Soldier of Fortune Magazine The Journal of Professional Adventurers
by Austin Lee
The word is out, and it’s moving through the ranks like a radio call in the dark. The first annual Comrade Cup is coming; a one-day shooting match celebrating the timeless battle rifles of the Eastern Bloc and their Western counterparts.
On March 28, the rifles of the Cold War step onto the line at the Bone Valley Industries Range in Mulberry, Florida. This is a premier Central Florida facility with a focus on serious firearms training, from long range to close quarters battle action.
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The Comrade Cup bans AR-15 patterns, and brings shooters back to the roots of the Cold War, when rifles were forged from steel, soaked in mud, and carried by men who expected to use them.
If it rode in a Warsaw Pact truck or a NATO convoy between 1950 and 1990, it belongs here. Expect to see Kalashnikovs in every dialect, Galils, FALs, SVDs, Valmets, VZ58s, mini-14s, M1A1s, all HK-style roller guns in 556 or 308, Daewoos, and more.
Divisions will be split into Light (5.56/5.45) and Heavy (7.62×39, 7.62x54R, 7.62×51), with separate categories for Irons and Optics, ensuring that everyone from purist iron-sight warriors to modern red-dot users get a fair fight.
Expect dynamic stages with “time plus points” scoring, steel targets (50 yards minimum), maximum distance of 250 yards, and a cold range enforced by strict safety rules. These include chamber flags, no loaded carry except the match rifle, and zero tolerance for binary triggers, bump stocks, or other gimmicks.
Entry is $100, with complete firearms and gear on the prize table. Sponsors have stacked thousands of dollars worth of prizes, with more incoming. According to inside intel, Soldier of Fortune has signed on with a mystery item. Vendors who want in on the action are invited to make contact. No need for dead drops or one-time pads; just reach out to @comradecup on instagram.
Suppressors are welcome (timers permitting), and costumes/larping are encouraged as long as they don’t create safety hazards. A pre-match zero bay opens for one hour, and all hands help reset stages. No alcohol. No drama. Just good vibes, a solid day of shooting, and respect for the range and your fellow comrades.
This isn’t another cookie-cutter match. It’s a throwback to when rifles had soul and shooters had gritty stories to tell of their triumphs.
Bring your Kalashnikov, your FAL, your Galil, or your PSL, and join in on the action.
Spots are filling as we get closer to the event. Register now at practicescore.com. Show up squared away, ready to compete with mags topped off and gear in check. Round count runs 260–300 minimum. Bring more. You won’t regret it.
For details, check the match book on instagram @comradecup or reach out to the event organizers @galil_hub or Aaron @comradecup on Instagram.
See you at the match, comrades.
Austin Lee is the proprietor of Galilhub, and is a gunsmith and a competitive shooter. He writes frequently for Soldier of Fortune.
