Prior to the 1997 handgun ban, GB actively participated in international handgun shooting under the auspices of the WA1500 international governing body; we were a founding member country of the WA1500 and, despite the ban, have maintained a presence in many of the competitions since then, largely through the commitment and determination of a few individuals. Teams had the backing of the NRA but there was not a formally recognised GB Handgun Team until 2022, when David Harris was elected Captain. He took the GB Handgun Team to the WA1500 World Championships held in Sweden in 2023. With no warm up year, this was baptism by fire. Despite that, GB had teams in all disciplines (Revolver, Pistol & Optical), shot scores in touch with the teams above them and beat the Norwegians in every event. Given that the Norwegians have access to these type of firearms and can practice regularly, that was quite an achievement for GB.

David was re-re-elected Captain for 2024 & 2025 and the Team competed in the 2024 European Championships in Romania and the 2025 World Championships in Germany. There were fewer teams in Romania due to the difficult logistics and the heat at that time of year; the ranges were in the high 30’s and sometimes over 40 degrees C for most of the week. This was a severe challenge both to the shooters and their equipment. Despite that, the GB Handgun Team beat Italy in the Revolver and Italy and Moldova in the Pistol. Scores were again in touch with the teams above. A very promising result, and the story continues !