A congressman by the name of Mike Rogers representing Alabama is proposing a plan to take almost 100,000 1911A1s currently in storage with the U.S. Army and transfer them over to the CMP South Store in Anniston, Alabama. If this move works, it’ll be an amazing moment for 1911 collectors across the country as more will come into the market at much better prices than they are currently at. However, they most likely won’t be in their original wartime condition as the CMP will refurbish, replace parts, and bring to working order the pistols that have been in storage for so long (probably since the 1980s as the M9 was phased in). Regardless, the market price for Garands today is in the $800-1200 range and CMP sells their basic Garands for about $500. Taking a quick look at Gunbroker, prices for World War Two era 1911A1s start at $600 and go into the thousands. Even if CMP Anniston sells them for $100 below the minimal market price at $500 out the door, it’s stilly a pretty great deal. In addition, (someone correct me if I’m wrong about this) but the last military contract 1911A1 rolled off the Ithaca assembly line in 1945 (serial number 2660318 ). That means every legitimate military contract 1911A1 in storage was either made before or during World War Two. Unlike the Garands sold by CMP, which have productions runs from during and after the war, making some of the post war rifles less valued.

The original news article has this to say-

Congressman Rogers says it’s a win-win because the pistols are placed in very capable hands at the Civilian Marksmanship Program and it also saves taxpayers roughly $200,000 per year.

The M1911A1 pistol was once the standard sidearm for U.S. armed forces. Rogers says a little over 8,000 of the 100,000 pistols were sold to law enforcement and transferred to foreign countries for a small price. The rest are in storage.

The CMP will inspect, grade, and prepare the pistols to be sold. It will also reimburse the Army for any costs associated with moving the firearms.

Congressman Rogers announced the plan after the passage of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2016. It’s part of the House Armed Services Committee.

Of course, CMP is chartered by Congress and thus tax and FFL exempt. However, this also means there are a few more qualifications a person has to meet before being eligible to purchase a firearm from them. These include proof of firearms activity/training, being affiliated with a CMP club, and passing a background check, among other requirements. Veterans, active duty are exempt from the typical requirements. If you’re interested in reading more about the actual process check out this earlier article.

Just so everyone is clear, the pistols in question are 1911A1s which entered service after World War One with a number of modifications to the original 1911 handgun. This image was taken from M1911 forums.