CMP M1 Garand... do I want it?

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sithanas

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Should I or should I not buy a M1 Garand Service Grade from the CMP? It's only $500 and I'm thinking of picking up that and a case of M2 ball ammo and treating myself to an early birthday present. Do I want it, or should I spend the money for a higher grade of rifle? Or for that matter, should I save some money and buy a rack grade rifle?
 
Yes!

all of the above.

All of the M-1s at CMP are mechanically the same as a service grade. If you don't mind possibly having Winchester parts on your Springfield, just go with the service grade. It'll be a decent shooter.

If you want a better barrel, go with the rack grade and buy one of the criterion barrels in their e-store.

I've done both and am very satisfied.

The Greek ammo can't be beat in price and accuracy for the M-1 IMHO. If you get the case of 768 rds, they come in clips for an extra bonus.
 
How much accuracy difference are we talking about between the rack grade rebarreled and the service grade? And for that matter, how much would it cost me to have the new barrel installed in a rack grade rifle? The raw parts cost for a rack grade rifle + barrel is about equal to the out-the-door price for the service grade rifle.
 
My advice is to get the best grade Garand currently being offered by the CMP. I usually reccomend U.S. Service Grade, but I don't even know if they have any now.

It might be worth a trip to the CMP Store at Camp Perry to pick out a rifle yourself. It's close enough to you to day trip it.

The Service Grades are generally nicer all around. The only reason I reccomend a Rack Grade is if you plan to rebarrel in .308. For informal shooting, the issued barrel on a Service Grade should do you fine. No reason to rebarrel in .30-'06 unless you plan to compete with it.
 
Believe I've read on the CMP forum there's a bit of a wait for service grades but they're well worth the wait.
 
I have an old DCM Garand. How do I go about getting the surplus ammo you guys were talking about??
 
Got my order acknowledgement yesterday and it's posted in the estore. Anyone know how much longer the wait is?

I celebrated by buying a 480 rds of Greek Ammo.
 
IV Troop said:
I have an old DCM Garand. How do I go about getting the surplus ammo you guys were talking about??
Click to expand...

You have to qualify to purchase from the CMP. That means you either have to be a veteran, above 60 or so, or a member of an affiliated shooting club. You also have to prove you've participated in some form of marksmanship activity.

Once you do that, you can order away.
http://www.odcmp.com/
 
I am not certain that you have to qualify for all of the CMP rifle purchase requirements to buy ammo. I would have to check to be sure though.

Go to the Civilian Marksmanship Program website sithanis mentioned. They should have something that explains how to buy ammo. That site is blocked at my work.


I would recommend a service grade though if you don't have one. The only other option would be to get a rack grade and get it refurbished.
 
Thank you for the replies and the information in reference to the ammo. Qualification is not an issue, though that is good information to put out.

I need to feed the old girl, as I have been remiss in not taking her out more.

Good day.
 
If you're only buying one rifle, make it a Service Grade. For $500 you'll get a functional rifle with a decent barrel. It won't be new, it won't have all "matching" parts, but if you're a shooter rather than a collector, it WILL work.

Check out the M1 forum at www.ambackforum.com
 
Every firearm lover or collector needs at least one M1 Garand, two much lore and history. Also having a 30-06 semiauto rifle is special in itself. The CMP is the way to go, that $550 SG from them will go for close to twice that at the gunshows.:)
 
CMP M1 Garand... do I want it?
Click to expand...

Are you Insane? Of course you want it.:neener:

Run, do not walk, to your post office to drop in your order. They are running out fast, especially of service grades -- get it now, while you can.
 
A trip to the North store is the way to go IF you know what you are looking at/for. I made the trip a while back and some of the rifles they had out are fit for parts only. The store did have about 50 service grade rifles in the rack. It took me 3 hours to find 2 rifles I'd buy. I know for fact they would not have shipped many of those rifles to anyone. Stay away from the correct or collector grades if you want a shooter. They maybe correct but the condition of the rifle as a shooter could be worse than a lower grade, less expensive rifle. Order the best grade rifle you can afford or get a receiver and have a rifle built for about what the collector grade rifle sells for now. Most of the rifles being sold now can't begin to match the rifles that were sold just a couple of years ago. I fear the end is near.
 
I advise saving some money and ordering the rack grade. The last Service Grade I got had a worn out barrel that looked more like a sewer pipe than a barrel. Buy yourself a racker, save yourself some money and budget for having a new barrel installed. That's just me though since I don't give a hoot about collectibility. To me a supposedly "correct" rifle with a worn out barrel is useless. I'd rather have a mixmaster with a good barrel that can still shoot.

The only exception to this were the Danish Garands which are no longer avaialble. I got one of these from CMP with a brand new VAR barrel. That was a steal. Most of the USGI rifles sold by CMP may have serviceable barrels but if you get one with a real nice bore I think that is the exception rather than the rule.
 
Stay away from the correct or collector grades if you want a shooter. They maybe correct but the condition of the rifle as a shooter could be worse than a lower grade, less expensive rifle.
Click to expand...

Not true, unless an error was made in grading. All collector grade and correct grade rifles must meet the same requirements mechanically as the service grade.

Now you may not want to purchase one of these if you intend to shoot it, so that you do not reduce its value through the wear and tear of shooting. But it will be functionally equivalent to the Service Grade.

By all means, however, if you can get to the North Store, go yourself and pick it out -- far better than the 'luck of the draw' method.
 
I got an HRA service grade a few months ago and with the exception of a rough buttstock, it is in fabulous shape. Flawless function and is more accurate than I am.
Just last week my HRA correct grade arrived, and while I haven't even cleaned it yet, it is in beautiful condition. A real $900 bargain.
Advise; Get at least one from the CMP while you still can.
SKIP
 
I got my SG back when they had SG Danish Issue... it was right before they ran out. Mine's a Springfield with a serial# dating to December 1943, so it could've been in Normandy and at the Bulge. But, the barrel's dated January 1951 and it's like a mirror. It's a good shootin' rifle. I also agree that it's special in itself to have a .30-06 semiauto rifle. It's about the only .30-06 I care to shoot with full power ammo.

That said, I'm thinking seriously about putting in for a couple of RG's soon. I've heard rackers, a lot of times, shoot a lot better- more accurately- than it seems like they should based on the throat and muzzle guages. Myself... I'm thinking Greek RG's and/or maybe a couple of woodless Dane RG's. And with the mix of parts that some rifles are, it's not a sin to rebarrel to 7.62NATO.

Do you really want it??? Of course you do.:cool: Garanditis is contagious.

Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated.:neener:
 
You can and will find SG rifles that will be in better shape for shooting than by buying a correct or collectors grade rifle. SG rifles don't have to be "correct" to be SG. Both of the rifles I picked out had mismatched parts but better barrels than out lined for collector grade.(And barrels aren't the only thing that goes into getting a good shooter.) Had the parts been matching I would have had to pay more. On the other side, you can find correct rifles with barrels that don't meet SG and pay less for a matching rifle. Of course IF you're really lucky you buy a correct or collector grade rifle and get a great shooter too. There is under the grading system CMP uses now, an overlap in the grades. If you know what to look for and have the time to pick your own rifle you can use that to your advantage.
 
Rebarreling is like some other subjects in that you can spend as much as you want to. If you check MidwayUSA you'll find some Wilson barrels for about $200, but they also run them on sale for $150. Some other brands sell for higher through them. Then you can add whatever the gunsmiths fee is. Or you can the DIY route, which means you get the barrel vise, action wrench, and guages (headspace and timing), but I don't have a price right off for those. And the DIY route can get addictive in and of itself.
 
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