History

Created on January 27, 1933 (formally incorporated in 1978), Maryland Rifle Club, Inc. is the oldest of the charter member clubs in the AGC. The primary focus of the club membership is High Power Service Rifle competition. Maryland Rifle Club is the only AGC club to host matches for military rifles classified as curios or relics by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. In addition, club members participate in general interest shooting sports, where club members shoot according to their individual interests and schedules. In July 1943 the IRS recognized the Maryland Rifle Club as a not-for-profit club. The club is currently classified under section 501(c)(7) of the Internal Revenue Code.

For many years the primary focus of the club has been High Power Service Rifle competition. Members of the club compete in 200 yard reduced-course matches, across-the-course matches that are fired at distances ranging from 200 yards to 600 yards, and long-range matches that start at 600 yards.

These matches are fired using U.S. service rifles or their civilian equivalents. Under the direction of the current High Power Co-Ordinator, Steve Palmieri, the club continues to build and field strong high power teams. MRC high power shooters are gaining recognition in the local high power community for their enthusiasm and commitment to the sport. By a very wide margin, more members of the Maryland State Rifle Team belong to the Maryland Rifle Club than to any other club in the state of Maryland.

In addition to High Power Service Rifle competition, the MRC also organizes matches for vintage military rifles such as the M1 “Garand”, the M1903 “Springfield”, and other rifles bearing historic names such as Mauser, Enfield, Mosin-Nagant, Schmidt-Rubin, and Mannlicher. These matches are intended as fun matches and they are open to the general public. They provide a perfect opportunity for collectors – and those who are just plain curious about old military rifles – to come out, examine a variety of historic rifles, and do a little shooting. These matches also offer a relaxed introduction to the sport of high power rifle competition as the firing line commands used in our matches are very similar to those used in high power rifle competition.