CMP Service Grade M1 Garands Available Again

[shooter115]

I'm old enough to remember when the CMP was run by the DCM (Dept of Civilian Marksmanship). I tend to agree with Shooter115, while I'm glad more people are getting M1's it saddens me that these same people aren't showing up for formal/informal marksmanship training.

We've still got crates of ammo left over from back in the day. Used to be you could almost get all you wanted just for paying freight. Used to be able to get 1911's through the CMP as well. We had a dozen at one point. Sadly they were all lost in a fire along with about 15 M1's and about 27,000 rounds of ammo.

[photogpat]

I didn't mean to start a pissing match...but I still don't see how getting more M1 rifles into the hands of the American public is a bad thing -- I agree that the collectors and guys who buy 10 at a time to resell at gun shows should be reined in a little -- but management at CMP doesn't seem to care about that aspect. Sad....

Acquiring my M1 and shooting it made me interested in getting into shooting at the CMP events...something that probably wouldn't have happened had I had to go through the full monty of getting "eligible". I have a C&R that I used to fulfill my "marksmanship" requirement since at the time I didn't belong to a "club".

You have to look at the demographic under age 40. These are people, some with families, who scrounge for a couple of bucks to pay for a range fee here and there. Making them join a club, take time out of a specific weekend once or twice a year to "qualify" for the CMP is difficult, leaving you only the retirees and "collectors" buying the rifles. If you can make it easier for this crowd to acquire and shoot a full-up battle rifle like the M1, you'll be better off for the future generations of CMP-event shooters -- even if you lose a couple of rifles to the "collectors".

I'll be trying to make the trip to Camp Perry in 2013 - doesn't work out for the schedule in 2012.

Edit: So I'm trying to get a few guys who "aren't" C&R or Carry Permit holders eligible - for the masses, when's the next qualifier shoot at Post 435?

[shooter115]

The problem is that the CMP is no longer a program as it was intended. It's now a business . If you click the link below, you can see a few pictures from our last qualification. I believe we had 24 people and about 10 were youth shooters. This was the intended porpose of the CMP and I believe there was only one retiree there. That "retiree" is a US Army combat veteran, has been an officer in our club for over 40 years and has been hosting the qualifications that whole time, the CMP should give him a rifle for free. For what it's worth, I'm 36 and have been shooting M1 qualifications every year since I was 22.
http://morrisrifleclub.webs.com/apps/photos/album?albumid=11730755

To say it's just too much of a hassle is lame at best. It's not that dificult or expensive if you decide to do it. At our club, memberships are $20 per year and includes any of your children under 18. Cost to shoot the qualification is $10 per person including ammo. So a total of $30 and 2-3 hours of your time per year. I don't know what it costs elsewhere. Don't meen to pick on you Pat, I just wish things would go back to the way they were when the CMP meant something more.

[SparkyJeff]

Forgive my Newbie-ness here.

Did I once read about different rules regarding the transfer, shipping, or accepting of a CMP rifle?
Do these need to go to a FFL? Can they be shipped to a C&R holder? Directly to me?
Anybody ready for a road trip to The North Store? I'd like to choose my own rifle.

I've been putting this off for years.

[photogpat]

The problem is that the CMP is no longer a program as it was intended. It's now a business . If you click the link below, you can see a few pictures from our last qualification. I believe we had 24 people and about 10 were youth shooters. This was the intended porpose of the CMP and I believe there was only one retiree there. That "retiree" is a US Army combat veteran, has been an officer in our club for over 40 years and has been hosting the qualifications that whole time, the CMP should give him a rifle for free. For what it's worth, I'm 36 and have been shooting M1 qualifications every year since I was 22.
http://morrisrifleclub.webs.com/apps/photos/album?albumid=11730755

To say it's just too much of a hassle is lame at best. It's not that dificult or expensive if you decide to do it. At our club, memberships are $20 per year and includes any of your children under 18. Cost to shoot the qualification is $10 per person including ammo. So a total of $30 and 2-3 hours of your time per year. I don't know what it costs elsewhere. Don't meen to pick on you Pat, I just wish things would go back to the way they were when the CMP meant something more.

For you and me its not difficult or a hassle -- what I was saying is, that I didn't get interested in shooting CMP matches UNTIL I got my M1...you put an M1 in someone's hands, let them here the ping, and they're hooked.

I'll state again, putting more M1's into Americans' hands easily is a good thing.

[photogpat]

Forgive my Newbie-ness here.

Did I once read about different rules regarding the transfer, shipping, or accepting of a CMP rifle?
Do these need to go to a FFL? Can they be shipped to a C&R holder? Directly to me?
Anybody ready for a road trip to The North Store? I'd like to choose my own rifle.

I've been putting this off for years.

They ship directly to you, no C&R no FFL required, once your paperwork is accepted. You can bring your paperwork with you, and pick one out at the stores too...you'll need your Marksmanship proof with you, but you can join the Garand Collectors Ass'c @ the stores!

[Rip Van Winkle]

Having the rifles in the hands of regular Joes is better than them sitting in a warehouse somewhere. I just wish it wasn't so hard to get some of you 40 somethings out to the range to shoot. I've run the clinic at Post 435 for the last, wow what has it been, 8 years. Even though we've been getting good crowds it gets discouraging when I only see maybe 1 out of 10 shooters again.

If I were King, we would have a system something like the Swiss Federation has where annual marksmanship qualification would be a requirement of citizenship.

If anyone is interested our annual clinic will be held on Saturday, June 2nd.

2012 Service Rifle Clinic (pdf)

ETA: Our Tuesday night league starts May 1st.

Tuesday night Highpower League (pdf)

[shooter115]

Having the rifles in the hands of regular Joes is better than them sitting in a warehouse somewhere. I just wish it wasn't so hard to get some of you 40 somethings out to the range to shoot. I've run the clinic at Post 435 for the last, wow what has it been, 8 years. Even though we've been getting good crowds it gets discouraging when I only see maybe 1 out of 10 shooters again.

If I were King, we would have a system something like the Swiss Federation has where annual marksmanship qualification would be a requirement of citizenship.

I hear ya. We have over 200 members in our club and can never break mid 20's for attendance at any of our organized shoots except a couple. The Mid-America AR challenge usually brings a decent crowd and last year for the West Central Jr. Sportsmens Day we had 71 kids plus parents.

Rip Van for King.....where do I vote.

[wrench]

For SparkyJeff- CMP North store in Ohio is 12 hrs door to door from the Twin Cities.
It really is fun to rummage around the racks of Garands and find the one that will be yours.

[45Badger]

For SparkyJeff- CMP North store in Ohio is 12 hrs door to door from the Twin Cities.
It really is fun to rummage around the racks of Garands and find the one that will be yours.

Road trip!

[SparkyJeff]

For SparkyJeff- CMP North store in Ohio is 12 hrs door to door from the Twin Cities.
It really is fun to rummage around the racks of Garands and find the one that will be yours.

Thanks wrench.
That 24 hour trip would take ME four days.
I could look at rifles all day. But driving puts me to sleep, I need to walk around every couple hours.
However, the excitement of choosing my own M1 would likely solve that problem.
With my luck, I would get there and Wally World would be closed.

Road trip!

I'm in! If you can drive, I'll get the gas, and we can split the grub.

But geez, $25 shipping saves a lot of time. I may just roll them dice.

[Rip Van Winkle]

If your planning a road trip to Camp Perry make sure to order an IPass.

http://www.illinoistollway.com/homepage

IIRC you will spend about $27 - $28 on tolls and the IPass speeds things up considerably.

And make sure you fuel up before the Illinois border. Once on the turnpikes the only gas is at the rest areas and it's about 25 to 30 cents more per gallon.

[2in2out]

:Last point: BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG *PING* (Greatest sound EVER).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhRNVAykj7Q

[Sammichman]

I,ve wanted a Garand since I shot my Uncles back in the 60s,,don,t know what happened to his after he Died hopefully one of his sons still has it,,,let me know if you guys are serious about a road trip

[SparkyJeff]

I,ve wanted a Garand since I shot my Uncles back in the 60s,,don,t know what happened to his after he Died hopefully one of his sons still has it,,,let me know if you guys are serious about a road trip

I'd LOVE to choose my own rifle from the racks of rifles I've seen in pictures/videos of the store.
But, $50 for shipping, and membership in thegca.org is much easier to accomplish for me.

I really wish the Greek surplus ammo in clips was not sold out.