Charles A. “Smitty” Brown was a police officer in Tampa, Florida, who, beginning in the mid-1920s, earned a reputation as a top-flight pistol competitor, a first-rate trainer and an active promoter of the shooting sports.
Prior to World War II, Brown organized the Tampa Police Pistol Team and the now-famous Tampa Mid-Winter Pistol Championships, for which he devised and introduced the 2700-point pistol championship aggregate. The 2700-point aggregate system devised by Brown—using scores from the .22 Caliber, Centerfire and .45 Caliber championships at the NRA Precision Pistol Nationals during the NRA National Matches—is still in use today to determine the NRA National Pistol Champion.
In addition, Brown was a pioneer in the design and use of turning targets. During World War II, he accepted an appointment as a Warrant Officer in the Marine Corps, where he devised training courses in both rifle and pistol marksmanship.
Not only that, Brown also served on the National Rifle Association of America’s Board of Directors, both prior to World War II and from 1948 until his death in 1958.
Charles A. “Smitty” Brown
b. Jan. 17, 1907 — d. Nov. 25, 1958
