Going to buy a CMP Garand; what else do I need?

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Sawdust

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I am going to order an M1 from CMP.

Where should I buy extra clips? Get 'em with Korean ammo from ammoman.com? Or buy them from Jeff Bartlett at gibrass.com? Or?

Is there a reference book that I should get to teach me maintenance and operation? Or are there good online sources? I need a "Garands for Dummies". :D

Anything else that I should know or get?

All help appreciated...this will be my *first* rifle, so don't assume that I know anything...

Thanks mucho,

Sawdust
 
Hi, First off Congrats!!!! :)

I have ordered Clips from www.jgsales.com

they are .50 each. I think other people charge more. The Korean that comes in clips is corrosive. If you know this and you clean accordingly then thats fine. It actually shoots rather well. The PS stamped korean in boxes is not corrosive. I have shot both in my Garands but prefer the PS just because it is easier to store in the boxes. The Garand will come with a owners manual. You can go to the CMP web page and get lots of the info you need. www.odcmp.com

Just enjoy it and be sure to tell us all about it.

Ed
 
The rifle comes with a book that is pretty good.

Clips - I ordered some of the Korean stuff for another rifle (1917 bolt). I don't mind corrosive in a bolt, I just don't know how to clean a semi with corrosive ammo. Just pull the ammo that is on there out, and replace with non-corrosive. Or shoot it if you know how to clean it.

Ammo - I got CMP surplus when I bought mine.

As for the M1 itself, I'd go with a Service Grade. I picked through the rack grades at the store (I am assuming you are not going to the store, which is in Ohio). There are some nice ones, but they ar ethe vast minority. Mine was a Rack, but no one could figure out why it was a rack.

Check this out for operation and maintence: http://www.surplusrifle.com/garand/index.asp
 
I went ahead and got (and shot) the 400 rounds of Korean ammo on clips; kept the clips, bandoliers, and can, and am getting ready to order a can of the non-corrosive stuff that just comes in boxes. Clean the bore, bolt face, gas cylinder, and oprod face with Windex before the sun sets on your day of shooting and you'll be fine.
 
Going to buy a CMP Garand; what else do I need?
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Two more so you can use the stacking swivels! :p

Seriously -- If you are ordering it through the mail, definitely go with the Service Grade. If you get a chance to get to Perry to pick one out, you may find a nice $300 Greek rack grade, but don't count on it. Picking out your own is very cool if you can do it, but I had good luck through the mail.

You will get a military sling with your Garand - learn how to use it. You unhook from the rear sling swivel, push the loop up through the buckle and stick your arm through - pressing your gloved left hand tight against the front sling swivel. Adjust so it snugs in tight against your shoulder. If it is nylon, get a cotton one at a gun show for $10 or less. Even better -- a great first addition to your Garand is a ~$50 Turner leather sling. Here's how to use it:

http://www.turnersling.com/slinguse.htm

"A properly adjusted sling means a steady rifle. " ;)

Get a .30-caliber Bore Snake for range cleaning.

You should also get a good cleaning rod for deep cleaning - others here can probably pipe in with some Brand recommendations - mine has no label on it. Just don't get one of those cheap aluminum, screw-together cleaning rods. Be very careful when cleaning - the easiest way to ruin accuracy is by scratching the muzzle. You can buy a muzzle guard, but I don't know where or how they work.

After sighting it in from a bench, GET THEE AWAY FROM THE BENCH and learn to shoot from position - prone, sitting and off-hand. Start out with a ski glove on your left hand, a heavy sweatshirt, a coat, a pad or carpet for a shooting mat and a pair of binoculars on a backpack for spotting. Move up to a shooting glove, shooting coat, shooting mat and a spotting scope.

You do NOT sling up for shooting off-hand.

Learn to use the windage and elevation knobs. I'll try to find some descriptions on "doping" your rifle - i.e. using the windage and elevation knobs to adjust for...windage and distance.

Aside from that - BA/UU/R! :)
 
Sawdust, good move on the CMP Garand. My service Springfield arrived at my place about two weeks after I'd mailed in the application. Be sure to ask for a rifle with a high serial number to increase your chances of getting a really nice one. The CMP was present at the gun show here in Houston two weekends back and the rack grade rifles looked pretty beat up for the most part. They seemed to be selling quite well, though, but I'd recommend a service grade.

As for ammo, I just use the Korean surplus 30.06 that comes on clips and save the clips after my range sessions. Just rinse the rifle's internals with hot water to clear out the corrosive primers and then spray on a lubricant. Great rifle!
 
Wow, thanks everyone for all of the advice! I am truly a noob when it comes to any kind of rifle.

The detail is great; for example, I have read that using corrosive ammo is okay as long as you clean right away, but there was never any detail about what to clean or how (I'm still a little fuzzy about "rinse the rifle's internals with hot water" - really? Just hold the rifle barrel-down and pour hot water down from the top?!).

"Clean the bore, bolt face, gas cylinder, and oprod face with Windex before the sun sets on your day of shooting and you'll be fine." Perfect!

How to use the sling...cleaning kit from gunparts...shooting positions...is "off-hand" what I think it is - turning around and shooting left-handed (as I am a righty)?

Yes, I am going to order a US service grade...high serial number, check.

Keep 'em coming!

Anyone want to show me how to shoot this thing some day? :)

Edit: OK, what's the deal with the garand-thumb and band-aids? What exactly happens? Or, is this a secret and the only way to join the club is to get bit? :D

Thank-you very much,

Sawdust
 
JMHO here, but I don't think corrosive ammo is worth the potential for harm to your rifle. Buy as much decent ammo as you can possibly afford and don't use a jointed or multi-section cleaning rod. Too much potential for damage to your muzzle. Get some good grease for lubricating the rifle and consider an Otis cleaning kit. I have several of their kits and swear by them. Remember, grease, not oil for lubrication. www.otisgun.com :cool:
PS, Garand thumb is a secret rite of passage for all Garand owners. Just enjoy it along with your fine rifle!
 
garand cleaning kit from gunparts. comes with cleaning rod, oiler, m10 combo tool, m3 combo tool, grease pot, chamber brush, and some patches. worth every penny.
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andrew, do you mean this one: Cleaning kit ?

chuckles: LOL re Garand thumb...just what I thought...

Thanks,

Sawdust
 
No need to shoot corrosive

You should be able to find plenty of surplus -06 ammo that's not corrosive. The cost savings isn't really that great anyway.

There are some good deals to be had out there on quality surplus ammo.
Search around, I've found plenty of sources.
 
I have read that using corrosive ammo is okay as long as you clean right away, but there was never any detail about what to clean or how
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Sawdust, you basically need to clean everywhere the gas from the fired cartridge goes. Barrel, gas cylinder, everything. You do this with water or old G.I. bore cleaner since the corrosive salts from the priming are water-soluble . . . stuff like Hoppe's #9 or BreakFree won't really do the trick. If possible boiling water is preferred, as after it runs off the now-hot metal will dry almost instantly.

I bought some USGI ammo from gibrass.com which came on Garand clips - it was a little more expensive than Korean, but it's non-corrosive. (I also bought more USGI ammo on clips at a local gun show.)

The Korean KA- ammo is corrosive, but has a reputaton for reliability. The PS- ammo is non corrosive, but the general consensus is that some lots are unsafe to shoot. (Think of a "kaboom" when the case head ruptures.)
 
Get the buttstock cleaning kit, and a home cleaning kit with one piece rod, and a muzzle guide to protect the crown.
Get a bayonet, GI sling, an ammo belt, a broken case extractor, and lots of extra en-bloc clips.
Buy as much of the current surplus ammo as you can,(5k-10k) it wont last for ever, and it wasent around ~5 years ago.
The CMP will let you buy ~7 Garands a year, buy as many as you can, keep the two best ones, and sell the rest(your not susposed to)
A shooting jacket, spotting scope, shooting mitt, and mat will get you started in Hi-Power service Rifle compititions, NM sights are nice for matches.
Learn to work the op-rod with the heal of your hand and you will never have to worry about your thumb.
Always carry a spare empty clip, so if your pinned down you can shoot one shot and throw the empty clip, the enemy will think you are empty and reloading when they hear the "ping" but you still have 7 rounds left.
(Think of a "kaboom" when the case head ruptures.)
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I have had case head seperations with a M-1 Garand and it DID-NOT "ka-boom", In fact I only knew somthing was wrong when the next round fed half way in to the chamber with the forward part of the case still in it, a "broken-case extractor" fixed it in about one minute.
 
Where did you learn of this "general consensus"

The PS- ammo is non corrosive, but the general consensus is that some lots are unsafe to shoot. (Think of a "kaboom" when the case head ruptures.)
Click to expand...

I've been shooting PS headstamped ammo for years, and this is the first I have heard of any problems. I shoot it in both a Garand and a BAR.

HankB :What exactly is the source for your warning regarding this?
 
The Garand I got from CMP is one of my favorite rifles. There is alot of good suggestions here and only a few come to mind that I didn't see listed:

A padded rifle case.
A cart to carry all your Garand related stuff to the range.
A fold-up chair to sit in at the range.
NRA Hi-Power targets for practice.
More $$ to buy other stuff.

NRA link to Getting started in High Power Shooting.

Lastly, find a range offering Hi-Power matches, show up and have fun shooting the matches. I was nervous going to my first match, but everyone was friendly and happy to see a new guy show up. Especially the "old timers," I love hearing their WWII and Korean War stories about the Garand.
 
More on this Korean "Ka-Boom" business.

From digging around, this does not appear to be as big a deal as is proported. There is one lot of Korean PS Lot# 2-158, headstamp PS 75 that has REAL LIFE, not Internet rumor, Ka-Booms associated with it and the Garand Collectors Association has published warnings against ONLY THAT LOT#.


All of the KA headstamp, the ones sold in the en bloc clips, uses corrosive primer compounds.
 
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I've read a lot of stuff (bad) about the Korean ammo that is coming out lately. If you really like your new toy, go ahead and get some of the surplus ammo from the CMP while you are at it. You cannot go wrong with USGI ammo. Order your clips seperately.
 
Here are another couple of items I like to use to maintain my M1's:

1. ratcheting chamber brush, to clean barrel chamber periodically.
2. a combination tool (there are several GI versions made over the years) that allows you to remove the gas cylinder plug for cleaning. It works MUCH better than a screwdriver, and prevents you from overtightening the plug
 
I've been shooting PS headstamped ammo for years, and this is the first I have heard of any problems. I shoot it in both a Garand and a BAR. HankB :What exactly is the source for your warning regarding this?
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I saw the information on a thread at ambackforum.com, specifically in the M1 forum. (This used to be at battlerifles.com)

I have no personal experience with PS- ammo, and I don't vouch for the absolute accuracy of the information posted, but still, I plan to avoid lots that MIGHT be problematical. Especially since USGI ammo is reasonably priced.

http://www.ambackforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=10552
 
Get the buttstock cleaning kit, and a home cleaning kit with one piece rod, and a muzzle guide to protect the crown.
Click to expand...

Sounds good...but any links to where I can get this stuff, please?

Thanks,

Sawdust
 
For intro maintenance, consider buying Scott Duff's book on the Garand. For more detailed info and background on how these rifles function, consider buying Kuhnhausen's excellent book on the .30 Service Rifles. Highly recommended reading.
 
HankB, thanks for the link.

You're right there is lots of domestic stuff available, just wondered
about your comments on Korean stuff.

It does seem to have had problems in some lots, so I guess we are all better informed now.

Thanks!
 
The problem with corrosive ammo is that the combustion of the primer results in a salt being formed as a product. I'm sure you know what salt does to metal. That salt is left where ever gas touches. On a bolt gun, it is simply the inside of the barrel and the bolt face. Last time I cleaned my bolt gun for corrosive ammo, I stuck a garden hose in the breech end, and just let water run through for a few minuets. Water will dissolve the salt, and carry it away.

On a semi-auto, that salt gets into the gas cylinder, so that must also be cleaned.

I bought some USGI non-corrosive ammo when I bought my Garand. It cost $48 for 240 rds. I think you can only buy it by the case in the mail, which is like $190 or so for 960 rds. No blocks, though.
 
Sawdust: you asked about the offhand shooting position. It isn't shooting with your hands and body position reversed from normal and your non-dominant hand pulling the trigger.

Offhand is just the Standing position.
 
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