CEO Update: October 2024
October 31, 2024
CMP Competitors, Customers and Friends: I’ve just completed two years as the Chairman of the Board and CEO. It has been an exciting time for the CMP and certainly one filled with change. In this update, I’ll provide a high-level overview of where we are with our expansion plans, Programs, our Gun/Ammunition Sales, Talladega Marksmanship Park enhancements and other miscellaneous topics of interest. The staff and I will also do our best to answer questions and comments you might have on the information provided. On behalf of all the CMP, we thank you for your loyalty and support and hope to see you at our ranges, events and stores in the coming year.
CMP Officers/Key Staff: We’ve made many leadership changes over the past two years. I’d like to introduce/re-introduce the CMP leaders who keep all our programs aligned and moving forward. The CMP is a good-sized business and a very unique not-for-profit organization. The following leaders do a fantastic job in providing great programs, products and services:
Will Dantzler – Chief Information and Technology Officer
Chris Hord – Chief Product Officer
Fabian Lobera – Chief Financial Officer
Greg Raines – Chief Commercial Officer
Christie Sewell – Chief Programs Officer
Gary Anderson – Director Civilian Marksmanship, Emeritus
Jim Sumpter – Special Projects Officer
Shannon Hand – Assistant Chief Programs Officer
Programs.
CMP Footprint/Expansion Update: Many competitors/customers have questions about CMP expansion and especially how the CMP can better serve the shooting population in the Western U.S. As many of you know, we were looking at two possibilities.
The first was building a Talladega Marksmanship Park-like range in Payson, UT. The CMP Board recently voted to abandon this initiative when it became clear that the land transfer from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) was not going to occur.
The second was to build a state-of-the-art indoor air gun and smallbore range in Columbia, MO, taking advantage of a gift of land and a facility there. The CMP Board also voted to walk-away from this project. While the gift was generous, the cost to convert what was formerly a warehouse building into a range proved to be an economic non-starter. However, it does appear that another shooting entity will take over this project, and the CMP will look to partner with them. We are looking to find a win-win out of this and to host air gun events in Columbia, MO, in the future.
So where does this leave us? The CMP Board’s view going forward is to leverage our resources via partnerships with existing or planned ranges in the Western U.S. and/or other locations where we have gaps. While not a completely exclusive approach, we’ll take the next six to 12 months to do the requisite analysis to determine options. We believe this will generally be a more effective and efficient way for us to further our mission to promote marksmanship. Of course, we’ll continue our existing full slate of Programs to include the National Matches, Travel Games, events/competitions at the Talladega Marksmanship Park, the CMP Bianchi Cup, all our air gun matches . . . More info follows on our upcoming Programs.
National Matches Electronic Targets: We are working through various procurement, scheduling, range infrastructure and other essential details with the intent to maximize electronic target use across all Highpower events and the Rimfire Sporter Rifle Match at the 2025 National Matches. Our longstanding experience with these targets has given us confidence in their accuracy and reliability, enhancing match efficiency and safety. We are also reorganizing the National Matches schedule to streamline eTarget use, making the competition experience more seamless and convenient for competitors.
National Matches Other Initiatives: While the National Matches competitions remain our priority and focus, we do plan on adding more social events in 2025. This includes more beach events/parties, including one during Highpower, plus movie nights and an enhanced swap-meet featuring a variety of food trucks. Our goal is to make the National Matches an unforgettable experience where competitors not only compete at historic Camp Perry, but they also enjoy the camaraderie, fun and festivities that make it a true gathering of our shooting community.
Other Programs Highlights:
- Postal Matches – Our postal programs are officially kicking off for the new air rifle competition season, with over 10,000 entries anticipated across the JROTC, CMP and American Legion Postals. This represents a tremendous effort from our program staff as they manage the mailing, receipt and scoring of targets. Additionally, the Aces Postal program continues to thrive year-round.
- Hosting more USA Shooting events – We’re excited that this December, CMP will host the USA Shooting Winter Air Gun Match at the Gary Anderson CMP Competition Center (GACCC). In addition, the Talladega Marksmanship Park will welcome the USA Shooting Junior Olympics in April and the USA Shooting National Championships in June. We’re looking forward to hosting these prestigious USA Shooting events and showcasing our facilities!
- Smallbore Postal returns – We will be announcing the re-launch of the Smallbore Postal this December. This marks the return of a great competition opportunity for our smallbore athletes, allowing them to compete from their home ranges and join a nationwide event.
- Gary Anderson CMP Competition Center (GACCC) – We’re expanding our schedule to increase public access and showcase our facilities to a broader audience. With these new hours, we hope to welcome more visitors, attract new participants and inspire future competitors. Our updated hours will be Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 12–8 and Thursdays from 9–3.
- Judith Legerski CMP Competition Center (JLCCC): Starting January 2025, the JLCCC will have a junior shooting club similar to the GACCC. Athletes will practice once a week and have the March Monthly Match as the end of the season. This will help increase the skill of current youth athletes in the area as well as bring new, younger competitors into the sport of competitive shooting. Additionally, we are reaching out to the public via expos and local events to bring awareness to the JLCCC. Our hopes are to bring different groups such as businesses onto the range to experience fun and safe competition between colleagues and peers. We also allowed athletes to schedule an appointment to give them the opportunity to practice and receive coaching from former NCAA Coach and the current JLCCC Manager.
Laser Shot Simulators: Our indoor training simulators are now available at Camp Perry, Anniston and Talladega Marksmanship Park! The simulator software is programed with hundreds of virtual scenarios for training, competitions and entertainment events.
The simulators are designed for pistol, rifle and shotgun training, with simulated M1 Garands competition events currently in development. The simulators are fantastic training aides, allow for lots of repetition without the cost of ammo and frankly are just pretty fun. See more on our simulators at https://thecmp.org/ranges/cmp-competition-centers/indoor-marksmanship-simulator/.
CMP State Directors/Upcoming Conference: In January, the CMP will welcome its State Directors to Camp Perry for an inside look at current CMP initiatives through three days of demonstrations and presentations from our staff members. We hope the State Directors will be able to take the learned information and apply it to their own respective programs.
The CMP utilizes State Directors to provide leadership, coordination and resources for those interested in junior marksmanship activities. State Directors are always available to answer questions or to help you find opportunities in your area. View a list of our current State Directors and find contact information at https://thecmp.org/training-tech/state-director/.
Olympic Shooting Program: Congratulations to all shooting athletes from the 2024 Paris Olympics, including SGT Sagen Maddalena of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit who earned silver in Women’s 50m Smallbore Rifle! The United States earned six medals in Shooting overall.
We’ve known SGT Maddalena since she was a junior on the California Grizzlies highpower rifle team. As a Grizzly, she garnered several successes including the Freedom’s Fire Trophy as a member of the highest scoring team in the National Matches Junior Rifle Team Match in 2013. Maddalena went on to join the University of Alaska Fairbanks rifle team before heading to the Army. We are honored to announce that SGT Sagen Maddalena will be the 2025 First Shot Ceremony Speaker! This impactful ceremony kicks off the 2025 National Matches at Camp Perry, and I encourage you to make plans to attend on July 14 at 4:30 p.m.
Other Paris Olympians who have attended CMP events are SGT Ivan Roe (who attended CMP’s Junior Rifle Camps) and Women’s 25m Sport Pistol finalist Katelyn Abeln. Moreover, both have been involved with NCAA collegiate shooting programs.
Paralympians SSG Kevin Nguyen and SFC John Wayne Joss have also been involved with the CMP – further demonstrating the organization’s position as a positive gateway to higher opportunities for athletes of all backgrounds.
Junior World Champions: We’d like to offer additional congratulations to top finishers from the recent ISSF World Junior Championships: Emme Walrath, Katie Zaun, Jacob Wisman, Griffin Lake and Braden Peiser – all CMP alumni. Well done!
Gun/Ammunition Sales.
Surplus M1911 Sales: As many of you just saw, we recently provided a detailed update on the status of this operation via social media and the CMP Forum.In summary, we assess that the CMP is still several months from resuming the sale and transfer of M1911 Pistols. Throughout this process, CMP staff members worked tirelessly implementing strengthened M1911 operations – with an increased workforce dedicated to the distribution of these pistols, all while CMP armorers continue to inspect and prepare pistols for sale.
Round four orders will be fulfilled once sales resume; followed by new orders. We have a large quantity of pistols on hand and can fulfill all round four orders and many thousands more once we resume sales. As we indicated in the previous update, after round four we will proceed with an open and continuous order process (no more rounds) and fulfill orders on a first received-first fulfilled basis.
But, don’t send in new orders in yet. We will promulgate guidance once we have a better sense of when sales will resume. We also expect the two pistols/person per lifetime limit to remain in effect for the next year. While this restriction is not codified in the law, it is guidance from the Department of the Army. The CMP will review options with the Army later in FY25. Again, we apologize for the unexpected delays within our M1911 program and are eager to once again distribute these exceptional firearms.
Surplus Rifle Sales: We expect to have a full complement of rifle sales in FY25. While our inventory of rifles is diminished compared to prior years, we remain in a position to offer some great, historic rifles. These of course include the M1 Garand but we’ll sprinkle in other rifles where we can. For example, we do have a few hundred Krags remaining. If you are interested in one, I’d recommend you act quickly.
We are also working some new initiatives with rifle sales that we’ll roll out separately as the year progresses. Finally, we continue to work closely with the U.S. Gov’t to maximize chances of repatriating U.S. M1s and Carbines previously granted to certain foreign countries. We don’t control the outcome here for sure, but we are pursuing these opportunities as best we can. If anything breaks on this, we’ll be sure to let you know.
Commercial Ammunition Sales: The CMP recently reestablished our relationship with Creedmoor. We’ve ordered significant quantities of the following ammunition types and expect quarterly deliveries beginning later this quarter. The ammunition will be made available in our physical stores and our eStore (note – see the eStore para that follows next in this letter).
- 30-06 150 Gr
- 30-06 167 Gr
- .308WIN 167 Gr
CMP eStore: As many of you have noted, the CMP eStore has been deficient not only in terms of being a modern e-commerce platform but also in terms of the lack of items available for purchase.We are working diligently to address both issues. CMP recently added several ammunition options to our eStore, and we strive to become your destination for ammunition purchases. Check out our selection of ammunition, both commercial and surplus, at https://shop.thecmp.org/browse/Ammo.
Customers and competitors can also elevate their style and show support for CMP by purchasing and wearing our exclusive new line of clothing gear – visit https://shop.thecmp.org/browse/Clothing.
We will continue to add more products to the eStore over the coming months.
Upcoming Tent Sale in Anniston: Mark your calendars! Our Judith Legerski CMP Competition Center in Anniston, AL, will be hosting a Tent Sale, Nov. 7-9 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., featuring many items not sold in stores or online! The sale will include ammo, clothing, marksmanship accessories and other miscellaneous items. Inside, the CMP South Store will have several rifles available for purchase. You won’t want to miss this opportunity!
CMP Custom Shop: The Custom Shop is in full swing and currently taking orders! Send in your vintage U.S. Military rifles to receive a variety of repairs, upgrades and other customizations – all serviced by our expertly trained armorers. See full instructions on using the CMP Custom Shop at https://thecmp.org/custom-shop/.
The Custom Shop is also building the Custom Shop (CS) Special Rifle. This Custom Shop Special M1 rifle is meticulously hand crafted to be competition-ready, fully meeting all “As-Issued” CMP standards. Assembled to perform as a one-to-two MOA (Minute of Angle) rifle, it offers the precision and accuracy demanded by competitive shooters. Learn more at https://thecmp.org/custom-shop/cs-special-rifle/.
Advanced Maintenance Classes: If you’d like to be your own gunsmith, the armorers within the Custom Shop will be hosting a series of Advanced Maintenance Classes in 2025. Those who attend the course will receive comprehensive, one-on-one instruction on building and maintaining an M1 Garand Rifle.
Because of the popularity of these classes, interested individuals will be entered into a drawing for enrollment. Learn more at https://thecmp.org/training-tech/advanced-maintenance-class/.
Auction Site: The CMP Auction Site is available online for those enthusiasts in search of rare and unique finds. The site is free for users to register and bid on items. CMP has several interesting, upcoming items for bidding – including a triple serial number series and quadruple serial number series – look for these items to be highlighted in 2025.
We are now posting 15 new items each week. These items go live on our Auction Site every Monday and remain open for nearly two weeks. Currently, items are scheduled to close at midnight on Saturday morning. However, starting November 4, the schedule will change slightly: items will open on Mondays at 8 a.m. and close the next Saturday at 8 p.m.
Additionally, we are excited to announce a fundraiser auction listing that will go live on Nov. 18, featuring an M1D rifle paired with a telescope. All proceeds will benefit the National Infantry Museum Foundation in support of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit Exhibit!
From parts to equipment to books and more, you never know what you might see! View all the current listings at https://thecmp.org/cmp_sales/guns-on-auction/.
Talladega Marksmanship Park (TMP):
The TMP remains the crown jewel in the CMP range enterprise, and we continue to enhance offerings at the park.Some highlights include:
Talladega Premier Expo: The Talladega Premier Expo, open to the public, is set for Nov. 2, 2024! The Expo will feature over 20 vendors exhibiting some of today’s latest products, scattered around the 500 acres of Talladega.
Along with previewing company displays, guests to the Expo with be able to gain hands-on range experience with firearms from reputable companies like GLOCK, Kimber Manufacturing and CMP’s exclusive Tisas pistols – available for purchase at the park.
Consumers may buy tickets to the Premier Expo online and learn more at https://thecmp.org/ranges/talladega-marksmanship-park/cmp-premier-shooting-expo/.
New Pistol Sales at the TMP: We’re excited to announce that Sig Sauer pistols are being sold at the Pro Shop within Talladega Marksmanship Park! The Shop is also stocked with CMP’s own Tisas Pistols within the park or online, with drop-shipping now available with a turnaround time of two weeks.
eScore: The new KTS software and range target system is now installed on TMP Ranges 1 and 2. While the most visible change is the ruggedized, wireless and touch-based monitor to include the monitor’s dynamic drop down menu with easy to access to relevant information (see picture) the eScore system is in fact a wholesale change of the range/target and control room software allowing for more efficient competitions. The eScore system was previously installed in Highpower targets at Camp Perry and will be featured more prominently at the National Matches in 2025. The KTS Journal is also available for competitors at https://cloud.kongsbergtargets.com/login.
New Action Bay Area: The Delta Bays Modification Project is complete. We now have a large overflow parking area for events on Range 5. The Project also includes a new shooting bay contained within that area that has seen heavy usage during two major USPSA events since September. New materials were used in the construction of the impact area which may represent a new future standard for all our berms at the TMP.
“Bianchi Style” Mover: The Bianchi Cup Mover Project is in the final stages and nearing completion. The prep work was completed earlier this month, with the concrete pad, knee wall, electrical and Star Link Satellite System in place. The track system was delivered on 10/25/24. The installation crew from Action Target will be on premises shortly to begin installation of the track system. ALMOST THERE! This target system will be made available to groups using the Action Pistol area of the TMP. We are also looking at options to host a Bianchi Cup style warm-up competition, but all this is in the preliminary planning stage.
Covered Shotgun Stands: Each of the stands on the Sporting Clays Loop are now upgraded to include covered stands constructed of heavier materials. They look great and enhance the overall experience.
Training Classes: Firearms safety and marksmanship training is fundamental to the CMP mission. Over the past year we’ve expanded our training offerings to include the following, and we encourage new and more experienced competitors to take advantage of these training opportunities:
- Basic Handgun Classes, Rifle and Basic Shotgun Classes
- Law Enforcement Officer Safety Act (LEOSA) qualifications for our retired law enforcement community.
- Glock Professional classes
- Steyr Academy training classes/courses
- Alabama Peace Officers Standards and Training Instructor Update classes.
- Additionally, several local law enforcement agencies have used our facility for training and qualifications.
Classroom Space: In addition to our classrooms in the main clubhouse, we recently converted a storage room located at the pavilion opposite the pistol range into a classroom. This new training room is heated/cooled, has seating for eight students, and has a flat screen TV mounted for power point presentations. While a small space, its proximity to the range makes it an ideal training venue for appropriately sized groups.
TMP Store Sales: As of this writing, we have over 200 surplus military rifles in stock and ready for sale, including the M1 and M1917 bolt action guns. We have ammunition for most every rifle and shotgun. We also plan to keep the store well stocked with guns and ammunition during the Talladega 600 coming up in Nov. As mentioned earlier in this report, on the commercial gun sales side, we have a new stock of Tisas 1911s and a fresh shipment of Sig handguns available for sale.
World Police and Fire Games: While still in the planning phase, we expect to host these games for law enforcement personnel and firefighters from around the world in late June/early July 2025. Birmingham, AL, is the host city for this Olympic-style competition with most of the shooting competitions to be held at the Talladega Marksmanship Park and the Judith Legerski CMP Competition Center. We’ expect well over 1,000 competitors for this event and are very excited to host the shooting component of these games.
Miscellaneous.
New Website Is Live: Over the past several months, CMP staff members have been working hard to update the navigation and design of our website! The updated version is now live, as of October 2024. Visit www.TheCMP.org to view the CMP website.
CMP Scholarship Program: If you have a high school senior athlete involved with marksmanship activities, be sure to look up how to earn a CMP Scholarship, ranging from one-time $1,000 scholarships to recurring $5,000 scholarships! In May, the CMP awarded over $300,000 in scholarships to junior marksmanship athletes. We’re excited to help the future of even more juniors in 2025 through this valuable initiative.
Applying is simple with our online portal. Deadline information to come, but feel free to browse all the details at https://thecmp.org/youth/cmp-scholarship-program/.
New CMP Email: Do you have questions about CMP? We’ve launched a new email – hello@thecmp.org – that is available for all questions related to CMP. We’re here when you need us!
SHOT Show: The CMP will be a featured booth at SHOT Show, held in the Caesar’s Convention Center, Jan. 22-25, 2025, in Las Vegas. Visit our team at Booth #71050!
Upcoming Events:
| Date | Event | Where |
| 2 November | Talladega CMP Premier Shooting Expo | Talladega, AL |
| 7-9 November | Tent Sale in Anniston | Anniston, AL |
| 8-13 November | Talladega 600 | Talladega, AL |
| 9 November | RO Classes Level II – HP Rifle & Pistol | Talladega 600, Talladega AL |
| 10 November | GSMM Master Instructor Course | Talladega 600, Talladega AL |
| 16 November | CMP Monthly Air Gun Match – 60 Shot Standing, Rifle & Pistol – 60 shot, 3 Position Air Rifle | Camp Perry, OH – Gary Anderson CMP Competition Center Anniston, AL – Judith Legerski CMP Competition Center |
| 6-7 December | Gary Anderson Invitational | Anniston, AL – Judith Legerski CMP Competition Center Camp Perry, OH – Gary AndersonCMP Competition Center |
| 13-15 December | Winter Air Gun – USA Shooting/CMP | Camp Perry, OH – Gary Anderson CMP Competition Center |
| 15-17 January | State Director’s Meeting | Camp Perry, OH |
| 17-19 January | Camp Perry Open | Camp Perry OH – Gary Anderson CMP Competition Center |
| 20-24 January | Shot Show – CMP Booth #71050 | Las Vegas, NV |
| 31 January – 1 February | Junior Air Nationals Conducted by the X-Count and hosted by the CMP | Camp Perry OH – GaryAnderson CMP Competition Center |
| 6-8 February | JROTC Service Championships | Sandy, UT (Army Regional) Anniston, AL (Army Regional) |
| 13-15 February | JROTC Service Championships | Camp Perry, OH ( Army Regional) Gary Anderson CMP Competition Center Anniston, AL (USMC & Air Force Service) Judith Legerski CMP Competition Center |
| 16-18 February | JROTC Service Championships | Anniston, AL (Navy Service) – Judith Legerski CMP Competition Center |
| 15 March | Monthly Air Gun Match | Camp Perry, OH – Gary Anderson CMP Competition Center Anniston, AL – Judith Legerski CMP Competition Center |
| 18-23 March | Talladega Spring Classic | Talladega, AL |
| 20-22 March | National JROTC Championship | Camp Perry, OH Gary Anderson CMP Competition Center |
| 3-5 April | CMP Regional Championships | Camp Perry, OH Gary Anderson CMP Competition Center |
| 10-12 April | CMP Regional Championships | Sandy, UT |
| 26 April | Monthly Air Gun Match | Camp Perry, OH – Gary Anderson CMP Competition Center Anniston, AL – Judith Legerski CMP Competition Center |
| 25 April – 4 May | Eastern CMP Games | Camp Butner, NC |
| 17 May | Monthly Air Gun Match | Camp Perry, OH – Gary Anderson CMP Competition Center Anniston, AL – Judith Legerski CMP Competition Center |
| 20-23 May | CMP Bianchi Cup | Hallsville, MO |
I have sent the CMP several emails concerning my purchase of a “Navy Garand” for $1,600.00. Recently the price on these rifles was dropped to $1,200.00. My emails asked a simple question. Since you have dropped the price by $400.00 will you be rebating that $400,00 to those of us that paid the “long dollar?”
I am willing to take the $400.00 and apply it to another rifle or ammo purchase. This would go a long way to satisfy those of us that have trusted the CMP to always give their customers a fair shake.
Over the years I have purchased 70+/- M1’s, M1 Carbines, 1917’s, 1903’s, 1903A1’s and one Kreg (Which is my latest purchase.). Each of these rifles met or exceeded what I expected. Please don’t leave me with a sour taste on my “Navy Garand” purchase. Cordially, Rich Staab, CMP# 118500
You know it is a shame that the CEO of any organization has to answer routine email. That’s probably why I can’t get ANYONE to answer my emails requesting a follow up on an order that I placed for a CMP Tisas .45 in June of this year. My credit card was charged earlier this week for the amount of the pistol ordered & still no answer to my emails. You need to FIX that sir!
Richard – the CMP team will get back to you directly on this. But it is my privilege to deal with our great customers and competitors directly – and I sincerely mean that. It’s important to hear from you when we’re doing well and meeting your expectations but also when that’s not the case. Thank you for raising this issue and we’ll resolve it asap.
I am quite pleased with the running of the matches. Both at camp perry and the travel games. However, for whatever reason, someone has decided to reduce the quality of the cookouts. This is probably the most looked forward to part of the travel games.
In the past the food at travel games was superb. Even when it was included in the match. Now you are charging and giving way below expectations.
This was something that all competitors
Thank you for the two-way communication. It’s a 100% turnaround from what we’ve endured for several years.
That said, my question is about the “new” Talladega Range 1 KTS Target system. I am being told by those that have used it very recently there is a 5 to 15 second delay in shot display while “rapid” firing with just several targets in use (shooters). The “old” KTS wired system slowed shot display considerably as the Line filled with more and more shooters. Is this true with the “new” KTS system? During the T-600 should we expect the same delay in shot display as previously or is the new system an improvement like the WiFi beta system that has been in use at the Eastern Games since 2017?
Ken, like any new system there may be some “tweeks” that we will need to make to optimize the performance. The new system is a faster system and there should be less “lag” than in the past. During the T-600 we will make every effort to make the system run efficiently.
Thanks Brian. Was hoping it wasn’t a new intentional lag procedure put in to mirror F-Class or other.
Will the use of e-targets be expanded to include the games matches (GSMM)?
Yes, the E-targets will be used for the GSMM matches. We feel that this is something that competitors have been asking for, and we are finally able to offer it.
Just curious why the CMP is attending the Shot Show. When I read the CMP was going to be there I had a glimmer of hope that I could go. Unless I missed something, checking the SS registration web page reveals the vast majority of CMP members are not permitted to attend due to their very restrictive requirements.
Randy — CMP has several objectives at SHOT:
– Brand exposure consistent with our aspirational vision to be the Nation’s marksmanship leader
– Networking and coordination with other not-for-profit organizations in our space (NSSF, USAShooting, Midway Foundation, NRA . . . )
– Coordination with the many suppliers of CMP parts and services (think stocks, barrels, commercial ammo and a myriad other items)
– Seek more sponsors for our competitions and other events. CMP competitions are expensive and the fees we take in don’t cover costs. Having sponsor partners is critical in sustaining what we do every year.
But you are correct that CMP’s attendance at SHOT doesn’t authorize CMP members to also attend. Nothing we can do about that. In fairness, the folks that run the SHOT Show must have restrictions – it is so huge already.
What I would like to see is an expansion of high-power matches offered at Camp Perry at other times of the year. Why not have matches in the fall and other months. It’s still warm with very nice weather, they would be well attended! I’d like to see EIC and 800 ag matches offered too. How about a bi-monthly league? There are lots of possibilities!
Derek,
Thank you for your question. Getting. more use of the Camp Perry ranges is a thought we share with you. But there are a number of challenges. First of course is that Camp Perry and the Camp Perry ranges are OH National Guard ranges not CMP ranges. And Guard usage is the priority. Secondly, and as you probably know, the Army National Guard is a part-time force. Therefore the OH Guard range control staff is not at work most Monday-Friday’s unless they are supporting OH Guard training. And as you know we hold the NE Games in Sep and then the Western Games in Oct so CMP staff capacity to do more in late summer and fall is also problematic.
All this said, we are looking at options to make the Camp Perry Petrarca Range more self-sustainable for CMP events that wouldn’t require OH Guard support. That’s in the preliminary assessment stage right now. More to follow in my next update in six months.
Thanks for all you do to support our program
Hello Sir,
Thank you for the update it is really appreciated. Good communication is the key to success!
We know it takes TIME to correct or restructure the C M P to your new standard’s.
As you must know the C M P talk board website computer program, had out lived it’s life span.
Sadly the new version is very difficult to use and still full of issues. Most personal messages lag by about three months.There appears to be no communication or help from the paid computer staff. I’m sure they are busy. As many of us have personally called. Asking to please let us know “IF”they know there is a problem.
It appears that there is only one volunteer helping the average poster with the many continuing issues.
Thank you for your message & we wish you success,
Frank D
Frank – we use the popular forum platform Vbulletin 6. This new version is now cloud-based but has the same format and functionality as the previous version. We have 174,519 users in the database. The most common issue we typically encounter is members not having permissions to subscribe to certain areas, which we correct when alerted. Please contact our CMP Forums administrator, Adam Hanvey, at ahanvey@thecmp.org to discuss resolving your specific issues. Thank you.
This is a great report. Thank you for all the details.
Greetings
I ordered a pistol from you in July and have not received it yet can you please
let me know what the hangup is.
Thank you
Frank
Frank — can you provide more detail on the order and we’ll look into it. We’ve had surplus M1911 pistol sales suspended since May ’24 and weren’t taking orders even before that so I’m assuming it is something else? Thank you.
I am retired from the US Army and ordered a M1911 in October 2023and have a generated number of 46795. I haven’t heard a peep from anyone at CMP since. I have called several times to the 1911 staff, always leaving a message as no one answers the phone and still no reply from anyone on the status of my order.
I have ordered five different rifles from the CMP over the years and never had such service before.
Michael,
I addressed this as the first entry in this report under Gun/Ammunition Sales and we’ve posted a number of updates on the CMP Forum and social media. If you review, think the explanation should provide what you need to know. The bottom line is we’ve had to temporarily suspend pistol sales. We expect to resume sales sometime in 2025 and we have sufficient pistols on hand to fulfill all round four orders and many, many more. That said, I apologize that we haven’t answered your calls. And we appreciate your patience and the patience of all who’ve ordered M1911 pistols
Why were sales suspended?
Thanks for the prompt response. I really appreciate it and the explanation on the information location. I will go to the forum and look for those updates. I will continue to support the CMP and eagerly wait for my order to be filled. The CMP is in good hands under your leadership, too.
Frank please email Alexis so we can determine where your Tisas pistol is and what the problem is. aburk@thecmp.org
How about bringing back the CMP Oklahoma City games.?
Or starting one in Texas?
Jay — this is a bit of a tough one. As you can imagine there’s significant effort and expense to take our competitions on the road. The OK travel games were cancelled do to insufficient numbers of competitors. And our staff is also pretty max’ed out with all the other events on the calendar. At this point adding another “travel game” competition is likely something we can’t support.
Thank you for this update. Very impressive review of CMP activities and accomplishments with respect to shooting sports activities! As a lifelong Alabamian, very proud to have such an outstanding organization in this State.
Dear Mr. O’Keefe,
Thank you and all of your staff for keeping us supporters of the CMP well informed of all the activities the CMP sponsors and is involved with — the NRA could take out page out of your playbook!!. Many years ago I used to run an MCJROTC program/air rifle team and we were affiliated with the CMP postals and our program produced some outstanding air rifle shooters. May I make mention of the CMP’s recent decision to include 7.62/.308 M1 Garands as being eligible in the M1 Garand matches under the category of “as issued.” Years ago I sent your predecessor, Mark Johnson, a letter arguing for the inclusion of the 7.62/.308 M1 Garand’s in the J.C. Garand Matches for they WERE issued as a service rifle to the U.S. Navy and the CMP actually sold receivers and barreled M1’s of the same. I know this for a fact and I purchased an M1 7.62/.308 barreled receiver and rebuilt it and rebarreled it and competed in the Modern Military Matches at Camp Perry severel times and did quite well. Needless to say, Mr. Johnson responded that the issue was simply out of the question and that was that!! As said as a naval complimentary term, “Bravo Zulu” (job well done), and this goes out to you and and your staff for making this decision.
Major B.D. Vorgang, USMC (Ret.)
CMP # 4304
Major Vorgang — don’t know why this was an issue previously but we of course want our customers and competitors to be able to use the guns they buy from us in our competitions. Just makes sense. I thought this was an easy one and wasn’t aware of the history. Glad it’s all fixed now. Thank you.
I’ll second the Major, as I did the same type of letter in favor of .308 M1’s to the competitions committee and was abruptly and succinctly shut down as well. This was several years ago as well. Kinda left a bad taste….
Ken – understand. I hope the recent change helps though.
Thanks for the update and congratulations for all you have done. I agree that more attention to the local clubs would be a step in the right direction.
Wat is general price of a 1911 for past sales and once sales start again.
How old/new are the 1911’s. Prefer not to have the transfer bar for firing pin.
Please do not post in any distribution.
I’m already on email list
The good pistols I had for competition (High Standard Citation & Colt Gold Cup) have been passed to new shooter. Let them try to do better than what I did. Other good stuff also gone.
Looking for something to do defensive combat (sort distance (max 25 yrd)
Shot decades (more than you want to know) of bullseye, long range (IHMSAS), & IDPA along with High Power.
Age, eyes & nerves dont help of what I used to be able to do.
Thanks
Den
Please add a few 300 yard positions to your Patrarca E Target range at Camp Perry
Kent,
Interesting that you should bring this up. We are looking at options to expand our Camp Perry ranges and facilities to include the Petrarca Range. We’ve done some preliminary design work and now have to run it by the OH National Guard to get their view. The design tries to make this a win-win for the CMP and the OH Guard. The OH Guard couldn’t be any better of a partner but Camp Perry is first and foremost a military installation so we’ll see where it goes. I’ll give you an update on this in my next update in six months. Thank you.
It would be a big help to our club which does 100 year old and military shoots to get the 1 can limit on M1 garand ammo moved to 2 or 3 cans. I was told the Army audits the sales of this ammo and cannot make sense of why the restriction. The e-store comment is that once the surplus is sold, no more would be available, so why not increase the can limit???
Thanks, Bob
Robert — the Army does limit the sale of Army surplus ammo to 2,000 rounds/caliber/year. While that might be an acceptable limit for individuals, for clubs it seems too low. We are updating our Memorandum of Agreement with the Army in 2025 and will bring up this issue. In my view raising this limit for clubs is reasonable and my guess is the Army will be willing to discuss options. The goal is to have an updated MOA signed by next summer so this one isn’t a quick fix. But . . . we also don’t have a whole lot of surplus ammo remaining on hand and don’t expect much more to come in this year. We’ll provide more info on surplus ammo status/availability in another post where that question was posed.
But . . . no limits on commercial ammo and we are stocking up. Thank you
The Clark County Shooting Park is an excellent facility. Nevada Firearms Coalition which is Nevada State’s affiliated NRA group, currently have events there on a regular basis. CMP should look at affiliation with this facility.
We’ve heard that as well. And of course being by the large and growing Las Vegas population center helps. It’s on our list — we intend to discuss options with them. Thank you
Mr. O’Keefe:
Thank you for your report enjoyed reading it through. I like that the commitment to the e-targets is going forward. I know that the full time staff there works hard and long hours on that program. I have enjoyed see the program evolve. Keep up the good work.
Gerald, This is the new CMP and I like it. Very professionally run with great customer response. You were a REAL FIND FOR THE CMP!
I love the newsletter. I don’t use social media or the forum so this is great. Keep up the good work. Rich O’Hare
Richard — thank you. We are working hard on improving our customer service. Our volume of events, programs and gun sales causes us to have to interact with many of you. Frankly, and as others have mentioned in these comments, our customer service is not yet where it needs to be. We know that and are aggressively working through it.
But very much appreciate your comments and support.
What is the possibility of adding a 1000 yard/meter range to Talladega? It would be fun in the Sniper Matches.
Mr. HIckman I wish we could, that would be an awesome addition to the Range in Talladega unfortunately we do not have the space at our current location. Thank you.
Thank you Mr Okeefe ,Keeping us all so well informed ! It is such a pleasure when the CEO takes time out of his busy schedule to inform us all of the up coming events and behind the scenes activity’s going on for us in the future esp involving collectiable military rifles,ammo and events in our future . I think you have done a fantastic job since taking over and all the improvements are great ,it really shows in the CMP and I think it will only continue long term! Thank you so very much for your upbeat professional management of the CMP we all appriceate the job your doing !!
Thank you Jim. It is truly a privilege and honor to be part of the CMP. The whole company has worked very hard these last two years in support of our mission to promote marksmanship which of course is resourced by the amazing, historic, vintage firearms we sell. It’s quite an operation and takes a great team — I’m very proud of the CMP.
No update on the reproduction M1 Garand’s that was mentioned over a year ago under the rules section and was supposed to be released this year?
Gordie,
Still working on it. Getting pretty close. That was one of the teasers in the rifle paragraph. The facilitation from our contract partner to get this done is non-trivial and took longer than anticipated. We should have a prototype forged receiver to build a rifle around and test in the next month. We’ll take it out to the Talladega Marksmanship Park for testing and see how it goes. More to follow probably by the Christmas Holiday on the way ahead. Just didn’t want to promise anything at this point.
Thank you for the very informed update!
Sounds like CMP is doing stuff the old NRA would have done. Good job!
very good upgrades on CMP websites and communications! Looking forward to continued business with the CMP programs. Keep the quality up!
Thank you
I am now 96 year old 90% disabled Korean War vet—my brother (now passed) and I first purchased M1911 pistols, o3 springfields and M17 enfields about 1947 from CMP—the most unique and useful purchase was a tin lined 150 pound keg of newly available IMR4895 powder—and primers—this served our company shooting club members for years until DuPont, Hercules and ammo companies got back into civilian powder/primer production//—all of those firearms are now residing safely and happily in the hands of children, grandkids and great-grandkids. With the upcoming election craziness, I remain hopeful that our country will at least resemble the tradition of the NRA, CMP and historic freedom for responsible firearms use. God Bless America!
God Bless America indeed! Thank you for your incredible service!
Thank you for your service, Sir! My father was a Korean War veteran also, but sadly he has been gone for 34 years now and I never had a chance to speak with him about his time in Korea.
Earlier this year we had occasion to make a 5 week road trip from our home in Tucson to the Outer Banks. We hit 11 states. I was excited to visit the Anniston store on the way back. Unfortunately, we did have a time constraint and it was a Tuesday. Of course, the store was closed (as scheduled) and I was pretty bummed out driving right past the exit! A Western location would be fantastic and I vote for Phoenix! Keep up the Great Work, we appreciate all you do!
Mr. Urreiztieta I am sorry our store was closed and hate you missed out on some of the great guns we do have for sale, but please look on our website and order from there. We are looking at several options in the western part of the United States whether it be a partnership or a range of our own. Please stay tuned, things are happening at CMP.
I see a lot happening at the CMP Marksmanship Center (Anniston, Talladega, Perry) and it is great. However, what I don’t see is much going on or help given to local clubs. Only a few live close enough to CMP to attend regularly so getting new shooters, especially kids, falls on local clubs. Most all of the local clubs I know of are struggling. In the 22 years I’ve been coaching, I’ve almost all of the clubs in Alabama go away.
Local clubs across the country are needed. Build strong local clubs in order to have a stronger national program with more participation.
I agree with this,I think much more support is needed in local clubs to help fulfill CMP,s mission of Marksmenship training !
Sam — you are reading our minds. This is one of our major initiatives for FY25. To assess our affiliated CMP club structure to determine how we can better support/grow/market/resource/mentor/collaborate/institute training programs . . . with the clubs. If you have specific ideas I’d love to hear them. Please reach out to me directly if you’d like. GOKeefe@theCMP.org.
My guess is we’ll take at least six months to explore options here so in terms of expectations you won’t see anything here immediately. Thank you.
CMP Footprint/Expansion Update: The NRA’s Whittington Center facility in Raton, NM would seem made to order. They have ranges out to 1000 meters. They usually have a pretty full calendar but work with numerous outdoor & shooting groups.
Mr. Buchmiller, We are looking at several options in the Western US. Please stay tuned. I appreciate the suggestions.
Yes, please continue to work towards a Western facility! Utah is a great option, if another site in that state can be identified. It has reasonable driving distances and flight connections for most of us west of the 100th Meridian.
Mr. Baglien, Please stay tuned the CMP is looking out west and it could be a partnership or some other collaboration. Thank you for your suggestion.
Great update and report. And great work done by all! Thanks!
Now if there were only a CMP facility more centrally located along the east coast, like in North Carolina… :}
Richard — no CMP facility but we do hold the CMP Eastern Games at Camp Butner NC every Spring! It’s a great event that draws 400-500 competitors each year. And we did bring M1 Garands to sell at the NE Games and the Western Games this past Sep and Oct. This worked great and was much appreciated by our competitors. No promises — but that option that will be on the table for the 2025 instance of the Eastern Games next year as well. So we’re bringing the CMP to you :-).
Great site with lots of information.
Excellent update, keep up the good work. I’m excited about all of the new marksmanship opportunities. As a former R.O.T.C. Rifle team member at Jones HS and the University of Houston, it’s nice to see new matches available especially postal matches. Unfortunately we all can’t be close to Talladega, but this will certainly help to fill the gap.
GREAT report. Complete and very informative. Thank you for taking the time to prepare it.
What do surplus ammunition sales look like for FY25?
We currently have no confirmation of additional surplus rounds coming to the CMP. Supplies of .45 & .22 cal. are currently dwindling. We keep our EStore up to date with currently available ammo (both surplus and commercial).
Great communication. Thank you for all the information and updates.
Great report and great work! All of the effort put forth through the years from DCM to CMP have been appreciated. We hope this can continue into the future and that the program and services that you provide are encouraged and sustained.
Out of all the things mentioned here and great projects and accomplushments in an email like this that goes out to everyone, I sure wish there would’ve been some accolades given to Steve Cooper. It is my understanding that he retired or is going to retire soon.
I don’t think I’m understating that 95%of all competitors knew Steve
John — great point. We missed on that one. Steve is retiring at the end of this year. He’s been a stalwart in so much of what our Programs team has accomplished over the past two decades. I very much appreciate you highlighting his service to the program and countless competitors! Thank you Steve Cooper for all your tremendous service and accomplishments!
Things are really looking up for the next year.
Glad to see that you have someone that will help you with the company..
Mike — we have a very strong team at a the CMP. We are fortunate to have such a great and dedicated group of professionals supporting our critical mission to promote marksmanship.
Excellent report. Just a question: The Talladega Spring Classic is not on the list. Has it been canceled?
Michael,
Thanks for pointing out our error – the event will be held March 18-23, see https://thecmp.org/cmp-matches/talladega-spring-classic/ for more details.
Thank you,
Christine Elder
CMP Communications Manager
Good morning:
In your upcoming events, I do not see 16-18 February – JROTC Service Championship (Navy). Is it an oversight or is the Navy JROTC competing during 6-8 February and the official JROTC program a misprint?
Tom,
Thanks for pointing out our error. It was incorrectly listed in our Staff calendar and the dates have been corrected in this article.
Thanks,
Christine Elder
CMP Communications Manager
Why not partner with Arizona Fish & Game’s Usery Mountain range outside Phoenix. It’s an excellent facility. That would give you a Western location without breaking the bank.
Louis — thank you for your comment. We are in the early stages of looking at options. We have begun some very preliminary conversations with the AZ Fish and Game Ben Avery Range outside of Phoenix. But this is just one of many conversations we hope to have with ranges in the Western US and potentially other parts of the country. In my next semi-annual update in Apr ’25 I’ll provide a status update. We should be much further along by then.
Excellent document . . . . well written and very informative . . . . . . your work is OUTSTANDING! Thank you very much!
Sir/Madam:
No one can truly understand the CMP efforts that have been expended during the past 24 months. The reenergized CMP, the updated market place and improved communications have placed the Organization on a firm marketing: Customer First footing.
The only thing I would ask, even beg; is that a shooting center be located in NV, Southern UT or AZ.
It is nigh impossible to find the AL type services in rural NW Nevada.
Otherwise….Very Well Done.
Doc
Mr. Dunne, we are looking to the western United States as we look to expand. Thank you for the kind comments and stay tuned things are happening at the CMP.
Thanks for all your work with the Bianchi Cup!!!
Kim — thank you for your comment. We are very proud to host the “CMP” Bianchi Cup in partnership with the Green Valley Rifle and Pistol Club. We hope to continue to grow this historic and prestigious competition.