CMP Celebrates 25th Anniversary of John C. Garand Match

Report based on story by Ashley Dugan, CMP Writer
This summer the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) will celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the John C. Garand Match at the annual National Matches at Camp Perry. The event has been one of the CMP’s most popular competitive shooting events, attracting hundreds of competitors from around the country each year. The John C. Garand match runs July 27-30, 2023, at the Viale Range and Rodriguez Range (Saturday only) at Camp Perry. CLICK HERE for CMP National Games Matches information and full 2023 schedule.

The roots of the John C. Garand Match date back to 1998 when the CMP introduced the competition into its target competition schedule. The Garand Match is a unique event where participants use vintage “as-issued” M1 Garand rifles over a course of fire with 10 shots prone slow-fire, 10 shots prone from standing rapid-fire, and 10 shots standing, all at 200 yards.

In response to the growing popularity of the Garand Match, the CMP went on to establish other rifle events of the same type, including the Springfield, Vintage Military, Rimfire Sporter, M1 Carbine, Vintage Sniper Team, and Modern Military matches. Collectively, these have come to be known as “CMP Games Matches”.

Camp Perry M1 Garand Competition — Vintage Military Rifle

The John C. Garand match is a Camp Perry classic. Note the signature Garand clip in the air.

The unique “Ping” of the ejected en-bloc clip is music to the ears of Garand fans. Some folks own an M1 Garand for the history, while others enjoy competing with this old war-horse. The CMP’s John C. Garand Match is one of the most popular events at Camp Perry every year.

Approximately 40% of each year’s Garand Match competitors receive coveted gold, silver, or bronze Achievement Medals with neck ribbons. Medal presentations are decided by competitors scores. In 2023, competitors who fire 279 x 300 or higher will receive gold medals, scores of 272 to 278 will receive silver medals; 260 to 271 will receive bronze medals. Medal presentations typically take place on the range immediately after competitors finish.

The John C. Garand Trophy, awarded to the top competitor at the John C. Garand Match at Camp Perry, was donated to the National Trophy collection by the Garand Collectors Association in 2001. Nick Till is the latest winner of the trophy (2022). Brad Diehl is the current national record holder of the match with a score of 294-9X (set in 2018), while Steven Skowronek is the only individual to win the National John C. Garand Match as a junior, back in 2005. Skowronek returned to win the match again over a decade later in 2017.

DCM Emeritus Gary Anderson, who served as the DCM from 1999 through 2009, played a major role in getting the Garand Match established and in growing the CMP’s as-issued military rifle program into one of the CMP’s largest shooting sports disciplines. He recalled, “The Garand Match had 325 competitors in 1998, but it quickly grew to over 1,300 competitors in the years that followed. It succeeded because M1 rifles were affordable and readily available and because we adopted a simple 30-shot as-issued military rifle course of fire. Plus, there was a special appeal to being able to shoot rifles in competitions that had already served in the national defense of our country.”

History of the M1 Garand Rifle
Jean Cantius Garand, also known as John C. Garand, was a Canadian designer of firearms who created the M1 Garand, a semi-automatic rifle that was widely used by the U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps during World War II and the Korean War. The U.S. government employed Garand as an engineer with the Springfield Armory from 1919 until he retired in 1953. At Springfield Armory Garand was tasked with designing a basic gas-actuated self-loading infantry rifle and carbine that would eject the spent cartridge and reload a new round. It took fifteen years to perfect the M1 prototype model to meet all the U.S. Army specifications. The resulting Semiautomatic, Caliber .30, M1 Rifle was patented by Garand in 1932, approved by the U.S. Army on January 9, 1936, and went into mass production in 1940. It replaced the bolt-action M1903 Springfield and became the standard infantry rifle known as the Garand Rifle. During the World War II, over four million M1 rifles were manufactured.

After World War II ended, thousands of M1 Garand rifles were put into storage while others were loaned to allies during the Cold War. Production resumed in 1950 when North Korea attacked South Korea, making the rifle the main infantry firearm used during the Korean War. Nearly 1.5 million new M1 rifles were produced between 1952 to 1957.

How to Order an M1 Garand from the CMP
In 1996, a federal law established the Civilian Marksmanship Program and authorized the CMP to sell surplus .30 and .22 caliber military rifles, parts, and ammunition to qualified U.S. citizens. The CMP currently sells the famous M1 Garand and other vintage rifles through mail order and through its stores in Alabama and Ohio. To purchase an M1 Garand through the CMP, you must be an adult U.S. citizen, who is a member of an affiliated organization, and who has participated in Marksmanship Activity. This basically means you need to join a gun club and participate in a clinic or match. Proof of club membership and citizenship is mandatory for all ages. The CMP does not accept telephone, fax, or online orders for firearms — you must order by mail or in person. CLICK HERE for ordering information.

M1 Garands at CMP Retail Store in Anniston, Alabama.