Congressman Mike Rogers made the following remarks after passage of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2017 out of the House Armed Services Committee (HASC), which included his amendment to force the Army to transfer its surplus vintage firearms to the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP).

A similar amendment was offered and passed in last year’s NDAA, but the Obama Administration has done nothing but block the military from releasing these vintage firearms to the CMP. This year’s language forces the Secretary of the Army to move forward with this transfer.

“I am a proud gun owner and strong supporter of our Second Amendment. I am pleased this common-sense proposal may finally become a reality. It will eliminate the unnecessary costs the Federal government is paying for storage of these 1911s while allowing the very capable CMP to handle the sale of these vintage firearms. This amendment is a win – win for the taxpayer. I was pleased the amendment passed the committee and appreciate the support my colleagues, the CMP and the NRA on this proposal,” Rogers said.

Currently, the Army stores excess M1911A1 pistols, which used to be the standard U.S. Armed Forces sidearm, until it was replace by the Berretta 9mm pistol. Besides the 8,300 pistols that have been sold to law enforcement and transferred to foreign countries for a small price, the rest of the M1911A1 pistols are now being held in storage costing the taxpayer around $200,000 a year. Transferring these vintage pistols to the CMP would allow them to inspect, grade, prepare for sale and sell these pistols. The CMP would reimburse the Army for costs associated with the transferring of the pistols. CMP South, headquartered in Anniston, Alabama, oversees sales. CMP North is headquartered in Camp Perry, Ohio.

CMP COO Mark Johnson said, “The CMP is most grateful for Congressman Rogers' support of this fine program. We are honored to be entrusted with offering the historic 1911A1s to our affiliated club members. All transfers of the 1911A1s will be handled in accordance with Local, State, and Federal laws so as to ensure legal responsible ownership. CMP thanks Congressman Rogers for his support of safety training, marksmanship activity, and responsible firearm ownership.”

The NRA sent a letter of appreciation for Rogers’ efforts. The letter states, “Allowing the U.S. Army to transfer surplus M1911A1 pistols to the CMP for resale would help ensure the CMP’s funding for the future. Thank you for your leadership on this important issue.”

The NDAA is expected to come to the House Floor in May.

Rogers serves as the Chairman of the Strategic Forces Subcommittee on HASC.

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