Garand Choices

[Lone_Sheep_Dog]

I am thinking about buying a CMP Garand. I am trying to decide on a service grade special. The two choices are Springfield Armory and Harrington and Richardson. Which one should I choose? This will be my first Garand.

 

[springer99]

If you're looking for a great shooting M1 Garand, then either one would be fine.

If you're thinking of it as primarily a collectors piece, then I'd tend towards the H&R as fewer of them were made. But even then, you'd have to find an original USGI stock to make it trullly something worth collecting.

 

[BrocLuno]

Yeah, if it's a shooter either will do. If you're building a collector, which ever you can get original wood and accessories for?

 

[bergmen]

I am thinking about buying a CMP Garand. I am trying to decide on a service grade special. The two choices are Springfield Armory and Harrington and Richardson. Which one should I choose? This will be my first Garand.

Here is what the Springfield Service Grade Special (RM1SASSP) looks like:

Looks brand new inside and out.

Dan

 

[FlyinBryan]

that is a bute right there.

 

[Slamfire]

My advice, you are in Georgia, if you are within four hours driving, go to CMP south and pick out the rifle you want.

Take muzzle and throat erosion gages, sort through what is on the rack, and pick the one you want.

Go in the morning.

Springfield Armory was the high quality manufacturer of Garands, throughout production their quality standard was better than the contractors. However, WWII era SA receivers show more machining marks than post war. Compared to Winchester receivers, WWII SA receivers are smooth. Win receivers must have been chewed out of barstock by angry beavers. Post war SA receivers are very nice, but HRA receivers and parts are very nice. Post war rifles have better surface finishes than WWII rifles.

Understand a Service Grade rifle will not be all matching. The CMP will not let any rifle that is not Correct Grade or Collector grade go out the door with all original parts. This is their policy, they have been swapping parts out on the bench for years, this ensures that they get the maximum amount of money for their rifles. If you attempt to swap parts out inside the store, swap a HRA stock from the SA rifle onto the HRA rifle you want, CMP will ban you forever from the store. Typical parts that are mixed are operating rods, bolts, trigger guards, and stocks. The CMP has more actions than original stocks.

So, HRA and SA is really only relevant for receivers, a service grade rifle will be a mix master of parts. The parts will be GI and the rifle will be a good shooter.

If you go down with buds, you can swap parts off the rifles you bought in the parking lot. Buds are good things to have.

 

[USSR]

Note: The rifles in question are Service Grade Specials. The CMP is currently sold out of Service Grades. The difference? With the Service Grade Specials, "Walnut stocks and handguards and associated hardware are new manufacture". While they are very nice, they are not particularly collectable, so it really doesn't matter which manufacturer you go with. I would second the advice of taking a road trip to the CMP South Store and picking out your rifle. The guys who work there will lend you a throat and muzzle guage, or even measure a rifle for you. Good bunch of guys.

Don

 

[springer99]

Which-ever one you choose, I'd suggest moving quickly as there is a price increase coming down the pike soon.


Enjoy; they're classic and great rifles!!

 

[chris in va]

Or, if you can stomach a little 'character', how about a Field Grade for $495 and put a new CMP stock on it? They also have new barrels at the store.

Personally I don't care so much what my wood looks like, just so it functions correctly. Roughly 600 reloads through my Field Grade with no issues.

 

[P-32]

I would go with the H&R because you might luck into a LMT barrel. These were about the best US Gi barrels. A springer barrel or a H&R barrel will still shoot pretty good though. You can always put a sticky note on your paper work. This could help one time.

 

[Tim the student]

Note: The rifles in question are Service Grade Specials. The CMP is currently sold out of Service Grades. The difference? With the Service Grade Specials, "Walnut stocks and handguards and associated hardware are new manufacture".

And the Service Specials are have collector grade metal. Doesn't make a difference brand to brand, but it does make them a bit nicer than a regular SG.

The CMP defines collector grade as:

Collector Grade Rifles have 95% or better overall original metal finish. Rifle bores are excellent with throat erosion under 3 and muzzle wear of 2 or less. Collector Grade rifles have all original parts as they came from the manufacturer...

I'd think about an H&R, just because there were less of them made. I'd expect either to generally shoot as well as the other.

 

[USSR]

And the Service Specials are have collector grade metal. Doesn't make a difference brand to brand, but it does make them a bit nicer than a regular SG.

Not necessarily. You should have seen the Service Grades the North Store had out last summer. My HRA looked unissued, with a nicely cartouched HRA stock. The only non-HRA parts were a post-war Springfield trigger group, bolt, and op rod. I promptly traded them to a guy who had a nearly new Springfield with the HRA parts I needed, and we both ended up with Mint Condition Correct rifles for $600 plus the cost of shipping the parts to each other.

Don

 

[Tim the student]

True enough Don.

 

[Lone_Sheep_Dog]

Thanks for all the great advice guys. That is a great looking rifle bergmen. I can't wait to get mine. Hopefully I'll end up with more than one eventually.