All About Charles A. “Smitty” Brown

Charles A. “Smitty” Brown was the originator of the 2700-point NRA National Pistol Championship aggregate used at the NRA National Matches each year.

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posted on August 31, 2024
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Smittybrown 1
Tampa, Fla., police officer Charles. A. “Smitty” Brown introduced the 2700-point pistol championship aggregate that is still employed at the NRA National Matches each year. He devised the aggregate while working as the organizer of the Tampa Mid-Winter Pistol Championships in Florida.
NRA archive photo

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.

Lucile Chambliss & Charles. A. “Smitty” Brown
Lucile Chambliss, the first woman ever elected to the Mayleigh Cup pistol team, is pictured above receiving an award from Charles. A. “Smitty” Brown.

 

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

Charles A. “Smitty” Brown
b. Jan. 17, 1907 — d. Nov. 25, 1958

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