Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1940-07-05
EASTERN RIFLE,
PISTOL SHOOTERS
In TITLE TEST


eral hundred shooters, representing
the best of Eastern rifle and pistol
talent, made a first thrust at the
national championship titles starting
June Bird when the sectional pistol and
small bore rifle matches are fired at
Camp Richie, site of the largest mid
dle-Atlantic target shooting ground.
AS the first leg of the fight for the
United States titles, the matches can
be expected to turn into battle-royal
among the civilian field contesting
the small caliber rifle crown, and no
less among the varied service teams,
police groups and individual civilians
cunning for the decision in this semi
final round of the pistol championship
fight. Whether Washington's Wal
ter Walsh, ace FBI gunner, or Frank
Hoppe, affable Philadelphia shooting
supply manufacturer, can spring them
selves into another Eastern title, as
they did last year, will be answered
on the 7th of July, when the finals
are added up, and the championship
crowns for 1910 are passed out.
The individual 20 caliber rifle and
pistol championships of the Eastern
states, as in past years, will be con-
tested together on the mountainside
range at Richie, with about 400 shoot
ers expected to swell the entry lists.
One of series of nationwide section
al meets staged throughout the coun-
try, the Richie matches are held I'M
der the joint sponsorship of the Ma
tional Rifle Association, governing
body of organized u. s. target shoot
ing, and the Eastern Small Bore Rifle
and Pistol Association. Marksmen
from New Jersey, Delaware, Mary
land, Virginia, West Virginia, Dis
trict Of Columbia, all of eastern
Pennsylvania and western New York
will compete in what is looked to be
the largest field in the eighteen year
history of the Eastern Champion
ships.
The fight for the four free trips to
the National Rifle and Pistol matches
at Camp Perry, Ohio, fired from Au-
gust 18th through September 7th, to
be awarded to the four top-flight rifle
and pistol marksmen at Camp Ritch-
lie, will add fireworks to a program
already apt to be explosive when the
champs begin their annual gun bat
tie. New regulations, however, make
it impossible for these championship
marksmen to take more than two of
the four trips to Perry, at the expense
of those not SO highly skilled in handl-
ing rifle or pistol.
Classification Of shooters has been
made on a basis of scores previously
fired in MIRO registered tournaments
dividing shooters into five classes in
order of proficiency, Master, Expert
Marksmen, Sharpshooter and Tyro
with appropriate gold, silver and
bronze medals to winners in each
group.
Two of the free trips to National
Championship meet at Camp Perry
will DO to high scorers in rifle and
pistol regardless of classification
while two will be reserved to those
turning in high scores in the lower
classes, Marksmen, Sharpshooters anC
Tyro.
Walsh and Hoppe, winners of the
titles last year, will defend theil
crowns in this weeks matches, but
will not be eligible for another shot al
the free trip to Perry, which cannot
be taken two times in succession by
a single winner.
Hopes score in the 1889 firing
a total of 3156, was topped by young
Bill Woodring, Alton, Illinois rifle
man and present holder of the Ma
tional title, and by Dave Carlson
New Haven test shooter for the Win
chester Arms Company. Neither wal
eligible for the title crown, which wa.
limited to residents Of the region. II
the lower classes, last years title fel
to T. T. Charlton of Hancock, Md.
whose aggregate topped the second
airy field.
A similar condition prevailed on tn
pistol range, with AL Hemming, pre-
ent holder of the U. S. handgun title
topping Walsh's title-winning scor,
of 1925 by a three point margin
Hemming, a member of the Detroi
police force, and winner Of the reg
ional title in his own sectional meet
had to be content with the glory, ant
pass the trip and regional title OF
to Walsh. George Lyon, Chambers
burg, Maryland, shooter, piler up ,
1886 total in the five days of shoot
ing to take the trip awarded in III,
lower classes.
Definitely scheduled to compete thi
ynor Nv cha u:u%o1 ~~nco 80 D:k.h:.