I caught wind of this last year at SHOT, but the deal was finally signed this year right as SHOT Show 2024 kicked off. The Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) has signed a deal with Tisas USA to offer newly manufactured 1911A1 pistols in WW 2 GI trim to its members. Let’s talk a minute about why and what the gun will look like.
CMP 1911 Sales Info
Most of you probably know that the CMP started offering GI surplus 1911A1’s back around 2018 or so. These are former military guns used by all branches of the service that have been in storage in Anniston, Alabama. They offer four grades; rack, field, and service based upon condition and a Range grade, which are guns that have been modified with aftermarket parts for use as match pistols, or for use with special units, or for some other purposes.
Prices range between $1050 and $1250 depending on grade. You initially could only get one 1911 through CMP ever, but they recently opened it up to allow folks to apply again and get a second one if they want.
You can apply to purchase one of these pistols through the CMP’s sales program by filling out some paperwork and meeting some basic criteria like being a veteran, a police officer or belonging to a number of collectors clubs. CMP explains everything you need and it’s not hard to do.
CMP opens up rounds of sales periodically and gives a window for you to apply. They’re currently in Round 4 of 1911 sales currently and this round is closed, but if you’re interested, you can sign up for email from CMP to know when Round 5 opens up.
If you can get a real GI-issue 1911, why would you want a replica?
There are two, maybe three answers to that question. First, not everyone who wants a 1911 like they (or maybe their dad or grandad) used in the service has $1000 or more to spend on one. I get it. I missed Rounds 1 and 2 because I didn’t have the cash at the time either. It’s a lot of money for many of us, but it’s still a lot cheaper than what you typically see U.S.-issue 1911’s going for on the secondary market. Even guns that guys have gotten from CMP and then decided to sell can double their money or more, depending on what they got.
When you buy from CMP, you pick a grade, and there’s still some luck of the draw with what you get. Some guns are nicer than others and sometimes you get a jewel, or something rare. I was lucky enough to get in on rounds 3 and 4 and I intend to keep my guns, but not everyone feels the same.
A second reason is that some guys don’t feel that the guns are worth it. Considering what the secondary market is, that seems like an odd argument to me. Even if you didn’t double your money, you’re still unlikely to find a GI-issue 1911 selling for less than what you pay for a CMP gun these days.
I’m sure there are always exceptions where someone got a deal, but that isn’t the typical case. Look online or at your local shops of gun shows and see what they’re running. Still, a lot of guys thought these should have been much cheaper since they’re government surplus. Heck, if the government only paid $24 for them back in the 1940’s then they should only be worth about $15 now right? They’re all used and abused! At least that seems to be the theory some folks subscribed to. The same folks also insisted that all of the guns would be whooped and in terrible condition. Well, all of the guns I’ve seen on the various CMP groups have definitely been serviceable and some are down right minty. As to the value, I think I already hit on that. Still, if you personally don’t think it’s worth it, then it isn’t worth it yo you; but you may still want an affordable pistol to use.
That leads us to the third reason: having a 1911 you don;t mind shooting. Personally, I don’t believe in safe queens and I have and will shoot the CMP 1911’s that I have. It’s worth keeping in mind though that they are 80 year old guns though and maybe they shouldn’t be used too hard. Some folks won’t want to shoot them at all. If you have an original you want to put up as a collectible, or want to keep on light duty, then a new replica that you can blast away with might be worth having. Even though I will shoot mine, I’m still leaning towards getting one of the CMP Tisas guns for general knock around use. So let’s see what Tisas and CMP have to offer.
The Tisas USA CMP 1911A1
The idea of a new production 1911 being offered through CMP for folks who couldn’t afford, or wouldn’t pay for, a surplus one, and for folks to use as a user while they babied their original came about through a collaboration with Tisas and the CMP. Tisas approached the CMP about the idea, and over the past year they’ve worked together to finalize a pistol that CMP was wiling to put their stamp on, literally, for the public.
The Tisas guns are made in Turkey from forgings, and have gotten a very good reputation for quality, reliability, and value in recent years. While they had a “GI” variant in their line already, they sat down with CMP to get the details right for a WW 2 production gun. While they still aren’t a 100% clone, they’re based very closely on a wartime Remington Rand pistol, and use the WW 2 style hammer, slide release, and other parts including the lanyard ring. The slide itself and ejection port are also the correct style for a WW 2 gun. The Tisas rep I spoke with said there is some similarity to the Ithaca manufactured guns with some parts as well. The finish is a correct phosphate finish. The prototype at the CMP booth at the show had a nice set of wood grips on it, but I won’t be surprised if the final version has GI style brown plastic grips.
Although I have two Remington Rands from CMP now, and actually was in the Army at the tale end of the 1911’s tenure, I’m no expert on the minutiae of the parts. The final version looks darn good though, and is as close as you’re likely to get to issue without just buying an original in the first place. The CMP/Tisas 1911A1 should be available within the year and while prices aren’t finalized yet they should be in the ballpark of $500; considerably less than even the Rack Grade GI guns, and you’re getting a completely new, warrantied gun that you won’t hesitate to shoot.