HALLSVILLE, Mo. – Despite battling a prolonged cold the entire event, Bruce Piatt, 64, of Damascus, PA, managed to bring home his eighth Bianchi Cup – a remarkable feat at one of the most respected events in the action pistol world.
The Bianchi Cup, held since 1979, was facilitated this year by the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP), May 20-23 at Green Valley Rifle & Pistol Club in Missouri and attended by over 120 individuals from several different countries, including Australia, Switzerland, Germany and others. The CMP Bianchi Cup features a variety of events for adults and juniors, with the National Champion determined from scores of all Bianchi Cup events (Practical, Barricade, Mover and Falling Plates).
After winning the CMP Bianchi Cup in 2023 and landing in second by x-count to last year’s winner, Doug Koenig, Piatt arrived ready to reclaim his title in 2025. But, as it turned out, he wasn’t the only one out of sorts for the event.
The day before match began, the pistol he’s relied on for the last three years proved off in its accuracy, so, last-minute, he decided to switch to his eight-year-old backup gun. The move paid off, with Piatt becoming the only competitor to record a perfect 1920 score and leading Koenig by just two points overall for yet another victory.
The win was also another mark in the back-and-forth contest between the two men – with one or the other earning the Bianchi Cup nearly every year since 1992 (Piatt’s eight to Koenig’s 20).
Overall, the caliber of talent on the ranges was high in 2025 – with the final Mover competition truly deciding the Bianchi Cup champion. Piatt ultimately earned the overall win in the Mover (480-44X) as well as the Practical event (480-34X).
and Falling Plates.
“What a great time at The CMP Bianchi Cup!” said Jim Henderson, CMP Pistol Manager. “Bruce Piatt did outstanding. Congratulations to all the winners, and a huge thank you to all the competitors, volunteers, the Green Valley staff and our awesome sponsors!”
The long list of generous sponsors helped make the 2025 Bianchi Cup a success by providing nearly $80,000 in cash awards and donated prizes. A chain reaction of private donations also sparked another $750 to go towards the volunteers at the event.
As a bonus to the 2025 CMP Bianchi Cup, a special “Win Jim’s Money” match was also held where Henderson himself put up $300 of his own cash in a Production Optic course of fire – without prone. It was an unexpected addition that delivered even more excitement to the competition schedule.
“As I am predominantly a Bullseye shooter, I thought it would be fun for people to have a bit of a challenge while waiting for the awards on Friday,” Henderson explained. “It seemed like everyone loved it and had a great time, and it seems I’ll have to add more squads next year!”
Dustin Mattheyer, 48, Ellis, KS, won the fun match with a score of 1896-131X. Congratulations!
Next up, the CMP will be preparing for the 2025 National Pistol Matches – set for July 13-19 at the historic Camp Perry in Port Clinton, Ohio! All experience levels welcome to attend. Learn more, register and see a full schedule of events at https://thecmp.org/cmp-matches/national-trophy-pistol-games-matches/.
“I look forward to seeing all of you out on the range!” Henderson added.
Other Winners of the 2025 CMP Bianchi Cup:
Barricade: Nigel Gordon, 46, Rosenthal Heights, Queensland, Australia – 480-48X
Falling Plates: Troy Mattheyer, 62, Ellis, KS – 480-48X
2nd Gun Division:
Open: SSG Anthony Heinauer, 28, Fort Benning, GA – 1918-153X
Metallic: Craig Ginger, 64, Windellama, New South Wales, Australia – 1823-119X
Production Optic: Shawn Becker, 56, Harpers Ferry, WV – 1876-119X
2-Person Team:
Metallic: Team Friends – Ryan & Filthy Phil (SFC Ryan Franks, Philip Kroczek) – 1901-126X
Production Optics: Germany Production Optics (Frank Reiche, Peter Hoffmann) – 1860-121X
International Team: Target Pistol Australia A (Brett Foster, Craig Steadman) – 1910-154X
4-Person Team: Making Action Great Again (Bruce Piatt, Mark Itzstein, Joey De Leon, Douglas Koenig) – 1918-175X
Special Categories:
Military Veteran Champion: Nigel Gordon, 46, Rosenthal Heights, Queensland, Australia – 1904-156X
Law Enforcement Champion: Bruce Piatt, 64, Damascus, PA – 1920-174X
Active Service Champion: SSG Walter Johnson, 31, Pine Mountain, GA – 1916-180X
International Champion: Brett Foster, 48, Bundaberg, Queensland, Australia – 1916-159X
Revolver Champion: Troy Simmons, 51, Chamberino, NM – 1899-132X
International Championship Awards:
Overall Open: Mark Itzstein, 55, Frisco, TX – 1918-162X
Metallic National Champion: SFC Ryan Franks, 37, Ellerslie, GA – 1912-145X
Production National Champion: SFC Michael Gasser, 42, Blythewood, SC – 1841-110X
Grand Senior Champion: Vance Schmid, 74, Marion, IL – 1916-156X
John Cameron Memorial Senior Champion: Troy Mattheyer, 62, Ellis, KS – 1912-145X
Roger E. Hawkins Memorial Junior National Champion: Bradley Koenig, 20, Deland, FL – 1912-147X
Woman National Champion: Elyce Sutton, 22, Emu Plains, New South Wales, Australia – 1910-149X
Production Optic National Champion: SSG Anthony Heinauer, 28, Fort Benning, GA – 1916-152X
Rimfire Division:
Open: Takumi Suzuki, 52, Mason, OH – 1916-156X
Metallic: Benjamin Dean, 39, New Albany, IN – 1516-69X
Production Optic: Caleb Farris, 19, Centertown, MO – 1779-89X
Junior: Qwentin Kallenbach, 17, Eugene, MO – 1886-136X
View a complete list of results on the CMP’s Competition Tracker page at https://ct.thecmp.org/2025CMPBianchiCupResults.
See photos of the event, available for free download, at https://cmp1.zenfolio.com/f857836624.
About the CMP Bianchi Cup:
The CMP Bianchi Cup is comprised of four events: the Practical Event, Moving Target (Mover) Event, Barricade Event, and the Falling Plates Event. Competitors shoot from both standing and prone positions and are also required to shoot with strong and weak hands at various stages. There are no makeup shots in the CMP Bianchi Cup, adding to its difficulty. Competitors fire in Open, Metallic, Production and Production Optic classes within each event as well as Rimfire categories. Learn more about the CMP Bianchi Cup at https://thecmp.org/competitions/cmp-pistol-program/cmp-bianchi-cup/.
The Civilian Marksmanship Program is a federally chartered 501 (c) (3) non-profit corporation that places its highest priority on firearms safety and marksmanship activities, with a focus on youth. CMP’s programs encourage personal growth and build life skills, with such initiatives as its junior training and competition programs, Affiliated Club program and scholarships providing support to citizens of all backgrounds across the nation. Learn more about the CMP at https://thecmp.org/.
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