2002 Conventional Pistol Team At Camp Perry.  Rear rows, left to right: Paul Adamowski, Ray Schmitt, Mark Jenkins, Rick Mingeram, Rich Baughman, Roger Rosendale, Norm Glitz, K. Alan Johnson, Jean Verrier, John Gemmill, and John Polhemus.  Front row, left to right: Logan Ball, Jim LeFevre, Andy Mitchell, Allan Kutyla, Jim Aglione, William Hofmann, and Kevin Ball.

First, the overall picture. Although there was no rain, strong winds, especially during the first few days, kept scores down. On Preliminary day, winds were gusting to 30 knots, making it extremely hard to hold the pistol on one’s own target! In the Preliminary match, only three shooters scored over 820! This year’s National Pistol Champion, with a score of 2611 (out of 2700) was Marine Gunnery Sergeant Brian Zins, who also won in 1996, 1998, and 2001. Close on his heels was Larry Carter, who also had a score of 2611, but was out x’d, 110 to 101. If Larry had prevailed, he would have been the first true civilian champion since Jimmy Clark, who won in 1958. As an indication of how difficult the conditions were, Zins and Carter were the only two shooters to break 2600! Steve Reiter, five-time National Champion and winner in 2000, shot a 2580 to become high Senior. Kimberly Hobart “three-peated” as Women’s Champion. The number of competitors participating in the NRA championships was 752, down slightly from last year’s 765.

Two other notes about the national championships. First, the “challenge fee” for the team matches was raised to $8.00! Obviously, the NRA decided to discourage challenges during the team matches! Second, because of the wind, shooters resorted to innovative techniques to alleviate its effect. The most effective and common technique, where the wind is from the right or the left, is to put your gun box on the side the wind is coming from and “hide,” or duck down if you need to, behind it. Obviously, the shorter shooters had an advantage in this regard. Taller shooters had to do something else. One of the Army team members strapped a small footstool to the bottom of his gun box, to raise it up enough so that it could block the wind. That “contraption” was challenged when seen during the .22 team matches and the Chief Referee denied the challenge, since there was nothing in the rules prohibiting it. After the challenge was denied, a protest was filed and the National Matches Protest Committee met that evening. As a result, the protest was upheld and the team was disqualified. The next day, a rule was announced, requiring that gun boxes be placed “directly” on the shooting bench. We expect some clarification of the rules with respect to the size of gun boxes, etc., in October.

The championships are conducted over three days with competitors using a different type of pistol each day (.22 caliber, any “centerfire” pistol, and .45 caliber). Each day, each shooter completes four individual matches (Slow Fire, National Match Course, Timed Fire, and Rapid Fire) comprising a “900,” the maximum possible score, with that pistol. At the conclusion of each day’s individual matches, team matches are fired where each member fires the National Match Course (ten shots, each, of slow fire, timed fire, and rapid fire, for a possible total of 300 points). This year was the second year of the Harry Reeves Memorial Revolver Match, separate from the national pistol championships, fired with any centerfire revolver over the National Match Course.

Although New Jersey shooters are not used to shooting in the wind, several shooters were able to prevail. In the Harry Reeves Match, several New Jersey shooters placed in the top 100, earning a T-shirt. Roger Rosendale of Andover was the top NJ shooter with a score of 268, good for 29th place overall. Andy Mitchell of West Paterson, Allan Kutyla of Montvale, and Jim LeFevre of Wayne also won T-shirts.

In the individual matches, awards are given to the top ten percent of the shooters within a particular classification and category. It is a major accomplishment to place in that top ten percent. Master Kevin Ball of Englishtown won awards in five matches and Expert Jim Aglione of Teaneck won awards in four matches even though it was his first trip to Camp Perry! Expert Mark Jenkins of Hopatcong won awards in two matches and several people (Masters John Gemmill of Cliffwood Beach and Rick Mingeram of Ringwood and Experts Paul Adamowski of Marmora, Jim LeFevre, and Norm Glitz of Hamilton Square) won an award in one match.

One of our teams did well in the team matches. Our Expert team, New Jersey Blue, participating in the Expert Class, came in fourth out of the 20 participating teams on Centerfire day. This accomplishment, which earned 32 NRA award points, is particularly noteworthy because (1) this was Team Captain Paul Adamowski’s first experience as a team captain and (2) for the high shooter on this team, Jim Aglione, it was his first trip to Camp Perry! The other member of this team, which came in sixth overall out of 19 teams, were Mark Jenkins, Jim LeFevre, Norm Glitz, and Rich Baughman of Ringwood. High scorers were Jim Aglione (.22 and centerfire) and Paul Adamowski (.45). Our Master team, New Jersey Gold, captained by Allan Kutyla, came in tenth out of the 13 teams entered. Other team members were Kevin Ball, John Gemmill, Rick Mingeram, Andy Mitchell, and Roger Rosendale. High scorers were Kevin Ball (.22 and centerfire) and John Gemmill (.45). Our “mixed” team, shooting in the Sharpshooter class, captained by Jean Verrier of Lavallette, came in seventh out of the 10 teams entered. Other team members were Association Acting President K. Alan Johnson of Hackettstown, William Hofmann of Little Falls, John Polhemus of Riverdale, Ray Schmitt of Wayne, and Logan Ball of Englishtown. High scorers were John Polhemus (.22), Logan Ball (centerfire), and Jean Verrier (.45).

A special “Thank You” to our team captains!

Service Pistol competition is also fired at Camp Perry, but under the rules of the Civilian Marksmanship Program, not the National Rifle Association. In short, only “Service Pistols” are allowed. There are two individual matches (the President’s Match and the National Trophy Individual Match [or “Leg” Match] and a Service Pistol Team Match.

The President’s Match is unique in that it is only fired during the National Championships at Camp Perry. The top 100 shooters earn the distinction of membership in the “President’s Hundred.” This year, only one of our shooters, Andy Mitchell, made the President’s Hundred. Andy fired an excellent score of 366 (out of 400), good for 43rd place overall. This is Andy’s first appearance in the President’s Hundred. Last year, he earned even higher distinctions by making the Mayleigh Cup team. What will he do next year?

In the Leg Match the only New Jersey shooter to earn distinction was Kevin Ball. Kevin had earned his coveted Distinguished Pistol Shot status just before Camp Perry and received his Distinguished Badge from Hershel Anderson at the Civilian Marksmanship Program awards ceremony. At Camp Perry this year, he earned a Bronze “Custer” medal by firing an excellent score of 273 (out of 300).

The “cutoff” for Leg Points was artificially high. The reported “cutoff” was 269. However, several of the shooters listed as “non-Distinguished,” such as Steve Reiter and Brian Zins, have obviously already attained Distinguished status. We are hopeful that the final results will correct these inaccuracies and credit award points to Norm Glitz, who volunteered as a line officer during the entire time at Camp Parry and who fired an excellent score of 267 in the Leg Match, and Andy Mitchell who also fired an excellent score of 265.

Our Gold Service Pistol Team fired an excellent score of 1042 (out of 1200), just below last year’s score of 1048, good for 11th place out of the 23 teams reported. Each team must have a “new shooter,” defined as someone who has not fired on a Service Pistol Team at Camp Perry. Rick Mingeram was our Team Caption and other team members were “old shooters” John Gemmill, Rick Mingeram, Roger Rosendale, and Allan Kutyla and “new shooters” Andy Mitchell and Phil Blacher. John Gemmill was high on the team with an excellent score of 268. Andy Mitchell won the right to shoot as our “new shooter” and did so, firing a decent score of 254.

Another special “Thank You” to Service Pistol team captain Rick Mingeram!
Several other New Jersey shooters earned distinction, although they did not shoot for the New Jersey Pistol team. High Master Dave Lange, of Glen Rock, firing for Team Ultra Dot Too, attained honor by coming in third overall in the Centerfire Slow Fire Match, leading the team (High Master Open Club) to a win in the .22 team match, and won an award in the centerfire aggregate. Master Kathy Chatterton, also of Glen Rock, firing for the Les Baer Team, earned honors by firing on the team, which won an award in the .22 team matches (Master Open Club), and also as an individual competitor. Nick Abrishamian of Hackettstown and Karl Fillgrove of Franklin also won individual awards.

John Gemill
NJ Pistol Chair