CMP Releases 2019 Competition Rules (Many Changes)

CMP Releases 2019 Competition Rules

CMP Competition Rulebooks that will govern all CMP sponsored and sanctioned competitions in 2019 have now been approved by the CMP Board’s Rules Committee and posted on the CMP website. Significant changes in this year’s rulebooks include dividing the former Service Rifle and Pistol Rulebook into two separate rulebooks, the establishment of a new program to give persons with disabilities an opportunity to earn Distinguished Badges, and the creation of separate unlimited classes for Modern Military Rifles and Rimfire Sporter Rifles. 2019 CMP Competition Rulebooks are effective immediately and can be downloaded from the CMP website by using the following links:

Highpower Rifle Competition Rules, governs Service Rifle and Long Range Rifle
LINK: http://thecmp.org/wp-content/uploads/HighpowerRifleRules.pdf

Smallbore Rifle Competition Rules, governs CMP traditional Smallbore Rifle Position and Prone
LINK: http://thecmp.org/wp-content/uploads/SmallboreRulebook.pdf

Pistol Competition Rules, governs Service Pistol and 22 Rimfire Pistol
LINK: http://thecmp.org/wp-content/uploads/PistolRules.pdf

CMP Games Competition Rules, governs As-Issued Military Rifle, Modern Military Rifle, Vintage Sniper Rifle Team Match, Rimfire Sporter Rifle and As-Issued Pistol
LINK: http://thecmp.org/wp-content/uploads/CMPGamesRules.pdf

Access All 2019 CMP Competition Rulebooks HERE »

Here are key 2019 CMP Rule Change Highlights. For a more complete list of important changes, read the official CMP 2019 Rule Change Summary.

New Distinguished Marksman Program For Shooters with Disabilities
A major new CMP program being introduced in 2019 is the Distinguished Marksman Badge Program for competitors with medical or physical limitations or disabilities. To implement this program, the CMP is establishing a new Distinguished Badge called the Distinguished Marksman Badge. Any rifle or pistol competitor with a disability or limitation that previously prevented them from fully meeting rules requirements for earning EIC credit points is invited to apply to the CMP for a “Distinguished Marksman Authorization” (contact acantu@thecmp.org or phone 419-635-2141, ext. 602).

Electronic Scoring Target Rules
New electronic target (EST) installations at the Talladega Marksmanship Park and CMP Travel Games necessitated special rules to govern irregular shot entries that may appear on electronic targets. CMP EST rules were updated this year, based on EST experiences. CMP Rules now define EST complaint resolution processes for: 1) a protested shot value; 2) a missing slow-fire shot; 3) a missing rapid-fire shot; 4) an extra slow-fire shot and 5) an extra rapid-fire shot.

Highpower Rifle Rule Changes

Separate Highpower Rifle Rulebook
Until this year Service Rifle and Pistol events all had the same rulebook. As a result, rules frequently skipped from rifle to pistol and back and this often caused confusion. Now there are two separate rulebooks, one for Highpower Rifle and a separate rulebook for Pistol.

Long Range Rifle Classification System
The CMP brought Long Range Rifle competitions at 800, 900 and 1000 years back to Camp Perry and the National Matches in 2018. This successful new program attracted 182 competitors who made 454 event entries. This year’s change features the introduction of a Long Range Rifle classification system that will expand the CMP Highpower Rifle classification system implemented in 2018 (HP Rule 3.11.4).

National Matches Program
The 2018 National Matches Program that introduced CMP Cup Matches, Long Range Rifle Matches and the Roosevelt Match (for U.S. Krag and M1903 rifles) will be unchanged in 2019. All of the highpower rifle events that were on the 2018 National Matches Program are already in this year’s National Matches Schedule. If you have not done so already, download the 2019 National Matches Calendar.

In 2019, the “Standard Modern Military Rifle” will return to its original rules for AR-type rifles that featured a 7.5 lbs maximum weight and metallic sights only. In 2019, AR-type rifles that weigh more than 7.5 lbs or that have optical sights will compete in a separate Unlimited Class. In addition, Modern Military Rifles with optical sights will now all be in the Unlimited Modern Military Rifle Class. Free-floating handguards will be allowed in both the Unlimited and Standard Modern Military Rifle Classes.

CMP Games Rule Changes

The CMP Games Rulebook that governs As-Issued Military Rifle and Pistol events as well as Rimfire Sporter Matches has some of the most significant 2019 rule changes. These include the establishment of an Unlimited Modern Military Rifle Class and the expansion of the Rimfire Sporter Tactical Class to become a combined Tactical and Unlimited Class (TU-Class). Changes in this rulebook are.

Modern Military Rifle
For 2019, after much debate and inputs from many, the CMP decided to return the first Modern Military Rifle Class to its original rules as a Standard Modern Military Rifle and to establish a separate Unlimited Modern Military Rifle Class. The Standard Modern Military Rifle will go back to its original 7.5 lbs. weight limit for AR-type rifles and 9.0 lbs. for M1As. Standard Modern Military Rifles will be restricted to metallic sights only. Rifles that weigh more than 7.5 lbs. or 9.0 lbs. or that have optical sights will now be in the Unlimited Modern Military Rifle Class. Restrictions against float tubes or metallic sights with finer adjustments were removed for both classes.

As-Issued Military Rifle Events
The core of the CMP As-Issued Military Rifle program is the ever-popular Garand-Springfield-Vintage Military Rifle triad. Those events and the Carbine Match, which accompanies them on many match programs, remain unchanged.

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