During the National Matches competitors from all across the country flood the CMP North store in search of M1 Garand rifles and other CMP memorabilia before they make their journey home. But it is not only the summer that attracts crowds to Camp Perry, throughout the year the CMP store averages over 200 customers a week. Of those visitors, over half live outside the State of Ohio.
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| Denny Wegner and Bill Livingston traveled all the way from Anchorage, Alaska to spend three days at the CMP North Store. Both are avid collectors of M1 Garand Rifles.
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Bill Livingston and Denny Wegner traveled all the way from Anchorage, Alaska to spend three days at Camp Perry. The pair flew into Chicago from Anchorage, and drove the rest of the trek. “We shoot every rifle we buy,” said Wegner who is a member of the Alaska Rifle Club and enjoys shooting recreationally. He began his collection in 1996 with the purchase of his first M1 Garand. Livingston has also enjoyed shooting at the Alaska Rifle Club since he purchased a 1903 Springfield nearly five years ago. Now his hobby has extended to restoring M1 Garands and he found several at the store that were perfect for restoration projects.
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| Bill and Kathy Thrush travel from
Lansing, Michigan on a regular basis to Camp Perry to browse though the selection at the North Store.
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Jim and Kathy Thrush of Lansing, Michigan make the three-hour trip to Camp Perry on a regular basis. They made two trips in the month of January alone to browse through the store’s selection. “It makes for a nice day trip,” said Mrs. Thrush who plans to return to Camp Perry several more times this year.
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| The CMP North Store, located at Camp Perry, OH, attracts over 200 customers each week.
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This is the case for the majority of store visitors from both in and out-of-state, though occasionally visitors are drawn in from locations that require more than just a couple of hours in a car. It was a trip well worth it for Livingston and Wegner, who enjoyed the opportunity to pick out their rifles first hand. “I have wanted to make the trip for a while now. I look through the rifles on-line, but it is not the same as getting to look at them in person,” said Livingston.
The CMP North Store is located off of Route 2 at the Camp Perry Training Site, west of Port Clinton, OH. Store hours are Tuesday-Saturday 8:30-4:00. For more information contact the store at (419)635-2141 ext. 1505, or visit the store website at http://www.odcmp.com/Store.htm.
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