CMP Utilizes New Pistol Range Design at 2021 National Pistol Matches

July 14, 2021

Civilian Marksmanship Program▸The First Shot▸CMP Utilizes New Pistol Range Design at 2021 National Pistol Matches

CAMP PERRY, Ohio – If you’re attending the 2021 National Matches, you may notice the custom pistol ranges have undergone a complete remodel.

The Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP), which conducts the annual National Matches at Camp Perry, has added an enhanced range system that accentuates both safety and efficiency in its construction.

The National Pistol Match events are traditionally fired on the 600-yard and 1000-yard rifle ranges using temporary target lines constructed specifically for the pistol phase. Though fully operational, the previous target system was complex and required extensive labor to assemble, leaving room for improvement.

After the 2018 National Matches, CMP staff members were tasked with creating a cost-effective, simple and reliable range system to use for the hundreds of pistol competitors that attend the annual event each summer. 

The team quickly went to work – creating a boosted frame design and receiving construction bids from several vendors before ultimately choosing the local B&W Welding company, which had also previously provided metalwork for the indoor air gun ranges and the portable highpower range for the CMP.

The new frames, which cost just $23,000 per 50 firing points to produce, dramatically sliced assembling time – with only about two hours needed for completion, unlike the three weeks of work required for the traditional range setup. The modernized frames are sturdy enough that they don’t require stakes to secure them and are also equipped with a generator-ran air cylinder used to turn the target faces during the rapid fire series of the pistol events.

The updated system was tested with great success in 2019 and is now powering all pistol ranges during the 2021 National Matches – currently underway at Camp Perry. 

“CMP made improvements from the 2019 first version of the pistol targets. We received competitor feedback and the frame heights were shortened. We also installed poles at the bottom to minimize the movement when the targets turn to face the competitors” said Christie Sewell, CMP Programs Chief.

Come see the enhanced target line for yourself! All ages and experience levels are welcome to participate in the marksmanship event that has been an annual tradition at Camp Perry since 1907. View the entire National Matches schedule and find registration info on the CMP website at https://thecmp.org/competitions/matches/cmp-national-matches/. Don’t forget – the National Matches offers highpower, smallbore and long range rifle as well as indoor air gun events all summer long!