Biweekly Gun Shots 9 - Kimber Model 82 .22LR

If any of you know got to shoot with me you would soon realize, if you have not figured it already, that I have an affinity for firearms chambered in .22LR. I don't know if its because they were the first firearms I ever shot, or because of the great variety of them, or because you can shoot em all day without hurting either your budget or your shoulder, or simply because they are lots of fun. I do know I like em, and I am always on the lookout for another good bargain when it comes to them.

One really good bargain on a surplus rifle in .22LR can be had over at the CMP. CMP stands for Civilian Marksmanship Program. Let me use there own words from their About Us page to describe them:

The CMP was created by the U.S. Congress. The original purpose was to provide civilians an opportunity to learn and practice marksmanship skills so they would be skilled marksmen if later called on to serve the U.S. military. Over the years the emphasis of the program shifted to focus on youth development through marksmanship. From 1916 until 1996 the CMP was administered by the U.S. Army. The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1996 (TITLE XVI) created the Corporation for the Promotion of Rifle Practice & Firearms Safety, Inc. (CPRPFS) to take over administration and promotion of the CMP. The CPRPFS is a tax exempt not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization that derives its mission from public law.

Now let me tell you they have some good deals on surplus rifles, although good deal does not necessarily mean inexpensive. One of the rifles they have up for sale is the Kimber Model 82 in .22LR. It looks like a fine rifle at that, and they are virtually new. What I mean by virtually new is that they have been in storage for quite sometime, and are taken out now and again for inspection or cleaning, but are all unfired. The Kimber is a bolt action, single shot, target rifle. It comes equipped with an adjustable trigger, 3 butt plate spacers, a hand stop assembly, front sight, and a Kimber rear aperture sight with inserts. It has a hefty weight of 10.75 lbs and overall length of 43 inches. The price is $600 plus $29.95 for shipping per rifle.

My guess is that the price is a good one. I'd probably get one myself if the budget was a bit better, and if I didn't have about 20 other gun purchases in mind right now. Yes, I will be playing the Mega Millions tonight, who knows! Seriously though, the price is a fair one for this rifle, especially in as new condition. I bought a Mossberg Model 44 from the CMP some years back, and that is a tack driver. It was not in new condition when I purchased it, all of the Mossberg M44s offered by the CMP were well used and very old but well worth their price. If I had a mind to sell it, I could easily triple what I paid for the Mossberg; while I doubt the same would be true of the Kimber, my bet is it is worth more than the CMP selling price. By the way, they again have Mossbergs for sale too, they are only $175 each plus shipping. I highly recommend them even though they may require some parts replacements.

All the best,
Glenn B