CMP Update: October 2023
October 3, 2023
By Gerald O’Keefe, CMP Board Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
A key role for any CEO is to communicate with customers – to have an open dialogue, get feedback and continue to foster organizational improvement based on a variety of inputs. I’ve met many of you at our events in AL, OH and around the country and I very much appreciate your support and your passion. As I complete my first year in this role, I thought it would be useful to reach out via this website to the literally hundreds of thousands of CMP customers and competitors to keep you better informed. The narrative that follows includes an update of CMP’s existing operations, planned projects, events and future endeavors. I plan to provide these updates going forward on semi-annual basis.
The Civilian Marksmanship Program has had a busy and successful FY23 thanks to our hardworking staff members, our many partnerships with prominent organizations in the field, and, of course, our dedicated supporters. Thank you to all of you as you participate and support CMP’s efforts to promote marksmanship and to be the Home of Marksmanship.
Fiscal Year 2023 Summary.
Sales. Our sales program remained strong. We received approximately 5,000 M1 Garands from the Government of Turkey, 10,000 surplus M1911s from the Army and a significant quantity of surplus ammunition from the Army. These assets on top of our existing inventory allowed for a full year of rifle and pistol sales both online and in our three physical stores. These assets are critical to our mission and business as the proceeds fund our many programs and also the general expenses to run the CMP.
Programs/Mission. Also, a strong year. Some highlights follow, but my ask here is for those of you who come to our matches to spread the word about the great experience and to get that word out especially to younger and junior competitors. At the CMP, we are working hard to further our mission of “promoting marksmanship” and are diligently working to get more competitors to our events. We appreciate your support – let’s work together to grow and sustain the sport.
National Matches. The CMP saw encouraging signs over the month-long event, with increases in participation in pistol, smallbore rifle and highpower events. We’d like to thank all those who made the trip out to Camp Perry this year as well as those sponsors and vendors who helped give our guests an overall rewarding experience. The 2023 First Shot Ceremony kicked off the month-long event – if you didn’t get a chance to attend, check out the video recap. The National Matches are the CMP’s premier annual event and we’ll continue to resource them and improve them.
CMP Bianchi Cup. This past year, CMP conducted our first “CMP” Bianchi Cup action pistol championship in Hallsville MO. The competition was professionally conducted in a joint effort by CMP staff and the local Green Valley Rifle and Pistol Club. We are very excited to continue the CMP Bianchi Cup – Mark your calendars for May 21-24, 2024.
Talladega Marksmanship Park. Our operations at the TMP continue to thrive. It is increasingly a destination venue and we are holding more competitions. We will continue to operate and sustain the Park as the premier shooting destination in the United States. This year we made several upgrades to the Park to include new, covered shotgun stands, more steel targets on the pistol range and we’ve begun work to add five new action pistol bays which when complete, will give us 20 bays.
Smallbore Electronic Targets. The addition of the Smallbore Electronic Targets has been a game changer for match officials and competitors alike. The 2023 National Smallbore Matches welcomed 246 individuals to Camp Perry in July, making it the largest Smallbore competition held in the United States this year. Five competitions have already been conducted on the new targets. The CMP will also host the first Dixie Double 3×20 Smallbore competition at the Talladega Marksmanship Park in November 2023.
JROTC Air Rifle Postal. Last year’s JROTC air rifle series of events and National Championship was extremely successful. This Fall’s JROTC Postal Competition is officially open for registration. This competition is open to all High School JROTC Programs at no cost to the schools or cadets. Over the next two months, the CMP will print and mail over 20,000 paper targets to thousands of students across the country. Each school will shoot the targets at their home range and return them to the CMP. The best teams and individuals from each JROTC service will be selected to attend the second stage of this competition series, the JROTC Service Championship.
Laser Shot Simulation Systems. The CMP continues to invest in technology. We feel this is critical to the future of the sport and also critical to attracting junior competitors. The CMP has acquired two laser shot simulation systems, which are now operational at the Gary Anderson CMP Competition Center at Camp Perry. Many competitors from the National Matches and many of our air gun athletes were able to give the simulators a try, and the systems continue to be available to guests of the air range throughout the year. These systems are great for experienced and new competitors, hosting military marksmanship instruction, offer significant law enforcement applications and are also frankly, just a lot of fun. For FY24 we are considering adding more simulation systems to our facilities in Anniston and Talladega AL.
Fiscal Year 2024. This next year will be another exciting one for the CMP. Some highlights:
Sales:
Surplus Rifles. We project a full year of sales for M1 Garands. In addition to the Garands we will be releasing a small quantity of M1917 rifles. You’ll see these on our website and in our stores. Also, effective October 1, 2023, the CMP’s new yearly limit on M1 Garands will be 6 per calendar year. If you have already purchased 6-8 M1 Garands in calendar year 2023, you will not be allowed to purchase more M1 Garands until January 2024. While a relatively minor change, the rationale here is to spread these amazing, historic and increasingly scarce guns to a larger number of customers. We’ll relook at this limit again next year.
Surplus Pistols. As mentioned earlier, the CMP received 10,000 surplus M1911 pistols at the beginning of the summer in 2023 and will continue selling through next year. Round 4 of the CMP 1911 Pistol Program is currently open for orders and we’ve upped the quantity that an individual can buy to two (per lifetime)! The yearly limit is one per calendar year until you’ve reached your lifetime limit. More information on these firearms and how to purchase them is available through our website: https://thecmp.org/sales-and-service/1911-information/.
Surplus Ammo. As mentioned earlier we received a significant quantity in Jan 2023. We intentionally set aside some to sell in FY24. And as we did in FY23, we’ll reserve a subset of the ammunition for CMP competitors at an additional discount.
Stores. All three of our home stores will be open this year to include Anniston. Anniston re-opened in January 2023 and has seen all of our faithful customers back and so many new faces ready to support CMP.
Programs/Mission/Other Events. We will conduct the full suite of competitions in FY24 and hope to see you and any new competitors you can bring along! Please see the list of events at the bottom of this message or visit the CMP website for additional information.
Garand Collectors Association (GCA) Conference. This year’s GCA Conference will be held at the CMP Talladega Marksmanship Park in Alabama from 6-8 October. We look forward to accommodating the GCA, which has always been a generous contributor to CMP programs, including the CMP Scholarship program.
CMP Premier Shooting Expo. The CMP Talladega Marksmanship Park will also be hosting the CMP’s Inaugural Premier Shooting Expo on Oct. 18 – a tradeshow for marksmanship and non-marksmanship vendors, spread across the 500 acres of the facility. The event is open to the public, with several hands-on opportunities and exclusive insights into the latest products available today. Visit https://thecmp.org/ranges/talladega-marksmanship-park/cmp-premier-shooting-expo/ to register or for more information on how to become a vendor.
New CMP Board Members. The CMP Board provides strategic guidance and oversight to the company. At our recent Board meeting in Boise ID, we added two new members: Mr. Fabian Lobera and Mr. Mark House. Both bring significant competencies to the board. Please visit https://thecmp.org/about/board/ to read their short bios. And speaking of the board meeting, while in Idaho the Board took some time to visit the Parma Rod and Gun Club for some recreational shooting and to gain insights from a well respected club and cadre. It was a great day – some pictures are below.
Advanced Maintenance Class (AMC). We are bringing this fan favorite back for FY24. The Custom Shop will be hosting 8 AMCs. Be on the lookout for the announcement coming soon. Our all-time favorite buddy class is back on the roster too!
CMP E-Store Update. The CMP E-Store is currently down for maintenance. A new look and upgrade are underway to improve your shopping experience – look for more details mid-October. We apologize for the inconvenience and are working hard to get this capability restored as soon as possible.
New CMP Coin. Below is the new CMP Coin. They highlight the four pillars of our mission (Safety, Competitions, Training and a Youth Focus) and also our “Home of Marksmanship” motto. While very different to include being a slightly bit larger than the previous coin they maintain the lineage of the “eagle” on the front side of the coin and have various representations of our CMP history. The new CMP Coin will be available on the E-Store along with various CMP Memorabilia items.
Closing Remarks. I’ve had a great first year in leading this top notch and professional organization. I’m honored to have this job and I look forward to many great things ahead. I want to thank you again for your commitment and passion to the CMP and to shooting sports. The CMP will continue to actively advance our mission to promote marksmanship with a focus on junior competitors and as always on safety. I look forward to seeing as many of you as possible at our events and I know you’ll continue to let us know how we are doing. Your feedback is critical as we continue to improve and evolve as an organization. Feel free to share you feedback with me at info@thecmp.org.
As always, the CMP has several upcoming indoor air gun and outdoor rifle and pistol events to enjoy throughout the fall months. CMP’s facilities also host public events on a daily and weekly basis, so be sure to keep an eye on our social media pages and our website for all the latest news.
The CMP — The Home of Marksmanship!
CMP Upcoming Events:
We hope you will continue to help CMP fulfill its mission and help to grow the sport of marksmanship. We encourage you to introduce a friend to marksmanship or bring them along with you to a CMP event.
| DATE | EVENT | LOCATION |
| Through December 14 | American Legion Postal | Official targets sent to participants |
| Through 13 November | JROTC Postal Air Rifle Competition | Official targets sent to JROTC units |
| Through November 15 | CMP Aces Postal | Official targets sent to participants or electronic scores are submitted |
| 5-15 October | IDPA Nationals | Talladega Marksmanship Park, AL |
| 6 – 7 October | GCA Convention & Matches | Talladega Marksmanship Park, AL |
| 7-8 October | Archery Tournament | Talladega Marksmanship Park, AL |
| 10-15 October | Western Games – Fall Classic | Ben Avery Shooting Facility – Phoenix, AZ |
| 14 October | CMP Monthly Air Gun Matches 60 Shot Standing – Rifle & Pistol 3-Position Air Rifle | Anniston, AL – Judith Legerski CMP Competition Center and Camp Perry, OH – Gary Anderson CMP Competition Center |
| 14-15 October | Sporting Clays Monthly Registered Target Shoot | Talladega Marksmanship Park, AL |
| 15 October – 15 Jan | CMP Postal | Official targets sent to participants |
| 18 October | CMP Premier Shooting Expo | Talladega Marksmanship Park, AL |
| 21 October | USPSA | Talladega Marksmanship Park, AL |
| 21 October | Rimfire Sporter Match | Talladega Marksmanship Park, AL |
| 28 October | 3-Gun Match | Talladega Marksmanship Park, AL |
| 2-5 November | Dixie Doubles – Air Rifle & Smallbore Match | Anniston, AL – Judith Legerski CMP Competition Center and Talladega Marksmanship Park, AL |
| 4 November | Match Tracker Steel Challenge | Talladega Marksmanship Park, AL |
| 6-12 November | Talladega 600 | Talladega Marksmanship Park, AL |
| 7 November | CMP Range Officer Level II – Highpower Rifle/Bulls Eye Pistol | Talladega Marksmanship Park, AL |
| 18 November | CMP Monthly Air Gun Matches 60 Shot Standing – Rifle & Pistol 3-Position Air Rifle | Anniston, AL – Judith Legerski CMP Competition Center and Camp Perry, OH – Gary Anderson CMP Competition Center |
| 18 November | Women’s Defensive Pistol Class | Talladega Marksmanship Park, AL |
| 18-19 November | Sporting Clays Monthly Registered Target Shoot | Talladega Marksmanship Park, AL |
| 25 November | 3-Gun Match | Talladega Marksmanship Park, AL |
| 1-2 December | Gary Anderson Invitational | Anniston, AL – Judith Legerski CMP Competition Center and Camp Perry, OH – Gary Anderson CMP Competition Center |
| 2 December | Match Tracker Steel Challenge | Talladega Marksmanship Park, AL |
| 2 December | Lincoln High School Athletics Fundraiser | Talladega Marksmanship Park, AL |
| 8-10 December | Winter Airgun | Camp Perry, OH – Gary Anderson CMP Competition Center |
| 9 December | Practical Defensive Handgun | Talladega Marksmanship Park, AL |
| 16 December | USPSA | Talladega Marksmanship Park, AL |
| 23 December | 3-Gun Match | Talladega Marksmanship Park, AL |
| 5-7 January | Air Gun Olympic Trials, Part 3 | Anniston, AL – Judith Legerski CMP Competition Center |
| 6 January | Match Tracker Steel Challenge | Talladega Marksmanship Park, AL |
| 20 January | USPSA | Talladega Marksmanship Park, AL |
| 20 January | CMP Monthly Air Gun Matches 60 Shot Standing – Rifle & Pistol 3-Position Air Rifle | Anniston, AL – Judith Legerski CMP Competition Center and Camp Perry, OH – Gary Anderson CMP Competition Center |
| 27 January | 3-Gun | Talladega Marksmanship Park, AL |
| 3 February | Match Tracker Steel Challenge | Talladega Marksmanship Park, AL |
| 8-10 February | JROTC Regional Championships | Sandy, Utah and Anniston, AL |
| 15-17 February | JROTC Regional Championships | Anniston, AL and Camp Perry, OH |
| 17 February | USPSA | Talladega Marksmanship Park, AL |
| 24 February | 3-Gun | Talladega Marksmanship Park, AL |
| 2 March | Match Tracker Steel Challenge | Talladega Marksmanship Park, AL |
| 2 March | Dovetail Landing Pulling for Patriot Sporting Clays Event | Talladega Marksmanship Park, AL |
| 8-10 March | SSSF (Scholastic Sport Shooting Foundation) | Talladega Marksmanship Park, AL |
| 12-17 March | Talladega Spring Classic | Talladega Marksmanship Park, AL |
| 16 March | CMP Monthly Air Gun Matches 60 Shot Standing – Rifle & Pistol 3-Position Air Rifle | Anniston, AL – Judith Legerski CMP Competition Center and Camp Perry, OH – Gary Anderson CMP Competition Center |
| 16 March | USPSA | Talladega Marksmanship Park, AL |
| 21-23 March | JROTC National Championship | Camp Perry, OH – Gary Anderson CMP Competition Center |
| 23 March | 3-Gun | Talladega Marksmanship Park, AL |
Check out CMP Sanctioned Matches & Clinics on our website at https://ct.thecmp.org/app/v1/index.php?do=matchRegistrationListUpcoming.
Would love to see expansion located in Texas area as is well known we have a substantial percentage of veterans and youth that have a love of history and firearms. Would be a central location for those that eastern location is just too far to find treasured pieces of firearm history and competition.
Maybe you should post some financials on what it costs to host matches and whether you break even on those matches. Also, the financials for TMP and the CMP operations. Lots of people get annoyed at CMP prices and high purchase limits, thinking the CMP can continue with lower revenues. I think we would be surprised if we knew what it cost to keep the CMP in business at the current staffing level and cost of goods.
Thanks Alan — as most of you know the CMP is a Federally-chartered not-for-profit organization. So we aren’t in the business of driving profits just for the sake of making more money but the CMP is an expensive business to run. Our programs and competitions are in fact expensive and in general the fees we charge don’t come close to covering the costs of these events. And as you saw in the newsletter we are busy with competitions and programs running almost every day. Furthermore, we significantly subsidize some of our youth programs like the JROTC series of events in the Fall and Winter and the youth Summer Camp Program in the summer, We are actively looking at ways to reduce our costs of our programs and competitions via having more local volunteers support, sponsorships, selling more merchandise and other initiatives.
We also have some great “give-back” programs like our scholarship program (must shoot to be eligible) and the ceremonial rifle program that supports Veterans’ funerals with M1 Garand “ceremonial” rifles.
On the sales side while we are in the enviable position of having all this great surplus product to sell most of the guns we now have need a massive amount of work — labor and parts — to get them out the door. So our margins now aren’t what they were in the past.
All this said, it’s an expensive operation to run but we are in good shape and proud of what we do/provide. We are also very thankful to the Department of the Army that remains such a good partner. Hopefully this helps.
What were the sales figures for the initial rounds of the 1911 sales vs the latest round with the higher prices?
Dave — when this program was initially authorized several years ago the CMP received 8,000 pistols from the Department of the Army that first year. Once publicized, that generated well over 20,000 orders/requests. The decision to limit sales to one/customer at that time was based on this initial demand and backlog and the CMP’s goal to serve as many discrete customers as possible.
Fast forward to today, several years later, the demand for the M1911 remains strong but the backlog is nothing like it initially was. The Memorandum of Agreement between the CMP and the Army authorizes two pistols/customer so it seemed an appropriate time to move up to that limit. Thank you.
Great update. Thanks.
Thank You,
I used the Custom Shop to build, an extremely well done, 1917 Eddystone. I was given a barreled receiver by a friend, it had been in his brothers porch for years. The rear sight ears had been hack sawed off, so it became a sporter. The Custom Shop milled the top of the receiver, installed a new barrel and crowned it, re-parkerized, installed a picatiny rail and smoothed up the trigger. It resides in a Boyd’s laminate stock with a Leupold 2 X 7 Scope on top. I live in Western Alaska where subsistence is a way of life. My 17 year old son claimed it and has killed a few moose with the rifle, one shot kills.
Andrew — Great story and thank you for sharing it. And for sure the CMP team in the custom shop does a great job.
Is CMP going to get any M24 Sniper rifles when the new Precision Sniper rifle displaces it? Last years NDAA provided the authority to divest without any funding for demilitarization and CMP is in a good position to receive and then sell.
George — I’m honestly not sure. Thanks for raising the possibility. I’ll check on it.
Excellent update and informative letters from everyone. I bought my first 1911 from CMP and could not believe I received a Remington from 1944 the same year I was born. Excellent quality and accurate. Thank you for a very fine firearm.
I would really like to see the rifle sales restriction put in place to limit the numbers a CMP shooter can buy and that CMP competitor must shoot matches to be able to buy rifles !
I live in Port Clinton Ohio and see numerous people buying rifles to resell at gun shows ! OCGA and others !
CMP sales should be for CMP a club Members to shoot not to profit from time after time !
No, we should not have to have to shoot in a competition to buy a rifle or a .45! As a 2x veteran of Iraqi Freedom that requirement would be an insult!
Agree 100%
I can see your point but, remember, those Garands, 1911’s, and much of that ammo were initially purchased by the taxpayer and should, therefore, be available for repurchase by EVERY taxpayer to be used, or not, in any way they wish whether a CMP shooter, or not. It should also be noted and remembered that not only do gun show sellers profit from items purchased from CMP, but CMP profits from their own sales as well. In short, CMP shooters (or any shooters), competition or otherwise, are not the final arbiters of who buys and resells what; at least not yet. Those smothering effects are already well executed by our friends and protectors in numerous government agencies.
I will further remark that familiarization with and respect for firearms and marksmanship are an integral, very important part of our heritage. It is imperative that those things be carried forward among as many of us as possible. CMP is doing more than its share of making that happen. Their profit is well spent.
Thanks Everyone for the Comments — The CMP’s enabling legislation places restrictions on who can purchase firearms from the CMP. These include being a US citizen, over 18 years old (some state laws are 21 years old), no Federal offense and being a member of a CMP affiliated club. We strictly adhere to this set of requirements which in truth make these firearms available to a relatively small subset of the US population.
And from our perspective we’d love to have every buyer shoot their Garand competitively. This however is not required or realistic. And we certainly don’t have any control of what a buyer does with their gun on the secondary market. So this then gets to the question of the gun flipping many of you have mentioned. We did just reduce the number authorized for purchase per year to six and we’ll look at that again for FY25. I’d expect a further reduction at that time but no decision’s been made. We’ll look at all the data first. Hope this helps a bit. Thank you.
I don’t agree with making people shoot matches, but the number of rifles purchased should be limited to no more than 2 – 3 per year so “scalpers” can’t scarf them up and sell them on gun broker for obscene prices.
My local club in Vermilion ohio has a 300yd range, i don’t have a way to practice on 600. 800 or 1000yd range. I live 1/2hr east of camp perry, is there any possibility of opening up perry’s 600,800,1000yd ranges ?
Thank you for this most informative update and for your plan to do so again and again thereafter. Great idea!
This is all well and wonderful , but when is the CMP going to start serving the western and north west states with their programs. We can’t all travel to Alabama.
Dear Ted Brown,
The gentleman who asked when will you be coming to the rest of this country.
Unfortunately, I had to move back to California (my bad luck).
When do you think you might make it to Nevada or Arizona?
I just bought a reworked M! and I would travel to those states to try a shooting course or training.
Best Regards Tom Migliacci
(707) 481-0149 Oceanside,CA
Tom — the CMP Western Games are in Phoenix 10-15 Oct. Hope you can make it.
Still can’t believe scopes were allowed on service rifles. I always pray for a heavy misting type rain at the matches now….next will be a small wiper blade on the lenses…LOLOLOL…how many competitors (new, maybe older) know how to use iron sights?
Great communication!
A CMP store out West… yes please.
YES!!!!!!!
Thank you for this informative update. I’m glad to see the successes this year and plans for the future. Looks like the CMP program will remain viable thanks to your efforts and those of the rest of the staff and employees!
Is there a chance rifle sales will come back to the Western games or having rifles for people to use who attend the Rifle marksmanship course?
With the Army moving away from the M4/M16 — any way we could see surplus M16s offered by CMP? 🙂
SD — No, I don’t see that as a possibility.
Unlikely. For the same reason we can not get any M14. The ATFE has declared any rifle that was manufactured as a machine gun is always a machine gun. Because of the internal machining of the lower receiver on an M4 or M16, they are machine guns and as such can never be sold through the CMP. Also the 1986 law that caused all machine guns to be registered said no new machine guns after the amnesty date.
I understand the full auto restriction. As a compromise, they could take the surplus M-16s, remove and dispose of the select fire lowers, and make the remaining parts into a parts kit. I could provide my own lower, and assemble a legal M-16 or M-4 clone, semi auto only, for my shooting and collecting hobby.
Thanks for the info. Good to hear about the 1917 rifles. Like to see some M1 stripped receivers sold.
Nice update. In the future updates would it be possible to include a small section on where the CMP stands on an ironing new rifles. Like it says 5,000 came in from Turkey for the FY. Are there still more to come in from Turkey or are they done. What about the Garands and Carbines in South Korea or elsewhere? Obviously hard numbers might not be possible but ballparks and general lines of effort in a short section.
Dexter — we are working with the US Government — DoD and Department of State. This is obviously a complex process between the US and each other foreign Government. We are working this as best we can, have identified some prospective target countries to approach but we are also not making any assumptions that we’ll be successful. Too much here out of our control.
This is still certainly worth the effort even if the probably of success is low.
I really appreciate the amount of information in your update.
But I’m very disappointed about the “if you received a CMP 1911 in current calendar year exclusion” for applying for round 4. I didn’t receive my Round 3 CMP 1911 until March 2023, only had rack grade to choose from, and received a quite worn out rack grade. Many people who received them in late 2022 had choice of all 3 grades, and posted pictures of many outstanding looking pistols, including a few Singers. So I was eagerly looking forward to round 4 to have another chance at a better condition 1911. Yet myself and many others from round 3 are excluded, while the round 3 people that seemed to have gotten the best pistols in first 3 months of round 3 get to apply again for round 4.
I agree with your comment. I paid for the top grade but seeing people’s pictures online for lesser grades i would have happily traded with them. Was thinking of taking another try but was shut out due to a Feb 23 date.
Always happy with M1 grading and condition.
Thank you for this update. It would be great to get some exposure and representation on the west coast; stores, matches, etc. Thanks again.
Massachusetts laws are so unfair with the 1911 policies. These pistols are a relic of our military history. I along with others have been fighting this.
Thank you for all you do.
Joseph — I’m originally from Medford MA. Live in VA now.
Thank you cmp for all you folks do I appreciate the opportunity that this organization has given on owning and collecting thanks again and keep up the great work
I’ve been to the Camp Perry matches for the last 20 years or so. One of its attractions in commercial row. Over the past 3 years, the number of vendors has been dropping, even the bigger ones like Springfield Armory and Armalite haven’t been there. Is there anything that CMP can do to remedy this situation? For a lot of competitors Commercial Row is a significant attraction.
Stephen – we agree. It is clear/obvious that while the competitions themselves are the centerpiece of the National Matches other things like Commercial Row and anything that adds to the social aspect of the Matches is contributes to the overall experience. The CMP doesn’t control Commercial Row directly — vendors rent that space from the OHNG on Camp Perry. But we’ll put this on our list of things to look at for next year. Thank you for your comment.
Amen
Hello. Can CMP see about getting surplus M9 Beretta’s from the U.S. military since the Sig M17/18 is being fielded? I understand that Anniston is getting more of these sent in since the Sig has been implemented as standard.
Jacob — This is unlikely. Right now the law only authorizes the transfer of the M1911 pistol. The M1911 legislative change about five years ago was the first time handguns were authorized for transfer. Getting the M9s added is probably not in the cards.
As one who still is in service and have turned in 80% of the M9s on base I doubt it. Word is all the ones I’ve sent in got crushed or sent to another country.
In order to bring in more juniors and new shooters I would like to see a “Rimfire Sporter Clinic” added to the various “games” events. This way competitors can bring their teenagers and friends, learn the basics and shoot the Rimfire Sporter match. Rimfire Sporter is the easiest and most cost effective way to get into competitive shooting and is the gateway into GSM, XTC and so on. Ideally the CMP would make both rifles and ammo available for the clinic/match so all juniors need to do is show up. We just started implementing a clinic prior to all the Rimfire Sporter matches at my club for this exact reason and have had great results so far.
Thanks David — we’ll take a look at it. Sustaining and growing the sport with junior competitors is a main effort for the CMP. But not an easy one.
I would like to see more information on the proposed CMP Facility for Utah. I understand it is in negotiations with the BLM for the land use.
Randel — we’ll provide more info on this when it becomes available. The CMP has not made a decision on this yet but continues to explore options. Thank you.
While I’d love to see a satellite in Washington, Utah would be at least more reasonably doable for me! I vote for yes on that!
CMP is a great resource. Thank you for all of your ongoing efforts.
When an order is sent to CMP for a rifle or other items, it sure would be satisfying to receive an EMAIL indicating receipt of the order by CMP. Tks for the update!
Richard — makes sense. Let me see what’s in the art of the possible.
I always send with tracking, so at least I know it did not get “lost in the mail”!’
Hi Richard. Our mail order rifle side of the business does send emails when your order is received. There may be a couple of days delay due to amount of orders received, but our sales staff initiates the email. Our 1911 operation waits until all orders are received and the random number is issued. Please let me know if you have had an issue receiving emails when your order was submitted.
Do you have, if you don’t I’d like to see, an opportunity for average collectors/newbie competitors to shoot their M1’s in competition against other average collectors.
I see the matches where everyone has a gun cart, gloves, jackets, mats, logbooks of every shot they’ve ever fired, and all sorts of specialized shooting paraphernalia, along with their M1’s that have been worked over by gunsmiths for better accuracy, and I think to myself there’s no sense in me even thinking about entering a match like that!
I use to shoot competitively when I was in my 20’s. But I’m in my 60’s now. My eyesight isn’t as good, I’m not as flexible as I used to be, (getting prone on the ground isn’t something I could do these days), and I’ve got an M1 that’s never had any work on it other than what the CMP did to it before I bought it.
Is there any opportunity for guys like me to compete against other shooters like me, off a bench, or standing? Using M1’s that are straight out of the box, so to speak?
THANK YOU, JOE!
I had to sift through a lot of emails before I came to yours indicating the state of the competition world.
I have the EXACT same beef. Competitions have become so focused on the top tier of shooters That we mere mortals have dropped out as you indicate.
I was an avid competitor at my club, the CMP liaison for the club, and ran the GSM matches once a quarter and the rimfire sporter matches. We shot for practice and, more importantly, for FUN.
i do hope that CMP can find a way to attract back those of us who have left the competative arena in a way which is more welcoming and less “competative”. We’re all not high masters vying for the distinguished rifleman badge.
Joe — I’m in my 60s as well and I get it. We’ve introduced some bench-rest Garand Matches at the Talladega Marksmanship Park and they are very popular. I shot one last year and may do so again at the Talladega 600 in Nov. But let us kick this around a bit more and see what other options there might be.
But I guess I’d also say. . . . just come on out. As you know it’s quite a positive and friendly environment regardless of age or skill and everyone is welcome — really. Our staff is welcoming and so are all the competitors. It is a great environment where there’s always assistance and fellowship. We also always have a staff armorer on hand so if you need your gun checked for something more than the basic safety inspection we can accommodate. Thank you.
Excellent communication. Thank you!
absolutely no mention about the long time ongoing fiasco with the CMP forum !
Robert,
Please email dev@thecmp.org with your issues with the forum and we will look into it. Thank you.
Reduce the number of Garands that an individual can purchase to 2 per year.
Currently very few of these mass buyers, if any, are involved in Marksmanship activities especially for younger shooters.
They are however flipping them at gun shows and just using the CMP to subsidize their business.
TRUE!
I agree.
Very informative. Thank you!
Agree 100%!
100%!
Dean — understand your concern and we at the CMP share it. As you saw we did reduce the number from 8/year to 6/year for exactly the reason you raise. We’ll see how that goes in FY24 and reconsider for FY25. There is a balance here from a business perspective as we do need to sell a significant number of Garands to generate the needed revenue for the company. Thank you for your comment.
I agree with you on that Dean. Have seen the same thing over the years. I would apply that restriction to all CMP sold rifles. All too often “sold out” are the words seen on the for sale list. US Marine – Retired. Trained on M-1 in 1965 Camp Geiger, Infantry Training Regiment. Carried M-14 in Vietnam and after until it switched over to the M-16.
Agree also 100%
Amen and they are pushing the price higher and higher. Most of them are dealers!
I agree
AMEN! It’s hard to imagine a regular collector, even one who specializes in Garands, buying 6 a year, let alone 8. A lot of those mass buyers probably are the guys I see selling Garands at guns shows for 3 times what CMP gets for them.
Are you saying that younger shooters haul around Garands? I guess it depends on the definition of “younger”. I got my first firearm, a Mossberg semi-auto .22, in 1952 when I was 12; my definition of younger shooter. I would not have been able to lift a Garand, much less afford to shoot it. Yes, gun show flippers are businessmen (or opportunists), but CMP is also a business. It is, however, much, much easier to buy a Garand at a gun show than it is to buy one from CMP. And at a show one can also put hands-on before purchasing. To most people those things would make purchasing at a show worth the stiff extra cost. And in terms of wider dissemination, which is more effective; a guy who buys two a year and keeps them all, or the guy who buys a bunch of them and sells to individuals who just want the one. I think you’re trying to create a moral issue where there is none. It is, at worst, only irritating.
Please put any 1903s for sale on the website. I have seen photos of them on the racks in CMP stores, but all of us can’t make a trip to the stores.
Also thanks for limiting sale numbers. There are just too many people out there buying their limits and flipping them for profit and some have zero affiliation with any military service to appreciate these rifles.
I neither buy from CMP nor sell at gun shows, and I love what CMP does. That said, I was in the USAF reggies 1958-1962. In basic training we spent a couple of hours in familiarization training with the M1 carbine and a couple of hours at the range firing a few rounds, some of us accidently firing on another’s target. I later spent four USAF Reserve years as airlift aircrew. In that time we occasionally went to the range and fired a few rounds through a .38 snub nose. So – is that enough affiliation with military service to meet your approval, or do I also need ten years in a combat unit and a couple of tours under my belt to appreciate these rifles? I started shooting in 1952 at age 12. Back then we were just a bunch of rag-tag people of all ages who liked to shoot. But as the decades have passed the number of shooting elitists has multiplied exponentially, all for some reason believing that we inexperienced, untutored clods are incapable of appreciating the finer parts and points related to all things shooting. What has gone wrong?
Robert–Thank you for the comments. Unfortunately, we do not have enough 1903s to put online for sale. We only receive in a handful periodically and such small quantities don’t allow us to make them available for mail order.
I would like to see the Oklahoma City games matches return. East and West are covered pretty well, but the middle seems to be left out the past few years.
Rick — we stopped the OK Games because of the decreasing numbers of competitors. It is expensive to transport our electronic targets and to have staff travel for these events. If the competitor numbers don’t support the event this is the natural outcome. We were sorry to see this one fall off as well though.
Thanks for the update .
It would be nice if the 1911 program sold the pistols at a reasonable price. Currently, a worn out mismatched 1911 from CMP cost more than some high end 1911’s from several manufacturers. When you had at least a small chance at getting something that was valuable, the crap shoot at least had a chance to get something awesome that made it worth it. Now, CMP cherry picks all the best guns to auction off and leaves the worn out stuff to the mail order. That’s probably why they’ve seen the decline in purchases and increased the limits per person. I think the CMP has a critical mission in keeping the shooting sports alive in today’s world. But it has to be done in a manner that is economically feasible to the average American.
My wife got her service grade 1911 recently and it was a 1941 Colt top and bottom. It has been through arsenal refurbishment twice and looks like it was fresh from the factory. We were very pleased it was so nice. More than cats and dogs get sent out.
You should look at prices of actual government surplus 1911 and 1911A1, not commercial manufacturers. It’s not hard to spend two or three times as much on an actual government model. I don’t compare my 80+ yr old government surplus pistols to current commercial models, not even the same thing. Where else are you going to get a 1911 straight out of a government warehouse? If you don’t think they are worth the money, then don’t buy one. The prices realized when they are sold (RIA has several of them in the next auctions) are a lot more than what CMP charges you for them.
And thanks for the update Mr. OKeefe, it’s great to hear from the CEO, and it’s always great to see and talk with you at the matches.
Thanks Kyle and likewise on chatting at the matches. I’ll be at the GCA Conference this weekend and then the Talladega 600 in Nov.
Joe – thank you for your comment. We do try to maintain a balance here in terms of selling our products at a reasonable price while also bringing in the needed revenue to run the business to include all the programs we offer. The M1911 is a pretty amazing and historic gun. Hopefully all/most of our customers who get one are pretty happy.
Exactly why I returned one and will not buy another. Thanks Joe
I looked forward for years for the CMP 1911 sales. When they finally were approved I was ecstatic until I saw the prices. Glad to hear that some folks got great, refurbished shooters but to get the “luck of the draw” in terms of quality for prices above a brand new Govt Model – even in the initial sales – wasn’t worth it to me. I understand these are historic pistols but not all, by a long shot, saw use in WW2 or any other conflict. There’s always one guy (or more) who says, “if you don’t like it, don’t buy it,” maybe because they’re able to pay any price regardless of the quality they get. I carried an M1911 in the Army and while I’d like to have a reminder of my issued pistol, if I can get a look-alike Govt Model that shoots well without a lot of work (which would degrade the historical value of it anyway) from Rock Island or Springfield Armory, why pay these prices? I used to think of CMP as a place where a regular shooter, not a dealer or collector, could get a decent ex-military weapon at less than gun show prices. Doesn’t seem to be the case with the pistols.
I agree with Joe, CMP stores are needed in Western states.
Steve — this is a tough one for us. We are looking at options to service our population better in the Western States in all that we do. Having sufficient resources for this is the issue but we are looking at it. We do have the Western Games coming up in Phoenix at Ben Avery 10-15 Oct 2023. Hope to see many of you out there.
Great info – good to know the CMP is strong. Thanks for the heads-up on the M1917’s – it has been a long time since these historic rifles have been available through the CMP.
Thank you for finally bringing back the advanced maintenance class.
Steve — we received feedback on this from many of you and we listened.
This is a great newsletter….. thanks for reaching out to keep everyone informed.
Very well written and much info . . . . . thank you very much for all your efforts!
James C. Hagearty II
Founder & Executive Director
Illinois Junior Precision Shooters • Precision Pistol
State of Illinois
Glad to see this type of detailed update and echo the comment on doing it at least twice a year. Any chance CMP will start running M1 build classes again? Couldn’t get selected for one and heard great things about that experience. I had inquired a year ago and was told the staff was considering restarting it
Vince,
As posted in the update above, the Advanced Maintenance Class will be returning!
Advanced Maintenance Class (AMC). We are bringing this fan favorite back for FY24. The Custom Shop will be hosting 8 AMCs. Be on the lookout for the announcement coming soon. Our all-time favorite buddy class is back on the roster too!
Thanks,
Christine
Gerald mentions them just below the pictures of the Parma, ID range day. They’re called “Advanced Maintenance Classes”.
Vince — Expect these updates every six months. That seems like a good frequency at this point.
First, thanks for the clear, concise communication. Much appreciated.
Is there any chance that theCMP will receive the Colt M45a1 45 cal pistols for sale?
David — as you know the M45a1 is a M1911 variant but it was not specifically included in the legislation that authorized the transfer of surplus M1911s. So for right now the answer is no but this is something for us to look at for sure. We’d love to get them.
Thank you for the communication., and update. I am really impressed with your program.I am a 2 year old newcomer, however I have purchased 2 -Garand,1 -1911A1, various ammo, Bayonets .I have been very satisfied with everything.
Thank You
Ed Palmeter
Thanks this letter was very useful. Thank you
Thanks to the CMP for all the hard work they do and opportunities they provide.
I do have one question. Now that the US military is using the Sig P320 pistols. Will the CMP be receiving the old surplus Berretta 92 pistols for sale like the 1911’s?
Broughton — I don’t think so. The current law only authorizes the transfer of surplus M1911 pistols.
Exciting to hear all about the CMP and how successful 2023 was, I’m looking forward to staying in the loop with all things CMP.
When will Eley .22 become available again…..? We have found it to be one of the most consistently accurate ammunition available at a reasonable price.
i run a military charity and would love to be involved and partner for a CMP range event, how do you go about doing that?
Great info. Thank you for the transparency.
Great review and update of major events and sales. You may want to repeat this type of letter to all members every six months?
Communication is important.
Thank you for the superb update!!!!
How about some outreach to the west? Not everyone can drive to Anniston and the mail order is a crapshoot.
Or bring back the proxi picks.