The Marine Corps Just Changed How You Qualify With Pistols and Rifles. Here's What's New.

A marksmanship symposium wrapped up. Several rules changed immediately. Reserve Marines got a specific carve-out that matters.

Reference: MARADMIN 095/26, signed 10 March 2026. Underlying authority is MCO 3574.2M (Marine Corps Combat Marksmanship Programs, 6 Apr 2022).

(The MCO link is not directly available in this summary. Verify with your S-1 or unit armorer.)

The old problem

Marksmanship policy had accumulated friction in a few specific places.

The "Destroy" ARQ target was costing units money and logistics headaches for a zone that didn't even count toward a score.

Pistol qual rules didn't account for Marines already issued Glocks or red dot optics in their day jobs.

Tables 3 through 6 were annual requirements even for units not deploying, pulling range time for training that wasn't tied to any operational need.

And Reserve Marines had no clear in-house path to process marksmanship qualification waivers without going outside the component.

The new rule in one line

Several marksmanship qualification policies changed effective immediately, and Reserve Marines now own their own waiver process for annual quals.

What actually changed

These changes are effective now, with this MARADMIN.

Pistol qualifications (Combat Pistol Program)

✦ Marines can now use the M17 Romeo red dot optic (NSN 1240-01-713-979) for CPP quals, as long as it is unit-funded and on the unit's property.

✦ Marines in units issued Glock pistols by the USMC or Department of State for unique duty requirements (think MARSOC, MCESG) can now qual with those Glocks instead of a standard M18.

(In short: if that's the pistol you carry, you can now qual with it.)

Rifle qualifications (Annual Rifle Qualification)

✦ The "Destroy" ARQ target is no longer required. Units can use the "Drill" target instead. The white boundary suppress zone on the Destroy target never counted toward your score anyway. This is a cost and logistics fix.

Tables 3 through 6

✦ These courses of fire are no longer annual requirements. They are now tied to Global Force Management deployment cycles. Units execute Tables 3 through 6 during their pre-deployment workup, not on a calendar year.

(If your unit isn't in a GFM workup, you are not required to run Tables 3 through 6 this year.)

Reserve-specific: marksmanship qualification waivers

✦ Marine Forces Reserve is now authorized to process waivers for annual marksmanship qualifications through the first General Officer in the chain of command.

This is new. Reserve Marines no longer need to route waiver requests outside the Reserve component for this.

What's still in progress

These items were discussed at the symposium but are not finalized policy yet.

Entry-Level Qualification pilots are continuing through FY26 at Parris Island and Edson Range. A standardized course proposal is targeted for the FY27 symposium. ARQ-equivalent parity is the goal by FY29.
Combat Marksmanship Coach and Trainer course revisions are in development. Revised programs of instruction are expected to be submitted in Q2 FY26.
Future marksmanship competitions will incorporate IMA and Precision Marksman Assessment stages. The direction is toward identifying the most lethal marksmen in the force annually, not just checking a qual box.
Attack Drone Competitions are continuing. They certify Attack Drone Operators, Instructors, and Payload Specialists through competition.

Why this is a big deal

The Tables 3 through 6 change is the largest structural shift here.

Those tables required real range time, ammo, and coordination every single year regardless of whether a unit was going anywhere. Tying them to deployment workups is a significant reduction in the administrative and logistical burden on non-deploying units.

For Reserve units especially, that matters. Annual drill weekends have finite range availability. Removing a mandatory annual requirement for tables that were designed for pre-deployment proficiency frees up that time and ammo for training that is actually tied to your unit's near-term mission.

The waiver authority shift is also meaningful. Routing paperwork inside the Reserve component is faster and simpler than going outside it. If a Marine misses annual qual for a legitimate reason, the path to fix that on paper just got shorter.

A smaller note for active-duty Marines

Active-duty units benefit from the same Glock and red dot pistol qual changes and the Tables 3 through 6 deployment-cycle shift. The Destroy target change also applies across the force. The waiver authority change is Reserve-specific and does not apply to active-duty chains of command.

The bottom line

Several marksmanship rules changed now, not later. The most operationally significant change is that Tables 3 through 6 are no longer annual. The most Reserve-specific change is that your component now owns the marksmanship waiver process in-house.

What to do with this

If you are a Reserve Marine in an SMCR unit:

✦ Talk to your unit S-1 and Operations Officer about Tables 3 through 6. If your unit is not in a GFM workup, confirm whether those tables are still on your training plan and whether they need to be.

✦ If your unit uses or is considering the M17 Romeo red dot, confirm the NSN (1240-01-713-979) is on your property and unit-funded before using it for CPP qual.

✦ If you have a pending or anticipated marksmanship qualification waiver need, ask your S-1 about the new General Officer routing path within MARFORRES.

If you are an IMA or IRR Marine:

✦ Your marksmanship requirements and any waiver paths still run through your mobilization chain. Ask your IMA coordinator or gaining unit S-1 how these changes apply to your specific situation.

If you are a unit armorer or range officer:

✦ Brief your unit on the Destroy versus Drill target change before your next ARQ. It is a cost and logistics decision now, not a qualification requirement.

✦ Confirm whether your range and training schedule still has Tables 3 through 6 built in as annual events. If it does, that may need to be revised in coordination with your operations section.

This is written by a reservist, for reservists. It is not an official publication of HQMC or MARFORRES. Always verify guidance with your command or unit S-1 before acting on any article or summary.

Want a shorter version of just the Reserve-specific changes? Or a deeper breakdown of the entry-level qualification pilot timeline? Both are available on request.

FY26 COMBAT MARKSMANSHIP SYMPOSIUM (CMS) POST SYMPOSIUM MESSAGE