CMP UNVEILS NEW CUSTOM SHOP FOR USGI FIREARMS IN ANNISTON

By Steve Cooper, CMP Marketing Manager

 ANNISTON, AL – Over the years, many Civilian Marksmanship Program firearms purchasers have asked if the CMP would consider offering reliable, reasonably-priced and prompt maintenance, repair and upgrade of USGI-issue rifles. The CMP has responded and the answer is “YES” we will.

The CMP Custom Shop is outfitted with a vast array of gunsmithing equipment to handle a wide variety of services, from normal maintenance to re-barreling, accurizing and more.  The shop is located near the CMP’s operations headquarters in Anniston, Alabama.

Effective October 1, 2013, the CMP Custom Shop will open for business, providing a wide variety of repair, upgrade and custom services for a wide range of U.S. Military rifles, specifically those issued in early eras.

The CMP Custom Shop will be able to perform virtually any normal upgrading, accurizing, customizing and refinishing (not to mention regular repairs and troubleshooting) to the types of rifles that we are currently selling or have sold in the recent past.

CMP will specialize in working on the M1 Garand, M1 Carbine, 1903 and 1903A3 Springfield, the 1917 Enfield and the Krag. Other rifles like the Remington 40X, Mossberg 44 and H&R Model 12 can also be serviced if needed. CMP will NOT be working on shotguns, pistols, revolvers, M14/M1A, AR15 style rifles or other commercially-produced modern rifles.

The CMP Custom Shop can work on rifles that may have been purchased elsewhere as long as they were made by a USGI contractor. Some examples include:  Springfield Armory (not Springfield Inc.), Harrington & Richardson, Winchester, International Harvester, Remington, Rock Island, Eddystone, Inland, Underwood, Rock-Ola, Quality Hardware, National Postal meter, Standard Products, IBM, Irwin-Pederson and Saginaw.

There are many NON-USGI copies of the M1 Garand, 1903 Springfield and especially the M1 Carbine that CMP will be unable to work on.

Those wishing to use the CMP Custom Shop must be a customer on file in the CMP system in order for the CMP to receive and work on their rifles. Customers must meet the same eligibility requirements as for rifle purchases from the CMP.

John McLean, CMP Custom Shop Manager, works on an M1917 U.S. Enfield rifle while on the road at the 2013 CMP Games – Oklahoma.  McLean and his assistant gunsmith, Chris Hord, will provide CMP customers with a variety of services on a range of vintage U.S.G.I. military rifles.

To begin the process of returning a rifle to the CMP Custom Shop, customers must complete the “CMP Custom Shop Request Form” and print a copy. Customers must then contact the CMP Custom Shop Clerk to provide details of their shipment and request form. Once the clerk has recorded the request, you will be provided with a Return Authorization #. The Return Authorization # must be located on the top of the CMP Custom Shop Request Form and on the outside of the shipping box so CMP can verify the shipment when it arrives.

After filling out the form completely, make sure a copy is placed in the box/case with the rifle so CMP will know who it’s from and what modifications are requested. Customers must also fill out a CMP Order Form and include the completed forms in their shipment.

Customers are responsible for shipping expenses when sending items to CMP. Standard CMP shipping charges apply for the shipping of the rifle or other items back to the customer. The current rifle shipping rate is $24.95. The shipping charge for barrels, receivers or parts is $9.95. If you would like to request a shipping label to send your items to the CMP, please make your request when talking to the CMP Custom Shop Clerk and you will be charged $29.95 for the shipping label.

The CMP Custom Shop shipping address is not the same as the regular CMP shipping address. Correspondence and items for the CMP Custom Shop must be shipped to:
                                    CMP Custom Shop
                                    1803 Coleman Rd
                                    Anniston, AL 36207

If a customer wishes to purchase a rifle from the CMP and have the CMP Custom Shop make modifications to it prior to shipping, that can be done by adding the desired work and part NLU numbers to the order form page 3A along with the rifle desired.

Customers should expect the CMP Custom Shop to continue the CMP traditions we are known for: customer service, quality and reasonable turnaround for most work.

For a list of services, their item numbers and prices for that work, visit the CMP Custom Shop web page at http://www.thecmp.org/sales/customshop.htm. If you want more information about CMP Custom Shop, please contact the Custom Shop at customshop@thecmp.org or call (256) 835-8455, ext. 1113.