CMP Garand Purchase

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17Chap

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I'd appreciate some help from anyone who has experience with this or can point me to a site to research.

I'm planning to purchase an M1 from the CMP before now and Christmas. I will probably go for a field grade. I want a shooter not a collector and I won't be doing any serious target shooting, just friendly plinking type stuff.

Is there a preference between SA and HRA?

Am I better off to go to the North store (not too far away) and pick my own, or let them pick one for me via mail order. I'm not an expert but would probably take someone with me who knows more than me if I went to the store.

Thanks for any input. :)

17Chap
 
If you can go to the store and "cherry pick" one, that would be the way to go, for sure. Otherwise, you're just getting a random pick from the pile.

17Chap said:
I'd appreciate some help from anyone who has experience with this or can point me to a site to research.

I'm planning to purchase an M1 from the CMP before now and Christmas. I will probably go for a field grade. I want a shooter not a collector and I won't be doing any serious target shooting, just friendly plinking type stuff.

Is there a preference between SA and HRA?

Am I better off to go to the North store (not too far away) and pick my own, or let them pick one for me via mail order. I'm not an expert but would probably take someone with me who knows more than me if I went to the store.

Thanks for any input. :)

17Chap
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First off, I would spend a little extra and go with the service grade. I bought a SA service grade and am very happy with it. As far as which make to get, I dont think it really matters for your purposes. It seems that any way you go, they are going to be a mix and match of SA and HRA parts anyway. Mine has a HRA stock. I would definetly go and pick one out if you can. The wait can be unbearable for an impatient guy like me. Plus you will get the rifle that you really want. Im sure that someone there would be willing to guide you in the right direction towards a good rifle. if you are more patient than me, do the mail order, its kinda fun to get a rifle from the fed ex guy. you just have to make sure you are there to sign for it, or at least some adult. Good luck with you purchase, CMP is a good bunch of people and good to work with!
 
If you can go, I would go and pick one out personally.

I have a SA Service Grade M1 Garand, a 1903A3 and a M1 Carbine all bought through the CMP and I have no complaints.
 
CMP website is www.odcmp.com so you can do some research on the requirements (affiliated club membership, etc.) ahead of time so you will be ready to go. I got an SA through the mail and have been very happy with it, but I agree would be nice to look at them in person if possible. CMP website also has forums for related discussions that could be helpful on research as well.
 
If you can go to the store and pick out your own by all means do so. I live in No. In. "Elkhart county" and drove to Camp Perry the first of Oct., we have a small ecno car and drove up and back for $30, thats only $5 over shipping course I had a day lost but I'm retired so no sweat. Just be sure you have all your ducks "paper work" in a row and enjoy the drive.
 
Service Grade vs. Field Grade

I wanted a good shooter, and decided to pay the extra $100 for the Service Grade over the Field Grade.

I have heard of people getting a good shooter with a Field Grade, but the chances were a lot better of getting a good shooter witht he Service Grade.

Garand7-small.jpg

Garand3-small.jpg

Garand2-small.jpg

I took it to the range Saturday and got it sighted in. I am really glad I resisted the urge to buy some of the gunshow Garands I had found.
 
Go pick one out in person if you can. The staff can help you select a good one if you tell them you want a nice shooter.

The service grades are usually worthwhile bets.
 
Thanks for all the responses:

TJ, I'm aware of the requirements, but appreciate the reminder.
Finfanatic, great pics. Did you refinish that stock?

Looks like the vote is in and Service grade gets the nod. Anything special I should look for? If I remember correctly they have erosion gauges.

Chap
 
If you can go to the North store, go. They will have a muzzle gauge at the store and they will lend it to you. Take the gauge and go down the line of field grades dropping the gauge into the barrel of each one. Pick the one that gauges the most below a 2 and you will have a shooter. If you can't find one, then go to the service grades and do the same thing. After you pick the rifle take it to the counter and have PeeWee, or whoever is working, gauge it again to confirm you read it right. The gauge can be tricky to get into the bore correctly and can be read wrong. Don't worry about the way they advertise them on the web page, there are 2's and less out there, you just have to find em.
 
I wasn't aware of the sales tax thing. So shipping is included in the cost of the rifle?

Chap
 
I wasn't aware of the sales tax thing. So shipping is included in the cost of the rifle?
Click to expand...

If you go to the CMP North Store in person, buy a rifle, and carry it home... you must pay Ohio's sales tax.

If you mail order or pick out a rifle in person then have it shipped, you only pay the shipping charge... no sales tax.

Shipping charge is like $23 +/-.

Ohio Sales tax is like 7% (?? OH residents feel free to correct this.). That's $42 (+/-) on a Service Grade.

Best,
Swampy

Garands forever
 
If you can go to the N. Store, I'd look real carefully through the field grades. There are some gems in there, although you might want to replace the stocks.

If you can't make it, I'd go for the Service Grade.
 
If you can go to the N. Store, I'd look real carefully through the field grades. There are some gems in there, although you might want to replace the stocks

You can find a nice FG at the North Store if you pick it out. I got a real mixmaster with SA WWII SN, Beretta oprod and trigger group, VAR barrel that gauged 2 at each end, and all walnut wood. The wood isn't perfect but servicable.

It's my best shooting M1. I've never been disappointed by the SGs I mail ordered.

The only diffrence between the SA and HRA is that the HRAs are all late manufacture and have seen less use and have all the improvements. There are late SAs but all the HRAs were made toward the end of production.
 
definitely go service grade. You can request a new stock and they'll probably provide you one.

HRA vs late SA... probably not much difference. Get one of both. ;)
 
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