CMP Service or Special Grade Rifle

[az_imuth]

Having an "agent" hand select your rifle for you has become a very popular means of bypassing the old luck-of-the-draw for folks who can't make the drive. Everything other than the selection of the rifle is on you. The background check, the notarized paperwork, the payment, etc. The rifle is shipped directly to you, the purchaser, so no one else is ever in possession (legally) once it leaves CMP. You can go to the CMP forums for details. If I were ordering one today, that's most certainly the route I would take.

 

[Kailuaflyer]

I will have to see how to work out the logistics on that. Since I am a first time buyer, I would have to some how designate the person on the paperwork that I send in, or something like that.

 

[Ignition Override]

My only Service Grade from the CMP has a barrel which-according to a friend who retired from the Navy Rifle Team-might belong to a higher category.
He asked that if I ever sell the gun, to sell it back to him. This 'Texan guy' has over a dozen Garands won as prizes in rifle matches.

The only reason I bought a Special Service Grade (Aug. '13) was to be able to pick my own rifle, as they were far behind processing Service Grades ("due to ammo orders": CMP staff).
The metal seems in about the same condition as that above average Service Grade. To do it again, would buy just a Service Grade and let The Staff pick the gun.

Other than possibly having the 'correct' H&R components (doesn't matter to me), only real difference between my two Garands is the wood.
No longer seems worth the extra cash, which should have gone into...even more...extra M2 Ball ammo.

 

[Kailuaflyer]

My only Service Grade from the CMP has a barrel which-according to a friend who retired from the Navy Rifle Team-might belong to a higher category.
He asked that if I ever sell the gun, to sell it back to him. This 'Texan guy' has over a dozen Garands won as prizes in rifle matches.

The only reason I bought a Special Service Grade (Aug. '13) was to be able to pick my own rifle, as they were far behind processing Service Grades ("due to ammo orders": CMP staff).
The metal seems in about the same condition as that above average Service Grade. To do it again, would buy just a Service Grade and let The Staff pick the gun.

Other than possibly having the 'correct' H&R components (doesn't matter to me), only real difference between my two Garands is the wood.
No longer seems worth the extra cash, which should have gone into...even more...extra M2 Ball ammo.

I believe I am going for the .308 Special. It saves me time finding a smithy that can space the .308 barell onto the receiver, and I get a new stock to boot. Until I learn how to.reload, the .308 rounds are a better bet since any ammo out here runs at a higher cost (fedex/ups shipping hazmat fees for air freight), and I am not sure what the long term supply for .30-06 is. Yes, I know that they have been predicting its demise for years now.

 

[HankB]

You might ask the CMP if the .308 Special can also use 7.62x51 NATO rounds . . . there are differences in the two chamberings, but I don't think they're as drastic in effect as the differences between .223 Rem and 5.56 NATO.

Some info here: http://www.fulton-armory.com/\faqs\M14-FAQs\308.htm

 

[Kailuaflyer]

I ordered a Special in .30-06. I also secured some Garand friendly PPU rounds. The price point was near the surplus Greek, and it is factory new. Thank you all for posting to this thread.

Can't remember if I double posted this somewhere. lol

 

[agtman]

I ordered a Special in .30-06. I also secured some Garand friendly PPU rounds. The price point was near the surplus Greek, and it is factory new.

Actually, I shot about 250-rds of Privy's Garand-safe ammo thru the M1 that I use for the John C. Garand match at Perry as well as in my local club's CMP clinic shoot-offs. At 200yds it displayed consistent accuracy, clip-to-clip, putting aside me as the shooter.

The PPU '06 also proved to be quite accurate from my Remington 1903A4-clone on an 8" steel gong set out at 300yds.