by The Firearm Blog has done some excellent work on estimating the potential prices for the 10,000 Army-surplus 1911s that will be sold be the Civilian Marksmanship Program. Steve estimates that the price will probably be about 30% less than the going retail rate for a WWII milsurp 1911. He comes up with that figure by looking at the going rate for a M1 Garand from the CMP and the prices you will find on sites like Gunbroker.com. You can read his analysis here.
The Firearm Blog TV has produced a good little video explaining how it will all work.
One of the must-do things if you want to purchase any firearm or ammunition from the CMP is membership in an affiliated club. They have a search page to find a club in your area.
But what do you do if there are no clubs nearby or the club in your area is so stuck in a 1950s mindset that it just isn’t worth the injury from banging your head into the wall over their stupid rules? There are alternatives. For example, if you are a member of the Glock Shooting Sports Foundation, then you belong to an affiliated organization. Likewise if you joined the Illinois State Rifle Association (ISRA) so as to support their litigation in Chicago, you are a member of an affiliated organization.
Another alternative is the Garand Collectors Association. A membership there costs $25, qualifies you to buy from the CMP, and gets you a very nice quarterly journal with all things M1 Garand. Moreover, they have a close relationship with the CMP and they send membership rolls to the CMP on a regular basis. This is the direction that I plan to head.
Texas State Rifle Association! BOOM!
Many state grass roots organizations like the Virginia Citizens Defense League are CMP affiliates. Garand Collectors is a good option, but so are the groups that are fighting the good fight at your state capital. Everyone should be a member of theirs, CMP or not.
I agree and that's why I'm a member of Grass Roots North Carolina.
Thanks for the recommendations. I just sent in my application for the Garand Collectors Association (GCA) because I think that every American should own one of these fine rifles. So much history that I just had to do it!
BTW, Brownell's has a series of four (4) excellent videos on the disassembly and reassembly of the M-1.