All-Around Champion At National Matches?

by
posted on August 16, 2018
walsh-all-around.jpg
Who is the best? These days, we can determine the best shooters at big, multi-discipline matches like the NRA World Shooting Championship. But, eighty-some years ago, the National Matches left no doubt about the best shooter's identity. From 1935 to 1939, an All-Around Championship was held to determine the best smallbore, high power rifle and pistol marksman.

The DuPont Trophy, a bronze statue of a medieval archer poised with his long bow at full draw, was bestowed on the winner of the All-Around Championship. This aggregate match comprised a centerfire pistol National Match Course; preliminary smallbore Dewar Match Course; and four high power matches that included slow fire; standing and prone, and rapid fire; sitting and prone, at ranges form 200 to 1000 yards for an aggregate of 1100 points. In 1935 and 1936, a service pistol aggregate was also fired, along with a 200-yard smallbore rifle prone slow fire match and a 50-yard and 100-yard, 40-shot smallbore prone match instead of the preliminary Dewar for an aggregate of 1900 points.

Winners of the All-Around Championship
  • 1939: 1st Lt. Walter R. Walsh (pictured at top), U.S. Marine Corps Reserve (1058/1100)
  • 1938: Petty Officer 1st Class Melvon O. Wilson, U.S. Coast Guard (1054/2200)
  • 1937: 2nd Lt. William Hancock, Infantry, U.S. Army (1051/1100)
  • 1936: Capt. Sidney R. Hinds, Infantry, U.S. Army (1797/1900)
  • 1935: Deputy Henry J. Adams, Jr., San Diego County, California, Sheriff's Department (1848/1900)

Competitors firing in the All-Around Championship not only had to hustle between ranges, but also needed the mental ability to adapt from one shooting discipline to another. After the demise of the All-Around Championship at Camp Perry, the DuPont Trophy was awarded to the NRA Service Rifle Champion, beginning in 1951.

Latest

Revelclassic 1
Revelclassic 1

Review: Savage Arms Revel Classic

The Savage Arms Revel Classic blends a traditional approach with modern design.

New: Magpul EDC Backpacks

Learn all about Magpul’s new EDC backpack lineup.

Looking Back At The 2002 Bianchi Cup

From the vault: Our coverage of the 2002 Bianchi Cup National Action Pistol Championship.

A National Matches Veteran Looks Back 50 Years

New York resident Lynn Wallace first competed at the National Matches in 1919.

What’s In Your Range Bag, Blake Meixel?

NRA Silhouette Rifle shooter Blake Meixel shares his match-winning gear and competitive strategy in this interview.

Springfield Armory’s Rob Leatham Receives Inaugural NRA Golden Bullseye Competitor Award At NRA Annual Meeting

Rob Leatham, one of the most decorated competition shooters in history, has been awarded the first-ever NRA Golden Bullseye Competitor Award by Shooting Sports USA.

Interests



Get the best of Shooting Sports USA delivered to your inbox.