The mixed (or "open") ISSF 50 meter pistol was one of the seven sport shooting events at the 1980 Summer Olympics. There were 33 competitors from 19 nations. Nations had been limited to two shooters each since the 1952 Games. The gold medal was won by Aleksandr Melentyev of the Soviet Union who broke the world record with 581 points. It was the Soviet Union's third victory in the event, second-most behind the United States at four. Melentyev defeated Harald Vollmar of East Germany by 13 points. For Vollmar this was his third Olympic medal in the same event, having won silver at 1976 Montreal and bronze at 1968 Mexico City. Vollmar was the first man to win at least three medals in the free pistol. Lyubcho Dyakov's bronze was Bulgaria's first medal in the event.

Background This was the 15th appearance of the ISSF 50 meter pistol event. The event was held at every Summer Olympics from 1896 to 1920 (except 1904, when no shooting events were held) and from 1936 to 2016; it was nominally open to women from 1968 to 1980, although very few women participated these years. A separate women's event would be introduced in 1984. 1896 and 1908 were the only Games in which the distance was not 50 metres; the former used 30 metres and the latter 50 yards.

Three of the top 10 shooters from the 1976 Games returned: gold medalist Uwe Potteck of East Germany, silver medalist (and 1968 bronze medalist and 1972 fifth-place finisher) Harald Vollmar of East Germany, and fifth-place finisher (and 1972 gold medalist) Ragnar Skanåker of Sweden. Moritz Minder of Switzerland was the reigning (1978) world champion and world record holder, but was not competing in Moscow due to the American-led boycott. Skanåker had been the runner-up.

Ireland, Laos, North Korea, and Zimbabwe each made their debut in the event. Sweden made its 13th appearance, matching the boycotting United States for most of any nation.

Melentyev used a TsKIB SOO MЦ55.

Competition format Each shooter fired 60 shots, in 6 series of 10 shots each, at a distance of 50 metres. The target was round, 50 centimetres in diameter, with 10 scoring rings. Scoring for each shot was up to 10 points, in increments of 1 point. The maximum score possible was 600 points. Any pistol was permitted.Official Report, vol. 3, p. 533.

Records Prior to this competition, the existing world and Olympic records were as follows.

Aleksandr Melentyev beat the world record by 4 points, finishing at 581 points.

Schedule Date Time Round Sunday, 20 July 1980 9:00 Final

Results Rank Shooter Nation 1 2 3 4 5 6 Total Notes Aleksandr Melentyev 959698989896 581 Harald Vollmar 939393979894 568 Lyubcho Dyakov 969293929597 5654 So Gil-San 919794939397 5655 Seppo Saarenpää 919896949591 5656 Sergei Pyzhianov 919692969495 5647 Ragnar Skanåker 909494959397 5638 Paavo Palokangas 919493969493 5619 Sylvio Carvalho 919489959396 55810 Sławomir Romanowski 899682929594 558 11 Lyuben Popov 919294959294 558 Enrico Rabbachin 889295959791 558 13 Erwin Matelski 929590929395 557 Lajos Nagy 919394949194 557 Ivan Némethy 969295909391 55716 Uwe Potteck 919194939394 55617 Daniel Iuga 959092919592 555 18 Carlos Hora 929391949091 551 Kim Ji-jong 889390939691 55120 Phan Huy Khảng 918993939391 55021 Rudolf Seres 939588909093 54922 Ngô Hữu Kính 919190949389 54823 Staffan Oscarsson 898793969389 54724 Roberto Ferraris 968791939584 54625 Ken Stanford 878987959592 54526 Mariano Lara 938993889188 54227 Ian Redmond 839291858987 52728 Maureen Reichert 888681909089 52429 Rodrigo Ruiz 848984847992 51230 Gianfranco Giardi 898583868482 50931 Eliseo Paolini 878189908476 50732 Souvanny Souksavath 848886808876 50233 Syseuy 808179858175 481

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