The Latest Information on the Civilian Marksmanship Program's 1911A1 Pistols!

[Watchdog]

On May 9, the CMP released new details on how people may purchase the surplus 1911A1 pistols as they become available.

There is a lot of new information now, and all interested forum members can read it by clicking here.

The CMP apologizes for their website, as their server(s) haven't been able to keep up with the volume of traffic lately.

The most interesting part of the new information to me is that the CMP has now released pricing information on the pistols. I will quote that part of the information here, in case anyone isn't able to access their website right now.

CMP 1911 Pricing:

CMP has priced the 1911 type pistols at fair market value in accordance with CMP's enabling legislation.

Service Grade $1050. Pistol may exhibit minor pitting and wear on exterior surfaces and friction surfaces. Grips are complete with no cracks. Pistol is in issuable condition.

Field Grade $950. Pistol may exhibit minor rust, pitting, and wear on exterior surfaces and friction surfaces. Grips are complete with no cracks. Pistol is in issuable condition.

Rack Grade $850. Pistol will exhibit rust, pitting, and wear on exterior surfaces and friction surfaces. Grips may be incomplete and exhibit cracks. Pistol requires minor work to return to issuable condition.

Auction Grade (Sales will to be determined by auctioning the pistol). The condition of the auction pistol will be described when posted for auction. Note: If you have already purchased a 1911 from CMP you will not be allowed to purchase an auction 1911. If you purchase an auction 1911, your name will be pulled from the sequenced list. No repeat purchasers are allowed until all orders received have been filled.

The shipping cost is included in the price.

 

[typetwelve]

Not trying to be a wise guy...but am I missing something here? Those prices seem pretty high for what I'm guessing is an old, bone stock, and possibly rough condition 1911.

 

[Sevens]

That yellow font is horrendous, but the information is interesting. Like most I suppose... my interest in getting one is about 1%.

What will be most entertaining is to hear about the experiences of those who do participate. I expect to see a crapload of folks trying to flip them. I wonder how that will go.

 

[ExcitableBoy]

No, you are not a wise guy, but you are a wise guy.

The prices are nuts for "as-described" beat-up, old 1911s, with the only thing going for them being the CMP markings. Sure, I've no doubt that they'll go bang, but to make them shoot somewhat accurately, I predict lots of barrel and bushing replacements, not to mention stuff like tightening the slide and replacing springs. Don't even want to think about outward appearances.

There are a lot of fish out there, though.

I'll pass, also.

 

[ken158]

Selling used guns for 10x what the govt paid for them new... I will pass on this great deal.

 

[hkcavalier]

Legit all numbers matching wartime guns? Sure.

Guns that were used and abused on the range for 50 years and overcleaned for white glove inspections? Nah.

 

[tndrfttom]

The Army is only releasing 8,000 M1911s to the CMP this year (Max. annual allotment is 10,000). I expect that orders will well exceed that number. Earlier news releases indicated there would be several grades but selection within those grades would be "luck of the draw". Now I see that they are going to auction any really desirable pistols. With prices of 'rack' grade pistols starting at $850 I don't see any "bargains" but the CMP is now self-supporting from rifle, and now pistol, sales.

 

[1stgarand]

These are more about a piece of American history than about a target pistol. IMO

 

[Minorcan]

I had the same response about the 1911s. It just seems too much for what they are. I had the same opinion of the Garlands. Mismatched parts and poor condition just didn’t interest me for $1,200. I’ll pass as well but hope the people that do want them enjoy them.

 

[kbm6893]

I’m gonna throw my hat in the ring. Service Grade Garands are in very nice condition. The CMP usually downgrades the weapons. If I get picked and am disappointed, worst case I can re-sell in for a profit. Anybody willing to pay $1050 for a sight unseen weapon will pay more for one with pictures.

Not intending to flip it, but I don’t see how you can lose money on a service grade CMP service grade 1911.

 

[reddog81]

I had the same opinion of the Garlands. Mismatched parts and poor condition just didn’t interest me for $1,200.

Garands in such condition would sell for $630... you might find them at a gun show a month later for $1,200 but that's a whole nother story.

 

[MichiganScott]

Nobody ever said that the 8,000 M1911's that the CMP is supposed to receive this year will all be serviceable. The actual sellable number will be less.

I'm an unrepentant CMP fanboy, but I'm out of this round.

 

[Bullseye 2620]

Watchdog's post made me recall the CMP guns I shot at SAFS at Camp Perry back in the day. Those hardball/EIC/leg match-legal 1911-A1 .45s were always well-worn, many were pre-WW II, and they were, none of them, something special to look at.

But they all shot. These guns were periodically reworked at military arsenals and while ugly, would invariably shoot 10 shots into the 10 ring at 25 yards. If any of those show up in these sales, someone is going to get a heck of a bargain, and a piece of history to boot. And I don't have to tell you what one of these ugly old Remington Rand's will bring at auction today.

 

[BC38]

I'll bet dollars to donuts that the CMP will sell every one they can get their hands on. Not to me - expensive collectables aren't my thing - but they'll have buyers lined up for everyone they can put up for sale. That's good - the money will go to a worthy cause and a lot of collectors will be happy to have the piece of history that they represent. A big win for everyone in my book.

 

[Filo McShoe]

for those prices the gun would have to have been carried by Omar Bradley or Alvin York.

 

[Bat Guano]

I got one of one of those old DCM 1911s for Christmas a LONG time ago. I was 17. My father had bought a Remington Rand from a co-worker for $25 and put it under the tree. (In those days they cost all of $17.50...)

For some reason I suspected what was in the box. Could hardly wait to get back from Midnight Mass to know for sure.

Best present EVER. I still have the gun...and the memories.

 

[bill1917]

CMP 1911

I know the sales are random, so I know this is impossible. However, the only way I would be interested would be if I could get one of the 1911s I was issued when on active duty, just for sentimental reasons.

 

[NYlakesider]

Nope, any money I spend getting a .45 will be at my LGS. I also get to check it out there!

 

[Bladeswitcher]

This is all you need to know . . . They will sell out FAST!

Customer names from complete CMP 1911 order form packets will be fed into a computerized Random Number Generator on 5 October 2018. The Random Number Generator will provide a list of names in sequential order through the random picking process. Customers will be contacted in the sequence provided by the Random Number Generator. The CMP 1911 customers will select their grade of pistol (Service, Field or Rack) from available inventory at the time of order notification. Customers with higher numbers may have fewer grades from which to choose. When this year’s allotment of 1911s is exhausted, the remaining orders will be held in the existing sequence for all future allotments of 1911s. The CMP does not know what future allotments might be.

 

[Grayfox]

I'm gonna take a wait and see attitude. I'm a big fan of the CMP and have bought rifles from them in the past. However, I want to see at least pictures of these 1911s to evaluate just what they're selling. Most of the rumors are that these pistols are all pretty rough. But those are rumors. I want to know for sure. So I think I'll let this year's batch slide. Maybe I'll try for one next year.

Also understand that this is not the regular CMP that we're used to dealing with. It seems that CMP 1911 is a separate entity created just to sell these pistols. So I'll wait to see how that works out as well.
This is a quote directly from the e-mail.

Every applicant will be treated as a new customer to CMP.

Previous purchases or relationships with CMP create no advantage or disadvantage to the customer.

CMP 1911 is an FFL governed operation and is a separate entity from CMP and has its own record keeping operation with no ties to the existing CMP records.

Besides, I already have a G.I 1911. Its a nice gun, but has been rebuilt at least once, maybe more.