2025 CMP Competition Rulebooks Now Available
January 13, 2025
By Gary Anderson, DCM Emeritus
Rules that will govern CMP competitions in the next competition year are now posted on the CMP website where competitors and Match Officials can download them in preparation for their 2025 competition seasons. The CMP currently produces seven different competition rulebooks that were revised for 2025 competitions. Electronic versions of the new rulebooks have now been released. The new CMP rulebooks are:
- 28th Edition 2025 CMP Highpower Rifle Competition Rules.
- 28th Edition 2025 CMP Bullseye Pistol Competition Rules.
- 12th Edition 2025 CMP Games Rifle and Pistol Competition Rules.
- 7th Edition 2025 CMP Smallbore Rifle Competition Rules.
- 3rd Edition 2025 CMP Air Rifle and Air Pistol Competition Rules.
- 3rd Edition 2025 CMP Action Pistol Competition Rules.
Copies of these rulebooks can be downloaded from the CMP “Competition Rulebooks” webpage at https://thecmp.org/competitions/cmp-competitions-rulebooks/. A primary purpose of this article is to advise competitors and Match Officials about the 2025 rulebook release and inform them about some significant changes in the new rulebooks.
Rulebook and Document Downloading. One big change in the CMP competition rulebook program has been to take rulebook supporting materials like the Range Officer scripts out of the rulebooks themselves and instead post them on the website. This was first done a year ago and has worked out well. Match Officials who need these materials, will almost always make their own print-outs so also printing these documents in the rulebooks didn’t serve a real purpose. To access these documents, go to the same webpage where the CMP Rulebooks are posted. When you open this “Competition Rulebooks” webpage, the listings of downloadable documents will include the 2025 rulebooks, lists of changes in each 2025 rulebook, and the Range Officer scripts that are needed to conduct matches governed by each rulebook.
Three-Position Air Rifle Rules. The CMP supports the production of the rulebook that governs Three-Position Air Rifle competitions for school-age juniors. The National Standard Three-Position Air Rifle Rules are decided by National Three-Position Air Rifle Council member organizations through a process administered by the CMP. The 15th Edition 2024-2026 version of this rulebook was released at the end of September 2024.
Safety Rules and Procedures. All 2025 CMP Rulebooks now have separate 2.0 Safety Sections that include all range safety rules that are included in that rulebook. There aren’t any significant new safety rules, but safety procedures that were in various places in the rulebooks have been consolidated into one Rule 2.0 Safety Rules and Procedures section in each rulebook. This change reflects a CMP concern that all CMP range safety rules must be easy to find, readily accessible and well understood.
Pistol is Now “Bullseye Pistol.” To make the distinction between the discipline governed by the CMP Pistol Rules and other CMP pistol disciplines, the adjective “Bullseye” was added to the CMP Pistol Rules so that this discipline and its rulebook will now be called “CMP Bullseye Pistol Competition Rules.” This rulebook governs Service Pistol, 22 Rimfire Pistol, Service Revolver and Match Pistol events. Separate CMP Rulebooks govern Action Pistol, Air Pistol and As-Issued Pistol events.
Command to Authorize Firing. The Range Officer commands used to conduct the different CMP events consistently use one command, LOAD, to authorize competitors to place a cartridge or magazine with cartridges in their rifles or pistols. There have, however, been several different commands to authorize firing including “COMMENCE FIRE, NOW, TARGETS, START and targets rising. The CMP has initiated an effort to simplify these commands. START is the international standard command for authorizing competitors to begin firing. START is already used in some CMP shooting disciplines. The 2025 Highpower Rifle, Bullseye Pistol and CMP Games rulebooks are being changed to use START for this purpose.The command START is readily recognized so this change will barely be noticed by most competitors.
Coordination with ISSF Rules. Two CMP rulebooks, Smallbore Rifle and Air Rifle/Air Pistol, are carefully coordinated with ISSF (International Shooting Sport Federation, the world governing body) rules since many competitors in smallbore position and air gun events also compete in USA Shooting competitions. USA Shooting are based on ISSF rules. A few rules in the 2025 CMP rulebooks were updated to comply with recent ISSF rule changes. The ISSF has announced that it is currently updating some of its rules and that it will release a new rulebook in early 2025. The CMP will monitor any ISSF rule changes to determine if mid-year changes in CMP Smallbore and Air Rifle/Air Pistol rulebooks will be necessary.
Vintage Military Rifle Events. The list of rifles that will be legal for use in As-Issued Military Rifle Matches has been expanded. NATO/.308 M1 Garands are now legal for use in As-Issued M1 Garand Matches. The CMP has had separate categories for commercial M1 Garands and Garands that were produced in other countries. The rules for As-Issued M1 Garands have now been changed to allow commercial Garands to be used in regular As-Issued Matches if they are functionally and mechanically the same as military-issue M1 Garands. M1 Carbine rules have also been changed to accept commercial Carbines as legal for As-Issued Matches.
As-Issued Military/M&P Pistol Matches. The As Issued Pistol course of fire has been changed by shortening firing times and requiring magazine changes during each 10-shot stage. The revised course of fire will include ten shots with the strong hand only in 60 seconds, and then ten shots with one or both hands in successive 50 second, 40 second and 30 second stages, each with a magazine change. Get ready for faster action in these pistol events!
CMP Achievement Awards. The cut scores for awarding the popular CMP gold, silver and bronze Achievement Medals (Appendix A in the CMP Games Rulebook) are evaluated every year, based on scores fired in National Matches events. Updated scores with small increases in most cut scores are published in the 2025 CMP Games Rulebook.
CMP Classification System. The CMP classification system is being expanded to include new Indoor Pistol, 22 Caliber Only Pistol and Mid-Range Highpower Rifle classifications.
Action Pistol. The CMP Action Pistol Rules, which govern the CMP Bianchi Cup Championship, were introduced two years ago. The pistol rules have been simplified to provide for one production pistol category.
Shooting for Competitors with Disabilities. One of the newer CMP programs is its Distinguished Marksman Program that offers opportunities for competitors with disabilities to use adaptive positions and equipment to complete EIC courses of fire. Each rulebook provides specific rules for how competitors with disabilities or limitations can earn Distinguished Marksman EIC credit points. The CMP awarded Distinguished Marksman Badge No. 1 in 2024 and looks forward to having other competitors with disabilities reach the 30-point threshold and be awarded Distinguished Marksman Badges in future years. The CMP urges anyone who knows persons with disabilities who have an interest in the challenges of marksmanship to consider applying to participate in this program and become another competitor who is striving to earn one of these prestigious gold badges. Interested persons should contact Amy Cantu at 888-267-0796 (toll-free) or via email at: acantu@thecmp.org.
Suppressors and Silencers. The use of silencers or suppressors is already widespread in some shooting sports disciplines. Their use is being promoted as a means of reducing range noise levels and mitigating the possibility of hearing loss. The CMP has made no decisions regarding whether to make them legal for use in CMP Highpower Rifle or Pistol events, but the CMP Rules Sub-Committee and Rules Advisors are seeking information and opinions on whether to take that step.
Any competitor or match sponsor who has questions or comments about any aspect of the 2025 CMP competition rules is encouraged to contact the CMP competitions staff. Contact information for the different shooting disciplines is the front of each rulebook.
The CMP wishes all competitors, Match Officials, and match sponsors a rewarding and successful 2025 shooting season.