Only produced for a single year by the Army’s Rock Island Arsenal, the RIA-marked National Match “GI Custom” 1911 .45 is a rare gun.
Why National Match?
So-called “National Match” 1911s date back to custom-fit target guns made to compete in the U.S. National Matches held annually, first in New Jersey and Florida and then at Camp Perry, Ohio. Modifications made by military armorers and famous Colt rep Henry “Fitz” FitzGerald to GI guns led Colt to introduce a specific National Match 1911 model in 1933, with lessons learned from the event guns. Except for the gap between 1941 and 1957, Colt National Match 1911s continue to be produced, in small numbers.
Early Colt National Matches, such as this circa 1932 model in the Guns.com Vault, were little more than standard 1911s with a tuned trigger and better barrel. Only about 3,000 Colt NM pistols were made before World War II (Photo: Guns.com)
An M1911-equipped Marine Gunnery Sergeant Henry M. Bailey, winner of the Custer Trophy at the National Rifle Matches, Camp Perry, Ohio, summer 1930. First awarded in 1927, the Custer is still presented to the winner of the National Trophy Individual Pistol Match. (Photo: National Archives)
After World War II ended, with the Colt NM gun at the time out of production, the Army looked into making its own. The program, run out of the Army’s old Springfield Armory complex in Massachusetts, took existing GI M1911s already in inventory and re-worked them into more match-friendly guns. A National Match specification was established, and the conversion process included not only hand fitting and tuning but a new “hard” slide, either from Colt or Drake Manufacturing, while triggers, springs, bushings, and sights became an evolutionary process tweaked every season.
The 1962 standard GI Springfield Armory produced NM 1911 pistol. Note the sights. (Photo: Rock Island Arsenal Museum)
The 1962 standard GI Springfield Armory produced NM 1911 pistol. (Photo: Rock Island Arsenal Museum)
The 1963 standard GI Springfield Armory produced NM 1911 pistol. Note the adjustable rear sights. (Photo: Rock Island Arsenal Museum)
Between 1955 and 1967, Springfield Armory produced 24,055 NM M1911s, an average of about 1,850 guns per year. Of these, most were sent to assorted military marksmanship teams while just 3,876 were sold to the public through the Army-run Director of Civilian Marksmanship program, an organization that became the non-profit federally chartered Civilian Marksmanship Program in 1996.
Lieutenant Colonel Walter Walsh, Team Captain, Marine Corps Rifle and Pistol Team, 1955 National Matches. Note his NM 1911 complete with target sights and a Colt commercial slide. A competitive shooter on the FBI pistol team during the 1930s bank robbery era, he was on the teams that tracked down criminal Arthur Barker, son of gangster Ma Barker, as well as “Public Enemy Number One” Al Brady. Serving in the Marines in WWII, he reportedly made a 90-yard shot with an M1911 on a Japanese sniper on Okinawa. He went on to compete in 50M Pistol at the 1948 Summer Olympics and won the gold medal with the United States team in the 25 m Center-Fire Pistol event at the 1952 ISSF World Championships. (Photo: National Archives.)
However, with the Pentagon’s decision in the 1960s to close Springfield Armory as a money-saving measure (it would reopen in 1978 as a National Historic Site), it was decided that the Army’s in-house National Match program would shift its home to Rock Island Arsenal in Illinois.
The Short RIA NM 1911 Run
According to the FY1967 Rock Island Annual Historical Report, due to the planned phase out of Springfield Armory by the Army in February 1966, Rock Island sent two mechanical engineers and three armorers to Massachusetts to be trained specifically to support the National Matches.
Following five weeks of OTJ at Springfield, the Rock Island contingent worked side by side with Springfield Armory personnel at Camp Perry in the summer of 1966 while the tooling for the NM 1911 program shuffled from Massachusetts to Illinois. By September of that year, Rock Island officially received the Work Authorizations for the NM program, and the following month, the Army released the funds to proceed.
The program was authorized to complete overhauls on 1,533 caliber .45 M1911 National Match pistols, convert another 848 M1911 pistols to National Match standard, and overhaul 2,462 NM M14 rifles. However, the guns didn’t arrive at RIA until the end of 1966, while the technical data package was not received from Springfield until late January 1967. This put the program behind, and it wasn’t until March 1967 that a team of about 45 military and civilian armorers – many from marksmanship units from across the Army – had begun training, spread out in three, four-week classes, at RIA by the NM cadre instructors. It was only then that assembly began at the armory’s Building 61.
These original color photos were taken of the RIA NM 1911 line in Building 61 in June 1967, with armorers fitting pistols to precise National Match standards.
The production process included careful hand-fitting of the slide and parts. (Photo: Rock Island Arsenal Museum)
As well as detailed work, making sure the trigger and action were smooth as glass. (Photo: Rock Island Arsenal Museum)
Checkering the pistol’s front strap. (Photo: Rock Island Arsenal Museum)
Testing of finished pistols included firing proof rounds, left, and minimum accuracy tests, right, from fixtures.
Finished NM 1911s at RIA, 1967. (Photo: Rock Island Arsenal Museum)
The RIA NM 1911 standard. (Photo: Rock Island Arsenal Museum)
By July 6, 1967, 1,820 National Match M14 rifles and 1,764 NM M1911 pistols had been delivered to Camp Perry, notes the report. That August, nine RIA NM armorers went to the matches at Camp Perry to support the month-long effort there.
Then came the thunderbolt news that, with almost 500,000 U.S. troops stationed in Vietnam, the 1968 National Matches were canceled. It was the first time since 1950, when the matches were canceled during the Korean War, that Camp Perry would be shuttered for the summer. Further, the Gun Control Act of 1968 put a serious crimp on how guns were sold on the commercial market, one that is still felt today.
This brought about the end of the NM custom shop guns, with much more limited production shifted to the Army Marksmanship Unit’s Custom Firearms Shop, which continues to operate today.
Meet RIA NM 1911 #4784
The author was recently lucky enough to pick up a 4th Round Range Grade military surplus M1911 from the CMP.
A Military Model M1911A1 frame, serial number 824784, the pistol had been manufactured in 1942 at Colt. According to the CMP Forums, using the old Springfield Research Service books, it was accepted by the Army and shipped to Springfield Armory between September 18 and October 22, 1942. It likely went from there to an Army unit in Europe, as pistols in its serial number range soon after left for the New York Port of Embarkation.
Then, surely in the 1967 time frame, it was subsequently selected for upgrade to a National Match competition-grade pistol at Rock Island Arsenal, as it has both “RIA” and “NM” marked on the right side of the frame. (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)
It has a Colt NM 7791435 marked slide including a 1/8” .358 high front sight. (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)
The right side is marked: “Colts PT. F.A. Mfg. Co. Hartford, Conn. U.S.A.” Lightly scratched into the rear of the right slide is “WC” likely denoting it is for use with wadcutter ammo only. (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)
The gun carries a Colt NM 7791414 marked barrel, with the last four serial numbers (4784) electro-penciled to the hood. (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)
The NM7267718 barrel bushing also carries a 4784. The bushing was an extremely tight fit to the barrel and slide. (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)
It carries a large U.S.-marked Kensight adjustable rear sight. (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)
Note the aluminum trigger, which breaks at an amazingly crisp 3 pounds. Also note the “dummy mark” from some past incorrect reassembly at some point in the past 50+ years. (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)
The milled front strap is standard for an RIA NM 1911. (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)
Continued use?
Following likely use by a division, post, regional, Army, state, or other-level Marksmanship Training Unit, some signs point to #4784 being converted a second time since leaving RIA in 1967-68.
A look at the internals. (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)
Compared to a standard GI Colt military model from 1944. (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)
The uncheckered straight mainspring housing is different from the NM standards, likely installed in later years. (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)
It carries late model (Ergo XT Rigid intro’d in 2007) tapered black checkered plastic grips. (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)
It has a UID label on the bottom of the dust cover. The Army only started putting these on guns starting around 2004. (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)
Doing the archival work, a FOIA request to the Army pulled the inventory records for the gun going back to 1975. It spent a lot of time at Fort Lewis, Washington, with “unknown” unit owners back when the 9th Infantry Division and 2nd Ranger Battalion were there. Sent to Anniston Army Depot in January 1989, it was soon turned around and sent to the Concept Evaluation Support Agency in Lexington (Bluegrass Army Depot) in October 1990, where it stayed for a few months before being sent to the 1st Cavalry at Fort Hood, then back to CESA in April 1992. Of note, CESA is the main supply depot for Army Special Forces and SOCOM units.
The FOIA puts the gun everywhere from Washington state to Kentucky, Alabama, and Texas over a 48-year timeline. (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)
The pistol remained at CESA for almost 30 years, including the entire Global War on Terror. As the Program Executive Office for Special Operations Forces Support Activity (PEO-SOFSA) was at Bluegrass, the pistol may have been a loaner. Issued as needed and returned after a requirement, especially during the high-tempo SOCOM operations in the early 2000s, it may have never been “officially” transferred on paper. This could account for the OIF-era UIC sticker, Ergo Rigid grips, and straight main spring housing. Barring an email from some operator who remembers the gun and its serial, we may never know. Some GI NM 1911s have been documented as former Delta Force guns, and SF widely used accurized .45s for years post 9/11.
Sent to Anniston Army Depot storage in June 2020, #4784 was transferred to the CMP in July 2023. From there, it has just been in the Eger family collection and will stay there until its next chapter.
Special thanks to the Rock Island Arsenal Museum for their assistance with this article. If you are ever in the area, please stop in and visit the facility while you still can. It is slated, along with 20 other base museums, to close in the next few years.
Curious about how it’s going for CMP on their new stab at selling GI surplus M1911s to the public?
Via CMP:
On Friday, June 6, the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) hosted its first of three in-person sales events for its M1911 Pistol Program.
The event featured over 400 pistols in Service and Rack grades, along with other special categories to include consecutive serial number pairs, matching pistol and rifle serial number pairs, early production, and more. These rare sales opportunities were created to allow enthusiasts to not only purchase these timeless vintage pistols but to personally hold them and view their unique characteristics up close.
“The first in-person sales event at our M1911 armory in Anniston on 6 June was very successful, based on the overall organization of the event, the curated experience, and, of course, feedback from many satisfied customers,” said Jerry O’Keefe, CMP CEO and Board Chair.
Those who attended described their experiences on the CMP Forum, with comments such as:
“I was in the first group this morning at 8:00 and wasn’t sure how the sale would be handled. I have to give the CMP staff a double thumbs up. From the drive-in parking, the checking in process, the briefing on rules before entering, and the display of pistols was EXCELLENT. Armorers from the M1911 shop were available to answer any questions. It was smooth, and professionalism was shown by all employees. JOB WELL DONE!!! I would attend again if I weren’t maxed out on my limit. Good luck to everyone.” – PH68
“The experience was fantastic . . . I was in the second group, and the tables were full . . . There was plenty of inventory for whatever you were looking for . . . “ – mvigil2391
Two dates remain for in-person M1911 Sales, set at the annual National Matches at Camp Perry in Port Clinton, Ohio! Limited tickets are still available for purchase on a first-come, first-served basis through CMP’s Competition Tracker system. (Free account required for ticket purchase: https://ct.thecmp.org/CampPerryM1911Sales.)
M1911 CP TIMES 2025 – 1
REMINDER: The lifetime purchase limit for M1911 pistols has been increased from 2 to 4. Don’t miss out on the chance to add to your vintage collection!
“We are very much looking forward to the next two M1911 in-person events upcoming at Camp Perry,” O’Keefe added. “While the experience will be different in terms of the venue, we are fully expecting to provide the same level of customer service and the same quantity, quality, and variety of M1911s to include all the special categories. I look forward to seeing you all there!”
While CMP may be circling the drain when it comes to M1903s and M1 Garands, it looks like they have 1911s stacked deep, having recently finished out their Round 4 lottery fulfillment.
Moving forward, the good news is that you don’t have to go through the drawn-out (it took me 16 months to get my Round 4 gun) process and can just jump right into the process. Further, you can now get four guns rather than two, and they plan on having three events where you can go and pick out your gun from a lot of 400 that they brought!
The presser:
With the completion of Round 4, the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) is excited to announce we have begun the processing of new orders for our surplus U.S. Army 1911 Pistol Program!
Through a partnership with the Army, the CMP offers these genuine, military-issued and field-tested M1911A1 pistols to consumers. A true piece of American history, these are the perfect addition for competitors and enthusiasts alike to enhance their firearm collection.
CMP staff members have already received over 4,000 new orders and will continue accepting more, utilizing an updated ordering process.
Who can order during the new round?
Anyone – even if you have just received a 1911 from Round 4, all those who fill out an application will be eligible to purchase during this upcoming round. We’re also excited to share that the Department of the Army has increased the lifetime limit from two to four pistols per person. Orders will be processed in the order they are received.
What’s new?
The CMP has introduced a new eStore payment method for 1911 pistols to better serve our customers.
Why the change?
The change addresses the difficulty we face reaching customers during the day while they are at work and the challenge customers experience trying to reconnect with our sales team once we’ve moved on to assist others. This new method allows customers to complete their purchases at their own convenience, anytime, without the constraints of business hours. Additionally, it significantly speeds up the overall purchasing process, ensuring a smoother and more efficient experience for everyone.
How does it work?
When the CMP 1911 sales team reviews a customer’s order packet, they will identify and note any discrepancies.
An email from 1911orderstatus@thecmp.org will then be sent to the customer detailing the specific information required to complete the packet. This process puts control back into the hands of the customer, allowing them to quickly address any issues and return the corrected order packet without unnecessary delays.
Once all required documentation and attributes have been satisfied, the customer will receive another email containing a secure link and a unique code. This will grant them access to the CMP eStore, where they can conveniently purchase their pistol by selecting the desired grade and quantity.
The entire transaction is conducted through a safe and secure purchasing process, offering customers the flexibility of 24/7 access to complete their orders at their own convenience.
NEW STOREFRONT FOR IN-PERSON 1911 SALES!
Entry to each 1911 sales day will be available to individuals that have purchased tickets (open to those registered for either Talladega D-Day or the National Matches, respectively), with a maximum of 20 customers per 50-minute time slot.The sale will feature approximately 400 pistols – organized and displayed by grade (Service, Field, and Rack) as well as by specialty categories that include select items normally reserved for auction.
Along with online ordering, individuals may now purchase CMP’s 1911 Pistols at one of three in-person sales events at our CMP Store locations! These one-day events will be held during the upcoming Talladega D-Day event at Talladega Marksmanship Park in Alabama and during the National Matches at Camp Perry in Ohio.
Dates include:
Friday, June 6 – Anniston, Alabama (CMP South Store)
Tuesday, July 15 – Camp Perry, Ohio (CMP North Store)
Saturday, August 2 – Camp Perry, Ohio (CMP North Store)
Ticket sales for our upcoming in-person events will go live within the next week. Be sure to check your email for an announcement with exact dates and registration details. Not on our Sales email list?Click here to sign upand stay informed!
Upcoming CMP Auction Highlight: 1911s
Keep an eye out for a select few 1911s that will be featured on the CMP Auction site in the coming weeks. A few “specialty categories” will be highlighted for our Auction page. Visithttps://thecmp.org/cmp_sales/guns-on-auction/for more details and to view current auction items.
Well, as you may remember from my previous posts, I wound up in Round 4 of the CMP 1911’s program. After sending in my packet in the summer of 2023, I pulled Random Generated Number (RGN) 46295 in the lottery on 10 October 2023.
Requesting a Colt (if possible), my gun shipped the next day and I recently managed to break free and swing by my local FFL to pick it up.
And here we are:
Delving into it piece by piece, the frame is that of a Colt Military Model M1911A1, SN# 824784, which was made in 1942.
CMP Forums books notes: It shipped to Springfield between September 18 and October 22, 1942 probably destined for Europe with the Army. For example, SN 823189 went from Colt to Springfield on 10/02/42 and from Springfield to the NY Port of Embarkation on 10/13/42. The very closest SN is 824446 was with the 6th Army on 07/09/46.
The rest of the gun quickly points to that fact that it was subsequently selected for upgrade to a National Match competition-grade pistol in 1968 at Rock Island Arsenal (RIA and NM marked on right side of frame) with a Colt NM 7791435 marked slide including 1/8” .358 high front sight, a Colt NM 7791414 marked barrel, NM7267718 barrel bushing, large U.S. marked Kensight rear sight, aluminum trigger, milled front strap, straight mainspring housing, checkered thumb safety, and black checkered grips. The right side is marked: Colts PT. F.A. Mfg. Co. Hartford, Conn. U.S.A. Lightly scratched into the rear of right slide is “WC.”
It was likely issued out to a division, post, regional, Army, state, or other-level Marksmanship Training Unit post-1968 until finding its way to Anniston Army Depot and the CMP. It has a UID label (an animal only introduced in 2005) on the dust cover, a clue that, along with the more modern grips, may mean that it was still in use with a team until very recently.
I have a FOIA request for its history and will update you guys with what I find out.
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.
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!
Surplus M1911 Sales: As many of you just saw, we recently provided a detailed update on the status of this operation via social media and the CMP Forum. In summary, we assess that the CMP is still several months from resuming the sale and transfer of M1911 Pistols. Throughout this process, CMP staff members worked tirelessly implementing strengthened M1911 operations – with an increased workforce dedicated to the distribution of these pistols, all while CMP armorers continue to inspect and prepare pistols for sale.
Round four orders will be fulfilled once sales resume; followed by new orders. We have a large quantity of pistols on hand and can fulfill all round four orders and many thousands more once we resume sales. As we indicated in the previous update, after round four we will proceed with an open and continuous order process (no more rounds) and fulfill orders on a first received-first fulfilled basis.
But, don’t send in new orders in yet. We will promulgate guidance once we have a better sense of when sales will resume. We also expect the two pistols/person per lifetime limit to remain in effect for the next year. While this restriction is not codified in the law, it is guidance from the Department of the Army. The CMP will review options with the Army later in FY25. Again, we apologize for the unexpected delays within our M1911 program and are eager to once again distribute these exceptional firearms.
AMC classes restarting
The Advanced Maintenance Class (AMC) is a three-day course in Anniston, Ala., for those who wish to take their passion for the timeless M1 Garand rifle to the next level. Set within CMP’s Custom Shop, the AMC offers participants the chance to receive unparalleled, one-on-one training from experienced CMP armorers on headspace, barrel installation, component function, maintenance, and more – all absorbed as students construct personal rifles from CMP’s arsenal of authentic M1 Garand parts.
Additionally, students will receive a guided visit to the CMP South Store and Talladega Marksmanship Park to view the grounds and fire their newly crafted rifles from the course.
Due to the popularity of the classes, registration for the AMC will be based on a random drawing. Registration for the random drawing will be open from Nov. 1 to Dec. 31. Registering for multiple classes is permitted, but no applicant will be selected for more than one slot. Former AMC participants are welcome to sign up for 2025.
If you, like me, are waiting for your Random Generated Number to come up in the current (Round 4) CMP M1911 lottery, be advised that this process came to a screeching halt back in April due to an ongoing audit.
Here’s a direct quote from CMP1911Admin on the CMP Forums:
“There are understandably a lot of requests coming in regarding the status of M1911 orders. Better communication is required on our part. We’ll own that. We’ll do better.
Our shipping/fulfillment operation is currently on pause as we undergo an independent third party review of inventory. No 1911’s have gone out since early May. So, it’s not just your order. As a result of this pause and review 1911 staff are distributed throughout the other operations in our organization while we go through this process. While we’re trying to get to all calls and emails, our crew is small. We’ll attempt to post more information here and our site. It’s frankly not feasible currently to review each individual order for status. Just know that they’re all under the same current status: On Hold.
We have no definitive timelines with respect to when we’ll be able to resume order processing and fulfillment. That’s as frustrating to us as it is you. For some expectation, given the large number of surplus 1911’s in our possession this process could take 90 days or more. Please monitor our 1911 Sales Website for any updates regarding the status of our ongoing review and for any information about our plans to resume normal operation. We’ll update that shortly with this same messaging and post more information as we’re able.
Thank you for your patience and for being a part of the CMP’s mission to promote marksmanship and firearm safety.”
Photo by PH3 Gregory A.Pinkley/National Archives 6450632
The April monthly director’s organization update from the Civilian Marksmanship Program has lots of interesting news, including these two tidbits for those who either want a surplus M1911 or have one they want to keep fed.
M1911 Pistol Options: A couple of months ago, we received the fiscal year 2024 tranche of surplus M1911s from the Department of the Army – 10,000 of them, which is fantastic. In terms of orders and availability, we are still in the process of filling M1911 orders for Round 4. We expect to announce Round Five this fall, once Round 4 starts winding down. And, I’ll give you a status update on that in October in my next update. While we are still assessing the pistols we just received, it looks like the quality is pretty good.
Surplus Ammo Transfer: We received a tranche of surplus ammunition from the Army in January of this year. While most of it was .22, we did get some .45 caliber ammo, and we’ll begin selling that on the CMP e-store on May 1, with a set amount reserved for competitors at reduced pricing. We have just over 400,000 rounds of .45, and we expect the demand to be high. So, as we stressed in our CMP Sales Update . . . please get your paperwork in order before May 1!
FYA from that 10 April email update:
Customers may update their documentation in person at any of our CMP Store locations or may update through:
Customers placing a surplus ammo order through the CMP E-Store will not need to provide Form 2A (those individuals will check a box that states they are not a felon before completing their order). Customers who purchase surplus ammo in person at our stores or at CMP events must provide Form 2A if they do not have one on file or if it’s expired.
Please help us keep our sales running smoothly by updating your customer file before making a purchase on our E-Store. We appreciate your cooperation. Visit the CMP E-Store at https://shop.thecmp.org/.
With that in mind, in a partnership announced at the SHOT Show, the organization and SDS have teamed up with Tisas to produce a special CMP M1911A1 model for sale to the public to help fund its national youth-focused marksmanship efforts.
The production of a new-manufactured M1911 for the CMP is big news. (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)
The .45 ACP Government model, according to SDS, will be “a museum-grade reproduction of a mid-war M1911A1 as it was issued during the Second World War.” This will include “United States Property” markings, a Type E hammer, and reproduction WWII-style brown plastic grips – although an extra set of walnut double diamond checkered grips will be included with each gun.
In a nod to the special status with the marksmanship organization, they will be “CMP” marked. (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)
The slide, frame, and small parts will be Manganese Phosphate finished, and there will be no MIM parts used in the manufacturing process. Like most Tisas 1911s, it will have Series 70 internals.
Sure, they are made in Turkey, but Tisas makes a hell of a 1911.
Rec’d via CMP, lots of interesting news including the news that they have set aside some surplus ammo to sell in FY 24, some M1917 Enfields are coming up, some 5,000 M1 Garands have recently come in as returns from the Turkish military, and the full 10,000 M1911s from the Army have been received for the upcoming draw ( I just managed to get my packet in last week, so, yay!).
Without further, the presser:
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 at https://youtu.be/DeXPZlnvkLs?si=TCPHDeJCLhP9Huyo. 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. Watch a short reel on the Laser Shot Simulator Systems at https://youtube.com/shorts/wV-o-Dyhkls?si=sBm-j_RdlpOw-xea.
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 included with this press release.
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.
The Civilian Marksmanship Program is a federally chartered 501 (c) (3) non-profit corporation. It is dedicated to firearm safety and marksmanship training and to the promotion of marksmanship competition for citizens of the United States. For more information about the CMP and its programs, log onto www.TheCMP.org
