CMP RELEASES 2026 SMALLBORE AND AIR GUN RULEBOOKS
March 16, 2026
CMP 2026 Rulebooks for the Disciplines of Smallbore Rifle Position, Smallbore Rifle Prone, Air Rifle and Air Pistol Are Now Available
By Gary Anderson, DCM Emeritus
When the CMP released its 2026 Highpower Rifle, Bulls-eye Pistol, Action Pistol and CMP Games Rulebooks in early December 2025, we announced that the release of its 2026 Smallbore Rifle and Air Rifle/Air Pistol Rulebooks would be delayed until after the 2026 ISSF (International Shooting Sport Federation) Rules were available. CMP Rules for these disciplines closely follow ISSF Rules because so many competitors in these events also compete in USA Shooting competitions where ISSF Rules are followed. This situation became especially challenging this year when the ISSF announced that it was changing its Rifle Three-Position Final and making significant changes in the testing procedures for Rifle jackets and trousers. The ISSF, however, did not release official 2026 rules for those changes until the end of January. Since then, CMP Staff, Rules Advisors and Rules Sub-Committee members have spent the last several weeks determining how these ISSF rule changes should impact CMP Smallbore Rifle Position and Air Rifle/Air Pistol Rules and how to introduce these major changes into the CMP competition program. This article announces the posting of the two new rulebooks, reviews these changes and provides preliminary guidance regarding how they will be implemented.
Finalist introductions at the start of a Junior Three-Position Air Rifle Final. In 2026, the finals for Junior Precision Three-Position Air Rifle and Smallbore Rifle Position will change from the previous 45-shot final to the new ISSF 35-shot final format.
CMP 2026 Rulebooks for Highpower Rifle, Bulls-eye Pistol, Action Pistol and CMP Games (Vintage Military Rifle, Rimfire Sporter, As-Issued Pistol) were released on the 1st of December 2025 and have been available for downloading for more than three months at: https://thecmp.org/competitions/cmp-competitions-rulebooks/. The last two CMP 2026 Rulebooks and summary lists of 2026 rules changes are now available at that same site:
- 8th Edition 2026 CMP Smallbore Rifle Competition Rules
- “Changes in 2026 CMP Smallbore Rifle Competition Rules”
- 5th Edition 2026 CMP Air Rifle and Air Pistol Competition Rules
- “Changes in 2026 CMP Air Rifle and Air Pistol Competition Rules”
Competitors and match sponsors who are active in the disciplines of Smallbore Rifle Position, Smallbore Rifle Prone, Air Rifle, Air Pistol and Junior Three-Position Air Rifle should pay special attention to these two major changes. The new rulebooks have detailed rules for both the new 35-shot final and Rifle jacket and trouser stiffness testing, but those new rules will be phased in during the year according to schedules described in this article.
New Rifle Three-Position Final. Prior to this year, the ISSF had a start-from-zero 45-shot Three-Position Final that concluded with eliminations beginning at shot #40. The ISSF initially tried to change that final to a shorter one-position (standing only) final. Due mostly to athlete opposition, the ISSF settled on an altered three-position final. The new ISSF three-position final combines kneeling and prone stages into one 22-minute stage, starts eliminations after 30 shots and concludes after 35 shots. The CMP is adopting this final as its standard Smallbore Rifle Position and Junior Three-Position Air Rifle final but since rules for the new final were not available at the beginning of the year, the new final is being phased in during the year.
Finals in CMP 2026 competitions will continue to use the previous 45-shot final during the first four months of the year. Beginning with CMP monthly matches in May, the new 35-shot final will be phased into CMP Rifle Three-Position competitions.
- The CMP Three-Position Air Rifle Regionals in April will use the current 45-shot final, but CMP staff will brief coaches and athletes regarding the new 35-shot final.
- The CMP will test the new final during the CMP Monthly Air Gun (Camp Perry & Anniston) and Smallbore (Talladega) Matches in May.
- The CMP expects to use the new 35-shot final for the CMP Smallbore Rifle Position National Championship and the Junior Precision Air Rifle Three-Position National Championship in July.
- Based on coach and competitor feedback after the May test of the new final, the CMP will decide whether to use the new 35-shot final or the 45-shot final for the Sporter Three-Position Air Rifle Championship in June. Implementation of the new final for Sporter Class competitors may be delayed until the new Three-Position rulebooks come out in September.
- A new Range Officer Script, “3-Position Final on Electronic Targets,” is now posted on the CMP rulebook website, however, practicing the new final will be difficult in 2026 because software to conduct this final is not yet commonly available. Clubs and teams could nevertheless practice the 22-minute Kneeling Record—Prone Sighter—Prone Record–Standing Sighter sequence. The Standing part of the new final will be unchanged from the current final.
Rifle Clothing Rules. To reduce the performance-enhancing impact of ultra stiff Rifle clothing, the ISSF adopted stricter compliance and testing procedures for Rifle jackets and trousers. Jacket overlap requirements are increased and stiffness testing procedures are more rigorous (shorter testing times). The CMP is acquiring official stiffness testing gauges and plans to conduct clothing stiffness testing at Camp Perry and Anniston. Implementation of the new Rifle clothing standards will occur during 2026 with a goal of achieving full compliance in 2027. The CMP projects a 2026 implementation scenario as follows:
- Many competitors, including many Juniors, will have to comply immediately because they also compete in USA Shooting/ISSF competitions where these new clothing regulations will be enforced. The 2026 ISSF calendar includes a Junior World Championship in June, a World Championship in November and the Championship of the Americas in November. Trials for the teams that represent the USA in these international championship will require full compliance with these new rules.
- The CMP plans to start enforcing these new clothing rules in competitions where equipment control testing is done. The first 2026 CMP competitions where competitors can expect enforcement are the Monthly Matches in May. The new clothing rules will be applied during the 2026 National Matches Air Gun Championships in July, as well as in the CMP Three-Position Air Rifle Precision Championship for school-age juniors in July. In these competitions, clothing testing will be done as part of equipment control. To qualify for a Final or to receive most match awards, compliance with the new clothing rules will be required.
- To ensure that all competitors, compliant and non-compliant, have an opportunity to compete, the CMP expects to recognize two categories in many 2026 competitions. Appropriate awards will be provided for both categories.
- Competitors who do not comply with the 2026 Rifle clothing rules in the new rulebooks will still be required to comply with the 2025 rifle clothing rules.
Equipment control during the 2025 CMP National Precision Class Three-Position Air Rifle Championship. Starting in mid-year 2026, equipment control will also include rifle jacket and trouser stiffness testing.
Other changes in the new rulebooks are relatively minor. Lists of changes can be downloaded from the CMP rulebook website. A couple of things to note are:
Smallbore Prone Rules are Unchanged. The new Smallbore Rifle rulebook makes a clearer distinction between clothing and equipment rules that apply to Smallbore Prone and the ISSF-based rules that apply to Smallbore Position. ISSF Rules that apply to clothing and equipment will apply to Smallbore Rifle Three-Position events, but those rules do not apply to Smallbore Prone events where more traditional and less restrictive rules apply. In addition to separate rules for Smallbore Prone courses of fire and finals, new Rule SB 5.7 titled “Smallbore Prone Clothing and Equipment” confirms this distinction.
Finals for Air Rifle and Air Pistol are Unchanged. The Air Rifle and Air Pistol 24-shot finals remain unchanged from the finals that were used in recent years.
Rules for Two New Team Events. The 2026 Air Rifle/Air Pistol Rulebook provides rules to conduct Mixed Team events (Rule AG6.4.7) for either Air Rifle or Air Pistol. Mixed Teams have one male and one female member. There is a 60-shot qualification (30 shots by each member) and a medal round for the top four teams in the qualification. The 2026 Smallbore Rifle Rulebook has rules to conduct a Three-Position 3-Person Team Elimination Match (SB6.4.7, which is now part of the National Matches Smallbore Rifle program. This event has three rounds of competition that ends with two medal matches.
The 2026 CMP Smallbore Rifle and Air Rifle/Air Pistol Competition Rulebooks are now available and posted on the CMP “Competition Rulebooks” webpage at https://thecmp.org/competitions/cmp-competitions-rulebooks/. If anyone has questions about the new rules or rulebooks that should contact CMP Staff at [email protected] or [email protected]. Phone: 419-635-2141, ext. 731.