CMP Cup Rifle Match Series Added to 2017 National Match Calendar
December 15, 2016
By Ashley Brugnone, CMP Writer
CAMP PERRY, Ohio – With dates recently becoming available in the opening week of the National Matches schedule, June 26-30, the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) will lead off the competitions with CMP Service Rifle and CMP Match Rifle events, called the CMP Cup Matches. Match rifle competitors may participate in the new matches and compete straight up with their peers.
The CMP Cup series of individual and team service and match rifle events includes a 50-shot CMP Four-Man Team Match, three days of 80-shot CMP 800 Aggregate Matches, which may be fired singly or all three culminating in a 2,400-point aggregate and wrapping up with a 50-shot CMP Excellence-in-Competition (EIC) Service Rifle Match.
In clarification, the 50-shot team match and 80-shot individual matches, sighters will be allowed, no alibis (other than a range alibi), and shooters will start in the standing position prior to firing rapid strings. In the CMP Cup EIC Match sighters will not be allowed, shooters stand prior to rapid fire, and no alibis (other than a range alibi).
On July 1, the National Matches continue with its annual CMP-US Army Marksmanship Unit Small Arms Firing School for Pistol and M9 SAFS/EIC Match, the CMP EIC Pistol Match and CMP .22 Rimfire Pistol Match. On July 2, the CMP’s regular National Trophy Pistol Matches continue as planned with the CMP President’s 100 and CMP National Trophy Individual and National Trophy Team pistol matches.
On July 14, the CMP will fire its second set of National Matches rifle events including SAFS for Rifle, the CMP National Trophy Rifle Matches and CMP Rifle Games Events, which conclude July 25. The final event, CMP National Rimfire Sporter Match, will be conducted on Saturday, July 29.
“We are pleased to announce the introduction of new CMP service rifle and match rifle events during the first phase of the National Matches, previously occupied by other events,” said Mark Johnson, CMP Chief Operating Officer.
“It is our mission, amongst others, to safely instruct and host competitive rifle and pistol matches befitting our nation’s best shooters at the permanent home of the National Matches at Camp Perry, Ohio,” Johnson said. “Those mandates, along with promoting marksmanship with an emphasis on youth participation is what makes the CMP experience a special one.”
This year’s lineup was created to add new and different national competitions for CMP enthusiasts traveling to the prestigious National Matches at Camp Perry this coming summer.
Dedicated to the evolving world of competitive shooting, the CMP’s expansion of marksmanship events began in 2016 with the inclusion of its Legacy Series, which featured vintage and modern military rifle competitions. The new CMP Team, Cup Matches and EIC Rifle Match will provide rifle competitors an opportunity to participate in the type of matches that have been fired on the shore of Lake Erie since 1907.
The 2017 calendar also incorporates its new Range Officer Development Program for both pistol and rifle. Graduates of the RO classes will have an opportunity to apply their skills throughout the 2017 National Matches and have the opportunity to received advanced training over time. CMP range officer training will help maintain an atmosphere of safety, skill and competitor enjoyment throughout the CMP matches.
For the last 20 years, the CMP has focused its efforts on marksmanship advancement and safety for current and future generations and is grateful to the community that supports its efforts to further the sport of competitive shooting each day.
“Join us in 2017 as we continue to grow and expand our opportunities to competitors and guests. We are excited for the possibilities ahead and look forward to serving the marksmanship community with fun, educational and challenging events for years to come,” Johnson said.
I read that CMP was going to establish classifications for shooters. When will that occur? At the age of 74 with limited resources I am not in position to compete with young military shooters, who are basically professionals with unlimited resources. They dominate EIC or any other event they enter, where as NRA Classification balances that out for the civilian shooter. It is for that reason I do not compete in CMP events at this time, and I would love for a classification system to be established to let me compete in CMP events.
The classification system is being created now and is expected to be ready to launch by October. Our target is the Western Games. More information will be forthcoming as the program is completed.
This will be my 4th NRA Pistol Championships, as well as CMP Matches. I made reservations earlier, based on the previous schedule.. While talking with my girlfriend and printing up a new schedule, I realized that I will have to make 2 trips to shoot both (NRA & CMP Matches). Interesting! Thank goodness I live in Metro Detroit, only 1 hour and 20 minutes away! I can’t say the same for those travelling from Hawaii, California, and/or Florida! See you in June for trip 1 and July for trip 2.
Semper Fidelis!
Charles E. Carroll
GySgt USMC., Retired
Southfield, MI
Why are you allowing match rifles into CMP competition. CMP is about service rifles not match rifles. NRA is about match rifles. I wanted to shoot the CMP Cup Matches this year. I don’t want to shoot with match rifles, that is why I shoot CMP matches.
A reply from Christie Sewell, CMP Programs Chief: CMP is adding match rifle to give shooters more opportunities to shoot different match categories. Match rifle will be a separate category than service rifle. We will still conduct all the service rifle matches we have in the past, but will add a separate match rifle category. We are still working out the details of adding a match rifle category and will announce the details after the holidays.
The M1A match is missing on this calendar and yes I know it is a NRA event but most of the shooters are CMP shooters and not NRA service rifle shooters. I hope that the CMP is working with Springfield to keep this event at Perry because I have shot everyone of the M1A matches and I will not go to Atterbury even thou I have shot there before. I’m sure some shooters will go to Atterbury but I would bet the attendance will be no where near what it has been in past years. Just my two cents.
A response from Christie Sewell, CMP Programs Chief: CMP would welcome an M1A match with Springfield Armory. In the past we had no time in the schedule to add any matches to our schedule. Now that NRA has moved their highpower matches to Indiana, we do have time in the schedule. We will look into this to see if Springfield is interested.
What’s the reasoning behind separating the CMP & NRA pistol matches? This is a real disservice to the shooters. We are all on the same side and should work things out and get along. Otherwise, we risk dissolution of the National Matches. To both the NRA & CMP, don’t make the shooters choose between the two sets of matches, cause they might just not come to either!
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A response from Christie Sewell, CMP Programs Chief: CMP and NRA agreed upon and approved the 2017 National Match schedule in August of 2016. The NRA decided to change their portion of the schedule and announced this on November 16, 2017. NRA moved their highpower matches to Indiana and decided to move their pistol matches into the schedule where they scheduled their highpower matches. CMP and the Ohio National Guard were both unaware that NRA was planning to change their schedules and heard about this change the same time as everyone else. CMP agreed upon and committed to the 2017 schedule back in August and we will not change our match dates. We are adding a couple matches to fill the time NRA has left void. CMP would prefer to keep the 2017 schedule that all the partners agreed on, but we have no control over the decisions NRA makes for their own matches. If you have questions on NRA matches and events, please contact their competitions department.
A response from Christie Sewell, CMP Programs Chief: CMP and NRA agreed upon and approved the 2017 National Match schedule in August of 2016. The NRA decided to change their portion of the schedule and announced this on November 16, 2017. NRA moved their highpower matches to Indiana and decided to move their pistol matches into the schedule where they scheduled their highpower matches. CMP and the Ohio National Guard were both unaware that NRA was planning to change their schedules and heard about this change the same time as everyone else. CMP agreed upon and committed to the 2017 schedule back in August and we will not change our match dates. We are adding a couple matches to fill the time NRA has left void. CMP would prefer to keep the 2017 schedule that all the partners agreed on, but we have no control over the decisions NRA makes for their own matches. If you have questions on NRA matches and events, please contact their competitions department.
This past July was my 39th year competing at Camp Perry. I’ve felt honored to participate on the same grounds as some of the greatest shooters (pistol and rifle) our nation has ever had. I am saddened to see the discord between the NRA and CMP regarding, among other things, the scheduling of events. The flow from CMP Pistol SAFS to NRA Pistol to CMP Pistol to CMP Rifle, etc. has made it easier for competitors to actually compete and schedule their time off work. The disruptive nature of the 2017 schedule is unfortunate!
A response from Christie Sewell, CMP Programs Chief: CMP and NRA agreed upon and approved the 2017 National Match schedule in August of 2016. The NRA decided to change their portion of the schedule and announced this on November 16, 2017. NRA moved their highpower matches to Indiana and decided to move their pistol matches into the schedule where they scheduled their highpower matches. CMP and the Ohio National Guard were both unaware that NRA was planning to change their schedules and heard about this change the same time as everyone else. CMP agreed upon and committed to the 2017 schedule back in August and we will not change our match dates. We are adding a couple matches to fill the time NRA has left void. CMP would prefer to keep the 2017 schedule that all the partners agreed on, but we have no control over the decisions NRA makes for their own matches. If you have questions on NRA matches and events, please contact their competitions department.
Thank you for taking care of us competitors.
“The National Matches have been fired on the shore of Lake Erie since 1907”
Not continuously. Since 1907, the Nationals (and portions thereof) have been held at Perry, Jacksonville, Caldwell, Quantico, Dodge, Fort Sheridan, San Francisco, and Fort Benning at least once. Atterbury was considered once before in the 80s.