Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-07-01
PLANS MAPPED OUT
FOR RIFLE MATCHES
Government Requires Civilian
Riflemen to Attend Train
ing Course.
By Captain E. c. Crossman L. S. A.

With an overture consisting of q small
arms firing school for those civilians who
are not g,in-wise, the national matches
held by the government for the rltiefneh
of the country each year, opens tuil DLsst
at Camp Perry, Ohio, August |. When the
man in charge of the matches, Coionel
Morton C.. Murnrna, of the cavalry, frres |
the starting pistol, 400 rlsieinen, Pre-
surnably the pick of the country, viii en-
deavor 10 knock Perry S $50 targets clear |
off the Christmas tree 80
This wear, MS in every year SINCE 1910, |
the government pays the expenses 70 the
matches, and their subsistence while thoge, /
of a team of Is mon from each state, ana
from the various r. O. Il. G. camps he |
civilian teams may come from the civilnn |
rifle clubs. or from the schools OF the State, |
but every State is entitled TO send team. |
Team members receive a straight i've |
cent a mile to cover transportation, and |
are given 81 SO per day while st the shoot !
for eats
The infantry and csvalry of the regular
army. the Marines and the navy are also
entitled TO send teams, q privilege which Is
not taken this year by the navy, but ~ Is
not overlooked by any other branch OF the
service. The infantry and cavalry and
marine teams are already hard at work
preparing for their argument as to VINO Is
to win the national team match, the blue
ribbon event of the big national shoot
Not that this team match is confined 30
the service teams, but since the Nationa
Guard iissuwcared into the ranks OF the
army. or practically since 1916, there has
been no militia team strong enough 70
worry the service aggregations, while the
civilian aggregations rarely have time
enough to get up team work IN spite ol the
| good shots IN their ranks.
CIVILIANS MUST ATTEND SCHOOL.
| This wear the civilian rlfleman who
| draws his mileage and subsistence has to
/ attend two weeks firing school to be
| conducted by the former instructors OF
the Armv's Small Arms Firing School OF
the davs during the war. Following the
close of the school. about August 3, the
matches Of the National Rife Association,
open to anyone, and to any old sort oi
| rife or pistol, commence and run until
the time for the governments matches,
the national individual, the national
pistol. the national pistol team match and
the national team match for the riiiemen.
In the latter only the regular service rifle
and pistol may be used.
The course of fire for the government $
rife matches, both for individuals and the
teams, consists OF ~ SDolS fttpid hIC
time, one minute kneeling, and shots
sitting. squatting or kneellng, both string
at 200 yards on the figure ID target. Then
i the rifeman fires 20 shots prone at 6OO
yards on the b target with 2O-lnch bulls
eve. and 20 shots at ! 900 yards on the 7
target with 36-inch bull.
This is used IN some of the National
Rife Association matches as well
The association matches include some
of the historic events Of the American
rife shooting game, including the VIM
bledon cup, 20 shots with two sighters, at
1 900 wards, the Leach cup, seven shots
each at 800, 900 and 1000 yards; the
Marine Corps, 20 shots each at 600 and
1000 yards, and the Presidents, shot
over the national course as outlined above.
The winner of the latter gets beautiful
gold medal and an autographed letter from
the President.
ANY member of the association can fire
in any of these matches, and if a member,
YOU may buy a government service rifle,
the NJ 1908, or the national army weapon,
the NJ 1917, and ammunition for the
same fussee.