Category Archives: Rifles

CMP M14 Rifles Are Finally Coming. Here’s Why This Could Be the Biggest CMP Release in Years.

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If your social media feed has been full of CMP M14 posts today, you’re not imagining it.

After years of rumors, the Civilian Marksmanship Program has confirmed that authentic U.S. military M14 rifles are headed to the CMP. Before they’re sold, they’ll be permanently converted to semi-automatic configuration in accordance with federal law. While the CMP hasn’t released pricing or ordering details yet, the announcement has already set the firearms community on fire.

For many shooters, this is the announcement they’ve been waiting decades to hear.

The M14 Is Different

The M14 has always occupied a special place in American firearms history.

It was America’s last standard-issue battle rifle chambered in 7.62 NATO before the military transitioned to the M16. It served with distinction, remained in military service long after its official replacement, and continues to be recognized at matches like the CMP’s M14 Heritage Match.

Unlike commercial M1A rifles, these are expected to begin life as genuine U.S. military M14s before conversion.

That’s a big deal.

Everyone Wants to Know One Thing

How much will they cost?

It’s probably the biggest debate online right now.

Some shooters hope the CMP prices these rifles far below market value so more people can own one.

Personally, I hope they don’t.

Why I Hope the CMP Charges Market Value

That might sound strange coming from someone who’d love to own one.

But here’s the thing.

The CMP isn’t supposed to be the cheapest place to buy military rifles.

The Civilian Marksmanship Program exists to promote marksmanship, firearm safety, and competition. Rifle sales are simply how that mission is funded.

Every dollar the CMP earns goes back into things that actually grow the shooting sports, junior marksmanship, Camp Perry, the National Matches, affiliated clubs, coaching, range improvements, and safety education.

If these rifles are worth market value, then the CMP should receive market value.

Otherwise someone else will.

Don’t Fund Flippers

We’ve seen this movie before.

A collectible rifle gets priced well below what it’s could sell for.

Within days, they’re listed online for thousands more.

The buyer profits.

The reseller profits.

The CMP, the organization that actually supports competitive shooting and preserves America’s marksmanship tradition, loses out.

I’d rather see every extra dollar go toward junior shooters than toward someone’s GunBroker listing.

If anyone should benefit from the value of these rifles, it should be the organization that will use those funds to keep American marksmanship alive.

What Happens Next?

Right now we still don’t know:

  • Official pricing
  • Purchase limits
  • Rifle grades
  • Ordering procedures
  • How many rifles will ultimately be available

Those answers will come directly from the CMP over the coming months.

Until then, expect plenty of speculation.

Final Thoughts

The CMP M14 announcement isn’t just another surplus rifle release.

It’s an opportunity.

An opportunity to preserve history.

An opportunity to strengthen the Civilian Marksmanship Program.

And an opportunity to invest in the next generation of American shooters.

If the CMP prices these rifles at their true market value, I’ll be perfectly happy knowing those dollars are helping fund Camp Perry, junior programs, the National Matches, and the future of competitive marksmanship.

That’s exactly what the Civilian Marksmanship Program was created to do.

We’ll continue following the CMP M14 release here on GarandThumb.com as more information becomes available.

Keywords: CMP M14, CMP M14 rifles, Civilian Marksmanship Program, M14 for sale, Camp Perry, National Matches, M14 Heritage Match, U.S. military M14, military surplus rifles, Service Rifle, marksmanship, CMP news

Make it a Dirt Dance Floor Again: York Riflemen’s Spring Garand and Service Rifle Match 

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York’s spring double-header is one of my favorite matches of the year. It starts with a Garand match, followed by a NRA 50 round match. It’s a reduced 200 yard match with pits.

The Garand match was fun, I shot uncharacteristically fast in slow prone but still managed a decent score. I kept raising my zero in slow prone and then, surprise, I blew my rapid prone group out the top.
 I pulled it back in off-hand and posted an 89  which I was very happy with.

We shot a 500 agg right after the Garand Match. Still happy with myself for shooting well off-hand with the Garand I did decent with my A4 off-hand too. A few 8s in off-hand but I posted a pair of 98s in rapids and didn’t shoot a 9 in slow prone until round 13!

I manage to come in second in the 500 agg with a 484 just a point short of High Master!

Who Says You Can’t Go Home Again: Dusting off the A2 stock after the Freezer Match.

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This weekend was  the 2017 Freezer match at KFGA. It’s a 40 round off-hand match held for charity at my local club.

I shot ok. Dropped a couple of 7s and a whole pile of awful 8s. In the 4 strings I ranged from a gross 85 to a decent 93. Which was enough for 5th.

It was a fun match, I tried some new things and put the first in competition rounds on my new barrel.

There was a day when I considered this the end of the season. But with the Creedmoor Cup and Fleet Week In just 3 or so months it’s not time to hibernate.

After the match I got to thinking, disputed my progress my off-hand has more or less plateaued falling in the 7ish point swing I saw this weekend. Rarely topping 93. My data book tells me back In the A2 days I had less variation and was able to post a couple of 96s.
Blaming the equipment is a lame excuse and I have let my stubbornness tell me to stick with the UBR. Which I had grown to love early In 2016, using a super short off-hand position. As the season went on I found myself sliding the stock longer. By October I was out to A1 length.

So I’ve decided to  come home to the A2 stock.

2015 SAFS. No I’m not going back to the mag hold and hopefully not the extra 40lbs

Why?

A2 stock is heavier. There are some weight options for the UBR but the standard A2 wedge puts 3.5 lbs of additional Donk on the rifle which the UBR really can’t accommodate. Short of a custom-made gold or maybe depleted uranium weight.

A2 buttplate is a cheese grater. It’s made for shooting, not dressing up in an empty plate carrier and playing operator. Sling up and try to make it slip out of your shoulder, if it does, sling up better.

After some practice I don’t need the short length. Being further from the scope seems to help me keep my head in the same sport.

I might change my mind. But this stock feels like an old friend and it seems to me its the safe bet.

Leg Points at New Holland!

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New Holland typically runs a generally well attended CMP EIC Match in April, but this year the weather just wouldn’t cooperate. Heavy rain the first try and then snow on the rain day cancelled the match twice! But  finally in July the weather worked out.

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While I still consider Kimberton my “home club” I am a member of New Holland Rifle and Pistol and spend a fair bit of time there practicing.

It was hot and humid again, but slightly cooler than it had been during the week.

There was a “P100” format match first to help everyone verify their zeros and get those 7s out of their system. Boy did I have some 7s to get out. I opened with my worst off-hand ever with the A4. Not one but two 7s and a few 8s to boot to total a gross 82. I mostly blame trying to work with a bad patch of ground fighting a downward slope.

The rest of the P100 went better. I made a nice group rapid prone at 300 and noted its poor placement in the 9 ring, which I corrected for the next match. Out back at 600 I posted a 96. My 600 come ups were predictable as I have spent plenty of time on that back berm practicing and my Leupold tracked right to where it should.


After turning in our score cards and grabbing a cold drink from the truck it was back to 200 to do it again for a 50 round CMP national match course, this time for points.

Remembering my struggle with slope I found a better piece of dirt to make my stand this time and posted a 93 off-hand! I got a little frustrated circling the 10 but I kept them in the black.

CMP rules require firing sitting from standing which can be its own special challenge. I borrowed a trick I learned from the Internet and parked my shooting cart behind me which I use to help me stand up in a less dramatic fashion. These methods helped me keep both feet in the same spot. When I was a bit larger, I was only keeping my right foot in the same place which made re-locating my NPA a challenge. I managed to keep most of the shots in the middle and posted a 97 in sitting.

Back to 300 for rapid prone I posted another 97, this one I worked a little harder for with an 8 low right, my “go to” spot if I goof up my breathing.
Spent some time in the pits after 300 nervously looking over my data book and feeling out where others stood.

Kirby says “way to go”

Back at 600 my wind call and elevation were right on and first shot was a 10. I wasn’t super happy with my position but assumed I could make it work. Turns out I was wrong, and pulled a 6:00 seven. I started seeing flashes of screwing up my nice short line scores with a hot mess out back. I took a minute to reset and worked my way back into the 10 where I stayed for all but two rounds for the rest of the string.

Out Back

Posted a 479 in the end. I knew there was a 480 to beat, and 3 legs to give out. So, I was nervous as the match director added up the final results. I managed to come in second for my first points since Small Arms Firing School at Perry in 2015, just less than one year since my first Across the Course match!

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My shooting buddy managed to take the last leg, which we like to call “the foot” so “GTB shooting team” had a good day!

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