Rimfire Sporter M-Class Rifle Rule Clarification
June 9, 2026
Discipline: Rimfire Sporter Rifle
The M-Class was added as an “optional” Rimfire Sporter Rifle category in 2024. This rule was intended to allow rimfire military training rifles sold by the CMP to be used in a special Rimfire Sporter category where the 7.5 lb. weight limit does not apply. The intent was to give owners of these rifles opportunities to use them in CMP competitions. Recently, issues have come up regarding the wide range of rimfire rifles that the CMP acquired from government sources and subsequently sold to U. S. citizens. To answer those concerns the M-Class Rule (G9.2.1 d) has been amended to now read:
Match sponsors have the option of including an M-Class for rimfire rifles that were acquired by the U. S. Government for various purposes and subsequently sold by the CMP to U. S. citizens for their private use. Rimfire rifles eligible for inclusion in the M-Class must be repeater rifles suitable for use in firing the 60-shot Rimfire Sporter Rifle course of fire. There is no weight limit for rifles in this class (Rule 9.2.3), but they must have a minimum trigger pull of 3.0 lbs. (Rule 9.2.5) and aperture sights (Rule 9.2.6 d).
The rule will be interpreted to allow any rimfire repeater rifle sold by the CMP that is suitable for Rimfire Sporter shooting will be accepted in this class. Note that M-Class rifles must have aperture receiver sights.
This rule change basically defeats the intended purpose of promoting CMP sold .22 target rifles in matches if it applies to both the 60-shot Rimfire Sporter Match and the Rimfire Sporter Benchrest Match. If both, the only rifles that will now qualify are: (Over the past 3 years there were very few of these models offered by CMP
Winchester 52B
Winchester 52c
Remington Model 513T Matchmaster
Mossberg Model 44US
Disqualified rifles now include (these were by far the vast majority of CMP rifles offered over the last 3 years)
Winchester Model 52D
Winchester Model 52E
Remington 40-X Generally No The CMP surplus rifles were overwhelmingly single-shot USMC/USAF target rifles, not repeater models.
Kimber Model 82G .
Harrington & Richardson M12
Perhaps a solution would be to have separate qualifications depending on the match. The 60-shot Rimfire Sporter rifle match could be limited to magazine fed rifles while the Rimfire Sporter Benchrest Match could include all classes of .22 Target rifles.
Regardless, can’t say enough good things about CMP matches. They are competitive, well organized and run, and are great fun.