A brand new concept in target air rifles will be unveiled at an air rifle competition that will take place at the CMP’s Anniston (Alabama) Competition Center this Saturday, 14 March. Creedmoor Sports Inc., one of the major shooting sports equipment suppliers in the USA, has designed an AR style air rifle built around an Anschütz 8001 barreled action.  This rifle was designed in conjunction with the development of the CMP's new National Match Air Rifle shooting discipline.  The first Creedmoor prototype will be unveiled at a test competition for the new discipline in Anniston on 14 March.

The new Creedmoor NMAR features an Anschütz M8001 air rifle system (action, trigger, barrel) that is fitted into an AR-type platform. A compressed air cylinder housed inside the forearm powers the Anschütz M8001 system. An actual AR-type carry handle with AR sight attaches to the top of the M8001 action. It also utilizes an actual AR-15 front sight assembly.  The complete rifle is designed to have the look, configuration and feel of the AR-type service rifles that are used in CMP Service Rifle competitions.   For more information on the Creedmoor NMAR and be one of the first to pre-order, please go to http://www.creedmoorsports.com and click on New Items!

Anyone in the Anniston, Alabama area who is interested in seeing this new air rifle in action or in learning more about the National Match Air Rifle discipline is invited to come by the CMP Competition Center at Anniston. The match starts at the CMP Competition Center, starting at 10:00 AM on 14 March. The Center is located at 1470 Sentinel Drive in Anniston. Take the Oxford exit #188 off of I-20. At exit 188, turn north onto Golden Springs Road, drive 1.3 miles and turn left on Greenbrier-Dear Road. Drive 0.2 miles and turn left on Sentinel Drive. The CMP Competition Center is the second building on the right. The Building has a blue roof.

The coach and two members of the U. S. Army Service Rifle Team from Fort Benning will also be at the test event on Saturday to evaluate the National Match Air Rifle program.

Everyone interested in the new discipline is encouraged to shoot in the competition. CMP staff will be on hand to explain all the rules and procedures. Highpower rifle shooters who have their own air rifles can shoot with their highpower jackets and equipment in the precision class. Shooters who do not have their own air rifles can check out loaner air rifles at the Anniston range.

Details about the event are available in the official program posted at http://www.odcmp.com/Programs/AirRifle/NMARTestProgram_AN.pdf.

You can enter on-line at http://clubs.odcmp.com/cgi-bin/matchInfo.cgi?matchID=4281.

Provisional rules for the National Match Air rifle event are posted at http://odcmp.com/NMAR/Rules.pdf.

For more information call Brad Donoho at 419-635-2141, ext. 1130 or James Hall at 256-835-8455, ext. 1145.

National Match Air Rifle is a new shooting discipline that offers a 10-meter air rifle version of highpower rifle shooting. The game is designed to appeal to highpower rifle shooters who want to do more shooting in the off-season or at home when they cannot get to the range. Those shooters can use either the AR-type air rifles like the Creedmoor NMAR or a similar rifle being developed by Pilkington Competition Equipment. There is also a rifle class for precision air rifles.

Another phase of National Match Air Rifle is designed to appeal to recreational target shooters who want a game they can shoot at their gun clubs or with family and friends at home. Shooters in this “sporter class” must use sporter air rifles like the Daisy M853, M888 or M887 air rifles and cannot wear heavy shooting jackets.

The targets are scaled-down versions of the 200-yard and 600-yard highpower targets so scores fired by experienced highpower shooters should be comparable with their outdoor scores. Two courses of fire will be tested in Anniston. One is 20 shots standing on the reduced SR 200-yard target. The other is a three-position 3x20 course with firing in prone, sitting and standing positions. Full details are available in the match program posted at http://www.odcmp.com/Programs/AirRifle/NMARTestProgram_AN.pdf. Call 419-635-2141, ext. 1130 or 256-835-8455, ext. 1145 for more information.

NEXT ARTICLE