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2004 John C. Garand Match Was A Sell-Out

By Dale Miles, CMP Staff Writer
Antonio Samper of Tallahassee, Florida won the John C. Garand Trophy with his match winning and record-setting 292-5X score.
Alfred Hitchcock’s classic thriller, “The Birds” has given moviegoers the willies for decades since its debut in the 1960s. For competitors at Camp Perry shooting the John C. Garand Match on August 7th, the birds had an entirely different meaning. More accurately, it was one bird that caused anxiety for shooters and match officials. With Camp Perry’s proximity to Lake Erie, it is a natural hunting and breeding ground for a number of hawks and eagles. One intrepid young hawk seemed to stake out the area between the number boards and the targets downrange as his personal hunting area and wasn’t about to let a few pesky bullets deter him! Frequent cease-fires were called so a range officer could head downrange in a golf cart to scare the hawk away. After numerous attempts at this, the young hawk finally got the message and perched high in a tree to the left of the range, watching the day’s match.

And the match was quite a spectacle, as the Garand Match has come to be since its beginning in 1998. As with the Springfield Match the day before, numerous competitors arrived in the uniforms of World War II soldiers, Marines or sailors. Groups of shooters gathered to watch or to talk about the day’s event. Garand Match Day is a day of gathering and celebration of the shooting sports…with a whole lot of shooting thrown in for good measure.

Garand Match Junior winner Sam Ohlinger, 18, from Lockbourne, Ohio receives his award from CMP Board member Marsha Beasley.
With nearly 1401 shooters entered in the match that day, there was more than a little shooting. As a matter of fact, the match was filled to range capacity and the CMP had to start placing late entries on the waiting list. Shooters started picking up their relay and firing point assignments at 6:00 AM, with firing beginning at 7:30 AM and not ending until after 6:00 PM that evening. Except for the delays for the local wildlife, smooth was the word of the day when it came to operations. And the weather was picture perfect—it was as fine a day at Camp Perry as anyone could remember.

After the last shot was fired and the scores entered in the National Matches database via the CMP’s new electronic score card reader, all scores were posted and award winners ready to be announced just 30 minutes after cease-fire. Some very good scores topped the leader board too. Antonio Samper of Tallahassee, Florida bested all other shooters with his impressive score of 292-5X. This is a match record for the John C. Garand Match; the highest previous score was a 290-12X fired by Christopher Roberts in 2003. Close behind in second place was David Lavoie of Nashua, New Hampshire with a score of 290-5X. The title of high junior competitor in the match belonged to Samuel Ohlinger of Lockbourne, Ohio for his score of 277-2X.

Awards for the Garand Match as well as the Springfield Match from the day before were handed out following the day’s shooting. Prior to the outdoor ceremony, the CMP organized a shooters’ reception to give the shooters a chance to socialize in a way that doesn’t happen on the range. Two local restaurants were on hand with food for sale, and the CMP provided beer and soft drinks for all who wished to relax after the match and enjoy the company of their fellow competitors. Shooters stayed way into the night to catch up with old friends or acquaint themselves with new ones. The bond between shooters is strong and is the core of the spirit of the John C. Garand Match.

A National Match Armory presentation rifle is awarded in the Garand Match as well, but it also is presented through a special draw procedure. During the match five shooters were picked at random off of each relay to have their rifles inspected by CMP gunsmiths for compliance with as-issued rifle rules. Each one of these competitors whose rifles passed inspection had their name entered in the drawing for a beautiful M1 Garand rifle that was transformed into a presentation rifle by Eric Pierce of the National Match Armory in Rendon, Texas. The winner of the 2004 John C. Garand Match presentation rifle was Larry Smith of Columbus, Ohio.

For more information on the National John C. Garand Match or about CMP sanctioned John C. Garand Matches in your area, go to http://www.odcmp.com/Competitions.htm.

A spirit of festivity permeates the John C. Garand Match.  These shooters took it upon themselves to dress in the clothing of the men who made the M1 Garand rifle the feared battle weapon that it was in World War II. 

Competitors wishing to know if their rifle complied with CMP standards for the match were welcome to seek out the CMP Armorers to have their rifles inspected.  Here CMP Armorers inspect another of the fine M1 Garands that made it to this year’s John C. Garand Match.

A competitor touches off a shot during the 2004 John C. Garand Match.  The John C. Garand Match has become the most popular event during the National Matches in just the six short years it has been fired.