The M1 Carbine Trophy was donated to the National Trophy Rifle collection by the Carbine Club, a national organization of Carbine collectors.

Participation reached an all-time high this year in the CMP John C. Garand, Springfield and Vintage Military Rifle Matches. The addition of the M1 Carbine Match was also well received with high participation and is expected to grow in the years to come. The Garand, Springfield and Vintage Matches had a combined 2369 shooters, up 327 competitors from last year. The new M1 Carbine Match brought in an additional 479 competitors, believed to be the largest assembly of Carbine rifles on one range since the Korean War era.

The M1 Carbine Match was certainly the talk of Camp Perry as it kicked off the CMP Games at the National Matches. The course of fire was similar to the John C. Garand Match with the addition of a rapid fire sitting stage that followed rapid fire prone. The Match was fired from the 200 yard line at a set of reduced targets placed on target frames 100 yards downrange. This was the first time in over 50 years that an M1 Carbine Match was fired at Camp Perry, and participation was more than double what was expected.

MG Greg Wayt, the Adjutant General, State of Ohio, and BG Matt Kambic, Ohio Assistant Adjutant General, Army, fired in the 9th Annual John C. Garand Match. The Generals had the full experience from scoring to pit duty as other participants in the matches.

After the announcement that the M1 Carbine Match would be added the National Match schedule, the Carbine Club, a national organization of Carbine collectors, offered to provide an M1 Carbine Trophy to be added to the National Matches Trophy collection at Camp Perry. The Carbine Club designated Larry Routh, a nationally recognized expert on Carbines, to represent them in making the first presentation of the M1 Carbine Trophy.

The first recipient of the M1 Carbine Trophy was Daniel Hinton of Berlin, WI with a score of 368-7X. “The best part of the match for me was the chance to shoot it with my Dad. It really was a great match for everyone,” said Hinton. It was certainly a match for all ages with competitors ranging from age 11 and up.

Several competitors dressing in period military uniforms for the CMP Games Events. The helmet pictured represents the famed E Company Army Air Bourne Unit from WWII.

Next on the National Match schedule were the Springfield and Vintage Military Rifle Matches. In these matches, competitors can elect to fire either a M1903 rifle which places them in the Springfield category, or an “as-issued” manually-operated foreign military rifle which places them in the Vintage category. The Vintage Match saw the largest growth of any of the CMP Games events with 237 competitors, up from only 84 in 2005.

The winner of the Springfield Match was Sean Leighton of Mechanicsburg, PA with a score of 287-5X. The High Junior was Anthony Ressel of Torrington, CT with a score of 271-6X that placed him in 108th place overall. The High Junior Plaques for the CMP Games Matches were provided by the Camp Perry Retired Marines.

Jeffery Knop of Brighton, MI posted the highest score of all four of the 2006 CMP Games Matches with a 290-8X to win the Vintage Military Rifle Match. Knop, a JROTC instructor from the Detroit area, shot a 6.5mm Swedish Mouser in the match. The High Junior of the match was Kevin Anevicius of Hilbert, WI who shot a 272-3X which placed him 28th overall.

The 9th Annual John C. Garand Match drew record numbers with 1291 competitors. Attendance was high for all the CMP Games Events with record numbers for each match.

The oldest event of the CMP Games is the John C. Garand Match which began in 1998 with only 330 shooters. This year the Match again saw record numbers with 1291 competitors. For the first time in the history of the Match there was a tie for first place. Because no rule had been set in place for breaking a tie beyond X count it was decided that co-winners would be awarded. This year’s co-winners of the John C. Garand Match were Christopher Roberts of Charlotte, NC and Nicholson Perkins Jr. of Cordova, TN, both firing a score of 286-7X. They were both presented the John C. Garand Trophy which was donated to the National Matches Trophy collection by the Garand Collectors Association in 2001. The High Junior for the Match was Robert Rice of Stillwater, MN with a score of 282-5X which placed him 11th overall.

For complete results from any of these Matches please visit CMP’s website at http://clubs.odcmp.com/cgi-bin/report_matchResult.cgi?matchID=1409, for photos from the events visit http://www.odcmp.com/Photos/05/Index.htm.