Category Archives: gun culture

CMP Resumes Surplus M1911/M1911A1 Pistol Sales– with no lottery

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As any follower of the blog will know, I’ve been reporting on the CMP 1911 program since 2015 and have been lucky enough to have participated in the program’s Second and Fourth rounds.

The latter, which kicked off in September 2023, was soon after placed on hold after the Army found that 98 of the handguns had gone missing.

Well, everything seems to have been straightened out and CMP announced this week that it is proceeding full speed ahead, both with the long-delayed Round Four folks (moi included) as well as scrapping the random number generator lottery system altogether and moving to a first-come-first-served model.

This is likely because the legislation moving the guns from Anniston Army Depot across town to CMP’s warehouse covered “up to 10,000” pistols per year and, as Round Four covered the 2023 allotment and the 2024 guns likely didn’t get moved, plus the 2025 guns are probably on the way, the organization may have several truckloads of 1911s on hand.

The announcement:

The Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) is excited to announce the immediate resumption of surplus U.S. Army M1911/M1911A1 pistol sales! These historic firearms, cherished for their role in U.S. military history, are now available to qualified US Citizen customers.

Key Details:

  • Pistol Availability:The CMP currently holds a substantial inventory of a variety of Pistol Grades, many ready to ship to consumers, and expects to fulfill a significant quantity of orders.
  • Free Shipping:Those purchasing a CMP M1911 pistol will receive free shipping and handling (a $25 value).
  • Updated Process: Given the quantity of on-hand pistols, we reorganized our sales fulfillment structure and our staff is ready to process orders in a timely manner without the use of the Random Generated Number (RGN) process, as in past M1911 sales.  Additional detail on fulfillment information and sequencing follows below.  

Fulfillment Information:

  • Round Four Orders Fulfilled First:The CMP will prioritize fulfilling existing orders from Round Four and will honor the pricing of those orders. Starting this week (Jan. 27, 2025), the CMP M1911 customer service representatives will contact Round Four individuals to confirm order details.
  • New Orders Now Accepted:Effective immediately, the CMP is accepting new applications on a first-come, first-served basis. Again, we do not anticipate having more “rounds” or using RGN numbers as in the past.  

Purchasing Guidelines:

  • Limitations:A lifetime limit of two pistols per customer remains in effect. Customers who have not previously purchased a pistol may now submit an order for up to two pistols.
  • Upgrades for Round Four Customers:Existing Round Four applicants making their first purchase may also upgrade their order to include two pistols.

CMP 1911 staff will reach out to customers when their order is ready to process. At that time, customers will indicate the pistol grade and quantity with CMP 1911 staff.

The CMP encourages all interested individuals to submit their applications promptly. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to own a piece of history!

Learn More:

To view M1911 Pistol Grades as well as additional info on eligibility requirements, ordering and other specifics, please visit the CMP’s website at https://thecmp.org/sales-and-service/1911-information/. 

Suppressor Pioneer Dr. Phil Dater Passes, aged 87

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Considered one of the founding fathers of the modern American suppressor industry, Dr. Philip H. Dater, MD, has quietly passed. 

The New York-born Dater, a radiologist and Vietnam-era U.S. Air Force veteran, started designing suppressors in the 1950s, later “dabbling off-hours in his hospital’s machine shop.” He founded Automatic Weapons Company, or AWC, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the mid-1970s to pursue his designs before leaving to co-found Gemini Technologies, now Gemtech, in the 1990s.  

As noted by Gemtech, “Dr. Dater merged his passion for guns and his knowledge of ultrasound to create solutions that would silence skeptics and improve the overall shooting experience.”

Even after stepping away from manufacturing suppressors, Dater penned numerous technical papers in firearms journals and magazines. He continued to patent new designs, consult with industry partners, and hold classes on suppressor history and development well into his 80s. 

I remember hanging out with Mark Serbu— no slouch when it comes to being a “mad scientist” in the gun space– who told me at the time that Doc. Dater was the smartest man in the gun industry. 

Dater’s death was first noted by JK Armament last week, who described him as “the most influential innovator in the world of firearm silencers since Maxim.”

If you have a few, sit in on Jk’s interview with Dr. Dater last year. It is worth your time. 

Nordic Hollowpoint Homogeny

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We’ve talked several times about the efforts by the Scandinavian sister countries– Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Finland– since 2009, to unify their efforts militarily via the Nordic Defence Cooperation Group, or NORDEDCO.

For instance, they have adopted a common service/combat uniform and are increasingly moving to common weapons platforms in terms of small arms.

The Nordic Combat Uniform System is soon to be common across Scandinavia.

There was even serious talk of a “Viking” class submarine program that would see the four countries jointly operate a squadron of 10-12 sister boats but that tanked over a myriad of reasons outside the scope of this blog.

Now, the four NORDEDCO countries, joined by fellow traveler Iceland have entered into a seven-year contract with Federal to supply 9mm duty handgun ammo to the joint Nordic Police program.

This will see cops from Reykjavik to Helsinki load up their mags with Speer 124-grain Gold Dot JHPs, a personal favorite of mine for years.

Interesting.

The Flotsam of History

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In early February 1807, in Prussian Silesia, French Field Marshal Michel Ney’s cavalry clashed with mounted elements of Russian Lt. Gen. Karl Gustav von Baggovut’s column in the snow outside of the small village of Waltersmühl, causing Gen. Pyotr Bagration to send reinforcements to Bagavout’s aid, and a constant running combat was kept up until nightfall when the Russians withdrew in good order.

It was a nightmarish day of cavalry charge and counter-charge, sans the boorish interference of artillery and infantry. A day of lances and sabers. Horses, steel, and leather. Death the old-fashioned way, with lots of elan and honor. 

The indecisive skirmish, which left Baggovut seriously wounded with a French lance splinter in his chest, was one of the opening actions of what would be remembered as the great pyrrhic Battle of Eylau— which itself saw some of the greatest massed cavalry charges in history.

Fast forward to 1945 and the Russians were back during the tail-end of WWII, this time under a Red Banner, and occupied Waltersmühl. Soon after the war, the region became part of Poland and today Waltersmühl is known as Konradowo.

Last week, during the renovation of an old building in the village, workers discovered three firearms and 403 assorted cartridges concealed inside an attic floor. The guns included a bolt-action Mauser 98K, a Beretta 38 submachine gun, and a Sturmgewehr 44, the latter with three magazines.

Cue the “Jesus, I’ve seen what you’ve done for other people” memes:

The guns were likely stashed “just in case” near the tail-end of WWII when the Soviet Red Army was steamrolling through the area on its way to Berlin.

The fact that the guns were never retrieved although Russian troops only left Poland after 1993, may point to the possibility that the individual who created the cache did not survive the initial stages of the occupation, or was deported soon after the change in flags.

Odds are, if you dig in the garden behind the house, you may find a saber or lance points. 

The Two Coolest New (Old) Rifles at SHOT Show

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Just got home after a week of SHOT Show antics and events and thought I would share my two favorite rifle stories from the event.

First, S&T Motiv Co. (formerly known as Daewoo Precision Industries) is operating in the U.S. and is importing 922-compliant rifles to include the K2S which will include a variety of OEM K2 parts and approximates the old Max I/II.

Compare to the old days:

Second, Palmetto and DSA are teaming up to craft an H&R-made T48.

As you may recall and we have covered in the past, the FAL gave the M14 a bit of competition in the early 1950s with (naturally) the Army’s Springfield Armory developed M14 getting the nod.

T48, Rifle, Caliber .30, T48 – with Gunner – Off-Hand Firing May 1955

H&R, a brand now owned by PSA and run by Mike of NoDak Spud fame, has one of the old T48s in their possession and is reverse engineering it for a limited run.

As a gun nerd, I’m super excited about both of these.

Budget Beretta Doppleganger, with a Twist

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I’ve been kicking around the Girsan Regard MC X by EAA for a couple of months. This Turkish-made Beretta 92F clone is familiar, dependable, and just flat-out looks good. With a long track record behind it in the same general platform and the addition of upgraded styling and a threaded barrel, it is a win, especially for the price of $519, suggested– typically lower at retailers.

Girsan has been making 92 clones for the Turkish military for over 20 years and the Regard MC X, imported by EAA, is a feature-packed model at an affordable price point.

Full review in my column over at Guns.com.

Smith & Wesson Getting Back to Wheelgun Roots

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Smith & Wesson is playing the classics at SHOT Show when it comes to bringing back popular revolver lines including the Model 629 and 686 Mountain guns.

The company previously announced it is adding a trio of J and K frame “No Hole” classics— sans the oft-detested internal lock system– to its catalog for 2025. Joining these three new variants at SHOT Show will be a pair of great-looking Mountain Guns including an L-frame .357 Magnum and an N-frame .44 Magnum.

The original Mountain Gun series dates back to the late 1980s. Designed with a tapered 4-inch barrel, a large bore caliber (.357 Mag., .41 Mag., .44 Mag., .45 ACP, .45 LC), adjustable rear sighs, and a stainless steel frame, these were intended for use in the field while being capable of defense against a large predator on two or four legs if needed. While the old MGs of the past, such as the Model 625-6 and 625-9, have faded into history, deleted from Smith’s catalog by 2005, that is changing.

Lipsey’s has partnered with S&W to offer two new Mountain Gun models this year, a 686 Plus (7 shot .357) and a 629 (6 shot .44).

True to the old ways, they will have one-piece 4-inch tapered barrels, adjustable rear sights, and stainless steel construction. Standard features will be a partridge-style front sight with a brass bead insert, Tyler Gun Works high-grade walnut Bear Hug grips on a round butt frame, a beveled cylinder front edge, and chambered charge holes. Likewise, there is no detested internal lock.

The new Smith & Wesson Model 686 Plus Mountain Gun. We were able to lay hands on this thumper at an event with S&W on Sunday night just before SHOT Show. (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)

The 686 Plus Mountain Gun weighs 35 ounces. The 4.13-inch barrel yields and a 9.75-inch overall length. It is a 7-shot .357 Magnum that will also accept .38 Special cartridges. (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)

Both of the new Mountain Gun revolvers from Smith have an adjustable rear sight as well as a partridge-style front sight with a brass bead insert.

We also managed to spend some time with two of the gunmaker’s new Classic No Lock series revolvers, which look more akin to wheelguns the company produced in the 1950s than current models.

The S&W Classic Model 36 No Lock. Note this J-frame .38 Special +P 5-shot revolver has the very old-school half-moon sights seen on early Chief’s Specials as well as walnut medallion grips.

The S&W Classic Model 10 No Lock. This 6-shot K frame .38 Special +P revolver has a set of smooth TGW grips that give it the feel of a WWII Victory model.

Nice to see Smith is getting back to its roots.

Stay tuned for more from SHOT Show.

The Magpul Folding Gun is Real, and it’s Coming

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It has been teased for decades but it looks like the Magpul and ZEV FDP, in both carbine and pistol format, will be headed to market in 2025. It’s real, and we’ve shot it.

If ever a gun was wish-cast into existence, it is this one.

This strange path, of producing an innocuous-looking box that could transform as if by magic into a PCC, started with Francis Warin’s boxy ARES project in the 1970s – which used a German MP28 magazine, of all things – then quickly moved on to Utah Connor’s “boom box” (complete with collapsing antenna) style Undercover 9 or UC-9, and James Boatman’s companion DEB M-21.

The latter gained everlasting fame in the 1990’s “Robocop 2.”

Connor called his one-of-a-kind weapon the “Undercover 9” or UC-9 back in the day and people have been chasing it for 50 years.

In 2008, Magpul reimagined the UC-9/M-21 in a concept gun that dropped the dated portable boom box disguise and updated the look to that of an extra laptop battery (which was a thing at the time).

Dubbed the FMG-9, it remained vaporware until Magpul succumbed to public demand in 2021 and announced what was then termed the Folding Defensive Pistol-9 and a Folding Defensive Carbine-9, using a ZEV OZ9 operating system inside a Magpul chassis.

While Magpul brought prototypes to the last three SHOT Shows since then, the FDP and FDC have yet to appear, which is something of a bummer.

But 2025 is set to be a year of sweet, sweet fulfillment as the now FDP-C carbine and FDP-P pistol are headed to market.

The full update in my column at Guns.com.

When is the last time that you saw a new top-fed pistol?

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One of the biggest engineering problems of early semi-automatic “self-loading” handguns was the magazine and how to load it rapidly.

While the detachable box magazine today is a staple, in the 1890s it was commonly only seen in rifles such as the Lee-Metford. Hugo Borchardt’s C93 was one of the first commercial detachable magazine-fed pistols and, while Georg Luger picked up Borchardt’s design for his own Parabellum pistol series a few years later, another take on semi-auto pistol loading and reloading was the Feederle brothers’ wildly popular Mauser C96 which used a 10-round internal magazine fed through the top of the action via a stripper clip, much like the Mauser bolt-action rifles of the age.

With Luger’s and Browning’s turn-of-the-century designs taking over the market after 1900, the way forward was clear and the C96 eventually faded into history.

Well, KelTec announced Wednesday it is blending tradition with innovation in its newest carry pistol, the top-fed internal magazine PR57.

The KelTec PR57 is fed via 10-round stripper clips or one round at a time in a pinch. The internal magazine holds 20 rounds. The company argues the minimalistic approach reduces room for error while deleting the detachable magazine trims parts and streamlines the design.

Chambered in 5.7 NATO, the “R” in the PR57 comes from its use of a rotary barrel design. Ditching a detachable box magazine in favor of a clip-fed top-loading design similar to the old C96 Broomhandle Mauser and KelTec founder George Kellgren’s circa 1988 Grendel P10, the company says the PR57 is the lightest pistol in its caliber on the market, with the full-sized handgun hitting the scales at just 13.86 ounces, unloaded.

More in my column at Guns.com.

CMP Raises Gun Limits

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Official caption: “Group of men surround the last M1 .30-caliber rifles off the production line. Col. Hurlbut stands on the left. Lt. Col. Septfonds stands second from left. John C. Garand stands second from right and he holds the last rifle.” (Springfield Armory National Historic Site Photo 12808-SA.1)

Apparently, the CMP is either (A) not getting the same sort of demand for M1 Garands as they have been in the past or (B) is super flush with guns that fewer people want and is running out of space because they have just all but abandoned the rationing of rifles to its members.

I’m betting they are getting a lot of old Garands (along with smaller lots of Krags, M1917s, and M1903s) turned in by local VFW and similar units that are closing their doors. Today’s vets just don’t join those groups as their dads and granddads did in the 20th Century. Plus, in this economy, not a lot of folks have even the modest $1,150 for re-barreled Expert Grade and $900 for Navy 7.62 NATO M1s to spare.

Of note, the previous limit was 8 Garands per year– but that was back when Field and Service grade rifles were available for $650-$750 just a few years back.

Via CMP:

  • Effective January 7, 2025, customers are allowed to purchase up to twelve (12) surplus rifles (any type) per year. This limit excludes .22 rifles.
  • Surplus Ammo Limit: 2,000 rounds per caliber per year.
  • Commercial Ammo Limit: None
  • Please note: The CMP strictly enforces the limits referenced above. The CMP, at its discretion, reserves the right to ban from all future sales any attempts made by customers to circumvent these limits
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