The Civilian Marksmanship Program is excited to announce the opening of registration for the National Trophy Rifle and Pistol Matches, held at historic Camp Perry in Port Clinton, Ohio. Guests may log on and begin signing up for the return of the annual event beginning April 1, on the CMP website.

The 2021 National Matches kicks off with the Pistol phase on July 12, featuring such timeless matches as the 1911 As-Issued Match, Military & Police, GLOCK, Service Pistol Excellence-In-Competition (EIC) matches and the Pistol Small Arms Firing School. New Pistol events like the Pistol 900 Aggregates for Center Fire, .45 and .22, the Oliver Hazard Perry Pop-Up Pistol and CMP Revolver matches have been added to the calendar in 2021, extending opportunities for enthusiastic competitors.

Following the Pistol series will be the CMP’s budding Smallbore program – saturated with a lineup of three-position, prone and team matches designed for competitors of all ages. For the first time, a Smallbore Small Arms Firing School will be conducted for new and experienced marksmen, led by members of the Army Marksmanship Unit.

The remainder of the National Matches schedule is packed with a mix of modern and wood gun Rifle prospects – Rimfire Sporter, President’s Rifle, National Trophy Individual, Garand, Springfield and M1 matches, among several other favorites experienced by thousands of competitors each year.

A 4-Man Team event and 800 Aggregate will also be fired on CMP’s own highpower electronic targets, which boast accuracy and efficiency on the firing line. The National Matches Rifle events will conclude in August with the Long Range series, fired on Camp Perry’s celebrated Viale Range.

The National Match Air Gun events will also be held at the CMP’s indoor airgun range, the Gary Anderson CMP Competition Center. The range will be open throughout the National Matches, feel free to stop by and enjoy our state-of-the-art electronic targets, along with the cold air conditioned range. Several matches will be held along with open marksmanship training. Rental equipment and pellets are available for a small fee.

Also new in 2021, the CMP has created Industry Days, held within the Pistol and Rifle phases, that will celebrate current market leaders through vendor stations located around Camp Perry. Displays will highlight the latest technology in the marksmanship world through live-fire demonstrations and other exciting visuals for guests to interact with and enjoy.

To register for the 2021 National Matches or to view all of the momentous events set to take place, including Youth Opportunities, visit https://thecmp.org/competitions/matches/cmp-national-matches/.

We hope to see you back at Camp Perry this summer!

NOTE: The CMP is partnering with the Ohio National Guard to remain up-to-date on CDC guidelines in order to provide an environment that is as safe as possible for guests of Camp Perry, while also staying true to the events and customs that have made the National Matches a celebrated destination for marksmanship enthusiasts for over a century. Current updated procedures for the 2021 National Matches may include safety regulations (such as social distancing and mask wearing), limiting firing points, squadding protocols and other details.

Although it is CMP’s hope to hold our upcoming events, please keep in mind that we may have to cancel due to COVID-19 issues. For those events that we do conduct, we will follow the appropriate state’s guidelines and recommendations. We continue to monitor the venue states’ guidelines and adjust our procedures based on those guidelines and common sense. As always, the safety of our customers and employees is our priority.

--By Ashley Brugnone, CMP Staff Writer

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.