How would you like to get rifle and pistol training from some of the best marksmen in the country for a modest charge and ammo included! This summer, the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) will offer Small Arms Firing Schools (SAFS) at the Camp Perry National Guard Training Facility. Choose from pistol, smallbore rifle, rimfire sporter, or service rifle courses. No prior competition experience is required, and the CMP even supplies the guns. For more details on the Small Arms Firing Schools CLICK THIS LINK.

The SAFS courses have been a staple at the annual Camp Perry National Matches since 1918, educating over 1,000 pistol and rifle participants each year. Formulated specially to ease in those of who are new to marksmanship, the school is led by members of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit along with qualified civilian and military professionals. The minimum age for Pistol SAFS students is 14 while the minimum age for Rifle SAFS students is 12.

Currently, the CMP offers SAFS courses in smallbore rifle (.22 caliber), rimfire sporter rifle (.22 caliber), centerfire service rifle (M16), and centerfire pistol (M9). Since the schools are intended for beginners, no past firearm experience or gun ownership is required to participate. All ammo will be provided by the CMP along with the M9 pistols and M16 rifles. NOTE: Smallbore students can request to borrow a Walther KK300 for the class — send request to bdonoho@thecmp.org.

SAFS utilizes both classroom and live-fire training that covers basic instruction and firing practices as well as a scope of competition skills. Students in the Pistol (M9) and Rifle (M16) courses will also be entered into a true Excellence-In-Competition (EIC) Match. Though firing in the match is not required, it allows participants the chance to earn four EIC leg points toward a Distinguished Badge.

NOTE: All Pistol and Rifle SAFS students also receive automatic entry in the M9 Pistol EIC or M16 Rifle EIC Matches at no additional cost, a special EIC match pin and an opportunity to win four EIC credit points.

National Matches 2021 Full Schedule
To view the full schedule of the 2021 National Matches at CLICK this SCHEDULE LINK.

The Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) will offer hands-on rifle and pistol training programs in 2020 at locations around the nation. Marksmanship 101, formerly known as the Small Arms Firing School (SAFS) On The Road, is designed to train beginners on rifle or pistol essentials and competition basics in a closely monitored setting, utilizing the talents of qualified CMP staff, trainers, and members of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU).

Participants learn through classroom work and active training on the range. Near the conclusion of training, students participate in a true M16 rifle or M9 pistol match, fired under close supervision of trainers on the line. Registration opened February 19, 2020. Classes are limited, so you should sign up well ahead of time. No walk-ins will be permitted in PA, IN or IL. CLICK HERE to REGISTER.

No previous knowledge in marksmanship is required for the course. All experience levels are welcome to attend. Rifles and ammo are provided. Personal shooting jackets and gloves are permitted. Hearing protection and eye protection is also required.

Courses on the Marksmanship 101 2020 schedule include:

RIFLE Marksmanship 101 Training Programs 2020:

March 14, 2020: Western CMP Games – Ben Avery Shooting Facility, Phoenix, AZ
April 24, 2020: Eastern CMP Games – Camp Butner, Butner, NC
May 16-17, 2020: Ridgway Rifle Club – Ridgway, PA
May 29, 2020: Camp Atterbury – Edinburgh, IN
July 25-26, 2020: National Matches, RIFLE SAFS – Camp Perry, Port Clinton, OH
September 24, 2020: New England CMP Games – Camp Ethan Allen, Jericho, VT
September 25-26, 2020: Illinois State Rifle Association – Bonfield, IL
Oct. 15, 2020: Oklahoma CMP Games – Oklahoma City Gun Club, Oklahoma City, OK
November 17, 2020: Talladega 600 Matches – CMP Talladega Marksmanship Park, AL

CMP Marksmanship 101 Programs utilize the Small Arms Firing School format.

PISTOL Marksmanship 101 Training Programs 2020:

July 7, 2020: National Matches, PISTOL SAFS – Camp Perry, Port Clinton, OH
September 18, 2020: New England CMP Games – Camp Ethan Allen, Jericho, VT

How to Register for CMP Marksmanship Training Programs

Visit the CMP Marksmanship 101 website for Registration Links and other information. Once on the website, click your desired date and location to be sent to the CMP Competition Tracker page to complete registration. Questions regarding Marksmanship 101 may be directed to Amy Cantu at 419-635-2141 ext. 602 or acantu@thecmp.org.

The Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) Oklahoma Games are slated for October 7-13, a month away. Match shooters from the middle of the country should consider attending the popular annual event held at the Oklahoma City Gun Club. CMP OK Games Registration is still open! Note — this match is not just for seasoned competitors. There will be a Small Arms Firing School, and the Oklahoma Games will also feature a New Shooter Clinic for those who have never fired in a CMP Games match.

Previously held in April, the CMP Oklahoma Games will feature the popular M1 Garand, M1 Carbine, Springfield, Vintage/Modern Military, Rimfire Sporter, and Vintage Sniper Rifle matches. Pistol matches, such as the As-Issued 1911, Military & Police Service Pistol and .22 Rimfire Pistol will also be held throughout the week. The CMP Cup Matches will again be held at this Travel Games event. This include two days of invididual competition, followed by a 4-Man Team Match, and EIC Service Rifle Match.

Oklahoma CMP Games Resources Oklahoma CMP Games Program Oklahoma CMP Games General INFO Printable Entry Form 2019 Online Registration 2019 Schedule Directions to OKC Gun Club Area Accommodations Volunteer Opportunities

Electronic Targets Allow Faster Relays and No Pit Duty!
High Power competitions will be fired on CMP Targets, an electronic target system that plots shot placement in real time, and eliminates the need for pit duty — allowing quicker matches with less physical labor. Shot locations/scores appear on remote monitors placed at each shooting location.

Along with competitive matches, a rifle Small Arms Firing School (SAFS) is scheduled to instruct beginning and experienced marksmen in the classroom and on the firing line, with the help of CMP staff and certified instructors. Those in attendance will learn rifle handling, shot technique and safety, followed by firing in an actual M16 EIC match.

Match Awards will be distributed each day. All participants are invited to the annual BBQ where shooters can make friends and mingle with fellow participants and CMP staff. For some the Oklahoma BBQ is the highlight of the event.

About the CMP Travel Games
The CMP Travel Games are regional competitions held in different corners of the country throughout the year, featuring exclusive CMP rifle and pistol outdoor events. A common part of the CMP schedule for the last decade, the Games are centered around recreation-oriented competition and educational activities that are designed to accommodate experienced marksmen as well as those just beginning the sport.

How would you like to get marksmanship training from the reigning High Power National Champion? Get yourself to Oregon this June and you can. SFC Brandon Green of the USAMU will be one of the instructors for the CMP Small Arms Firing School in Eagle Creek, Oregon in June. A three-time National High Power Champion, Brandon is one of the greatest marksmen on the planet. Yesterday he posted: “Three of us will be at the SAFS/junior clinic in Oregon. Come check it out!” If you can make it to Oregon June 8-9, we definitely recommend this class. It will be the only SAFS in the Western USA this year.

Along with the June SAFS in Oregon, there will be eight other rifle SAFS programs this year at locations nationwide. Some of these will be held in connection with major matches, such as the Eastern CMP Games in April at Camp Butner.

CMP Rifle SAFS Locations and Dates:

1. Eastern Cup & Games Matches, April 30 | Camp Butner, NC
2. Douglas Ridge Rifle Club, June 8-9 | Eagle Creek, OR (Range Officer Class is Jun 7)
3. Fairfax Rod & Gun Club, June 22-23 | Manassas, VA
4. National Matches, July 27-28 | Camp Perry, Port Clinton, OH
5. Oak Ridge Shooting Assoc., August 24-25 | Oak Ridge, TN
6. Camp Ethan Allen, September 19 | Camp Ethan Allen Training Site, Jericho, VT
7. Fort Hill Rifle & Pistol, September 28-29 | Keyser, WV
8. Oklahoma Cup & Games Matches, October 10 | Oklahoma City Gun Club, OK
9. Talladega 600 Matches, November TBD | CMP Talladega Marksmanship Park, AL

Led by certified military and/or civilian instructors, SAFS programs offers high level training in a safe, supportive setting, with rifles and ammo provided. The school is structured toward teaching new shooters, so no past firearm experience is required, though intermediate and advanced marksmen are also welcome to participate. During the course, students will learn basic instruction and firing practices, competition skills and live range firing, as well as compete in a real M16 EIC Match.

CMP Provides Rifles and Ammo at Small Arms Firing Schools
At each SAFS, equipment, including rifles and ammunition, will be provided. Personal equipment, such as a shooting jacket or glove, will be permitted during the course as well. Participants are required to bring hearing protection and eye protection is strongly encouraged.

For more information or ask additional questions, please contact Amy Cantu at acantu@thecmp.org or (419) 635-2141 ext 602. The Small Arms Firing School (SAFS) has been an instrumental source for individuals to delve into firearm safety and competition technique. The SAFS course has been a staple event in the National Matches at Camp Perry since 1918 and has expanded its outreach to other areas of the country through CMP’s Travel Games matches in recent years.

For the shooting sports to survive, and thrive, we need to bring new shooters into the game. It’s vital that young people get involved in compeitive shooting at an early age. It’s equally important that novice shooters get instruction and encouragement from skilled mentors.

Thankfully the Civilian Marksmanship Program is providing that kind of knowledgeable skills training through programs conducted throughout the country. Recently, at Camp Butner (North Carolina), the CMP offered a Small Arms Firing School (SAFS) taught by U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU) experts. The USAMU trainers had a chance to teach members of the Liberty University Shooting Team. Here is the CMP’s report on the successful SAFS:

Liberty University Rifle Team Attends CMP’s Small Arms Firing School
Story based on report by Ashley Brugnone, CMP Writer
On a beautiful, sunny morning in North Carolina, over 40 bright-eyed students of all ages set foot on the grounds of Camp Butner Training Facility to take part in a century-old tradition that has trained thousands of new marksmen around the country — the Small Arms Firing School (SAFS). The class was held during the CMP’s Eastern Travel Games at the end of April.

Attending the SAFS were student-athletes of Liberty University, a private institution in Virginia. This year the school launched a new program with four shooting teams: rifle, pistol, shotgun, and three-gun. Among the Liberty University Flames and Lady Flames rifle team member are some accomplished shooters, but others are relatively inexperienced.

Susie Krupp of the Liberty Lady Flames team was the High Non-Distinguished competitor of the event, earning her introductory EIC points.

The SAFS course is a combination of classroom education and hands-on competition and safety instruction on the firing line. At the conclusion, students fire a true M16 rifle match, with the chance to receive Excellence-in-Competition (EIC) points towards earning a Distinguished Rifleman Badge – a prestigious achievement. All equipment is provided by the CMP — even the rifles.

This year members of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU) trained students. Here SSG Amanda Elsenboss offers pointers to a Liberty University Service Rifle shooter. The USAMU video below features SSG Elsenboss, who has served in the U.S. Army for 8.5 years.

Executive director and head coach of the Liberty University shooting sports program, Dave Hartman, was impressed by the SAFS event and grateful for the education his team received. The university is already looking forward to next year’s Eastern Games: “What’s beautiful about this event is that our competitors can come to this event without any prior knowledge, they don’t need to have a rifle. They go through the classroom portion, and they learn a vast amount of information. And having the USAMU here was fantastic.”

Liberty Assistant Coach Richard Mast suggested to Hartman that it would be good for the rifle team to be able to shoot both smallbore and High Power, since the two classifications work well together. After having traveled to Eastern Games for the first time last year to take the SAFS course himself, and even going on to win the M16 match, Mast liked the close location of the event and suggested the team take the course as well. Hartman agreed.

Mast praised the USAMU trainers: “Having the Army Marksmanship Unit here was just fantastic. I personally learned, taking notes, and the kids were taking notes You have the best of the best here facilitating and coaching on the line, and they can immediately put into practice what they learn in a classroom environment. So this is definitely something that the students will say, that this was fantastic.”

Liberty University’s Marksmanship Program
The transformation of the idea of shooting sports at Liberty University into reality has much to do with the efforts of Dave Hartman, executive director and head coach of the Liberty University shooting sports program, and his ambition to help the school achieve its goal of marksmanship opportunities for students and the surrounding community. According to Brad Butler, the Liberty University planning coordinator, students have long been asking for a place to hone their firearm skills.

The school has already offered a free firearms safety training that over 3,000 students have taken advantage of, further showing the high interest. The university’s president has also been highly committed to supporting the Second Amendment, allowing faculty, staff and students to carry guns on the private campus as long as they possess the proper permits.

“The university has been whole-heartedly supportive of this endeavor,” said Hartman.

When it came time for a range to be built, the university spared no expense. Initially, after the plan was submitted to the university president for $1.5 million to get started on the large endeavor, he turned them down — astoundingly proposing $3 million for the project instead. Construction on the range, which was actually projected for a total cost of $3.2 million, began last summer. Spreading across nearly 600 yards near Liberty’s main campus, the new Liberty Mountain Gun Club covers all of the bases for marksmanship enthusiasts. With 100-, 200-, and 300-yard rifle components, a pistol/three-gun range that measures 80-yards wide and 50-yards deep, as well as a shotgun range that has an International bunker trap with an International skeet field overlay, American trap with an American skeet field overlay, 5-stand, wobble trap set and the beginning stages of two sporting clays ranges – there’s a little something for everyone.

There’s still time to sign up for the inaugural New England CMP Games, held September 14-18, 2016, in Jericho, Vermont. Similar to the Eastern, Western, and Oklahoma CMP Travel Games, the New England Games will take place at Camp Ethan Allen Training Site and is hosted by the Vermont State Rifle and Pistol Association, along with the Burlington Rifle and Pistol Club. CMP Sales will be held at the Games, and on-site barracks accommodation is available.

Click Here for Match Schedule | Click Here for Registration Form

The 2016 CMP New England Games will begin with Small Arms Firing School (SAFS) and the M16 Match. The event will feature Garand/Springfield/Vintage Military matches and the Modern Military match. Other matches include an EIC Rifle Match, Carbine Match, a Rimfire Sporter Match and the popular Vintage Sniper Match. There will be five pistol matches: CMP .22 Rimfire EIC Pistol Match, EIC Service Pistol Match, Pistol Team Match, Military & Police Pistol Match and CMP As-Issued 1911 Pistol Match.

The New England Games will feature CMP’s signature M1 Garand Match.

Along with the SAFS, a GSM New Shooter Clinic and Garand Maintenance Clinic will also be offered. SAFS training by qualified instructors is geared toward new shooters, so no previous firearm experience is required.

The CMP Sales Trailer will be on-site offering registered competitors a first chance at the CMP goodies on September 14th during the Competitor-Only Sales Event. The CMP will also offer rifle and ammo sales September 15-17 starting at noon each day. Housing will be available on post in the form of transient quarters with a shared bath as well as barracks with large open bays and smaller bays for small groups or families.

To register, visit the New England Games Page on the CMP website. For more info, call Christina Roguski at 419-635-2141 ext. 714, or email competitions@thecmp.org.

Military Rifle Coaches and CMP Rifle Master Instructors taught marksmanship basics and fundamentals to some 472 rifle marksmen (and “markswomen”). The U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU) Rifle Team Members conducted a classroom session in the morning, and then the Army Rifle Coaches provided “world-class” instruction on the firing line. The Rifle SAFS concluded with the Rifle Excellence in Competition (EIC) Match. SEE Match Results.

Here are photos from the CMP SAFS Photo Gallery. CLICK HERE to see hundreds more images …

The school is structured toward teaching new shooters, so no past firearm experience is required. Intermediate shooters are also welcome to participate. Students will learn basic firing practices and competition skills. In addition to the live fire practice, students will compete in an EIC Match. All participants will be instructed by members of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU) and coached by Military Rifle Team Members or CMP Rifle Master Instructors.

CLICK HERE for Small Arms Firing Schools INFO | CLICK HERE for Rifle SAFS Registration.

For those already familiar with rifle shooting, an Advanced Rifle Course will also be held to provide additional class instruction and the chance to fire in a special Excellence-In-Competition (EIC) Match. Whether an experience shooter or picking up a firearm for the first time, come enjoy a day of fellowship and fun in one of America’s oldest pastimes with the security and knowledge of some of the best marksmen in the country!

The SAFS is divided into pistol and rifle programs. The Pistol SAFS will be held on Monday, July 9, 2012, while the two-day Rifle SAFS will be held July 28-29, 2012. There are two divisions for rifle shooters — a basic program for novice/intermediate shooters, plus an Advanced Service Rifle Course for experienced marksmen. Both rifle programs finish with special M16 EIC Matches.

The SAFS program is very popular, drawing over 1,000 participants to each year’s rifle and pistol classes. Fees for the Rifle School or Pistol School are a modest $45.00 for adults and $30.00 for juniors. The USAMU provides semi-auto-only M-16A2 rifles for the students to use. The USAMU also supplied pistols and ammo for the pistol students. CLICK HERE for registration and more information.

The day starts with classroom instruction and covers everything from the functioning of the weapon to proper positioning. The instructors, such as 2009 National Pistol Champion SFC James Henderson, are among the best in their respective shooting disciplines. After a few hours in the classroom, the students trek to the range and get a feel for the weapon in dry-fire simulation. There are two students per military instructor. Upon their return from lunch, students go to the range for live-fire practice.

SFC Jason St. John, USAMU, explained: “The advanced class … covered mental management training, preparing for a competition, and basically what it’s going to take to get to that next level”. Splitting the rifle class into two divisions based on shooter experience has proven to be effective and popular. Said SFC Lance Dement, USAMU: “In previous years we had around 400 students or less (for the rifle class) and now we’re close to 700. With the price of ammo going up, the cost of fuel, the economy the way it is, and people are still coming — that’s a good thing. They are the future of the sport.”

Shooters of All Ages Attend Firing Schools
Persons from all walks of life, young and old alike, have participated in the pistol and rifle Firing Schools. The students range in age from 12 to 70. (Minimum age for Rifle SAFS students is 12; minimum age for Pistol SAFS students is 14.) State junior shooting teams showed up, families planned their family vacations around the trip to Perry, and others flew long distances to learn from the elite marksmanship instructors.

“It’s such a great thing,” said Jim Davis from Indiana. “This is the best place in the country, maybe the world, to learn about shooting and everything that goes with it.” Davis took his son and three other kids from the Dekalb County 4-H Club to the rifle class, stressing how valuable the instruction is to them now and down the road. “I still remember when I came to this school as a teenager,” he said. “I tell my kid that this is something that you’ll always remember.”