All-Around Champion At National Matches?

Aug17 by John M. Buol Jr.

From 1935 to 1939, an All-Around Championship was held to determine the best Smallbore, High Power, and Precision Pistol marksman.

The DuPont Trophy, a bronze statue of a medieval archer poised with his longbow at full draw, was bestowed on the winner of the All-Around Championship. This aggregate match comprised a centerfire pistol National Match Course; preliminary Smallbore Dewar Match Course; and four High Power matches that included slow fire; standing and prone, and rapid fire; sitting and prone, at ranges form 200 to 1000 yards for an aggregate of 1100 points. In 1935 and 1936, a service pistol aggregate was also fired, along with a 200-yard Smallbore rifle prone slow fire match and a 50-yard and 100-yard, 40-shot Smallbore prone match instead of the preliminary Dewar for an aggregate of 19000 points.

Winners of the All-Around Championship
1939: 1st Lt. Walter R. Walsh, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve (1058/1100)
1938: Petty Officer 1st Class Melvon O. Wilson, U.S. Coast Guard (1054/2200)
1937: 2nd Lt. William Hancock, Infantry, U.S. Army (1051/1100)
1936: Capt. Sidney R. Hinds, Infantry, U.S. Army (1797/1900)
1935: Deputy Henry J. Adams, Jr., San Diego County, California, Sheriff’s Department (1848/1900)

Competitors firing in the All-Around Championship not only had to hustle between ranges, but also needed the mental ability to adapt from one shooting discipline to another. After the demise of the All-Around Championship at Camp Perry, the DuPont Trophy was awarded to the NRA Service Rifle Champion, beginning in 1951.

https://www.ssusa.org/articles/2018/8/16/all-around-champion-at-national-matches/

https://competitions.nra.org/documents/pdf/compete/nat-trophy/tro-070.pdf

https://www.ssusa.org/articles/2017/8/3/hallmarks-of-heritage-the-nra-trophy-collection

NRA National Rifle Championships

Jul19 by John M. Buol Jr.

Members of the United States Army Reserve Competitive Marksmanship Program (USARCMP) competed at the NRA National Rifle Championships on 6-11 July 2018 held at Camp Atterbury, Indiana. The USARCMP competes and often wins national-level competitions as a way to build and validate shooter-instructor proficiency. Much like continuing education, such as the Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development System, skill-at-arms beyond routine qualification levels demands on-going training and competitive events are a way to develop marksmanship capabilities and demonstrate marksmanship proficiency.

Highlights

The High Reserve award was won by SPC Lowe. SPC Lowe also won the Crescent Cup Trophy, which is awarded for the high score during 200 yards standing

SPC Lowe won the Crescent Cup Trophy and High Reserve award.

The Scott Trophy, awarded for high score 200 yards during sitting rapid fire, was won by SGT Morris.

USARCMP won the Enlisted Men’s National Trophy. Team Captain SGM Mauer and Team Coach SFC Arcularius led firing members SGT Morris, SFC (P) Gervasio, SPC Stephens, SPC Lowe to victory.

Photo Album

2018 NRA Long Range Nationals

Jul19 by John M. Buol Jr.

Members of the United States Army Reserve Competitive Marksmanship Program (USARCMP) competed in the NRA National High Power Rifle Long Range Championships held 12-17 July 2018 at Camp Atterbury, Indiana.

USARCMP competes in and often wins National-level competition to develop the skills of Army Reserve shooter-instructors, validate marksmanship capabilities, and demonstrate marksmanship proficiency.

Notable USAR Long Range Achievements

SPC Stephens won the Billy C. Atkins trophy, the Service Rifle long-range aggregate. SPC Stephens also won the Porter Trophy for taking first place with a Service Rifle during Match 535 and the Farr Trophy for taking first place in Match 538 with a Service Rifle.

SPC Stephens won the Billy C. Atkins, Porter, and Farr Trophies

SFC Gervasio (P) took third place in the overall individual aggregate.

Roumanian Trophy Team Match is a four-person team event. USARCMP took first place. Firing members were SFC (P) Gervasio, SFC Micholick, SGM Withus, and SPC Stephens with Coach SGM Mauer and Team Captain SSG Morris.

USARCMP also won the Herrick Trophy Team Match, another four-person team event. Firing members were SFC (P) Gervasio, SFC Micholick, SGM Withus, and SPC Stephens with Coach SGM Mauer and Team Captain SSG Morris.

Bausch and Lomb Trophy is awarded to the High Reserve team for long-range team matches. USARCMP took first. Firing members were SFC (P) Gervasio, SFC Micholick, SGM Withus, and SPC Stephens with Coach SGM Mauer and Team Captain SSG Morris.

Bausch and Lomb Trophy team. USARCMP also won the Herrick and Roumanian Trophies.

Photo Album

2018 Interservice Rifle

Jul7 by John M. Buol Jr.

24 JUNE 2018 – 2 JULY 2018 MCB Quantico, VA

USARCMP Service Rifle shooters competed against the best competitors from all branches of the DOD throughout a competition consisting of High Power Service Rifle (NRA and CMP) using accurized versions of military-issue rifles.

The 57th Interservice Rifle Championships at Quantico just concluded with the Awards Banquet last night. I attended the Banquet and presented some of the awards. For your situational awareness, here are the results focusing on the Army Reserve Marksmanship Team:

For the Team matches, the Army Reserve Team was the Top Reserve Team for the 6 and 10 Man Team Matches. The Reserve Team also finished 2nd overall and the Top Reserve Team in the Infantry Trophy Match (which involves moving as a squad engaging targets).

The ARCD Team won the 4 Man Post and Station Commanding General Team Match and the Post and Station Infantry Trophy Match.

Individually, SSG Dave Bathen won the Interservice Navy Match (200 yard Slow Fire Standing). SGM Doug Withus was third in the Interservice 600 Yard Service Rifle Match. SGM Withus was also third in the Interservice 1000 Yard Service Rifle Match, while SSG Augustus Dunfey was the winner of that Interservice 1000 yard Service Rifle Match. In the Interservice Individual Long Range Championship Service Rifle Match, SGM Doug Withus was the winner and set a new Interservice Long Range record by firing a 398 with 20 X’s (Bullseyes) at 600 and 1000 yards.

Stephen D. Austin
Assistant Chief of Army Reserve

USAR CMP Service Rifle Team at Interservice

Results
https://ct.thecmp.org/app/v1/index.php?do=match&task=edit&match=17122

Photo Album

Classifications Explained

Jan1 by John M. Buol Jr.

The National Rifle Association and Civilian Marksmanship Program uses a Classification system to keep competitors in similar-skilled groups. I’ve detailed this in the past:
https://firearmusernetwork.com/marksmanship-classification-qualification/

What follows is a more succinct breakdown.

NRA Classifications Explained
by John M. Buol Jr.

Marksman
A Marksman Classification is “earned” by merely showing up to a match and failing to be disqualified due to flagrant safety violations. You can’t shoot worse than this. Scratch that. Given only 2% of the NRA membership will bother to ever show up, 98% of the herd are less involved and probably worse than your terrible level of non-skill.

Sharpshooter
The worst you can shoot while meeting a minimally-low cut off. One step up from the bottom. Good job!

Expert
You’re actually invested and have practiced to become this bad. A complete lay person (which describes nearly every gun owner that has never attended a match) might be fooled into believing an “Expert” Classification denotes actual skill. You’re shooting just well enough to eventually stumble into enough “leg points” to earn a Distinguished Rifleman/Pistol Shot badge if you keep at it, the marksmanship equivalent of the infinite monkey theorem.

Master
Possibly good enough to be a contender for a win at local, or small state/regional match. You consider a trip to a drained swamp on the southwest-side of Lake Erie to stay in a hutment that deployed Marines would complain about to be a vacation while spending enough money in travel, lodging, match fees, and ammunition to have instead gone to Europe.

High Master
You’ve reached the Classification pinnacle of a century-old sport sponsored by a political organization that not even the directors and card-carrying members know or care anything about. And it only took an investment in time and money that could have paid for an early retirement. After giving your paycheck to Chump’s Choice, avoid considering this fact by enjoying beer and pizza at Bell Mell or an ice cream at Andy’s because ya can’t go to Nick’s anymore…

Gene Clark Honored by AMU

Dec1 by John M. Buol Jr.

https://www.facebook.com/pg/USAMU1956/photos/?tab=album&album_id=10156163842954734/

The U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit recognized Gene Clark, gunsmith for the AMU since 1988.

Clark did extensive testing and research and development on the M-249 SAW, 242 chain gun and the M-9 pistol.

He was also a primary contributor in the development of the modified M-16A2. His work over the years has played a vital role in the overall development of the AR-15 in Service Rifle and other performance uses. His work contributed greatly to the advancements that took the M16A2 from a “rack grade” rifle to a precision platform. Free float tubes, chamber and barrel design, and the construction of the first SDM rifles were created in large part to Mr. Clark’s expertise and effort. During his tenor, he also directly contributed to the improved sniper weapons system for the U.S. Army.