Camp Perry, Ohio– August 2024– The Pistol Small Arms Firing School (SAFS) is a staple of the historic National Matches at Camp Perry in Ohio. The Civilian Marksmanship Program partners with the United States Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU) to offer this unique and exciting class tailored for beginners and experienced marksmen alike.
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The class is centered on the safe handling of firearms, beginning with formal classroom instruction in the morning portion. There are multiple breaks between concepts where students can approach the instructors, ask questions, and handle the pistols to get used to them.
James and Vilius Wolfe, a father-son duo, attended this year’s pistol SAFS and cited the top-notch instruction from the USAMU among the reasons they decided to come back and try the pistol class. “Last year we had a good instructor for rifle, so we wanted to come back and try pistol,” James shared. They utilized the breaks in the classroom instruction to ask the instructors about handling, stance, and magazine loading.
Following the classroom session, participants practiced their skills and competed in an Excellence-In-Competition (EIC) Match with guidance from experienced coaches. The students are paired up with a coach who applies the lessons on the firing line, preparing them for a real match. They help them with position, trigger control, sight alignment, grip, and follow-through.
Paul Lahah has been coaching at SAFS since 2008 when he was with the Coast Guard. He comes back every year to help introduce new students to competitive shooting. The key takeaway conveyed to his students is that “firearms if safely used can be fun. It takes discipline and it takes practice, it’s not easy, but it is attainable. You can set small goals and you can be successful in competitive shooting.”
The match awards EIC points towards a Distinguished Pistol Shot Badge for the top 10% of competitors (those competitors with no EIC points are eligible for the introductory four EIC points). Of the 216 entries, 203 were eligible for EIC points — after some light math you can conclude that there were 20 total Introductory EIC Badges awarded during the awards ceremony.
The top score for the match was Maxton Musselman who shot an impressive 275 with 3 X’s, -twelve points ahead of the next place and eighteen points ahead of the previous year’s champion. For Maxton, this accomplishment was one worth celebrating.
After serving four years in the Marine Corps as a Combat Cameraman, Maxton transitioned back into life as a civilian, finding work as a roofing wholesale deliveryman. It was in that first year on the job when his life changed in a split second.
He was electrocuted by a lethal amount of voltage due to a reckless decision from his coworker to raise the delivery truck boom into the powerlines. He recalled, “I heard a loud explosion, felt my body tense up painfully, uncontrollably, and then had an out-of-body experience.”
Musselman sustained many severe injuries including first-, second-, and third-degree burns covering 85% of his body, two brain bleeds, and damage to his inner ear. Despite how he felt at the moment, doctors told him he was lucky to survive.
The road to recovery was, not surprisingly, a long one. Initially, he was told that he might never walk again. Maxton proved them wrong in less than six months he only needed a cane for assistance.
Learning to shoot again was a different story. The burns affected his dominant hand, making it difficult to hold a pistol. To overcome this, Maxton used a “Denix” replica single-action revolver to practice, eventually regaining enough skill to handle it with the precision of Clint Eastwood.
Maxton’s journey, though fraught with setbacks and obstacles, is a testament to the power of perseverance and goal setting. When someone tells him he can’t do something, he is determined to prove them wrong.
This award holds so much meaning for him, symbolizing how dedication and resilience can push you forward even in your darkest moments. I’ll leave you with this quote from Musselman, “When faced with daunting obstacles in life, don’t be the reason you do not even try, always give yourself only one option forward, to do your best. Semper Fi.”
If you are interested in learning more about the Small Arms Firing School, visit https://thecmp.org/training-tech/small-arms-firing-schools/. Photos can be viewed and downloaded at https://cmp1.zenfolio.com/p175664438.
The Civilian Marksmanship Program is a federally chartered 501 (c) (3) non-profit corporation. It is dedicated to firearm safety and marksmanship training and the promotion of marksmanship competition for citizens of the United States. For more information about the CMP and its programs, log onto www.TheCMP.org.
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