Obama’s New Executive Order Will Kill 110 Year-Old Civilian Marksmanship Program
Heather Ginsberg | Aug 31, 2013
Thursday I wrote about how President Obama announced two new executive orders concerning guns and attempting to cut down on gun violence. Through one of these actions, the administration attempts to “ban almost all re-imports of military surplus firearms to private entities”. But what many may not realize, is with this executive action, President Obama is effectively shutting down the 110-year-old Civilian Marksmanship Program.
This order is trying to “keep military-grade firearms off our streets”. How many military-grade weapons do you see on the streets?
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.