By Gerald O’Keefe, CMP Board Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
A key role for any CEO is to communicate with customers – to have an open dialogue, get feedback and continue to foster organizational improvement based on a variety of inputs. I’ve met many of you at our events in AL, OH and around the country and I very much appreciate your support and your passion. As I complete my first year in this role, I thought it would be useful to reach out via this website to the literally hundreds of thousands of CMP customers and competitors to keep you better informed. The narrative that follows includes an update of CMP’s existing operations, planned projects, events and future endeavors. I plan to provide these updates going forward on semi-annual basis.
The Civilian Marksmanship Program has had a busy and successful FY23 thanks to our hardworking staff members, our many partnerships with prominent organizations in the field, and, of course, our dedicated supporters. Thank you to all of you as you participate and support CMP’s efforts to promote marksmanship and to be the Home of Marksmanship.
Fiscal Year 2023 Summary.
Sales. Our sales program remained strong. We received approximately 5,000 M1 Garands from the Government of Turkey, 10,000 surplus M1911s from the Army and a significant quantity of surplus ammunition from the Army. These assets on top of our existing inventory allowed for a full year of rifle and pistol sales both online and in our three physical stores. These assets are critical to our mission and business as the proceeds fund our many programs and also the general expenses to run the CMP.
Programs/Mission. Also, a strong year. Some highlights follow, but my ask here is for those of you who come to our matches to spread the word about the great experience and to get that word out especially to younger and junior competitors. At the CMP, we are working hard to further our mission of “promoting marksmanship” and are diligently working to get more competitors to our events. We appreciate your support – let’s work together to grow and sustain the sport.
National Matches. The CMP saw encouraging signs over the month-long event, with increases in participation in pistol, smallbore rifle and highpower events. We’d like to thank all those who made the trip out to Camp Perry this year as well as those sponsors and vendors who helped give our guests an overall rewarding experience. The 2023 First Shot Ceremony kicked off the month-long event – if you didn’t get a chance to attend, check out the video recap at https://youtu.be/DeXPZlnvkLs?si=TCPHDeJCLhP9Huyo. The National Matches are the CMP’s premier annual event and we’ll continue to resource them and improve them.
CMP Bianchi Cup. This past year, CMP conducted our first “CMP” Bianchi Cup action pistol championship in Hallsville MO. The competition was professionally conducted in a joint effort by CMP staff and the local Green Valley Rifle and Pistol Club. We are very excited to continue the CMP Bianchi Cup – Mark your calendars for May 21-24, 2024.
Talladega Marksmanship Park. Our operations at the TMP continue to thrive. It is increasingly a destination venue and we are holding more competitions. We will continue to operate and sustain the Park as the premier shooting destination in the United States. This year we made several upgrades to the Park to include new, covered shotgun stands, more steel targets on the pistol range and we’ve begun work to add five new action pistol bays which when complete, will give us 20 bays.
Smallbore Electronic Targets. The addition of the Smallbore Electronic Targets has been a game changer for match officials and competitors alike. The 2023 National Smallbore Matches welcomed 246 individuals to Camp Perry in July, making it the largest Smallbore competition held in the United States this year. Five competitions have already been conducted on the new targets. The CMP will also host the first Dixie Double 3×20 Smallbore competition at the Talladega Marksmanship Park in November 2023.
JROTC Air Rifle Postal. Last year’s JROTC air rifle series of events and National Championship was extremely successful. This Fall’s JROTC Postal Competition is officially open for registration. This competition is open to all High School JROTC Programs at no cost to the schools or cadets. Over the next two months, the CMP will print and mail over 20,000 paper targets to thousands of students across the country. Each school will shoot the targets at their home range and return them to the CMP. The best teams and individuals from each JROTC service will be selected to attend the second stage of this competition series, the JROTC Service Championship.
Laser Shot Simulation Systems. The CMP continues to invest in technology. We feel this is critical to the future of the sport and also critical to attracting junior competitors. The CMP has acquired two laser shot simulation systems, which are now operational at the Gary Anderson CMP Competition Center at Camp Perry. Many competitors from the National Matches and many of our air gun athletes were able to give the simulators a try, and the systems continue to be available to guests of the air range throughout the year. These systems are great for experienced and new competitors, hosting military marksmanship instruction, offer significant law enforcement applications and are also frankly, just a lot of fun. For FY24 we are considering adding more simulation systems to our facilities in Anniston and Talladega AL. Watch a short reel on the Laser Shot Simulator Systems at https://youtube.com/shorts/wV-o-Dyhkls?si=sBm-j_RdlpOw-xea.
Fiscal Year 2024. This next year will be another exciting one for the CMP. Some highlights:
Sales:
Surplus Rifles. We project a full year of sales for M1 Garands. In addition to the Garands we will be releasing a small quantity of M1917 rifles. You’ll see these on our website and in our stores. Also, effective October 1, 2023, the CMP’s new yearly limit on M1 Garands will be 6 per calendar year. If you have already purchased 6-8 M1 Garands in calendar year 2023, you will not be allowed to purchase more M1 Garands until January 2024. While a relatively minor change, the rationale here is to spread these amazing, historic and increasingly scarce guns to a larger number of customers. We’ll relook at this limit again next year.
Surplus Pistols. As mentioned earlier, the CMP received 10,000 surplus M1911 pistols at the beginning of the summer in 2023 and will continue selling through next year. Round 4 of the CMP 1911 Pistol Program is currently open for orders and we’ve upped the quantity that an individual can buy to two (per lifetime)! The yearly limit is one per calendar year until you’ve reached your lifetime limit. More information on these firearms and how to purchase them is available through our website: https://thecmp.org/sales-and-service/1911-information/.
Surplus Ammo. As mentioned earlier we received a significant quantity in Jan 2023. We intentionally set aside some to sell in FY24. And as we did in FY23, we’ll reserve a subset of the ammunition for CMP competitors at an additional discount.
Stores. All three of our home stores will be open this year to include Anniston. Anniston re-opened in January 2023 and has seen all of our faithful customers back and so many new faces ready to support CMP.
Programs/Mission/Other Events. We will conduct the full suite of competitions in FY24 and hope to see you and any new competitors you can bring along! Please see the list of events at the bottom of this message or visit the CMP website for additional information.
Garand Collectors Association (GCA) Conference. This year’s GCA Conference will be held at the CMP Talladega Marksmanship Park in Alabama from 6-8 October. We look forward to accommodating the GCA, which has always been a generous contributor to CMP programs, including the CMP Scholarship program.
CMP Premier Shooting Expo. The CMP Talladega Marksmanship Park will also be hosting the CMP’s Inaugural Premier Shooting Expo on Oct. 18 – a tradeshow for marksmanship and non-marksmanship vendors, spread across the 500 acres of the facility. The event is open to the public, with several hands-on opportunities and exclusive insights into the latest products available today. Visit https://thecmp.org/ranges/talladega-marksmanship-park/cmp-premier-shooting-expo/ to register or for more information on how to become a vendor.
New CMP Board Members. The CMP Board provides strategic guidance and oversight to the company. At our recent Board meeting in Boise ID, we added two new members: Mr. Fabian Lobera and Mr. Mark House. Both bring significant competencies to the board. Please visit https://thecmp.org/about/board/ to read their short bios. And speaking of the board meeting, while in Idaho the Board took some time to visit the Parma Rod and Gun Club for some recreational shooting and to gain insights from a well respected club and cadre. It was a great day – some pictures are included with this press release.
Advanced Maintenance Class (AMC). We are bringing this fan favorite back for FY24. The Custom Shop will be hosting 8 AMCs. Be on the lookout for the announcement coming soon. Our all-time favorite buddy class is back on the roster too!
CMP E-Store Update. The CMP E-Store is currently down for maintenance. A new look and upgrade are underway to improve your shopping experience – look for more details mid-October. We apologize for the inconvenience and are working hard to get this capability restored as soon as possible.
New CMP Coin. Below is the new CMP Coin. They highlight the four pillars of our mission (Safety, Competitions, Training and a Youth Focus) and also our “Home of Marksmanship” motto. While very different to include being a slightly bit larger than the previous coin they maintain the lineage of the “eagle” on the front side of the coin and have various representations of our CMP history. The new CMP Coin will be available on the E-Store along with various CMP Memorabilia items.
Closing Remarks. I’ve had a great first year in leading this top notch and professional organization. I’m honored to have this job and I look forward to many great things ahead. I want to thank you again for your commitment and passion to the CMP and to shooting sports. The CMP will continue to actively advance our mission to promote marksmanship with a focus on junior competitors and as always on safety. I look forward to seeing as many of you as possible at our events and I know you’ll continue to let us know how we are doing. Your feedback is critical as we continue to improve and evolve as an organization. Feel free to share you feedback with me at info@thecmp.org.
As always, the CMP has several upcoming indoor air gun and outdoor rifle and pistol events to enjoy throughout the fall months. CMP’s facilities also host public events on a daily and weekly basis, so be sure to keep an eye on our social media pages and our website for all the latest news.
The CMP — The Home of Marksmanship!
CMP Upcoming Events:
We hope you will continue to help CMP fulfill its mission and help to grow the sport of marksmanship. We encourage you to introduce a friend to marksmanship or bring them along with you to a CMP event.
| DATE | EVENT | LOCATION |
| Through December 14 | American Legion Postal | Official targets sent to participants |
| Through 13 November | JROTC Postal Air Rifle Competition | Official targets sent to JROTC units |
| Through November 15 | CMP Aces Postal | Official targets sent to participants or electronic scores are submitted |
| 5-15 October | IDPA Nationals | Talladega Marksmanship Park, AL |
| 6 – 7 October | GCA Convention & Matches | Talladega Marksmanship Park, AL |
| 7-8 October | Archery Tournament | Talladega Marksmanship Park, AL |
| 10-15 October | Western Games – Fall Classic | Ben Avery Shooting Facility – Phoenix, AZ |
| 14 October | CMP Monthly Air Gun Matches 60 Shot Standing – Rifle & Pistol 3-Position Air Rifle | Anniston, AL – Judith Legerski CMP Competition Center and Camp Perry, OH – Gary Anderson CMP Competition Center |
| 14-15 October | Sporting Clays Monthly Registered Target Shoot | Talladega Marksmanship Park, AL |
| 15 October – 15 Jan | CMP Postal | Official targets sent to participants |
| 18 October | CMP Premier Shooting Expo | Talladega Marksmanship Park, AL |
| 21 October | USPSA | Talladega Marksmanship Park, AL |
| 21 October | Rimfire Sporter Match | Talladega Marksmanship Park, AL |
| 28 October | 3-Gun Match | Talladega Marksmanship Park, AL |
| 2-5 November | Dixie Doubles – Air Rifle & Smallbore Match | Anniston, AL – Judith Legerski CMP Competition Center and Talladega Marksmanship Park, AL |
| 4 November | Match Tracker Steel Challenge | Talladega Marksmanship Park, AL |
| 6-12 November | Talladega 600 | Talladega Marksmanship Park, AL |
| 7 November | CMP Range Officer Level II – Highpower Rifle/Bulls Eye Pistol | Talladega Marksmanship Park, AL |
| 18 November | CMP Monthly Air Gun Matches 60 Shot Standing – Rifle & Pistol 3-Position Air Rifle | Anniston, AL – Judith Legerski CMP Competition Center and Camp Perry, OH – Gary Anderson CMP Competition Center |
| 18 November | Women’s Defensive Pistol Class | Talladega Marksmanship Park, AL |
| 18-19 November | Sporting Clays Monthly Registered Target Shoot | Talladega Marksmanship Park, AL |
| 25 November | 3-Gun Match | Talladega Marksmanship Park, AL |
| 1-2 December | Gary Anderson Invitational | Anniston, AL – Judith Legerski CMP Competition Center and Camp Perry, OH – Gary Anderson CMP Competition Center |
| 2 December | Match Tracker Steel Challenge | Talladega Marksmanship Park, AL |
| 2 December | Lincoln High School Athletics Fundraiser | Talladega Marksmanship Park, AL |
| 8-10 December | Winter Airgun | Camp Perry, OH – Gary Anderson CMP Competition Center |
| 9 December | Practical Defensive Handgun | Talladega Marksmanship Park, AL |
| 16 December | USPSA | Talladega Marksmanship Park, AL |
| 23 December | 3-Gun Match | Talladega Marksmanship Park, AL |
| 5-7 January | Air Gun Olympic Trials, Part 3 | Anniston, AL – Judith Legerski CMP Competition Center |
| 6 January | Match Tracker Steel Challenge | Talladega Marksmanship Park, AL |
| 20 January | USPSA | Talladega Marksmanship Park, AL |
| 20 January | CMP Monthly Air Gun Matches 60 Shot Standing – Rifle & Pistol 3-Position Air Rifle | Anniston, AL – Judith Legerski CMP Competition Center and Camp Perry, OH – Gary Anderson CMP Competition Center |
| 27 January | 3-Gun | Talladega Marksmanship Park, AL |
| 3 February | Match Tracker Steel Challenge | Talladega Marksmanship Park, AL |
| 8-10 February | JROTC Regional Championships | Sandy, Utah and Anniston, AL |
| 15-17 February | JROTC Regional Championships | Anniston, AL and Camp Perry, OH |
| 17 February | USPSA | Talladega Marksmanship Park, AL |
| 24 February | 3-Gun | Talladega Marksmanship Park, AL |
| 2 March | Match Tracker Steel Challenge | Talladega Marksmanship Park, AL |
| 2 March | Dovetail Landing Pulling for Patriot Sporting Clays Event | Talladega Marksmanship Park, AL |
| 8-10 March | SSSF (Scholastic Sport Shooting Foundation) | Talladega Marksmanship Park, AL |
| 12-17 March | Talladega Spring Classic | Talladega Marksmanship Park, AL |
| 16 March | CMP Monthly Air Gun Matches 60 Shot Standing – Rifle & Pistol 3-Position Air Rifle | Anniston, AL – Judith Legerski CMP Competition Center and Camp Perry, OH – Gary Anderson CMP Competition Center |
| 16 March | USPSA | Talladega Marksmanship Park, AL |
| 21-23 March | JROTC National Championship | Camp Perry, OH – Gary Anderson CMP Competition Center |
| 23 March | 3-Gun | Talladega Marksmanship Park, AL |
Check out CMP Sanctioned Matches & Clinics on our website at https://ct.thecmp.org/app/v1/index.php?do=matchRegistrationListUpcoming.
The Civilian Marksmanship Program is a federally chartered 501 (c) (3) non-profit corporation. It is dedicated to firearm safety and marksmanship training and to the promotion of marksmanship competition for citizens of the United States. For more information about the CMP and its programs, log onto www.TheCMP.org.