{
  "id": "97-716",
  "type": "CRS Report",
  "typeId": "REPORTS",
  "number": "97-716",
  "active": false,
  "source": "EveryCRSReport.com",
  "versions": [
    {
      "source": "EveryCRSReport.com",
      "id": 316307,
      "date": "1997-07-18",
      "retrieved": "2016-05-24T20:58:10.595941",
      "title": "The Civilian Marksmanship Program",
      "summary": "This document also available in  PDF Image .\n  The Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) was initiated by Congress in the early 1900s. \nThroughout much of its existence as a government-sponsored and funded organization, little\ncontroversy surrounded the program, and in fact, it was (and remains today) a popular program\namong sportsmen, collectors, and various other groups. However, since the 1980s, with gun control\nbecoming a key political issue, the CMP has been surrounded with contention (so much so that\nCongress made it a private, autonomous entity in October 1996). Some of the issues are:\n   The M1 rifle.  One amenity offered by the CMP to its affiliates is the\n opportunity to purchase\nthe semi-automatic, M1 Garand rifle. Considered to be a collector's item by many sportsmen and\ngun collectors, the M1 rifle has not been used by the U.S. military since 1957. Gun control advocates\nhave argued that this program is a \"million dollar gun giveaway\" by the government, voicing concern\nthat the CMP is providing military weapons to the general public. Those in favor of the CMP's sale\nof the weapons respond that in order to purchase an M1 through the CMP, one must go through a\nmuch more rigorous process than those who purchase weapons in the market, in fact a rigorous form\nof gun control. Other issues surrounding the sale of the M1 rifle exist as well.\n   Affiliation with the National Rifle Association.  Some advocates of gun\n control have argued\nthat the CMP is a front for the NRA. Although a supporter of the CMP, the NRA exists separate\nfrom the CMP, and members of one program are not required to participate in the other. By the\nnature of their existence, however, the two groups do interact with one another. The similarities the\ntwo organizations share have caused alarm among gun control advocates.\n   Anti-government groups.  Critics of the CMP claim that it is connected to\n paramilitary,\nanti-government organizations. Though the possibility for this does exist, it is highly unlikely, given\nthe rigorous background check one must go through when applying to purchase weapons or\nparticipate. Under law, participants must submit an affidavit to participate in any programs either\nsponsored or supported by the CMP.\n   Privatization of the CMP.  With the privatization of the CMP in October\n 1996, Congress\nremoved the government from its sponsorship of a citizens' military training program. However,\nbecause of the extensive ammunition and weapons that the Army still \"holds\" for the CMP, and\nbecause of the fact that these weapons were given to the program at the time of its privatization, the\nquestion of the government's role has now become an issue.",
      "type": "CRS Report",
      "typeId": "REPORTS",
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          "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/97-716",
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}