Instructions for CMP 22 Rimfire Pistol EIC Matches

For Match Sponsors, Range Officers and Competitors

By Gary Anderson, DCME

Ready Position / CMP
Correct ready position for starting timed and rapid-fire series.
Civilian Marksmanship Program
Civilian Marksmanship Program

Camp Perry, OH -(Ammoland.com)- The CMP is introducing a new 22 Rimfire Pistol Distinguished Badge and EIC match program in 2015.

These instructions provide information about the pistols that can be used, the course of fire and how the 22 Rimfire Pistol matches are to be conducted.

Correct Rulebook: The 22 Rimfire Pistol Match is an EIC match and is governed by the 19th Edition 2015 CMP Competition Rules for Service Rifle and Pistol. Be sure you have the 2015 rulebook with the orange cover, not a previous year’s rulebook, or the 2015 rulebook with the green cover that is for CMP Games Matches. If you don’t have a rulebook, you should download a copy from the CMP website at https://thecmp.org/wp-content/uploads/Rulebook.pdf.

EIC logo
The 22 Rimfire Pistol Achievement Pin design.

CMP Program Objective: The CMP wants to encourage more shooters who own .22 caliber rimfire target pistols to participate in its prestigious Distinguished Badge program. The new EIC program is designed to challenge competitors who already have the Distinguished Service Pistol Badge, traditional bulls-eye pistol shooters, shooters who own rimfire pistols who have not yet tried target pistol shooting as well as women and juniors who were not previously active in Service Pistol competitions.

Course of Fire: The course of fire for the 22 Rimfire Pistol Match is the standard National Match Course, with one major exception. The course includes one 10-shot slow-fire stage fired at 50 yards, one 10-shot timed fire stage fired at 25 yards and one 10-shot rapid-fire stage fired at 25 yards. The difference is that competitors must start all timed and rapid-fire series with a low-gun ready position (Rule 7.1.2). After the LOAD command, competitors must have their pistols down at a 45-degree angle. If the bench or a competitor’s height prevents lowering the arm to a full 45-degree angle, the pistol must be held as low as possible without touching the bench. After the LOAD command, the pistol may be raised to the target to check position alignment, but it must be lowered so that it is down in the 45-degree ready position when the READY ON THE FIRING LINE command is given. The pistol cannot be lifted up until the targets begin to turn.

Ready Position Rehearsal: For 22 Rimfire Pistol EIC Matches conducted in 2015, the CMP recommends that Range Officers have competitors go through a ready position rehearsal before conducting the first timed-fire series. To do the rehearsal, the Range Officer should go through the command sequence for a timed-fire series and ask all competitors to use a closed fist to simulate holding the pistol in the ready position and lifting it up to the target. Block Officers should check the ready positions to be sure arms are down at 45-degree angles and that they are not lifted (start to move up) until targets turn.

Violations - CMP
Ready position violations: On left, the pistol is too high; on right, the pistol is resting on the bench. The muzzle must be clear of the bench or anything on it (pistol rest, support or pad). The arm must be down at a 45-degree angle or as close to the bench as possible without touching.

Ready Position Violations. Range/Block Officers are responsible for checking competitors for three possible violations that can give competitors an unfair advantage:

1. Ready position is too high. In this case, the loaded pistol is held higher than 45 degrees or with a high bench, well above the bench.

2. Pistol rests on bench. In this violation, the pistol is down, but the muzzle is rested on the bench when the READY ON THE FIRING LINE command is given.

3. Upward movement before targets turn. Competitors are not permitted to lift the pistol after the READY ON THE FIRING LINE command until before the targets start to turn.

Range/Block Officers. Range or Block Officers are responsible for observing competitors and for taking corrective actions if they observe violations. Range Officers should act according to Rule 5.12.2. The first step is to give the competitor a warning with an explanation of what he/she must do to be legal. If a competitor refuses to comply after a second warning, a second Range/Block Officer or match official should be asked to observe. If two match officials observe another violation by a competitor who was previously warned twice, they should disqualify the competitor.

Legal 22 Rimfire Pistols. Rule 6.4 defines the pistols that are legal for this match:

  • Either semi-autos or revolvers may be used.
  • Specially shaped (asymmetrical) or custom grips are permitted.
  • Only open sights are permitted. No optical sights are permitted.
  • The sight radius may not exceed 10 inches as measured from the rear surface of the rear sight to the highest point of the front sight.
  • The trigger pull must be a minimum of 2.0 pounds. Match sponsors may check triggers before a competition or check random selections after a competition.
  • Recoil reduction systems that use venting or porting are not permitted. Pistols with moveable weights (Pardini, etc.) are permitted.

    Distinguished - The design for the new 22 Rimfire Pistol Distinguished Badge.
    Distinguished – The design for the new 22 Rimfire Pistol Distinguished Badge.

Distinguished Badges and CMP Achievement Pins. All competitors in 22 Rimfire Pistol EIC Matches are eligible to win EIC points in accordance with Rule 9.0. Competitors in these matches are also eligible to earn gold, silver or bronze Achievement Pins.

Competitors who fire scores of 235 to 249 will receive bronze pins, scores of 250 to 264 will receive silver pins and scores of 265 or higher will receive gold pins. The CMP will provide EIC Match sponsors with pins to be awarded immediately after the match.

For more information about the CMP and its programs, log onto www.TheCMP.org.

About The Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP)

The Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) is a national organization dedicated to training and educating U. S. citizens in responsible uses of firearms and airguns through gun safety training, marksmanship training and competitions. The CMP is a federally chartered 501(c)(3) corporation that places its highest priority on serving youth through gun safety and marksmanship activities that encourage personal growth and build life skills.

For more information, please visit www.TheCMP.org.