Free pistol, a precision men's event, has been part of the Olympics since 1896. Competitors shoot.22 calibre pistols from 50 meters at precision targets with a 5cm 10 ring.

The Guns: A free pistol is easily identified by its grip, which may completely envelope and stabilises the shooter's hand. Regulations require only that it fires .22 calibre long rifle cartridges and has metallic sights. The gun's barrel is longer than that of other pistols, providing greater accuracy at this longer shooting distance. World-class free pistols like the Walther and Hammerli typically cost $2000-$2200, although the popular Russian TOZ35 may be bought second hand from about $300

Course of Fire: Competitors fire 60 shots in two hours.

Perfect match Score: 600 is a perfect score, and 565 is world-class.

Finals: The top eight competitors advance to a 10-shot final round, with 75 seconds allotted for each shot. The final is scored in tenths of a point and added to the match score to determine winners. A perfect final score is 109.

Finals are not competed in at club level.

Perfect Aggregate (Match + Final) Score: 709 points.