U.S. International Preliminary Tryouts
Camp Matthews, California

Four National Rifle Records Are Broken

SAN DIEGO, Calif., March 30 - (UP) - Four national rifle and pistol marksmanship records were bettered today by Army and Marine Corps shooters qualifying for international competition at Camp Matthews, Calif.

Marine Corps Capt. William W. McMillan topped the record for .22-caliber pistol rapid fire by scoring 590 out of a possible 600 points. Sgt. 1st class Nelson H. Lincoln, of Ft. Benning, Ga., fired 559 out of a possible 600 for a new high in the slow fire .22-caliber pistol event.

1st Lt. Dan B. Puckel, Ft. Benning, broke two standing .22-caliber rifle records as he finished the match with 1,108 points out of a possible 1,200 at 500 meters, and 1,127 out of 1,200 at 300 meters.

The Lodi News-Sentinel, March 31, 1958

McMillan Chalks Up New Pistol Mark In Tryouts

Four new national rifle and pistol records were set in the Marine Corps Recruit Depot sponsored Preliminary U.S. International Team tryouts held at Camp Matthews last Saturday and Sunday.

It was the first of several tryouts scheduled throughout the country during the spring.

The country's top pistol shot, Marine Captain William W. McMillan, stationed with the Marksmanship Training Unit at Camp Matthews, fired a new international .22 caliber rapid fire free pistol score of 590x600 to break his former national record of 588.

His new score is the highest officially recorded anywhere in the world for the rapid-fire course.

Army First Lieutenant Daniel B. Puckel, 1957 .22 caliber rifle national champion, broke two records; his first with a score of 1117x1200/20x on the .22 caliber 50-meter international free rifle course, and his second with a score of 1127x1200 on the .30 caliber 300 meter international free rifle course.

Army Sergeant First Class Nelson H. Lincoln, also of Ft. Benning, registered a 559x600 with 26 tens to set a new .22 caliber 50-meter international free pistol slow-fire record.

Pushing hard behind SFC Lincoln was Navy TM1 G. P. DeFino of the Navy Small Arms Training Unit, who fired the same score but with one less ten bullseye.

More than 150 civilian and military shooters gathered at Camp Matthews to try for qualifying scores which may lead to an invitation to the finals at Ft. Benning this June and a spon on the International Team which will compete in the International Matches in Moscow, Russia, this fall.

MCRD Chevron, Friday, April 4, 1958

McMillan Sets International Pistol Record

SAN DIEGO. - Four new national rifle and pistol records were set in the Marine Corps Recruit Depot sponsored Preliminary U.S. International Team tryouts held at Camp Matthews.

It was the first of several tryouts scheduled throughout the country during the spring.

The country's top pistol shot, Marine Capt. William W. McMillan, stationed with the Marksmanship Training Unit at Camp Matthews, fired a new international .22 caliber rapid fire pistol score of 590x600 to break his former national record of 588.

His new score is the highest officially recorded anywhere in the world for the rapid fire course.

Army 1st Lt. Daniel B. Puckel, last year's .22 caliber rifle national champion, broke two records; his first with a score of 1108x1200/20x on the .22 caliber 50-meter international free rifle course, and his second with a score of 1127x1200 on the .30 caliber 300-meter international free rifle course.

Army SFC Nelson H. Lincoln, also of Fort Benning, registered a 559x600 with 26 tens to set a new .22 caliber 50-meter international free pistol slow-fire record.

PUSHING HARD behind Lincoln was torpedoman's mate first, G. P. DeFino, of the Navy Small Arms Training Unit, who fired the same score but with one less ten bulls-eye.

More than 150 civilian and military shooters gathered at Camp Matthews to try for qualifying scores which may lead to an invitation to the finals at Fort Benning, Ga.

Navy Times, April 12, 1958

Preliminary Tryouts... 1958 ISU Team

The weekend of May 17-18 saw completed the last of 9 preliminary tryouts for the 1958 U.S. International Shooting Team. In these tryouts 593 shooters tried to clear the first hurdle to selection on the American team which will go to Moscow to fire in the 37th World Shooting Championships of the International Shooting Union. Entries by event were as follows: Free-rifle 117, smallbore rifle 234, free-pistol 114, rapid-fire pistol 112, and running deer 18.

The preliminary tryouts produced some fine scores, indications of the quality of shooting required in the finals to make the U.S. team. At the very first tryout, at Camp Matthews, Calif., in free-pistol, Sgt. N. H. Lincoln, U.S. Army Advanced Marksmanship Unit, and TM2 Gasper P. DeFino, U.S. Navy, both turned in scores of 559, equaling the present world record. In rapid-fire pistol Capt. William W. McMillan scored 590, also a tie of the existing world record. At the Ft. Benning tryout Lt. Daniel Puckel, USA AMU, fired 1138 over the 300-meter free-rifle course, equaling the Olympic record and just one point behind the world record.

Invitations were then sent out to the shooters who met specified qualifying scores. Twenty-three free-rifle (300 meters), 25 smallbore rifle (50 meters), 28 free-pistol (slow-fire), 41 silhouette pistol (rapid-fire), and 9 running deer shooters were directed to Ft. Benning, Ga., for a grueling final tryout to pick the relatively small group that will compete in the World Championships. As a point of interest, the competitors' list at the final tryouts included 50 Army shooters, 31 Marines, 27 civilians, 10 Navy and 8 Border Patrol.

The Ft. Benning ranges were busy places during June. The final tryouts started there on June 9. During that week the free-pistol team candidates fired 4 times over the complete course. At the end of firing, the 5 team members were selected. Rapid-fire pistol began June 16, with the 4 team members being chosen at the end of the week's shooting. During the same week smallbore riflemen were competing for the 5 team member positions. The five 300-meter free-rifle team members were chosen after their 4 courses were fired during the week of June 23. The running deer range was operated throughout the entire period, with the 4 team members being selected at the end of last week.

All team members will remain at Ft. Benning for practice and team training until their departure for Europe on July 14.

American Rifleman, Vol. 106, No. 7, July, 1958