M1 Garand: WHY is it so expensive?

Lots of factors as to why the M1 Garand, M1 Carbine, 1903 Springfield, etc are high priced.

1. They are not being made anymore, so there is a finite number of them.
2. With Mr. Corona and riots and ammo scares, prices on anything that goes bang has sky rocked.
3. Imports of them from other countries who still have them have been more or less halted for the time being.
4. Movies and games depicting this weapon, among many others, have made a younger generation want to have them as well.
Same can be said of the Mauser, Mosin Nagant, Enfield, etc. All have gone up in price in the recent years.

Simple supply and demand. Yes we know how many were made. How many of those survived the wars? Of those, how many were in poor condition and stripped for parts to keep other M1's running? They're still plentiful but not like they were 30 years ago.

Look at what happened to the M1 Carbines. There were actually more of those made than of the rifle. That supply has completely dried up. Carbines now sell for as much or more than rifles. Thirty years ago, you buy a carbine from DCM for a couple hundred bucks. I balked at the price and said "I'll buy one later." Big mistake. A rough condition carbine is now over $1200; I'll never own one now.

The best of the Garands are gone. CMP is now selling rifles with pitted receivers. The guns coming over from the Philippines are pretty rough. Who knows how many (or how few) guns will be made from that batch and in what condition. This makes the good quality rifles, sold by DCM in the pre 90s and by CMP in the mid to late 90s, that much more desirable and, thus, more valuable.

Pop culture (video games and movies) also influence demand, but I'm not sure by how much. Some say the Colt Anacondas skyrocketed in price after that stupid zombie show. Sales of fly fishing gear went up after A River Runs Through It in the 90s, and sales of racing bikes went up after American Flyers in the 80s, but firearms don't have such broad appeal. I doubt there would be much difference in Garand prices with or without Band of Brothers, Call of Duty, etc.

I know people do not want to hear this but, price on anything is only effected by what people who want it will pay. Many remember when the Garrard and the M1 Carbine were something seen everywhere and fairly cheap. Those days are long gone and will not come back. The only way to get them cheap would be mass manufacture. The problem with that is if someone did the sales would tank and then what? Not enough people want one to set up and produce large quantities for years to pay for the cost to tool up and do so.
The Carbine a few have tried. It was a dumpster fire. There are a lot of clones out there that work but, far too many of them do not. People who get one that does not work do not lead to more buying. Again it would be simple to crank out working clones of the Carbine and this would drop the price but, then market would tank. There is just too many things out there that sell in mass.

Alex Clayton said:

...it would be simple to crank out working clones of the Carbine and this would drop the price but, then market would tank...

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I think only the market for clones and reproductions would be tanked by mass production of clones and reproductions; collectors aren't going to buy those. A guy who wants to own a piece of American history is not going to buy a Universal M1 Carbine or any of the newer copies. He is going to buy the real thing. Copies of carbines have been around a long time-at least since the 1960s, yet, genuine M1 Carbines are still selling for over $1200. Colt has recently brought back some of its DA revolvers, but genuine, early model Python's are still in the thousands. I'm fairly certain that this would apply equally well to the M1 rifle.

D.B. Cooper said:

I think only the market for clones and reproductions would be tanked by mass production of clones and reproductions; collectors aren't going to buy those. A guy who wants to own a piece of American history is not going to buy a Universal M1 Carbine or any of the newer copies. He is going to buy the real thing. Copies of carbines have been around a long time-at least since the 1960s, yet, genuine M1 Carbines are still selling for over $1200. Colt has recently brought back some of its DA revolvers, but genuine, early model Python's are still in the thousands. I'm fairly certain that this would apply equally well to the M1 rifle.

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It's the same result. How many people clamoring for a Carbine are collectors? The big draw is people who want one to shoot. Ever watch the auctions for the ones that sell? Few are real "collector" specimens. By far the vast majority are shooters, which is what people want. The problem is there is not enough people who want one to justify setting up to crank them out. Many have no grasp of how long it takes a Co to actually make a profit on something like this. To tool up and start making them is easy but, it's a HUGE investment in cash up front. If you can be sure of a market for a decade down the road you can start cranking them out at a MUCH lower cost. Problem is you have to be able to see that market last that long. Start Cranking out working clones and the market soon is done. People who want one for a shooter are NOT even close to the people who want something like an AR. My first AR cost me about $800 is the early 80's. What is that in today's dollars? When the last panic ended remember what happened to the price of AR's? It will happen again when this panic ends, because they still sell. While a lot of people would love to have an M1 they are a drop in the bucket of the market. For the price to ever come way down there has to be demand that will last for a LONG time. Without that no one is going to be able to tool up and start making them cheap. Mass manufacturing stuff "cheap" works when the public wants to keep buying it. Kahr started making a Clone of the M1. At first it was HIGHLY hoped for. People really wanted one. People were willing to pay good money for one. Only thing that stopped it from really taking off was far too many of them turned out to be a dumpster fire. People paid 1K for a rifle they could not make work. No "collector" was buying these, they wanted a shooter. They also wanted one that worked for that price and that was the problem. Far too many bad ones making it out the door. Apparently the maker just could not keep the quality control up and still make a profit. How hard could it be with today's tech? If we could crank out working guns in the 40's we could surely do it cheaper today and when tried it failed. Sadly. Still kick myself I did not keep one or two of the Carbines I had long ago when they were cheap. Would love to have a shooter now but like most I don't want one bad enough to pay that price for it.

Same story with Lugers. Probably no more common pistol at gun shows, but to every dealer they are "RARE!" You won't find one for under $1000+, and folks just keep paying those high prices. Simple matter of uneducated purchasers keeping an inflated market alive.

Alex Clayton said:

Many remember when the Garrard and the M1 Carbine were something seen everywhere and fairly cheap. Those days are long gone and will not come back. The only way to get them cheap would be mass manufacture.

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Ha ha ha!

Before the 1980s, M1 Garands were rare as hens teeth in the US and commanded a high price when they were seen for sale. Almost all of them in the states were owned by the Government and sold one per lifetime through the DCM. (So if you got one through the DCM, you did not let go of it.) The rest of the existing Garands were trapped overseas, the import laws in force at the time, required that all imported guns must "be generally recognized as particularly suitable for or readily adaptable to sporting purposes." The M1 did not fall into that category, as did the multitudes of M1 Carbines given away as military assistance during the 1950s and 60s . . .

lysanderxiii said:

Almost all of them in the states were owned by the Government and sold one per lifetime through the DCM.

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I remember that...

M1 carbines may be coming back at lower prices. A**&&^% load of them were found and purchased for resale in Ethiopia.

Heir Kommt Die Sonne said:

The M1 Garand is the most artificially inflated surplus rifle. ...

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If sales of the M1s at the current market pricing are stagnant then the prices are too high. If not, not.

Apparently there are, and have been for a long time, many folks "out there" who are happy to pay market prices for these well-designed&crafted rifles. I think that the nostalgia is certainly a major factor in their unflagging popularity.

I have a bunch of them (most of them for the CMP for $295/ea ~15 years ago) and enjoy shooting them very much. The M1 is a rather heavy sucker, though ... but periodically taking one on a farm walkabout does help to keep me in shape.

I have a neat Finn Mosin I got in 2008 for around $100. A few years ago I though I wanted a ramshackle Mosin of any type and figures I could get one for $200. I have yet to see one under $300 since then. Barely missed a Chinese version for $175 last year.

Anyway, I’m not going to be buying one unless I stumble on a rare deal. I can get a Ruger American that will do everything and more for the same price and that is all I would want from it.

lysanderxiii said:

Ha ha ha!

Before the 1980s, M1 Garands were rare as hens teeth in the US and commanded a high price when they were seen for sale. Almost all of them in the states were owned by the Government and sold one per lifetime through the DCM. (So if you got one through the DCM, you did not let go of it.) The rest of the existing Garands were trapped overseas, the import laws in force at the time, required that all imported guns must "be generally recognized as particularly suitable for or readily adaptable to sporting purposes." The M1 did not fall into that category, as did the multitudes of M1 Carbines given away as military assistance during the 1950s and 60s . . .

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You do realize the 80's was a long time ago, right? I don't think we are talking about what they cost in 85
There was a time when they came flooding in for sale and were common. Many of the flood were used as parts by companies to build new rifles for those who wanted one as a shooter. Again it's not the 80's any more and has not been for a long time. So only way to see them at what the OP would consider not "The M1 Garand is the most artificially inflated surplus rifle" would be to see them mass produced again. Unless maybe someone thinks there is a mass supply still to hit the market? Doubt that will happen, and doubt anyone is going to tool up to mass produce them again. So I would also very much doubt we will see the day were they were common at places selling use guns again. Price will stay "artificially inflated" as the OP put it because there is many who want one, and few for sale. Still not quite sure why so many seem to not be able to get their head around how this works <shrug>

D.B. Cooper said:

I doubt there would be much difference in Garand prices with or without Band of Brothers, Call of Duty, etc.

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I watched the street price of Garands seemly double after BoB came out - I think that it definitely had a factor in creating the leading edge of the bubble, even if it didn't sustain it.

earlthegoat2 said:

I have a neat Finn Mosin I got in 2008 for around $100. A few years ago I though I wanted a ramshackle Mosin of any type and figures I could get one for $200. I have yet to see one under $300 since then. Barely missed a Chinese version for $175 last year.

Anyway, I’m not going to be buying one unless I stumble on a rare deal. I can get a Ruger American that will do everything and more for the same price and that is all I would want from it.

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Yep, many I am sure remember the SKS's that flooded the market good while back. One big chain Sporting Goods place here used to have them in their Sunday ads on a regular basis. Less than $200 IIRC. Most still in Cosmoline and great shape once you got the gunk off them. I have not seen those in a very long time now. Not sure what they sell for now but very much doubt they will show up at those prices in that condition. Never really wanted one but often think I should have grabbed a couple just for the hell of it

It appears to me that the OP doesn't have a handle on basic economic principles.

Sistema1927 said:

It appears to me that the OP doesn't have a handle on basic economic principles.

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Or ... maybe sparking a debate about their causation or validity. Kind of like asking your wife if she got her hair done when you know perfectly well she didn't. You're going to get some kind of reaction to relieve the boredom of your day, no?

IMO it's a perfect storm: pretty much all the factors diminishing the left side of the equation are at the same time augmenting the right side.

Thomasss said:

M1 carbines may be coming back at lower prices. A**&&^% load of them were found and purchased for resale in Ethiopia.

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I say no. On Royal Tiger Imports web page, they are going for 900 on up. After that, they will be even higher priced by whomever bought them.

Maybe "gunsmith specials" will be lower, but even the bare receivers are going for $400 on up. Not any time soon will they be going down.

Heir Kommt Die Sonne said:

The M1 Garand is the most artificially inflated surplus rifle. We know exactly how many we've made, is that a factor in it's high price or not? Or is it just American nostalgia alone that is the driving force?
Personally, I think it was Saving Private Ryan that drove the prices up. It was a major American movie that brought a era of WWII fascination in the American public. Look at all the WWII video games that got made after that.
The M1 Garand has such a cult following.

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Your premise is flawed.

The M1 Rifle - is not an "artificially inflated" surplus rifle.

It is, in fact, an outstanding battle rifle that is finally realizing its actual value.


A new manufacture, forger receiver M1 Rifle would set one back $2,200+.

CMP USGI Special Service Grade M1 Rifles - fully re-arsenaled w/ a new Criterion Bbl. - are $1050 delivered.

CMP USGI Service Grade M1 Rifles - arsenal inspected w/ generally > 2/3rds Bbl. life - are $750 delivered.


These, my friend, ARE (still) the "Good Ole Days"...





GR

They are expensive because they are amazing, reliable, powerful, historically interesting, kickass battle rifles and fascinating mechanical puzzles. If you don't want one, you should be stripped of your citizenship.

GBExpat said:

If sales of the M1s at the current market pricing are stagnant then the prices are too high. If not, not.

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You just said, in one sentence, what I tried to say in four paragraphs. Well done.

I don't get comparing an M1 Garand or Carbine to a modern day bolt action or semi-auto (i.e. AR, etc). At least in my mind I'm not buying an M1 Garand or M1 Carbine for self-defense (although they both would work fine); my interest is the fun of owning a piece of history and taking them out to shoot. Looking at them from a utility standpoint is how some may look at them and that's fine, but the utility of the M1 Garand and Carbine is not why they are in such demand; and if you need help figuring that out further, I don't know what to tell you.

The Garard is the least produced of all the major WWII rifles. And it is the American rifle so Americans will prefer it. Less than 6 million Garands were made. Approx 15 million Kar98ks were made. Approx. 37 million Mosin-Nagant rifles were made. Approx. 17 million Lee-Enfields were made.