Civilian Marksmanship Program: Corporation Needs to Fully Comply With the Law on Sales of Firearms,

Abstract : This report responds to your request regarding the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP), which until 1996 was administered by the Department of the Army. As required by the Fiscal Year 1996 National Defense Authorization Act, the program was to be transitioned from the Army to the private, nonprofit Corporation for the Promotion of Rifle Practice and Firearms Safety, which was established by this law. The program is designed to promote and monitor marksmanship training through a system of affiliated clubs and to sponsor marksmanship competitions. As part of these activities, the Corporation sells certain surplus military firearms to the affiliated clubs and their members. In response to your request, we determined (1) whether the program's conversion to a private corporation and the Corporation's subsequent firearms sales were conducted in accordance with the 1996 act, (2) the types and value of federal support provided to the Corporation, and (3) the types and number of firearms the Army transferred to the Corporation and was storing for potential transfer. In August 1998, we provided information you requested regarding the Army's investigation of alleged criminal activity within the CMP when it was an Army program.