Civilian Marksmanship Program
Encyclopedia
The Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) is a U.S. government-chartered program that promotes firearms safety training and rifle
practice for all qualified U.S. citizens with special emphasis on youth. Any U.S. citizen who is not legally prohibited from owning a firearm may purchase a military surplus rifle from the CMP, provided they are a member of a CMP affiliated club. The CMP operates through a network of affiliated shooting clubs and state associations that covers every state
in the U.S. The clubs and associations offer firearms safety training and marksmanship courses as well as the opportunity for continued practice and competition.
rifles were unable to sustain an equivalent rate of fire from the unfamiliar bolt action M1903 rifle.
Over the years the emphasis of the program shifted to focus on youth development through marksmanship. From 1916 until 1996 the CMP was administered by the U.S. Army. Title XVI of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1996 (Public Law 104-106, 10 February 1996) created the Corporation for the Promotion of Rifle Practice & Firearms Safety (CPRPFS) to take over administration and promotion of the CMP. The CPRPFS is a tax-exempt non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation chartered by the U.S. Congress, but is not an agency of the U.S. government (Title 36, United States Code, Section 40701 et seq.). Apart from a donation of surplus .22 and .30 caliber rifles in the Army's inventory to the CMP, the CMP receives no federal funding.
The National Board for the Promotion of Rifle Practice (NBPRP), an advisory board to the Secretary of the Army (SA), which was created in 1903, was disestablished by this law and replaced by the CPRPFS. The initial board was appointed by the SA and is responsible to develop all policies and procedures for the implementation of all aspects of the CMP.
, Ohio
) and the sale of surplus U.S. Army rifles. The sale of rifles in particular has been quite popular, with the CMP offering M1 Garand, M1903 Springfield, M1917 Enfield, M1 Carbine
, .22 caliber (surplus and commercial target), and air rifles (commercial target) for sale to members of affiliated organizations. Ammunition and other accessories are also sold through the CMP's online store.
The CMP maintains two main offices: CMP North at Camp Perry
near Port Clinton
, Ohio
, and CMP South in Anniston
, Alabama
.
Rifle
A rifle is a firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder, with a barrel that has a helical groove or pattern of grooves cut into the barrel walls. The raised areas of the rifling are called "lands," which make contact with the projectile , imparting spin around an axis corresponding to the...
practice for all qualified U.S. citizens with special emphasis on youth. Any U.S. citizen who is not legally prohibited from owning a firearm may purchase a military surplus rifle from the CMP, provided they are a member of a CMP affiliated club. The CMP operates through a network of affiliated shooting clubs and state associations that covers every state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
in the U.S. The clubs and associations offer firearms safety training and marksmanship courses as well as the opportunity for continued practice and competition.
History
The Office of the Director of Civilian Marksmanship (DCM) was created by the U.S. Congress as part of the 1903 War Department Appropriations Act. The original purpose was to provide civilians an opportunity to learn and practice marksmanship skills so they would be skilled marksmen if later called on to serve in the U.S. military. Formation was precipitated by adoption of the M1903 Springfield rifle as the national service arm. Civilians experienced with popular contemporary lever-actionLever-action
Lever-action is a type of firearm action which uses a lever located around the trigger guard area, to load fresh cartridges into the chamber of the barrel when the lever is worked. Most lever-action firearms are rifles, but lever-action shotguns and a few pistols have also been made...
rifles were unable to sustain an equivalent rate of fire from the unfamiliar bolt action M1903 rifle.
Over the years the emphasis of the program shifted to focus on youth development through marksmanship. From 1916 until 1996 the CMP was administered by the U.S. Army. Title XVI of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1996 (Public Law 104-106, 10 February 1996) created the Corporation for the Promotion of Rifle Practice & Firearms Safety (CPRPFS) to take over administration and promotion of the CMP. The CPRPFS is a tax-exempt non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation chartered by the U.S. Congress, but is not an agency of the U.S. government (Title 36, United States Code, Section 40701 et seq.). Apart from a donation of surplus .22 and .30 caliber rifles in the Army's inventory to the CMP, the CMP receives no federal funding.
The National Board for the Promotion of Rifle Practice (NBPRP), an advisory board to the Secretary of the Army (SA), which was created in 1903, was disestablished by this law and replaced by the CPRPFS. The initial board was appointed by the SA and is responsible to develop all policies and procedures for the implementation of all aspects of the CMP.
Programs
Among the various activities and programs administered by the CMP are pistol and rifle shooting competitions (for example, at Camp PerryCamp Perry
Camp Perry is a National Guard training facility located on the shore of Lake Erie in northern Ohio near Port Clinton. In addition to its regular mission as a military training base, Camp Perry also boasts the largest outdoor rifle range in the world...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
) and the sale of surplus U.S. Army rifles. The sale of rifles in particular has been quite popular, with the CMP offering M1 Garand, M1903 Springfield, M1917 Enfield, M1 Carbine
M1 Carbine
The M1 carbine is a lightweight, easy to use semi-automatic carbine that became a standard firearm for the U.S. military during World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War, and was produced in several variants. It was widely used by U.S...
, .22 caliber (surplus and commercial target), and air rifles (commercial target) for sale to members of affiliated organizations. Ammunition and other accessories are also sold through the CMP's online store.
The CMP maintains two main offices: CMP North at Camp Perry
Camp Perry
Camp Perry is a National Guard training facility located on the shore of Lake Erie in northern Ohio near Port Clinton. In addition to its regular mission as a military training base, Camp Perry also boasts the largest outdoor rifle range in the world...
near Port Clinton
Port Clinton, Ohio
Port Clinton is a city in and the county seat of Ottawa County, Ohio, United States. The population was 6,056 at the 2010 census. The city has been nicknamed the "Walleye Capital of the World."...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, and CMP South in Anniston
Anniston, Alabama
Anniston is a city in Calhoun County in the state of Alabama, United States.As of the 2000 census, the population of the city is 24,276. According to the 2005 U.S. Census estimates, the city had a population of 23,741...
, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
.
Competition Tracker
In July 2003 the CMP launched Competition Tracker, the first online results system for the shooting sports. Originally designed specifically for the National Trophy matches, the CMP now uses Competition Tracker as the official results bulletin of every CMP competition. In March 2006, during the JROTC National Championships, the CMP used Competition Tracker, in conjunction with Sius Ascor Electronic Score Targets, to provide real time results on the web. On average, it was 45 seconds from the time a shooter fired a shot to when his or her shot value was seen on the Internet. The CMP continues to be innovative today, they are currently researching Visual Image Scoring technology that will allow competitors to score traditional paper targets electronically.CMP and the military services
Military service members are authorized to wear marksmanship competition badges, in accordance with the associated service's uniform manual, which are sponsored by the CMP and Excellence-in-Competition (EIC) matches including:- U.S. Distinguished International Shooter Badge
- Distinguished Rifleman Badge (Army, Air Force and CMP)
- Distinguished Marksman Badge (Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard)
- Distinguished Pistol Shot Badge
- Army National Trophy Match Badge
- Army Interservice Competition Badge
- Army Excellence In Rifle Competition Badge (Silver or Bronze)
- Army Excellence In Pistol Competition Badge (Silver or Bronze)
- Navy Excellence In Rifle Competition Badge (Gold, Silver, or Bronze)
- National, Interservice, Navy, or Fleet competition
- Navy Excellence In Pistol Competition Badge (Gold, Silver, or Bronze)
- National, Interservice, Navy, or Fleet competition
- Air Force Excellence In Rifle Competition with Wreath Badge (Silver, or Bronze)
- Air Force Excellence In Pistol Competition with Wreath Badge (Silver or Bronze)
- Air Force Excellence In Rifle Competition Badge (Bronze)
- Air Force Excellence In Pistol Competition Badge (Bronze)
- Marine Corps Rifle Competition Badge (Gold, Silver, or Bronze)
- National, Interservice, or Marine Corps competition
- Marine Corps Pistol Competition Badge (Gold, Silver, or Bronze)
- National, Interservice, or Marine Corps competition
- Coast Guard's National Rifleman Excellence in Competition Badge (Gold, Silver, or Bronze)
- Coast Guard's Naitonal Pistol Shot Excellence in Competition Badge (Gold, Silver, or Bronze)
- Coast Guard Rifleman Excellence in Competition Badge (Silver or Bronze)
- Coast Guard Pistol Short Excellence in Competition Badge (Silver or Bronze)
- “Presidents Hundred” Tab (Army, Navy, and Coast Guard)
- “Governors Twenty” Tab (Army National Guard)
- “Chiefs Fifty” Tab (Army National Guard)