Update on 2012 CMP Competition Rules

The CMP Rules Committee approved the 16th edition of the CMP Competition Rules in March. The new CMP rulebook has been posted on the CMP website at http://www.thecmp.org/Competitions/Rulebook.pdf for several weeks. This article provides an update and summary of changes in the 2012 CMP Competition Rules.

Download the 2012 edition of the CMP Competition Rules from the CMP website at http://www.thecmp.org/Competitions/Rulebook.pdf.

New As-Issued Pistol Match Approved

The 2012 rulebook introduces a new CMP As-Issued Pistol Course that may be fired with either As-Issued M1911-type pistols or Military and Police Service Pistols. The CMP ran experimental as-issued pistol events during its last three Eastern CMP Games Matches at Camp Butner, North Carolina. Enthusiastic responses to those matches convinced the CMP that it is time to formally adopt as-issued pistol as a CMP-recognized event. The 2012 rules provide a new course of fire that can be fired on any safe range, even if it does not have turning targets. The rules provide for two different pistol categories, As-Issued M1911 Pistols and Military and Police Service Pistols. Matches with the As-Issued Pistol Course can use either pistol category or clubs can conduct two matches, one for each category.

The 2012 CMP Competition Rules introduce a new CMP As-Issued Pistol Course that can be fired with two pistol categories, As-Issued M1911 military pistols like the Colt M1991 pistol pictured above or Military and Police Service Pistols in calibers from 9mm to .45.

As-Issued M1911 Pistols may either be Armed Forces issue M1911 cal. .45 ACP pistols or commercial pistols of the same type and caliber. Pistols must be in “as-issued” condition with standard grips, non-adjustable sights and no match conditioning. Trigger pulls of at least 4 pounds are required. The second category for Military & Police Service Pistols allows a wide variety of semi-auto pistols in calibers from 9mm to .45 to be used. Barrels cannot be longer than 5 inches and sights must be non-adjustable. Trigger pulls of at least four pounds are required. Any safe ammunition with full-jacketed round nose bullets may be used in either pistol category.

The new CMP As-Issued Pistol Course is intended to be for military and police service pistols what the As-Issued Military Rifle Course is for Garands, Springfields and Vintage Military Rifles. The course of fire is new and may be adjusted after experience is gained with it. Clubs that try matches with the As-Issued Pistol Course are urged to provide feedback to CMP Competitions (competitions@odcmp.com). Detailed rules for the new course are found in Rule 9.13 of the 2012 CMP Competition Rules.

All firing is done at 25 yards on the standard B-8 (NRA B-8) target. Targets may be placed in turning target frames, or clubs that do not have turning targets can mount targets on large target boards. Magazines are loaded with five rounds each. Each stage begins with a LOAD command, after which shooters must come to a ready position with pistols down at 45-degree angles. After the COMMENCE FIRING command, shooters may raise their pistols to the target, fire five shots, reload and fire the remaining five shots, all within the time limit. The course of fire has four stages:

• Stage 1. 5 sighters and 10 shots for record in 15 minutes, if two targets are mounted on a target board. If one target is mounted in a turning target frame, this stage must be separated into 5 sighters in 5 minutes followed by 10 shots for record in 5 minutes. Shooters may fire this stage with a one or two-handed grip (shooter’s choice).

• Stages 2 & 3. In these stages, shooters are required to use single-handed grips. The left hand must be used in stage 2; the right hand must be used in stage 3. Each stage is 10 shots in five minutes.

• Stage 4. This stage may be fired with either a one or two-handed grip. These 10 shots for record, which includes one reload, must be completed in 70 seconds.

Like CMP As-Issued Military Rifle courses of fire, this new event features standard military or police type pistols fired in a course that is challenging to experienced shooters, yet can be successfully completed by recreation-oriented and new shooters in a setting that stresses the fun and camaraderie that As-Issued Military Rifle shooters have long enjoyed.

Paralympic Athletes Now Eligible to Earn International Distinguished Badge

Paralympic shooters like Army SFC Josh Olson from the Army Marksmanship Unit can now compete to earn the Distinguished International Shooters Badge in international competitions governed by the International Paralympic Committee. SFC Olson has already qualified to participate in the 2012 Paralympic Games Air Rifle Prone event in London.

The U. S. Distinguished International Shooters Badge, which was instituted by the Department of Defense and first awarded by President John Kennedy in 1963, is an exceptionally difficult award to earn because it can only be earned by shooters who first qualify for a U. S. national team under procedures established by USA Shooting and the U. S. Olympic Committee and who then go on to win medals in competitions governed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF). To date, and even with retroactive and posthumous badge awards going back to the early 1900s, only 461 of these badges have been awarded. The most recent change in CMP rules (Rule 10.3) for the awarding of this badge now make it available to shooters who fulfill similar criteria in competitions governed by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC). The Paralympic Games began in 1960 and now are organized under the governance of the IPC by Olympic Organizing Committees immediately after every Olympic Games. The IPC also governs a World Championship and annual World Cups. Under the new CMP rules, disabled shooters who qualify for the U. S. National Team according to procedures established by USA Shooting, which is recognized by the USOC as the national governing body for Paralympic shooting, and who win medals in IPC-governed international competition can now earn this prestigious badge.

2012 CMP Rule Changes
In addition to the one new pistol event and new recognition opportunities for disabled shooters, there are several other changes in the 2012 rules. Here is a summary:

• Four Levels of CMP Competitions. Rules 1.2 and 1.3. The new rules formalize something that has been implicit in CMP rules for some time by delineating four levels of CMP competitions: 1) Sanctioned Club Matches, 2) Sanctioned State Championships, 3) Regional CMP Games Matches (Eastern, Western, Central) and 4) the National Matches.

• CMP Recognized Shooting Events. Rule 1.4. The number of shooting events recognized by the CMP continues to grow. The rules provide a new Table 1 that lists 31 different CMP shooting and the conditions under which they may be fired in different levels of CMP competitions. There are nine Service Rifle, four Service Pistol, 14 CMP Games and Special EIC Rifle and four CMP Games Pistol events.

• State Championship Sanctioning. Rule 1.3.2. The possibilities for conducting State Championships in CMP-recognized rifle and pistol events was expanded so that beginning in 2012, the CMP will authorize one State Service Rifle Championship, one State Service Pistol Championship, one State CMP Games Rifle Championship, one State CMP Games Pistol Championship (may be combined with State CMP Games Rifle Championship) and one State Rimfire Sporter Championship each year in each state. If the CMP affiliated State Association does not apply to host any of these State Championships or designate a club to host them by the 1st of January of each year, the CMP will accept applications to host unscheduled State Championships directly from affiliated clubs in that state.

• One Rule Book for CMP Games Matches. Previous CMP rulebooks were incomplete even when they were used to govern As-Issued Military Rifle Matches because some details were left out on the assumption that the NRA Rulebook could be consulted. While doing this is possible for Service Rifle and Pistol Matches, it is not practical for most CMP Games and As-Issued Rifle and Pistol Matches. The 2012 rules provide for using only one rulebook, the CMP Competition Rules, to govern all aspects of As-Issued Military Rifle Matches. New definitions and rules for match procedures and equipment were added to facilitate this. It should be noted that the new CMP shooting jacket rule prohibits the use of any hard plastic or non-bending inserts in shooting jackets. Creedmoor “Hardback” jackets are legal since the original fabric is flexible, but the use of non-flexible inserts in any shooting jacket is illegal.

The 2012 CMP Rules adopt the new highpower score marking system that keeps all score value discs on the lower half of the target, except that in rapid-fire series with insufficient or excessive hits, the marking discs still go at the top of the target. Correct shot value disc locations are shown in the illustration.

• Highpower Rifle Target Marking System. Rule 5.10.2. The NRA adopted a new highpower rifle target marking to be used in all of its matches starting in 2012. The CMP Rules Committee evaluated this system and decided that in order to avoid confusion when shooters move from one type of match to the other, the CMP would also officially adopt the same target marking system (see illustration).

• 3.5 Lb. Trigger Pull for U. S. Krag and M1917 Rifles. Rule 6.3.4. The trigger pull requirement for Krag and M1917 rifles was dropped from 4.5 to 3.5 pounds so that now the M1903 and all rifles in the Vintage Military Rifle category have the same 3.5 pound trigger pull requirement.

• Rear Aperture Dimensions. Rule 6.3.1 (7). The internal diameter of rear apertures on As-Issued Military Rifles may now be varied to suit the user as long as no “adjustable apertures, interchangeable inserts and lens inserts of any type” are used. The CMP previously allowed the so-called Marine Corps 0.100” rear aperture modification, but this 2012 change would allow shooters to use larger or smaller rear aperture sizes. This modification was approved in part because of the near impossibility of enforcing a strict 0.100” or as-issued rear aperture size standard.
• National Match Garands Rule 6.3.2 (3). Restrictions on the use of NM parts on As-Issued M1 Garands were loosened so that any NM parts except NM sights may be used. Prohibitions against using any Garand with glass or synthetic bedding continue.

• M1903 National Match Rifles. Rule 6.3.3 (8). M1903 NM rifles with star-gauged barrels may now be used in As-Issued Military Rifle Shooting. This change is driven by the realization that modern replacement barrels for M1903 rifles are as good as or probably better than any original star-gauged barrels.

• Short Range Service Rifle Courses. Rules 1.4, 8.3, 8.4,8.11. CMP-sanctioned Service Rifle events like the 50-shot National Match Course and the 80-shot 4x20 course can now be fired on reduced targets at 100 or 200 yards. This will allow clubs with only 200 or 100-yard ranges to sanction their Service Rifle matches with CMP.


• CMP Games Achievement Awards. The new rules contain the 2012 cut scores needed to earn Achievement Medals and Pins in CMP Games events. Garand Match scores are unchanged, Springfield scores are up slightly, Vintage Military Rifle scores dropped slightly while Carbine silver scores went down and bronze scores went up. 2012 Cut scores are shown in the chart.

• Modern Military Rifles. Rules 9.1, 9.2. CMP rules now permit clubs to sanction so-called “Open Military Rifle Matches where shooters are allowed to use AR-platform rifles or other modern military rifles. Many clubs report that they are beginning to conduct matches where these rifles are fired over the 30 and 50-shot As-Issued Military Rifle courses.

The CMP Rules Committee thanks the many shooters, coaches and officials who submitted rule recommendations for Committee consideration. In addition to new rules that were adopted, the Committee also decided not to accept several other recommendations. When the Rules Committee evaluates possible rule changes, there are some important principles used to make rules decisions:
1. The CMP regards the National Trophy and EIC Matches as comprehensive tests of rifleman skills and generally opposes any changes to make these events easier or less challenging. The recent decision to retain the requirement to start rapid-fire stages from standing is an example of this.

2. Service Rifles and Service Pistols approved for use in CMP competitions must be general issue service arms and not special or limited issue arms. Decisions this year to not accept the M110 as a Service Rifle or the SIG Sauer M11 as a Service Pistol are examples.

3. Standards for approving Service Rifles and possible modifications to them have followed as-issued military rifle standards much more closely since the new CMP was established in 1996. A proposal to accept mirror-image left-handed M16-type rifles was not accepted because such rifles were never issued by the U. S. Armed Forces. Rule 6.1.2 (1) prohibitions against changing the “external configuration” (profile) of Service Rifles are now strictly applied when considering proposed new rifles.
4. The traditions and spirit of As-Issued Military Rifle shooting are sacrosanct. Attempts to use accurizing modifications or replacement parts that might add points to competitors’ scores, but which increase equipment costs, may be acceptable in most target shooting disciplines, but not in As-Issued Military Rifle shooting. Several such proposals were turned down this year based on this “as-issued” standard.

5. CMP rule-making for As-Issued Military Rifle shooting also strives to be practical as long as changes do not add to the cost of this discipline and are generally accessible to all shooters. For example, rifles with NM barrels can now be used because superior replacement barrels have been available for several years. Shooters can now use different aperture diameters in their rifles. On the other hand, a proposal to change a rule established for the first Garand Match in 1999 by prohibiting shooting jackets in As-Issued Military Rifle shooting was not accepted because the use of shooting jackets is already well established in these matches.

The new 2012 CMP Competition Rules have been available for several weeks, but anyone who has not yet seen them is invited to take a closer look at all rules of interest to them by downloading the rulebook from the CMP website at http://www.odcmp.com/Competitions/Rulebook.pdf. As always, comments on the rules or recommendations for the 2013 rulebook are welcome and should be sent to CMP Headquarters at competitions@odcmp.com.

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