CMP Field Grade M1 Range Report

[Guy B. Meredith]

Well, it looks like my second USGI SA Field Grade M1 is a shooter. Also I appear to be making progress in becoming a bit more of a rifleman.

Most obvious lesson of the day is to use long distance glasses rather than the computer distance glasses I use for revolver shooting. Concentrating on the front sight and letting the target blur may be alright for revolver, but at 100 yds the bullseye is so blurred for me that it looks like a gray smudge.

This rifle that I received from CMP last month is a Feb 1943 manufacture with many post war parts including the 1951 barrel. All ammo is delinked Lake City from CMP. This 1 11/16 in group was the best of the day, though there were a couple of other sub 2 inch groups contained in longer strings with what might have been flyers or what may have been me so they are suspect.

Within the next hour the groups degenerated to between 3 in 3 1/2 in so the next move is to float the barrel and eliminate tight fits on the handguards to see whether that makes a difference.

The first Field Grade was a November 1943 manufacture with a 1945 (?) barrel and doesn't seem to be doing much better than 4 inch groups--maybe that'll improve as I do.

All in all, very pleased with this $425 purchase.

 

[iamkris]

Definitely a keeper!!

 

[HorseSoldier]

Congratulations on the rifle and thank you for posting the range report -- CMP South does not have any service grades in stock, and so I've been thinking about a field grade also. Any info on them is great.

On the grouping with the rifle, I have to ask if linked 30-06 ammo is built to looser tolerances than ball ammo. That's what's done with 7.62mm M80 linked ball today, to get a better beaten zone and dispersion with burst firing. Seems like it was shooting tight groups, but you might want to run some non-MG ammo through it before getting it smithed and such.

 

[Dave P]

Good shooting! - but it sounds like you still need to work on the glasses - having the bull a bit fuzzy is fine. Fnrt sight needs to be in focus.

Dave

 

[Guy B. Meredith]

HorseSoldier,

The CMP rifles are a mixed bunch. Both my rifles are field grade, the one is probably not going to do much better than 4 " groups, the more recent one is obviously different. Some people are findig real treasures among the woodless and Rack Grades, even. Like they say it is "the luck of the draw" of the daily offerings at Anniston and mail order.

I don't know whether you have heard from other CMP store shoppers, but apparently the staff will bring rifles out of the "back room" to help you find a rifle you want.

My try some of the non LC ammo from CMP to see whether the delinked ammo is more prone to wider groups.


Dave P,

I agree. With these glasses the front sight is so-so. The apeture sight system makes that easier to deal with than does the post and notch revolver sights I am familiar with.