-ung Ryu Myong-yon Kim Jong-su |
| 2010 | Munich | Brazil Júlio Almeida Emerson Duarte José Carlos Batista | France Sebastien Blachouin Franck Dumoulin Thierry Riedinger | South Korea Hong Seong-hwan Park Byung-taek Jang Dae-kyu |
| 2014 | Granada | Ukraine Oleksandr Petriv Roman Bondaruk Pavlo Korostylov | Russia Leonid Ekimov Alexei Klimov Anton Gourianov | Brazil Emerson Duarte Júlio Almeida José Carlos Batista |
| 2018 | Changwon | South Korea Kim Young-min Kim Jin-il Jang Dae-kyu | France Clément Bessaguet Alban Pierson Boris Artaud | China Yao Zhaonan Jin Yongde Zhao Xiankun |

## World Championships, total medals up to 2006

| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
| 1 | Soviet Union | 10 | 6 | 3 | 19 |
| 2 | United States | 6 | 7 | 7 | 20 |
| 3 | South Korea | 4 | 2 | 3 | 9 |
| 4 | Finland | 3 | 4 | 4 | 11 |
| 5 | Russia | 2 | 3 | 0 | 5 |
| 6 | Czechoslovakia | 2 | 2 | 3 | 7 |
| 7 | Sweden | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
| 8 | Switzerland | 1 | 4 | 1 | 6 |
| 9 | Norway | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 10 | Mexico | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 11 | China | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 11 | Romania | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 13 | Ukraine | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 14 | France | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 15 | Austria | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 16 | Belarus | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 16 | Cuba | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 16 | East Germany | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 16 | Great Britain | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 16 | Hungary | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 16 | North Korea | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Totals (21 entries) | Totals (21 entries) | 34 | 34 | 34 | 102 |

## Current world records

Current world records in 25 metre center-fire pistol :
| Men (ISSF) | Individual | 596 | Christian Reitz (GER) | 31 July 2015 | Maribor (SLO) |
| Men (ISSF) | Teams | 1762 | Soviet Union (Ignatiuk, Kuzmins, Pyzhianov) | August 15, 1990 | Moscow (URS) |
| Men (CISM) | Individual | 597 | Yusuf Dikeç (TUR) | 2006 | Rena (NOR) |
| Men (CISM) | Teams | 1763 | China (Gao, Jin, Liu) | 2006 | Rena (NOR) |

## World champions

| Year | Venue | Individual | Team |
| 1947 | Stockholm | Torsten Ullman (SWE) | Finland |
| 1949 | Buenos Aires | Heinrich Keller (SUI) | United States |
| 1952 | Oslo | Harry Reeves (USA) | United States |
| 1954 | Caracas | Torsten Ullman (SWE) | Soviet Union |
| 1958 | Moscow | William McMillan (USA) | Czechoslovakia |
| 1962 | Cairo | Igor Rakalov (URS) | Soviet Union |
| 1966 | Wiesbaden | William Blankenship (USA) | United States |
| 1970 | Phoenix | Rafael Carpio (MEX) | Czechoslovakia |
| 1974 | Thun | Dan Iuga (ROU) | Soviet Union |
| 1978 | Seoul | Seppo Mäkinen (FIN) | Finland |
| 1982 | Caracas | Vladas Turla (URS) | Soviet Union |
| 1986 | Suhl | Oleg Tkachyov (URS) | Soviet Union |
| 1990 | Moscow | Sergei Pyzhianov (URS) | Soviet Union |
| 1994 | Milan | Pål Hembre (NOR) | Russia |
| 1998 | Barcelona | Park Byung Taek (KOR) | South Korea |
| 2002 | Lahti | Park Byung Taek (KOR) | South Korea |
| 2006 | Zagreb | Liu Yadong (CHN) | Russia |
| 2010 | Munich | Leonid Yekimov (RUS) | Brazil |
| 2014 | Granada | Yusuf Dikeç (TUR) | Ukraine |