As many of you know, there is a temporary lack of availability of factory ammunition which is impacting the 2021 shooting year. It is often difficult for shooters and clubs to obtain reasonable factory ammunition. With that said, the Executive Committee has approved a TEMPORARY rule modification for the 2021 SHOOTING YEAR ONLY as it pertains to defective ammunition.

While the overall rule does not change, this special note has been added to III-A-12-d:
NOTE for 2021 ONLY: If factory ammunition is not readily available at the shoot location, and a shooter has had two instances of defective ammunition, the shooter may obtain a different box of reloads and then is allowed two additional instances of defective ammunition. But the shooter is capped at 4 malfunctions a round with reloads. See full rule below.

III-A-12. Defective Ammunition

a. Defective Ammunition will be defined as:
1) Failure to fire, provided firing pin indentation is clearly noticeable.
2) When a target is missed in the case of an odd-sounding shell, which in the sole judgment of the field referee does not deliver the shot the distance to the target, and therefore does not give the shooter a fair opportunity to break the target. NOTE: If a target is broken with an odd-sounding shell, it shall be scored dead regardless and will not be considered defective ammo. Odd-sounding shells where the shot does travel the distance to the bird and provide the shooter a fair chance to break the target will not be considered defective ammo and the results of those shots will be scored.
3) Brass pulling off hull between shots on doubles.
4) Separation of brass from casing when gun is fired (usually accompanied by a whistling sound as the plastic sleeve leaves the barrel).

 
b. Wrong sized shells or empty shells shall not be considered defective ammunition.

c. Repeated Targets – A target shall be repeated for each allowable instance of defective ammunition.

d. Number allowed – A shooter will be allowed only two instances of defective ammunition from the first box of shells used in that round. After two instances of defective ammunition in a round or a shoot-off round, a shooter may obtain a FACTORY box of ammunition and is then allowed two additional instances per box of FACTORY shells in that round. If shells are not changed in a round after two ammo malfunctions have been ruled, the third and all subsequent occurrences in that round will be excessive. EXCEPTION: If a shooter is provided a proof shell by the referee and defective ammunition is ruled on that proof shot, that instance will not count against the shooter as defective ammunition.

NOTE for 2021 ONLY: If factory ammunition is not readily available at the shoot location, and a shooter has had two instances of defective ammunition, the shooter may obtain a different box of reloads and then is allowed two additional instances of defective ammunition. But the shooter is capped at 4 malfunctions a round with reloads.