NRA Tactical Police Competition: Skill Stages Breakdown

by
posted on April 7, 2018
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
skill_tpc-1.jpg

The two stages outlined below are great representatives of what to expect at NRA Tactical Police Competition (TPC) matches. These competitions offer unique training opportunities for law enforcement officers and complement NRA Police Pistol Combat matches.

TPC competition with duty pistol
NRA Tactical Police Competition is open to law enforcement officers and members of the military using patrol duty gear.


TPC matches are comprised of separate courses of fire for stages, called courses. Courses may be handgun-only, rifle or shotgun-only, or other combinations of firearms. Additionally, the courses are either skills-based or scenario-based. The skills courses evaluate handling, accuracy and overall firearms proficiency, while the scenario-based ones present hypothetical encounters typical of what a law enforcement officer can see on the job.

NRA TPC Skill Courses
Skill-based courses in NRA TPC test skills with a firearm under preset conditions.


These skill-course examples are both from the 2017 Fairfax TPC Competition, held last summer in Fairfax, VA.

Skill Course 1: Duty Rifle Skill Check

NRA Tactical Police Competition | Duty Rifle Skill Check
Targets: Three steel, 11 TP-1, and four TP-2
Firearms and rounds: Duty Rifle, 33 rounds

This stage has competitors start with their Duty Rifle loaded to cruiser safe (safety on, bolt closed on empty chamber with loaded magazine). Shooters start with their heels placed on the start line, and the rifle is held in the support hand by the forearm, with the muzzle downrange and the barrel parallel to the ground. On the start signal, competitors enter Firing Area 1, and engage targets and threat targets.

Duty Rifle Skills Check
Moving on to Firing Area 2, competitors engage multiple threat targets, then stomp on a box activator prior to engaging target 10 and continue engaging threat targets. For Firing Area 3 and 4, there are more threat targets are fired on. There are a total of 18 targets for the stage.

Skill Course 2: Clays are Always Better with Some Steel

NRA Tactical Police Competition | Clays are Always Better with Some Steel
Targets: Six clay, eight steel
Firearms and rounds: Duty Shotgun, seven birdshot rounds; Duty Handgun, seven rounds

This stage begins with competitors having a holstered, loaded handgun and Duty Shotgun with safety on, at the shoulder ready, with the magazine tube cap resting on the Start Post. At the start signal, with the Duty Shotgun engage threat steel and clay targets. For the first target there is a first shot time requirement of 1.5 seconds. Miss this requirement, and the actual fired first shot time is added as a penalty.

Clays are Always Better with Some Steel
Shooters then move through the Firing Area engaging multiple clay threat targets by firing under the visual barrier in front of each one. When complete, the Duty Shotgun is set in the barrel (muzzle down with safety on) and transition to the Duty Handgun. Shooters then move back through the firing area engaging the remaining threat steel targets. There are a total of 14 targets for the stage.

For more information on NRA Tactical Police Competitions, please visit lecompetitions.nra.org/tactical-police-competition or email [email protected]

Latest

SK Mexica 1
SK Mexica 1

SK Customs Unveils ‘Kingdom of Atzlán’ Colt 1911 Series Honoring Aztec Heritage

SK Customs’ new .38 Super Colt 1911 handgun series blends Aztec mythology with handcrafted firearm artistry

Drew Cup Selection: U.S. Juniors Set Sights on Prestigious International Smallbore Showdown

The 2025 Drew Cup brings elite international smallbore competition to U.S. soil, where junior shooters compete for national pride via a postal qualifier

Competitors’ Corner: September 2025

Highlights from the September 2025 issue of Shooting Sports USA, the NRA’s competitive shooting journal

Sarah Beard Tops Inaugural Brock Comer Memorial Match Leaderboard at Bisley

Sarah Beard leads Team USA with a 790 at Bisley, winning the first-ever Brock Comer Memorial Match—a tribute to marksmanship and international shooting unity

CMP Auctions Move to GunBroker.com in September

CMP auctions and direct sales will transition to GunBroker.com this September, improving buyer access and simplifying the online bidding process

New: Savage Arms A22 and B Series Timber Tactical Rifles

Savage Arms launches Timber Tactical rimfire rifles chambered in .22 LR, .22 WMR and .17 HMR with classic OD green laminate stocks

Interests



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