Here are a few messages posted to an email group I'm on.
I "signed" that petition, too, but I suspect these guys are correct, and it's a non-issue.
(Names of authors and group, etc., deleted to preseve their privacvy.)
> Read the article with a critical eye and you'll find that this whole
> campaign is half-baked. CMP is no longer a military program, it's a
> corporation and it's profits stay in house to promote shooting
> sports.
> I'm not sure how the CMP acquires rifles, but I expect that they don't
> BUY them from the military, but rather receive obsolete equipment for
> disposition.
> So how does the money get to the government? It doesn't. So
> discussions about opening up a revenue stream are garbage. Additionally, the
> idea of the government passing M14's (no matter what their modifications) is
> going to enrage the Feinsteins and Schumers and they will put the measure
> through incredible hurdles before it can actually go through. So before the
> thing even passes, millions upon millions of dollars will have been spent to
> legislate and litigate the program, test to ensure that modified rifles
> cannot be quickly restored to full-auto capability, etc. Frankly, the
> idea of such a project returning much of any revenue to the Federal coffers
> is laughable.
>
> I'd love to see surplus M14's released to civilian shooters rather than
> wasted, but trying to justify it this way does NOT improve our (gun
> owners) credibility as responsible, intelligent, and honest people. This
> proposal is irresponsibly researched, poorly thought out, and intellectually
> dishonest. In fact, it is blatantly political, and thus utterly discountable.
>
> Sorry to be so critical of this, but supporting garbage does us no good
> as a group.
>
Reply:
> This "petition" originated about ten years ago, pre-CMP. Fred's would
> send out the "campaign" with your shipping documents when you purchased
> from them.
>
> The CMP does not pay for their rifles pre se, but they do pay a hefty
> "handling charge." The monies are used to support marksmanship of many
> kinds, & gun ownership thereby.
>
> Few M14s remain in inventory. Besides the destruction program initiated
> by the Clinton administration, the Gov't has given tens of thousands of
> M14s to our allies such as Lithuania and Kosovo. There is a looming
> shortage of M14s for the new roles envisioned for 7.62-MM rifles, which
> is why new 7.62-MM rifles will be under development.
(Later post by same author; many of you would recognize his name...)
>This is an inadvertent hoax. The "petition," as I earlier averred,
>dates from the early- to mid-'90's, when the Clinton Administration
>didn't see a gun it didn't want to shred. The premise is ten or more
>years out of date.
>
>The guy that was in charge of the shredder is a friend of mine.
>
>The guy searching the world for M14s for Special Operations is also a
>friend of mine.
>
>Thus, I'm confident in my facts.
>
>Trust me, no M14s are being destroyed by our Gov't save by wear & tear &
>wastage in combat in Afghanistan and Iraq. Believe me, when I say there
>is no chance in H*ll that the few that remain in US inventory will be
>released to *anyone*.
