Today Obama took unilateral “executive actions” on gun control. One of these actions, may have a negative impact on our sport.

Before anyone panics, the rumors of CMP’s death have been greatly exaggerated.

Initial assessment from Orest (the CMP boss) is that this will NOT impact CMP

Here is the thread in “ask Orest”

Per the boss:

From what I read – it has no direct impact on the CMP.

Here is the release from the White House blog.

– When the United States provides military firearms to its allies, either as direct commercial sales or through the foreign military sales or military assistance programs, those firearms may not be imported back into the United States without U.S. government approval. Since 2005, the U.S. Government has authorized requests to reimport more than 250,000 of these firearms.

– Today, the Administration is announcing a new policy of denying requests to bring military-grade firearms back into the United States to private entities, with only a few exceptions such as for museums. This new policy will help nothing keep military-grade firearms off our streets .

Based on the available information it doesn’t look to me like this will impact any future CMP Garand supplies.

1. CMP does not import anything the Army returns rifles per the law and turns them over to CMP.

2. The executive action (seems to) ban the reimport of rifles that were “sold or donated.” The Army gives CMP rifles that were loaned to out to other countries.

I suspect that this is specifically going after the infamous “Korean Garands” that were not going to CMP anyway. Not that that is a good thing, and don’t get me wrong I am not happy with it. This action limits the supply of Garands, and therefore new shooters to grow the sport.

One should also keep in mind that the mission of the CMP is not to be a Garand retailer. it is an organization to promote marksmanship. So even if this action took away CMPs ability to sell Garands it would not be the end of the CMP. They have long since known the Garand supply will not last forever and have been planing for the future.

CMP Mission:

The Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) is a national organization dedicated to training and educating U. S. citizens in responsible uses of firearms and airguns through gun safety training, marksmanship training and competitions. The CMP is a federally chartered 501(c)(3) corporation that places its highest priority on serving youth through gun safety and marksmanship activities that encourage personal growth and build life skills. Links on this page will lead you to more detailed information about the CMP and its programs.
Statutory mission. The federal law enacted in 1996 (Title 36 U. S. Code, 0701-40733) that created the Corporation for the Promotion of Rifle Practice and Firearms Safety, Inc. (CPRPFS, the formal legal name of the CMP) mandates these key “functions for the corporation:

(1) To instruct citizens of the United States in marksmanship;

(2) To promote practice and safety in the use of firearms;

(3) To conduct competitions in the use of firearms and to award trophies, prizes, badges, and other insignia to competitors.

The law specifically states: In carrying out the Civilian Marksmanship Program, the corporation shall give priority to activities that benefit firearms safety, training, and competition for youth and that reach as many youth participants as possible.

Furthermore Mosins and AKs won’t be impacted by this as it specifies calls out US provided rifles.

If you found your way here trying to decide if you should panic buy a Garand, do it! But not because of politics but because everyone should have a Garand and learn how to shoot it!

My 91/30