The NRA-ILA writes:

On Friday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 2810, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2018. Included in the bill is a provision that would make U.S. Army surplus 1911 .45 ACP pistols available to the American public through the Civilian Marksmanship program (CMP).

In November of 2015, then-President Obama signed the NDAA for Fiscal year 2016 into law with language that authorized the Secretary of Defense to transfer 1911s no longer in service to the CMP for public sale.

That language made the transfers subject to the Secretary’s discretion and capped them at 10,000 per year. Unsurprisingly, no actual transfers were made under the program while Obama remained in the White House.

TAKE ACTION TODAY

If you would like to see 1911 sales return to the CMP, please contact your U.S. Senators and Representative and urge them to keep the House language on this matter intact in the final bill they send to the president. You can contact Senators and Representative at 202-225-3121.

This year’s language, however, would effectively make the transfers mandatory and would remove the yearly cap.

Currently, the military has some 100,000 excess 1911s sitting in storage at taxpayer expense.

Transfer of these historically-significant firearms would ease a burden on the government’s heavily indebted balance sheet and help preserve important artifacts from the era when the U.S. military defended Western Civilization from worldwide fascism and aggressive Communist expansion.

The CMP’s sales of 1911s would be treated as other retail sales under the federal Gun Control Act, including the attendant background checks and point of sale record keeping.

The design of the pistols dates back to the late 19th Century, and they come equipped with a seven-round magazine. One would think this would render the sales harmless in the eyes of the “reasonable gun safety regulation” crowd, but we’re not holding our breath.

The NRA thanks House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mac Thornberry (R-TX) and Rep. Mike Rogers (R-AL) for their steadfast support of this important provision.

Upon completion of the Senate NDAA, the House and Senate will convene a conference committee to resolve the differences in their bills.

If you would like to see 1911 sales return to the CMP, please contact your U.S. Senators and Representative and urge them to keep the House language on this matter intact in the final bill they send to the president. You can contact Senators and Representative at 202-225-3121.

About:
Established in 1975, the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the “lobbying” arm of the National Rifle Association of America. ILA is responsible for preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals in the legislative, political, and legal arenas, to purchase, possess and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Visit: www.nra.org

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

88 COMMENTS

    • “TTAG writer/reader field trip to pick out 1911s and Garands?”

      Not in the cards for me personally at this time, awhile back TTAG had an article about someone who knows helping a reader pick out a good M-1, and as I recall, it wasn’t an easy find, rather than a good one, they got one that sucked the least.

      Your concept is good, should make a good article…

    • I have a friend who is a ridiculous Garand nut. Which arcane Garand would you like, and in what condition? If it exists, I’m pretty sure he has it. For sale at the right price.

      • Mine was made in November of ’43 and has an O16 bolt. Internals are original, but the stock and barrel were replaced in the early 50’s. The bolt is the only one ever recalled by Springfield. Shoots great.

    • I’m in — although I’ll be headed to Camp Perry, Ohio, not Anniston (as I suspect you’ll be….)

      ETA: Unless y’all want to do a Cannonball-Baker homage from Austin to Port Clinton, in which case, I’m in for that, too!

  3. A blast from the past – An iconic military handgun, mailed to your front door?

    Somebody pinch me, I’m *dreaming*!

    Why, it’s almost pre-1968 all over again! 😉

    “That’s right son, this is the way it used to be, when America was a free country…”

    • I’m not 100% sure, but I’m guessing the “mailed to your door” thing won’t happen with these. I know they won;t be exempt from the FFL transfer/bkgd check like the rifles from the CMP are, and I think i remember readin that the CMPs exemption as far as shipping to non-FFLs would be too. Again, not sure, could be totally wrong. But may want to temper your enthusiasm.

      • The 1968 gun laws prohibit civilians from receiving handguns to their homes…but, you could go through your local gun store in your area and pay a fee for the transaction!

    • Pistols will not be mailed to your door. They will go thru an FFL like every other pistol. Federal and all that.

    • No, but I am betting they will be in horrible condition, at least from what I’ve heard from every armorer to ever worked on them. I’m betting they rattle like at toolbox.
      And I’ll still do my best to get one for me and each of my children (and that’s a lot of damn guns.)

      • Sure. But the WWII loosy/goosie 45s issued circa 1986 (until M9s arrived) were still good enough for expert. Obviously, the .45 will still kill the Nazi/badguy deader than a 9mm. Sign me up.

        • Not obvious at all. Modern HP 9 creates at least as big a hole as ball 45 and knockdown power doesn’t exist. At least in pistols.

  6. “…would ease a burden on the government’s heavily indebted balance sheet…”

    Sure. Just sell them for $200,000,000 each, and *voila*, the national debt is gone!

    • I think all the $ CMP collects they get to keep in order to run their operations. Not $ back into the Fed blackhole.

    • The CMP still has some Garands at least – and I’ve snagged a couple.

      What I really want is a CMP M-1 Carbine!

      • I’ve got a Garand and a carbine. Got em way back when. I think the Garand cost me 500 and the carbine was 350. Both are in great shape.
        Would love to add a 1911 to the twins.

  9. How much would these likely cost? What condition will they be in? What are the estimated dates these 1911’s were manufactured?

    I’m more interested in owning actual military 1911’s than I am in any currently produced 1911.

    • Keep in mind we are talking pre 1950 base model guns. No frills, tiny sights, parkerized, service guns. It would be nice if they were rare Singer’s or something. But you can buy a new budget 1911, cheaper than any CMP deal.

  10. The twisted panties bunch will call them high powered, soul stealing, military weapons.

  11. Maybe this is wanting too much but how about they include wording to force the army to give the Beretta’s to the CMP once they transition to the Sig p320. I probably wouldn’t buy one unless they were super cheap but no point in having them sit in a warehouse for another 40 some years. I would like one of those 1911’s though.

    • Won’t happen. M9 are not curios/classics and don’t hold up to high round counts and abuse like 1911s. Lastly, there is no money to buy SIGs in SIGnificant numbers, maybe a few for people with small hands. Army has a lot of modernization programs and handguns fall below even first aid kits.

  12. The 1911 just doesn’t do it for me. Even the soul stealing part. After the first few stealing souls loses its attraction.

    • Agreed. Bottom-of-the-bottom-of-the-barrel slopfests. 1911s and their inherent issues got boring for me in the 1980s….

  13. These things are shot to shit. They have been reassembled, mixing parts many times. If you want one because of its historical/sentimental value, go for it. If you think you’re getting a good pistol, hang it up.

    • Agree, but I don’t want a .45 ACP, I want a .38 Super! And it would be a good starting point.

      Charlie

  14. I copy/pasted the link to this page on FB, but it comes up Ammoland, so I didn’t post it. WTF?

    Charlie

  16. Being behind the Freedom and Liberty line, in commie kaliforna. It would be a waste of time contacting my SH*TY senators. Both rabid anti 2A.
    Sorry America.

    • Contact someone else’s senator.

      You don’t have to tell the truth when they’re stealing your rights.

      Fight to win, man!

  18. Oh man, I want to get one and put gold & silver plated pewter grim-reaper grips and a bushing-comp on it 😀

  21. Good to see the NRA actually push for something publicly. Already talked to District Director about it earlier this year.

    Hopefully we get this passed and then get the NFA repealed so we can get rid of any M3s laying around the same way

  22. I’m hoping this influx will occur and will help my prediction of a “1911 bubble”, to burst, and send 1911 prices tumbling, like we saw with ARs. Obviously the 1911 was relatively unaffected by the failed gun control push, however, everybody and their mother is churning out 1911s now, and at some point we have to reach peak 1911. Perhaps this sudden influx will tip the scales?

    • Friend of a friend picked up a S/S Colt Commander for $500 at a gun show a week ago. Peak 1911 is long over….

  23. Agreed. Bottom of the bottom of the barrel slopfests. I got tired of 1911s in the early ’80s.

    • Oh now 16V. The appreciation of the 1911 is caused by it’s G-d inspired design brought to us by Moses. John Moses Browning, to be exact.

      To those of us that are acolytes of this instrument of freedom and if used properly, of Justice; no justification is needed, and to the un-initiated, no explanation would be enough.

      (I couldn’t resist the religious connotations, you being you, but it does have some of that in the never ending Love Fest for the 1911)

  24. Already been to the CMP’s south store once to pick up some Garands about 5+ years ago and it wasn’t that far of a drive. Wouldn’t mind doing another road trip there if they ever release these 1911’s and they’re sold at a good price.

  26. The money realized from the sale of these 1911’s would fund the Federal government for about 4 seconds.

  27. I qualify for CMP EXCEPT for one item. No membership because there is no place to join nearby that doesn’t charge an arm and a leg for membership.
    I think just having a FFL03 (which I have) should suffice to be able to buy from CMP.
    Right now I’m getting the cash together for a H&R M1 Garand, NOT from CMP, for sale. Asking price is $700.

    • FYI. The closest gun club near me is one County over.
      1. Annual Dues – $225.00
      2. Capital Improvement assessments – Total $360 – $100 due annually upon membership and then $60.
      That is $585 to join just to be able to buy from CMP.
      Armslist is a better place to find a Garand.

    • Garand Collectors Association is (if i recall) about $25 bucks to join. They automatically send your membership info to the CMP for you (as well as a little card for your wallet), and membership comes with a pretty decent monthly magazine with highlights on historical garands, restorations, competitions, etc etc etc. Takes like 2 minutes to apply/join online.

    • They’re not worried. If you want a good, reliable 1911, you’re better off going with something like a Ruger SR1911 than some worn-out CMP piece. The Ruger will probably cost you less, too.

  29. Yeah, they will release these when they release the M3’s and Thompsons. They would sell all the M16’s but we gave all those away to our “Muslim friends around the world”.

    • No, you’re confused. We took freshly printed greenbacks and bought nice little POS AKs by the buttload from former Warsaw Pact countries and handed THOSE out.

  30. I truely hope that these .45’s make it home where they belong. I would love to get one and keep it safe along with my M-1 Garand. I’de like to find one that I carried on duty as an MP.

  31. Most CMP firearms I’ve seen have been way overpriced, and the rack and field grade are of dubious quality. Those 1911s are bound to be a bunch of worn-out ramshackle, sloppy junkers. I don’t know how they’ll be able to provide any of service grade or better, as pretty much every 1911 the armed forces had was bounced around in service for decades.

  32. Better question is what about the new stuff? What is going to happen to the M9’s, M11’s, Marine M45’s & Seal H&k’s? Do we see them in 70 years?

  33. I wonder if it would be possible for Californians to buy them since they won’t be on the roster. C&R maybe?

  34. When I joined the Army in 1978, every one of the 1911’s I saw were junk. I carried one as an M60 gunner. They would go bang but they were beat to hell, much of the finish was gone, they rattled badly and keeping a group inside of 2 feet at 25 yds was very good. When I was on our local post shooting team we went through nearly every unit’s armory looking for the best shooting, least beat up 1911’s we could find – they were all bad. There might be a small cache of unfired ones in some corner of the warehouse (unlikely) but those will carry premium price tags. One of these might be fun to have but not much more than a novelty. Good luck to those pursuing this though – it’s a good idea.

  36. No one has addressed repairability. Are replacement barrels, etc. available? Is there an opportunity here for someone to make an overhaul kit for the most frequently needed items? Or is this crazy?

    • CMP will get whatever parts are in storage as well. Some of those parts are brand new in the wrapper. Last year CMP had .45 mags; I bought a few and they were new in the wrapper made in 1991, which struck me as a little weird given that Berettas were replacing .45s starting in 1985.

      • Up until the early 2000’s the US Army was still giving 1911’s out under certain circumstances. My brother tells of being given one while transporting NBC samples. They went in plain clothes and old slab-sides was easier to conceal, by his statement. He said it was ironic because they were handing a pistol model to soldiers who had never qualified with them.

    • Wilson Combat renovates the 1911. I sent in mine, from 1914, and got back a marvelous shooter. It was not cheap, but I now carry it daily. They manufacture their own parts, I believe.

      The company now also manufactures the Brigade version of the M9.

  37. It would be nice to repatriate those weapons. I only hope they do not try to sell them at “antique” prices.

    • They will sell them at market prices (or close to it). What is the market price? Go to a gun show and look at the prices for GI 1911s. Subtract $100-200 and you get an idea of what the CMP will want.

Comments are closed.