CMP

Uncategorized

CMP Issues Info On The Purchase Of The Surplus 1911s

December 5, 2017 by

Late last night, Mark Johnson, Chief Operating Officer of the Civilian Marksmanship Program, sent out an email with info on how the CMP was planning to handle sales of the approximately 10,000 1911s they will (or should) be receiving from the Department of the Army. As I’ve mentioned before, I hold a 03 Curios and Relics FFL. I responded immediately to Mr. Johnson questioning why 03 FFLs could not be the recipient of the firearm. I also posted his first draft to a mailing list for C&R FFLs.

You will note below the added verbiage saying that 03 FFLs cannot perform a NICS check on the recipient. In a note I received back from Mr. Johnson, he said, “An 03 FFL can’t perform the in person background check on the recipient end. BATF and the Army prefer the second background check and shipment to the 01 FFL.”

Pardoning me for being a little blunt but Mr. Johnson’s response is utter bullshit. There is no need for a 03 FFL to perform a NICS check on themselves. They are LICENSED by the freaking BATFE to begin with. Even the original NICS check run by the CMP is superfluous. If this surplus 1911 was coming from anywhere else but the CMP, the seller would, after the receipt of a signed copy of my C&R FFL, ship that pistol directly to my door.

Frankly, there is only one of these 1911s I want. It has the serial number 1910270 and was issued to my Dad on his second tour of duty in South Vietnam.

If you hold a 03 FFL and would like to send a note to Mr. Johnson, his email is coo@thecmp.org

Below is how the CMP plans to conduct these sales:

To all CMP constituents:
 
The CMP Board of Directors has discussed at length how the sales of
1911s would be handled, if the CMP were to ever receive them from the
United States Army.
 
Some preliminary decisions further clarified:
  1. Decisions concerning the grade and pricing of the 1911s will not
    be made until inspection has occurred of a substantial quantity which
    will take an estimated 150 days post receipt.
  2. All laws pertaining to the sale of 1911s by CMP will be strictly obeyed.
  3. Potential
    purchasers will have to provide to CMP a new set of documents
    exhibiting:  1) proof of U.S. Citizenship, 2) proof of membership in a
    CMP affiliated club, 3) proof of participation in a marksmanship
    activity, 4) a new form 2A with notary, 5) a signed copy of the 01
    Federal Firearms License in which the 1911 will be transferred to. 
  4. A
    NICS background check will be performed by CMP on the customer to
    assure the customer is eligible to purchase prior to shipment to the FFL
    licensed dealer. The customer must receive a “proceed” from NICS prior
    to shipment of the pistol to the FFL licensed dealer.
  5. The
    CMP customer will be required to complete a form 4473 in person at the
    FFL dealers place of business, successfully passing a NICS check
    performed by the FFL holder, before the pistol can be transferred.  This
    is a second NICS check performed on the customer.
  6. Qualified CMP customer will only be allowed to purchase one 1911 per calendar year.
  7. No 1911s available in the CMP stores, or on line, only mail order sales.
  8. CMP will set the date in which it will accept orders for the 1911s. The date will be posted to the world.
  9. Orders will only be accepted via mail order delivery.
  10. Orders will only be accepted post marked on the date or after, no early orders.
  11. Once CMP receives 10,000 orders, customer names will be loaded into the Random Number Generator.
  12. The Random Number Generator will provide a list of names in sequence order through a random picking process to CMP. 
  13. Customers will be contacted in the sequence provided by the Random Number Generator.
  14. When
    the customer is contacted a list of 1911 grades and pricing options
    that are available will be offered for selection of one.
  15. As CMP proceeds down the sequenced list less grade and pricing options will be available. Again, this done completely random.
 
Note: 1911 type pistols purchased from CMP cannot
be transferred to 03 FFL (curio and relic) license.  BATF and the United
States Army prefer the second background check be performed by a “store
front” FFL dealer.  Each customer purchasing a 1911 type pistol from
CMP will be subjected to two NICS background checks, one performed by
CMP and the other performed by the FFL dealer the pistol is being
shipped to.
 

Mark Johnson
Chief Operating Officer
Civilian Marksmanship Program
Uncategorized

About Those CMP 1911s

December 8, 2015 by 4 Comments

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.

Uncategorized

CMP Will Be Able To Sell Surplus 1911s If Obama Signs The Bill

October 12, 2015 by 2 Comments

I reported back in May that Rep. Mike Rogers (R-AL) had proposed that the Civilian Marksmanship Program be allowed to sell surplus 1911 pistols. Currently, it is costing the Department of Defense approximately $200,000 annually to store them.

The House passed the National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2016 with Rep. Rogers’ amendment in it. However, the version passed by the Senate did not contain the provision authorizing transfer of these pistols to the CMP. Given this and other differences, the NDAA FY 2016 had to go to a conference committee to iron out the differences.

In what can only be considered a win, the Senate acceded to the House’s wishes and agreed to a pilot program.

Transfer of surplus firearms to Corporation for the Promotion of
Rifle Practice and Firearms Safety (sec. 1087)

The House bill contained a provision (sec. 1085) that
would authorize the transfer of surplus firearms to the Civilian
Marksmanship Program (CMP).

The Senate amendment contained no similar provision.

The Senate recedes with a clarifying amendment that
establishes a pilot program limited to .45 caliber handguns and
restricts the amount of handguns that can be transferred to the
CMP to no more than 10,000 units annually. Additionally, it
requires the CMP to provide a report to Congress after the
conclusion of the pilot program, obtain a federal firearm
license to conduct any and all handgun sales, and adhere to all
local, state, and federal laws in respect to handgun sales.

It’s a start.

 The conference report was sent to both houses on September 29th. The House voted 270-156 to accept the conference report on October 1st. This past Wednesday, October 7th, the Senate likewise voted to accept the conference report by a vote of 70-27.

Going over the list of senators who voted for and against the conference report you see some oddities. For example, notoriously anti-gun Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) voted for the conference report. Conversely, pro-gun rights Republicans like Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Rand Paul (R-KY) voted against it. That said, I imagine their votes had nothing to do with the CMP provision and everything to do with other things within the NDAA FY 2016.

I do have one caveat:  the bill still must be signed by Barack Obama. I have not kept up with the politics of this bill to see whether he plans to sign or veto it.

I have no idea what the cost will be or the condition of the surplus 1911s. That said, I think it is time for me to start assembling my CMP qualification portfolio and join a CMP club like the Garand Collectors Association. If you are a member of the Glock Sport Shooting Foundation, you qualify as it is a CMP-affiliated club.

H/T Rob Reed

Uncategorized

Army “Concerns” About Transfer Of M1911A1 Pistols To CMP

May 13, 2015 by 5 Comments

I knew the Depart of Justice had become politicized under the Obama Administration but I still held out hopes for institutions like the US Army. It appears that my hopes were in vain. Based upon the document embedded below, the Army’s Congressional Liaison Office has as many political toadies as the Civil Rights Division of the DOJ.

It appears that someone in either the Department of Justice or the White House has prodded the Army to go public with their “concerns” about the potential transfer of about 92,000 M1911A1 pistols to the Civilian Marksmanship Program. I wrote about the budget amendment put forth by Rep. Mike Rogers (R-AL) that would save taxpayers $200,000 annually by transferring these pistols to the CMP. It is a win-win plan.

Specifically, the Army worries that this transfer could be a threat to public safety, that the pistols would not be traceable, and that it might violate the Gun Control Act of 1968. If the person or committee that wrote this white paper must be depended upon to protect our nation against all enemies, foreign or domestic, then we are sunk. I have not read anything so mealy mouthed in a while.

Let’s review the rules for purchasing firearms or ammo from the CMP. First, and foremost, they don’t sell to just anyone. You have to be an eligible individual. To be eligible, you must:

  • Provide proof of US citizenship
  • Provide proof of age
  • Be a member of a CMP affiliated club
  • Provide proof of marksmanship activity 
  • Be legally eligible to purchase a firearm
The CMP runs a FBI NICS check on every sale which negates the first objection of the Army and DOJ. If you live in certain states, they ship the rifle to a FFL for the final transfer.
They also keep records on every sale and can provide serial number traces. They do this for a fee for individuals who want to know if their M1 Garand originally came from the CMP. Again, this negates the objection about traceability.
The white paper is correct that the CMP is not a FFL. However, they have been exempted from GCA68.
Finally, the CMP is distinctly concerned with marksmanship and firearms safety. They are not going to be selling guns to the Crips, Bloods, or Latin Kings OR felons OR those convicted of domestic violence OR those adjudicated mentally ill. 
Let’s call this white paper what it is – utter bullshit. The officers in the Army that my Dad served for 28 years would have been ashamed to put this out. 

Uncategorized

An Excellent Proposal

May 6, 2015 by 4 Comments

Rep. Mike Rogers (R-AL) represents the 3rd District of Alabama. Within that district sits the Anniston Army Depot, the CMP-South sales and administrative operations, and the new CMP Talladega Marksmanship Park. Given that parts of Ft. Benning and Maxwell-Gunter AFB are also in his district, it is not surprising Rep. Rogers sits on the House Armed Services Committee. He is the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Strategic Forces and is a member of the Readiness Subcommittee which handles much of defense budget.

Rep. Rogers has come up with a budget saving idea that warms my heart. Currently, the Department of Defense spends about $200,000 annually to store approximately 90,000 M1911A1 pistols. Rogers is proposing that these pistols be transferred to the CMP and offered for sale. He made an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act of 2016 on this proposal and it was passed.

“As a gun owner and strong believer in the Second Amendment, my proposal is a common-sense approach to eliminating an unnecessary cost to the Federal government while allowing the very capable CMP to handle the sale of these vintage firearms that otherwise would just sit in storage. This amendment is a win – win for the taxpayer. I was pleased the amendment passed the committee and appreciate the support my colleagues on this proposal,” Rogers said.

Currently, the Army stores excess M1911A1 pistols, which used to be the standard U.S. Armed Forces sidearm, until it was replace by the Berretta 9mm pistol. Besides the 8,300 pistols that have been sold to law enforcement and transferred to foreign countries for a small price, the rest of the M1911A1 pistols are now being held in storage costing the taxpayer around $200,000 a year.

Transferring these vintage pistols to the CMP would allow them to inspect, grade, prepare for sale and sell these pistols. The CMP would reimburse the Army for costs associated with transferring the pistols. CMP South, headquartered in Anniston, Alabama, oversees sales. CMP North is headquartered in Camp Perry, Ohio.

 WTVM 13 in Birmingham has more on the story here.

I agree with the congressman that this is a win-win. Now I need to rejoin a CMP-affiliated club and get on their approved rolls in order to purchase one of these (and perhaps a Garand or two).

Uncategorized

Maybe October 1st Is An Auspicious Day After All

October 1, 2013 by

Today, October 1st, marks the start of a number of things – some good and some bad.

Of course, you’d have to be living in a cabin in Montana with no electricity, no water, and no radio/TV like the Unabomber not to know that the Federal government has “shut down” today. Obama is blaming the Republicans for being ideologues and the Republicans are blaming the Democrats and Obama for continually rejecting the budget.

Another thing that today marks is the beginning of ObamaCare. This is otherwise known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. We still don’t quite know what is in even after they passed it despite what former Speaker Nancy Pelosi said.

October 1st is also the first day that we in North Carolina can carry concealed in restaurants that serve alcohol. Despite what the gun prohibitionists would have you believe, you still cannot legally drink and carry concealed. The same law will now also allow you to store your firearm in your locked vehicle if you hold a concealed carry permit while on educational property. This means that when I go to teach on Monday nights at the western-most state university in North Caroloina, so long as I store my pistol in my car vault, I’m good to go. The very thought has the Dookies upset and they are demanding that their administration proclaim to all the world that their university which has decided not to allow guns on campus is a gun-free zone.

On a final note, October 1st also marks the day that the Civilian Marksmanship’s Anniston (Alabama) is opening the CMP Custom Gun Shop which will work on most USGI rifles. This program is open to anyone who has qualified to purchase rifles from the CMP.

CMP will specialize in working on the M1 Garand, M1 Carbine, 1903 and 1903A3 Springfield, the 1917 Enfield and the Krag. Other rifles like the Remington 40X, Mossberg 44 and H&R Model 12 can also be serviced if needed. CMP will NOT be working on shotguns, pistols, revolvers, M14/M1A, AR15 style rifles or other commercially-produced modern rifles.

The CMP Custom Shop can work on rifles that may have been purchased elsewhere as long as they were made by a USGI contractor. Some examples include: Springfield Armory (not Springfield Inc.), Harrington & Richardson, Winchester, International Harvester, Remington, Rock Island, Eddystone, Inland, Underwood, Rock-Ola, Quality Hardware, National Postal meter, Standard Products, IBM, Irwin-Pederson and Saginaw.

There are many NON-USGI copies of the M1 Garand, 1903 Springfield and especially the M1 Carbine that CMP will be unable to work on.

Maybe, despite all the nonsense going on and coming out of Washington, at least for those of us in the gun culture October 1st will prove to be quite an auspicious day after all.

Uncategorized

There’s An App for That

September 27, 2010 by

The Civilian Marksmanship Program has recently released an app for use with the iPhone and iPad. The app is for keeping score at CMP sponsored shooting events. In their words:

CMP is the official app for keeping score at Civilian Marksmanship Program sponsored shooting events. It features an easy to use interface that allows for quick recording of your score after each string. The CMP app calculates your shooting percentages automatically to let you know how you are doing throughout the event. You can also enter notes and record conditions so that you have a permanent record of details of each event. This application is sponsored and endorsed by the Civilian Marksmanship Program and a portion of the proceeds from the sale of this software are donated to the CMP.

 They have a link to the app store on their page linked above. All I can say – is there anything that doesn’t have an iPhone app anymore?

Uncategorized

A CMP Man-Haul

August 3, 2010 by

Courtesy of Blackfork we have this video of a “man-haul” at the CMP North Store at Camp Perry. One of these days I need to finish up my paperwork so I can do a “man-haul”. However, I think I’ll be going down to CMP South in Anniston, Alabama as it is closer. The video of those M-1D Garands has me drooling!