Bill to Allow Sale of Surplus 1911 Pistols through CMP

[carguychris]

I'd love to know HuffPo's source for this "document."

Ditto; after having a chance to read it closely, I believe it's basically anti-gun political talking points wrapped in fancy-sounding bureaucratic padding.

A couple of key sections just don't wash.

Although the provision does communicate that CMP cannot sell the firearms to prohibited persons, the provision does not include a mechanism to verify and confirm the information obtained through private, internet or mail-order sales. There is no statutory requirement or record keeping obligation for CMP

It's my understanding that the CMP vets buyers more thoroughly than anyone short of the ATF. This statement glosses over the fact that the CMP isn't an ordinary retailer or some fly-by-night mail-order operation with guys simply boxing up guns when they receive a signed order form and a check. Most people willing to undergo the CMP purchase process aren't going to turn around and resell the gun on the street.

Furthermore, the absence of a statutory record-keeping obligation doesn't mean that records aren't being kept, or couldn't be if this is such a serious concern.

There is a significant risk of approximately 100K semi-automatic handguns that are virtually untraceable, being released into commerce.

They will be no more untraceable than any other handgun once it's left the original point of sale, not to mention the many scores of handguns sold in this country prior to the 68 GCA record-keeping requirements.

This sentence seems to speak to the popular misconception that all legitimately purchased guns are "registered" and that the police can track all of them somehow, possibly using mystical faerie magic.

Per DOJ, M1911 pistols are popular crime guns. Over the last 10 years, they traced an average of 1,768 M1911 pistols with a significant percentage (percentage not provided) ultimately identified as surplus U.S. military firearms.

Does this surprise anyone who pays attention to the gun trade, given these pistols' decades of popularity and the proverbial bazillion of them already in circulation?

The writer posits that "a significant percentage" are milsurp - I'd like to see his definition of "significant".

This is like writing that "a significant percentage of fatal accidents and car thefts involve the Honda Accord, thus the Accord is dangerous to drivers and a favorite of criminals." The first part of the statement is unsurprising when one simply considers how many Accords have been sold; the second part is spurious conjecture unless one offers proof that there is something unusual about the Accord compared to other popular midsize sedans.

DOJ believes it would be a challenge to trace these firearms if used in a crime because there will likely be no record of origin and the seller (CMP) is not a licensee and accordingly is not bound to keep records memorializing the transaction (both of which are factors they also believe contribute to diminished public safety).

This restates the concern discussed above. My opinion? Have the CMP send the ATF a list of serial numbers and be done with it. Problem solved.

As discussed above, I seriously doubt that many of these guns will wind up being used in crimes.