CMP Garand. What do you think?

[daniel craig]

On another forum I saw a post by a gentleman who got an M1 Garand through the CMP. He got it in .308 as opposed to 30-06.

I never heard of one in 308 but apparently he got it in that chambering due to cost and ease of getting ammo.


I'm intrigued by a 30cal semi auto rifle and the CMP seems to be a good way to get one.

Has anyone here gotten one? What was your experience like? I have no special affinity to the Garand so for me it would be for hunting, shooting and basically all around shooting.

 

[wombat13]

I got a CMP garand, probably about 15 years ago. I have no idea whether they are currently available through CMP. It is probably my favorite rifle to shoot. I have hunted with it, but you should know that you would be intentionally handicapping yourself. You hunt similar conditions as I do. The peep sight tends to get clogged with water and snow. It also reduces the amount of light reaching your eye. I took a buck with mine just at dawn several years ago. The buck was only about 20 yards away and I almost lost my opportunity. I could see the buck clearly and had no qualms about taking a shot, until I looked through the peep. I just couldn't tell what I was looking at through the sight. I had to repeatedly lift my head to make sure I was aiming at the buck. Finally he noticed me just as I was confident in my shot and fired. I ended up hitting in the liver, either because of my aim or he spooked and started to run before I fired. I did recover the buck. I'd like to take the garand hunting again, but only in nice weather and under either of the following conditions: I've already had a good hunting season and I would feel no disappointment letting a buck walk that I could have taken with a scoped rifle or I finally buy an Ultimak rail and long-eye-relief scope for it.

 

[daniel craig]

I got a CMP garand, probably about 15 years ago. I have no idea whether they are currently available through CMP. It is probably my favorite rifle to shoot. I have hunted with it, but you should know that you would be intentionally handicapping yourself. You hunt similar conditions as I do. The peep sight tends to get clogged with water and snow. It also reduces the amount of light reaching your eye. I took a buck with mine just at dawn several years ago. The buck was only about 20 yards away and I almost lost my opportunity. I could see the buck clearly and had no qualms about taking a shot, until I looked through the peep. I just couldn't tell what I was looking at through the sight. I had to repeatedly lift my head to make sure I was aiming at the buck. Finally he noticed me just as I was confident in my shot and fired. I ended up hitting in the liver, either because of my aim or he spooked and started to run before I fired. I did recover the buck. I'd like to take the garand hunting again, but only in nice weather and under either of the following conditions: I've already had a good hunting season and I would feel no disappointment letting a buck walk that I could have taken with a scoped rifle or I finally buy an Ultimak rail and long-eye-relief scope for it.

Thank you very much for that, it's important to keep small things like this in mind.

 

[Corpral_Agarn]

On another forum I saw a post by a gentleman who got an M1 Garand through the CMP. He got it in .308 as opposed to 30-06.

I never heard of one in 308 but apparently he got it in that chambering due to cost and ease of getting ammo.


I'm intrigued by a 30cal semi auto rifle and the CMP seems to be a good way to get one.

Has anyone here gotten one? What was your experience like? I have no special affinity to the Garand so for me it would be for hunting, shooting and basically all around shooting.

Love my 308 Garand from the CMP.

I try to get it to a match at least once a year.

You will not be disappointed.

My last M1 Garand Match (it's time for another attempt, I think):

 

[Heir Kommt Die Sonne]

I also want a .308 Garand. The question is How do you become part of the CMP?

 

[Reloadron]

I also want a .308 Garand. The question is How do you become part of the CMP?

You start with:
CMP PURCHASE ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

Really not that difficult. Once you meet the eligibility you look at rifles available and buy the rifle of your choice from what is available.

On another forum I saw a post by a gentleman who got an M1 Garand through the CMP. He got it in .308 as opposed to 30-06.
I never heard of one in 308 but apparently he got it in that chambering due to cost and ease of getting ammo.
I'm intrigued by a 30cal semi auto rifle and the CMP seems to be a good way to get one.
Has anyone here gotten one? What was your experience like? I have no special affinity to the Garand so for me it would be for hunting, shooting and basically all around shooting.

M1 Garands chambered in .308 Winchester go back a long way and have an interesting history behind them. The .308 (7.62 NATO) chambering is quite common. Here are a few examples of a Garand 30-06 Barrel and a Garand .308 Win Barrel. The latter .308 Win barrel has a full contour.


While not suited for GI Match I actually chambered a Garand in 7mm-08 Remington back in '95.


The .308 chambering is about everyone's darling M1 Garand. The nice feature of a CMP Garand is you are getting a rifle of good quality ready to shoot and for those unfamiliar with the Garand buying one at a gun show from an unknown seller is a crap shoot.

Ron

 

[Dave DeLaurant]

I also want a .308 Garand. The question is How do you become part of the CMP?

Send $25 to the Garand Collectors Assn. -- they'll notify CMP if you check the box:

https://thegca.org/membership/

CMP Custom Shop installed and tested the brand new 7.62x51 Criterion barrel on my privately-purchased Blue Sky M1 -- probably the best deal going if there isn't a .308 in stock there.

 

[GBExpat]

... I'm intrigued by a 30cal semi auto rifle and the CMP seems to be a good way to get one.

Has anyone here gotten one? What was your experience like? ...

During a 13 month period (mid-Apr'04 to mid-May'05) I purchased 15 M1s from the CMP. I still have them all.

Here is a quikpic (not very good, sorry) that I took of some of them while I was doing some mass cleaning/maintenance a dozen, or so, years ago:



.30'06/M2Ball is a powerful round. After you send one downrange from an M1 for the 1st time, you may pause to wonder at how mild the recoil is. I did.

I enjoy shooting the M1s very much. Carrying one on walkabout around the farm is a bit of a chore (relatively heavy, dontchaknow) but it improves my fitness.

I have never fired an M1 setup for any other cartridge. For semi-auto .308/7.62x51 I have FAL & CETME Variants to shoot.

As far as customer service, IMO & IME, it doesn't get any better than the CMP. I like the grading they provide and if they inadvertantly OOPS, they are stand-up in their approach to fair resolution.

 

[rabid wombat]

I had the CMP Custom Shop do some work for me - absolutely top shelf. Though the paperwork is a bit of a chore, the CMP is wonderful to work with all around. Great places to visit, too.

https://thecmp.org/cmp_sales/custom-gunsmithing/

 

[Heir Kommt Die Sonne]

I want this in my house.

 

[Ignition Override]

Some private sellers will lie, distort or omit info about Garands. Some of it I have heard in person.It can be very crafty and subtle . $$…..$$$. Some will pretend not to know something.

A very savvy gun collector friend has heard everything. You might be quite familiar with the cons.

Only the CMP can be trusted (just my opinion), regarding Garands, and they measure/give you the numbers on throat and muzzle wear.

I bought a Service Grade Special about ten years ago inside the store in Anniston.

 

[cfullgraf]

For interest, around 1960 or so, the Navy wanted to center on one cartridge for their main rifles. To match their new M-14's, they had Garands converted to 308 Win., first by installing an insert in the 30-06 chamber, then later by re-barreling the rifles.

It was found the inserts would extract themselves at inopportune times.

Included in the re-chambering was an insert installed at the front of the magazine that discouraged loading a clip full of 30-06 ammunition.

It has been a long time since I last looked at what CMP was carrying but they are the best source for Garands, price and quality wise. Like GBExpat, I was active buying CMP Garands in the mid-2000's

I'm sure some arsenal rebuild 308 Win Garands show up once in a while but probably more frequently available are the CMP rebuilds. The CMP Specials are rebarreled, re-parkerized, and re-stocked. They are about as new an M1 Garand that can be had these days short of some of the Garand specialists rebuilds. They were available in 30-06 and 308 Win. but as I said, I'm not sure how flush the CMP is with inventory these days. Wait times might be intense these days. It has been for a while. CMP Garands are probably the best priced for their condition.

 

[Riomouse911]

My CMP Garand was delivered to me in the late 1990’s. The original stock was battered pretty good but the metal and bore were nice. I restocked it with a Boyd’s reproduction and haven’t looked back.

I did the same stock replacement trick with my M1 Carbine. That was originally a CMP purchase by a deputy friend who carried it as a trunk gun in the mountains for many years. (The wood looked like he used it to dig the cruiser out of a few snowbanks over the years.) A click on the Boyd’s site rescued this rifle, too.

CMP rifles are really cool, if you can get one of their Garands go for it. You won’t be disappointed .

Stay safe.

 

[Hesa Hard1]

On another forum I saw a post by a gentleman who got an M1 Garand through the CMP. He got it in .308 as opposed to 30-06. I never heard of one in 308 but apparently he got it in that chambering due to cost and ease of getting ammo.

It's nothing new ... In the past, CMP did intermittently offer .308 Garands. I got one in 2014 or so, built on an HRA receiver. They've also built .308 M1s using S.A. receivers. This was back when such spare receivers were still plentiful in CMP's inventory.

Mine's been a great shooter, more accurate generally than my '06 M1s.

 

[Risky buisness]

Having both a 308 and the usual 3006 Garand rifles has been the ultimate military rifle blast i could imagine. Membership with most State firearm groups had a CMP affiliation, the Garand collectors association will qualify you, the Appleseed project will as well. So their's a number of methods to be eligible. The CMP is absolutely a great organization and the absolute best way to obtain a Garand rifle, they ensure that the specimen you get is serviceable and safe. With the custom things they do, the 308 rifle is no problem. My 7.62x51 is a Navy match rifle and a real jewel, perfect condition and elegant. My ,06 is a correct grade and virtually unfired when i got it. Not sure it all the grades still exist, but with new wood, new bbl your set.
I see where a poster mentions plugging up the rear sight, ive had scope sighted rifles fill up with snow as well, it usually comes down to managment issues and not necessarily a design flaw so dont let that deter your jump into a really cool rifle.

 

[Pat Riot]

I have not purchased through CMP, but did join the Garand Collectors Association to fulfill the requirements of the CMP for purchasing firearms. I thought I wanted a surplus 1911, but decided not to buy one. Long story, not pertinent here.

Anyway, I did buy a Garand in 1990 that was a Korean “Lend / Lease” gun. I had a bunch of work done to my boat oar Garand and came away with a wonderful rifle chambered in .308. I switched from 30.06 to .308 in the later 90’s because 30.06 for Garands was getting harder to find and mil-surplus .308 was going for 15 cents a round if you bought a case…until I switched my barrel and had some other work done then .308 popped up to 40 cents a round.
Oh well…
I really like, no, love my Garand. I gave it to my daughter when she turned 18. She gave it back to me for Father’s Day in 2020.

@daniel craig I truly believe that you will love having a Garand. It’s a piece of history and a nostalgic reminder of the past when many countries came together to defeat enemies that threatened everyone in the world.
They are fun to shoot and they definitely garner attention at any range you fire it at.
I would venture to say that if you buy one you will probably never part with it.

 

[GooseGestapo]

Last time I checked the CMP forum, they were offering the rebuilds called CMP SPECIALS in .308. At present a Special has a rebuilt/refurbished receiver and triggers, op rods, ect and a Criterion barrel and Boyd’s stock.
Think; a brand new M1 in .308 for ~$1,200.00. Carries a warranty and customer service.
I have a Special circa 2018 in .30/06. It’s under 2MOA AND a joy to shoot!

You haven’t lived until you have shot the rapid fire from 200yds in a Garand match with 50 shooters on the line! They call it the “BATTLE RATTLE”!!!
It’s something like a civil war cannon re-enactment barrage. Only it’s live ammo!!!
And YOU get to shoot!

 

[wombat13]

I see where a poster mentions plugging up the rear sight, ive had scope sighted rifles fill up with snow as well, it usually comes down to managment issues and not necessarily a design flaw so dont let that deter your jump into a really cool rifle.

I certainly didn’t mean to discourage the OP from buying a Garand from CMP. It is my favorite rifle to shoot and would be the second to last rifle I would sell ( the last would be the rifle my wife gave me). Just wanted to make sure the OP knows that it is not the best option if what he really wants is a hunting rifle. It can fill that role, but it has limitations. That said I will likely take it hunting again, but only under certain conditions as I previously wrote.

 

[FL-NC]

I have 2 Garands from the CMP. They are the best deal you will get on one. Most of those you see at gun shows likely came from the CMP, with the new sellers looking to flip for profit.

 

[bernie]

I am a Garand guy. I have more than one. While I have killed many deer, except for one occasion they have all been killed with muzzle loaders, bows, or hand guns. The only rifle that I have ever killed with a rifle I killed with a stock M-1 Rifle. A stock M-1 however, is a tough item to hunt with because of the peep sight arrangement being difficult to use in low light. If you get an M-1, either a .30-06 or a .308 will serve you well. I would not hesitate to get an M-1 for hunting, though. You can get scout scope mounts to put an optic forward of the receiver and they work fine. I actually have a Mini-G in .308 (similar to a tanker, but much, much higher quality) that I recently put a red dot optic on. If I do a rifle hunt next year, it is a top candidate for the trip.

 

[rabid wombat]

One point not yet mentioned - be careful of the ammo you feed the M-1. It is my understanding that the pressure curve is important, and that a lot of rounds do not follow the curve. I have only shot ammo I got from CMP in mine (Greek surplus ball - not what I would hunt with). Others more knowledgeable will need to chime in.

 

[bassjam]

I don't know if it was my Garand OP saw or not, I posted a pic in the "first and last" thread yesterday. I just submitted my paperwork the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. I forgot to notarize the form, they contacted me and once I mailed back in that sheet my 308 garand arrived on Dec 28th, so it was exactly a 1 month turnaround and likely would have been less if I had filled out the form correctly the first time. I've been jonesing for a Garand for a while and missed the last opportunity in spring of 2021 when they had Service grades for $750. You'd end up paying $1000 or more from the same gun locally, like others have said a CMP gun is a good deal and you know exactly what you're buying.

Anyway when I saw they had them in 308 this past fall, refinished with a new barrel, I immediately jumped on them. I already have a 308 rifle so I already stock the ammo, and there's no controversy over if modern 308 ammo will damage a Garand like there is with 30-06 ammo. These were $1000 but the extra price for a refinished gun converted to 308 was worth it to me, I want a shooter more than a "collector" gun. They still have Expert grades in 308 and 30-06 in stock as of right now.

https://thecmp.org/sales-and-service/m1-garand/

 

[GBExpat]

Ni-i-i-i-i-ce CMP case!

My last CMP firearms purchases were in Summer'07 (a pair of the Inland M1 Carbines when they were first offered) and they still shipped in corrugated cardboard boxes.

I have read about the "new" cases but had never seen one. Thanks for the pic ... sweet-looking rifle, too.

 

[cfullgraf]

Yes, that case is nicer than the egg crate plastic cases I got in the mid to late 2000's. Infinitely better than the cardboard egg crate cases before that.

It is nice to hear the delivery times are reasonable these days.

Yup, the CMP Specials are nice rifles.

 

[Reloadron]

One point not yet mentioned - be careful of the ammo you feed the M-1. It is my understanding that the pressure curve is important, and that a lot of rounds do not follow the curve. I have only shot ammo I got from CMP in mine (Greek surplus ball - not what I would hunt with). Others more knowledgeable will need to chime in.

On the subject of what many refer to as Garand Safe ammunition. There is plenty of suitable Garand safe commercial ammunition available. Winchester "white box" in both 30-06 Springfield as well as Remington UMC stuff.There was also some Seller & Bellot 30-06 available with a 150 grain FMJ bullet PN UN0012 but I haven't seen it for a few years. My own personal view and opinion is you can get the very best ammunition in 30-06 or .308 by rolling your own. The Hornady 9th Edition loading manual has a section devoted to Service Rifle Loads. Here is a compilation of suggested load data. I also suggest using primers like the CCI #34 a less sensitive primer designed around free floating firing pins as found in the M1 Garand and other rifles.

So buy commercial or roll your own, just use ammunition built around the rifle.

Ron