The Tactical Games Italy 2026 (in images)
The CTS Shooting Ranges in the city of Terni hosted "The Tactical Games Italy 2026", one of this year's most interesting shooting sport events, with SIG Sauer as the official sponsor for 2026
SIG Sauer is the title sponsor of The Tactical Games 2026
The Tactical Games are challenging sport shooting competitions first established in the US in 2018 and later brought to Poland, where their European branch – The Tactical Games Europe – has its headquarters.
The Tactical Games seamlessly blend the high physical intensity of CrossFit and the precision and accuracy of practical shooting, creating a unique cbhallenge for whoever chooses to push themselves to their limits rather than settling for the comforts of everyday life. And despite the word “Tactical” in its name, there is nothing here about promoting violence, politics, or military fanaticism. Instead, this discipline is built around personal growth, self-reliance, and a strong sense of responsibility, all within a competitive environment governed by demanding safety standards.
The success and high turnout first seen in the United States, then in Poland, persuaded the organizers to take The Tactical Games to other countries as well, and Italy was the absolute first choice, an obvious choice for a country that has long been a favorite among travelers with the means and inclination to explore.
At The Tactical Games, competitors face a series of grueling, timed events designed to push both body and mind to the breaking point. Endurance runs are combined with punishing exercises such as sled drags, sandbag lifts and carries, rope climbs, and cardio machines that replicate different forms of physical exertion. And just when competitors are already running on empty, they are immediately faced with precision-shooting stages under intense pressure. Miss a target and the penalty is not merely added to your score: it has to be paid back with more physical work.
Despite the misconceptions that often surround firearms, The Tactical Games built a remarkably inclusive and diverse community. Roughly half of the competitors come from the Armed Forces and Law Wnforcement, while the other 50 percent are civilians from a broad range of walks of life. What they have in common is a passion for CrossFit-style training: without that basic physical training background, making it through a Tactical Games event would be a formidable challenge in itself.
For the typical Tactical Games competitor, the appeal lies in the combination of shooting and extreme physical exertion: participants share a commitment to discipline, technical proficiency, and mutual respect, proving that when the pressure is on, every shot and every drop of sweat counts. Ultimately, The Tactical Games are about building resilience, pushing personal limits, and discovering just how much more you have in the tank.
CTS POLIGONI DI TIRO shooting range - TERNI (Italy)
Claudio Trionfetti, titolare della struttura CTS Poligoni di Tiro di Terni, intervistato dalla RAI durante l'evento
The Tactical Games Italy 2026 took place at the CTS Poligoni di Tiro di Terni shooting range, near Cascate delle Marmore, about 100 kilometers (74 mi.) north-east of Rome. The location was chosen by the organizers of The Tactical Games Europe and USA not only for its sheer size and features, spread as it is across multiple levels in a breathtaking landscape, but also for the quality of its management. CTS Poligoni di Tiro was selected for a very good reason: running an event of this scale and complexity takes more than just a suitable range – it takes competence, smarts, and an open mind.
And those qualities, while clearly present among the American and Polish organizers, are anything but guaranteed at Italian shooting ranges. Here in Rome, for example, we know of ranges where family members aren’t even allowed to enter unless they are registered members or over 18 years of age. Quite an approach, if your goal is to make absolutely sure that shooting sports never attract any new participants.
We at GUNSweek.com have known the Terni range for thirty years, so we fully agree with the choice and were brought on board as organizational partners, thanks to our decades of experience in the firearms industry and our track record with events of considerable importance.
Since this was an international event, we also brought in CSEN Nazionale, which handled the invitation process for foreign competitors.
AN INCREDIBLE EVENT
The numbers speak for themselves: 156 athletes from 13 Countries – particularly from the United States and Poland with particularly strong participation from the United States and Poland, home of The Tactical Games Europe – the organization’s European coordination center. Over the course of three days (one day of practice and two days of competition) roughly 60,000 rounds of 9mm and 5.56mm ammunition went downrange.
If you are tempted to think of The Tactical Games as an activity designed to attract armies of fake warriors obsessed with Tacticool gear, think again. Roughly half of the competitors come from, or currently serve in, military and law-enforcement organizations from around the world. The other half is composed by CrossFit and shooting enthusiasts. What they all have in common, however, is a serious level of physical and athletic preparation.
And this is precisely where, during the Terni event, we noticed a striking difference between The Tactical Games competitors and, unfortunately, many of the shooters we encounter who are obsessed with guns and all things tactical: technical competency, athletic ability well above average, and a complete openness and willingness to engage with others.
But then again, that is true of virtually every sport and of life itself. The best push beyond their limits and do things, rather than spending their time talking about them. The worst do exactly the opposite. With enough bullshit, you can make people believe just about anything, especially nowadays, with social media – although only an idiot would actually fall for it.
FUN AND SAFETY, BOTH AT THE UTMOST LEVEL
Safety at a shooting range definitely depends from the application of effective safety rules.
But applying safety rules blindly, ignoring the fact that people participate to sporting events
to be together and have fun
destroys any will to participate and the power of any sport to bring people together.
Laughing alone = having fun
Friendship and cooperation
Fierce grimace, but positive "V" spirit
Tired, but happy
The 2026 edition of The Tactical Games Italy offered a unique opportunity to meet and talk to people who were not merely athletes, but people: individuals so confident in their abilities and so aware of their limitations that they had no need to talk bullshit and impress anyone. They were perfectly happy to let their performance on the course do the talking.
And I have to say, they were an exceptionally open and welcoming bunch. Everyone was smiling. Everyone was ready to help everyone else. After years of being surrounded by nonsense such as “you need a firearms license just to try shooting,” “no, your son can't stay here because he's underage,” or “that guy is really good, he used to be in Special Forces…” (although they never seem to tell you which Special Forces), it was nothing short of a breath of fresh air.
The more I looked at the positive faces and attitudes of the Tactical Games competitors, the more I thought about the mentality of the many “experts” who frequent (or run) the various “places where people shoot” in Italy, whether privately operated or part of the Italian TSN State-owned ranges network. And frankly, it was depressing.
Still, looking at these photographs, there is a way, or indeed a need, to recover from that depression. Because what they show are enthusiasts who are genuinely enjoying something they love. And through that visible enthusiasm, together with their openness and willingness to help others, they are doing something incredibly important: they are promoting the sport and creating new enthusiasts.
Meanwhile, in Italy, virtually every shooting discipline is struggling with a serious shortage of new participants. Under the convenient excuse of “safety” – often invoked unnecessarily by those who are supposed to run shooting ranges while accepting all the legal responsibilities imposed by law, rather than merely picking the “easy and convenient” ones – we continue to see the deliberate creation of useless and illegitimate restrictions and obstacles that effectively prevent shooting sports from being promoted and new people from being introduced to them, starting with younger generations.
That sense of community and belonging displayed by foreign Tactical Games competitors was something we witnessed firsthand at CTS Poligoni di Tiro range, in all its sporting and media impact.
And the fact that it happened right here in Italy proves that, if there is a will to do it, an awful lot more could be done…
The organizers of the US and European editions of The Tactical Games – Nick Thayer and Mateusz Goliszek, respectively – swap weapons with two modern gladiators from the Rome Gladiators' School
Some staff members from the CTS Poligoni di Tiro shooting range; Federico Trionfetti, assistant director of the range, is front and center
