Obama’s new executive order will kill the 110-year-old Civilian Marksmanship Program

[Go Skins]

The White House announced on Thursday that it intends to “ban almost all re-imports of military surplus firearms to private entities” through executive order, which would effectively shut down the 110-year-old Civilian Marksmanship Program.

 

In a Fact Sheet published on Whitehouse.gov today referencing the upcoming executive order the ban on importing military weapons is designed to “keep military-grade firearms off our streets.” Exceptions for import may be allowed for museums.

 

The CMP tightly controls the distribution of obsolete military weapons. The program was created by the U.S. Congress as part of the 1903 War Department Appropriations Act with the purpose of allowing civilians to hone their marksmanship skills, should they later be called into military service.

 

Participants receiving firearms through the CMP must comply with all state and federal firearm laws and undergo a background check conducted by a dealer holding a Federal Firearms License in order to receive the gun.

 

Additionally, they must also be a member of a CMP affiliated shooting club, making participating in the program more difficult than anyone trying to purchase a firearm through usual retail channels.

 

The Civilian Marksmanship Program was administered by the United States Army from 1916 through 1996 when it was changed to the Corporation for the Promotion of Rifle Practice & Firearms Safety, a 501(c) (3) organization federally chartered by the U.S. Congress.

 

There are no data indicating any of the weapons involved in homicide were imported surplus military rifles. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s homicide crime statistics, rifles accounted for only 323 deaths out of 12,664 homicides in 2011, the most recent data set provided by the FBI.

 

“Apart from a donation of surplus .22 and .30 caliber rifles in the Army’s inventory to the CMP, the CMP receives no federal funding,” the CMP website states, adding that they have been overwhelmed by requests and orders are taking 30-60 days to ship product.

Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2013/08/29/obamas-new-executive-order-will-kill-the-110-year-old-civilian-marksmanship-program/#ixzz2dS8jj4vb

Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2013/08/29/obamas-new-executive-order-will-kill-the-110-year-old-civilian-marksmanship-program/#ixzz2dS8gamJb

[T-Dub]

This makes about as much sense as saying that banning import high-performance sports cars would prevent people from learning to drive.

 

I learned to shoot with a single-shot .22 bolt action rifle. 

 

Am I missing something here?

[eva4ben-gal]

This makes about as much sense as saying that banning import high-performance sports cars would prevent people from learning to drive.
 
I learned to shoot with a single-shot .22 bolt action rifle. 
 
Am I missing something here?

More like banning economy cars there guy, its pointless what they're doing and is only going to hurt law abiding citizens. It's another knee jerk reaction by the left that's going to allow them to pat themselves on the back without actually accomplishing anything, and before you EVEN start, I voted for Obama.

[big_dish]

Sounds like another leftist propaganda piece- "lets blame the weapons that aren't ever actually used in crimes" type deal. In reality most gun related crimes are committed with Economically priced handguns and to a lesser extent, shotguns. Yet the bans are always focused on firearms that are rarely, if ever, used in crimes.

[big_dish]

Although this deal really impacts very few people. No big deal in the sense of impact, but is just another firearm related witch hunt by this admin.

[T-Dub]

Although this deal really impacts very few people. No big deal in the sense of impact, but is just another firearm related witch hunt by this admin.

I'd agree with you in the sense that proposed firearm legislation has been largely a matter of grandstanding. To be honest though I suspect it's all a ploy by firearm manufacturers and their lobbies (NRA) to drive up their sales. What else has been accomplished? No laws got passed but the shelves sure got cleaned out, didn't they? Who really benefits from these gun control scares?


More specifically I think it makes perfect sense for government, law enforcement, and the public in general to be worried about the types of people intent on stockpiling military-grade weapons. I still don't see any reason an AK-47 should be sold legally.