Help with CMP Garand Please

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Lovesbeer99

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What's the deal with special ammo for a Garand? Can't I just buy modern 30-06 hunting ammo for it?

Also, I'm looking at the CMP Service Grade, but the Special Grade just looks so nice. Is it worth the extra money? Is it any more accurate? Any feedback?

Thanks in advance.
Lovesbeer99
 
I can answer the ammo question.

The "is the Special Grade worth it" is harder to answer, as it depends on what you value. If you want a rifle with genuine "I've been in WWII" history, the Special Grade has less of that. If you want a "shooter", the Special Grade has a new barrel. If the new stock is fitted correctly, it should be more accurate than an older rifle with a worn barrel and sloppy stock fit.

Back to the ammo -

All Garands (including Springfield Armory 7xxxxxx clones) have the same op-rod assembly, with its inherent weakness. The pressure curve of the ammo is the problem, not the chamber pressure. If you use modern hunting ammo, it is very likely that you will eventually bend the op rod or damage the receiver heel due to the slower powders used to achieve modern .30-06 performance.

It isn't going to happen with one box, so there is quite a bit of "Aw, I shoot commercial brand Y .30-06 in my Garand and I have no problems" going around. Note "eventually" in paragraph above...

The solution is to swap out the GI gas plug (gas cylinder lock screw) for an adjustable one, such as the McCann or Schuster. This permits "tuning" the action to just cycle reliably with whatever commercial .30-06 you happen to want to shoot.

You have to do the gas plug adjustment procedure every time you swap loads, as the pressure adjustment is not automatic.
 
But, if you order an M1 from the CMP, you'd be wise to spring for a bunch of the Greek HXP surplus ammo they have. It's the best deal you'll find in .30-06 ammo, far cheaper than commercial stuff, and it's MADE for the M1.

What state are you in? If it's possible for you to drive to either of the CMP stores, you can bring the rifle and ammo home with you that day. Otherwise, you'll have to wait 6 months like the rest of us.
 
I live in NJ, so I can't make the ride, but I'd love the chance to hand pick mine if I can.

While I was searching around this site I found a link to a "garandguy" who is here in NJ. His website looks pretty good so maybe I should check them out and pay a little extra for his work.
 
If you buy a service grade rifle, You're buying one that has been used, likely in one or more wars, and have to realize that before you get it. The Greek ammo is the only one I know of that make M1 ammo specifically for the M1. There's nothing wrong with CMP M1's, at least they're authentic. I've seen some "M1's" that people have bought that are European knock-offs, and they paid more money for it than they would have from CMP.
I would not put anything other than the Greek ammo purchased from CMP.
I have a service grade M1, (Nov 43), I got from CMP a few years ago and there's absolutely nothing wrong with the accuracy. I was issued one in boot, and carried it in combat, it was also used. It was just as accurate as the one I have now. You have to remember it's a battle rifle and not a bench rest target rifle. If you can consistently hit a 24" bull at 300~500 yds the rifle is accurate. If your goal is to get 1" moa's then buy something else.
 
I've looked over the "Garand Guy's" site and it looks like they know what they're doing around the rifles. Not sure about some of his pet project - so-called "Tanker" Garands as there was no successful shortened Garand adopted by the military even though there were prototypes built and much experimentation recorded.

But as a source of a nice rifle it looked to me that the guy is providing a usable and JC Garand match capable rifle.

I've not bought anything from there though, so these are only my impressions of his website.

Everyone keeps talking about "Greek" ammo from CMP. The Greek made ammo that they have in stock is just service grade ammo made by and for the greek army when they had our rifle as their mainstay infantry weapon. They adopted it after WW2 when 'gifted' a bunch of rifles out of US excess supplies and kept them so long that they eventually had to start making ammo at home. The CMP has sold several types and maker marked versions of M2 ball service ammo to shoot in the rifles they sell. Not all that long ago all you could get from them was Lake City made US ammo but they eventually ran out, right after I laid in over 100,000 rounds....:D
 
The CMP has sold several types and maker marked versions of M2 ball service ammo to shoot in the rifles they sell. Not all that long ago all you could get from them was Lake City made US ammo but they eventually ran out, right after I laid in over 100,000 rounds....
Click to expand...

Well................no wonder they ran out.
 
WOW!! Thats $32,000 in ammo.
Click to expand...

Not even close. When I was buying it I'd guess the total at close to $5000. to $7000. over the span of about two years. They used to sell it at around seven cents a round for quite a while, but I remember and started buying it at just under a nickel a round.

It seemed like they'd NEVER run out, then they started offering some other brand or maker - it wasn't the Greek and you could chose that for REAL cheap or the Lake City for pretty cheap.

I used to get it in the big green cans crated. Same box as .50 Cal came in Vietnam, only I never got any of it belted. Seems to me now that for a while they DID sell .30-06 belted and guys had to delink it at home, but it was the cheap stuff best I recall. I don't remember the round counts because it was always weird numbers like it is now only it was lots bigger weird numbers. I used to think that it was the odd lot amounts that kept people from buying it but now I know that there just wasn't so much interest in it. Nobody hardly bought Garands to shoot and NOBODY except hunters wanted .30-06. With hunters not wanting ball ammo it felt for a while like I was the only person on earth who shot a Garand. I'd go to ranges and be the only Garand there, people used to gather around to see if it shot at all.

They're a good deal now, they were a better deal not so long ago.
 
I live in NJ, so I can't make the ride, but I'd love the chance to hand pick mine if I can.
Click to expand...
you should map it out and see. for a few hours drive, you could pick your own. but i don't know what your situation is. i went to the north store from connecticut and it only took me about 12 hours. much better than waiting 6 months. looked at a few different ones before i picked my favorite. well worth the trip for me and my carbine. no ammo in stock when i went, so keep that in mind. bring a lock and stick it in the trunk for the ride home.
 
i love my springfield special!

I just picked up a CMP Special Grade Garand, and it is indeed special!!! But as has been said before, spending the extra cash on the special grade is a very personal choice.

If you are able to get to the store (long drive from NJ!) you could probably find an excellent service grade on the shelf. If you are ordering and want to know for sure you are getting super excellent quality, I'd opt for the special.

That said, I went to the store and picked out a 6 digit serial special grade, and I absolutely love it. The rifle feels so excellently balanced, and the trigger pull is a dream. I fired it over the weekend and once you have pulled the slack out of the trigger, you only have to think "shoot" and the rifle fires.
 
CMP just quoted me $70 for 250 rounds of LC, back when they had it, plus shipping. This was Anniston, Al.
Click to expand...

I bought my ammo before there was a south store. Long time before that - not long after they changed over to the CMP for most of it. In fact I did get some of it when it was the DCM store, only there wasn't a store, or a website for that matter. Nobody had ever heard of websites, or internet, or anything like it, and you had to buy a rifle to be able to buy ammo for it.

So, who wants some lake city, and how much? :D Better hurry cause I've fired about half of it down the pipe probably while most of you were learning to walk and snivel. So "testerone "We trust that if true you are actually shooting that ammo and not reselling at a profit, yes?"....Up yours.
 
Benedetto..Congratulations!!

And "I fired it over the weekend and once you have pulled the slack out of the trigger, you only have to think "shoot" and the rifle fires."

That's not slack, it's design. You're the proud owner of a two stage trigger correctly set up sounds like.
 
I'm lucky, North Store is 45 minutes from my driveway.
And, yes, it is all our buisness if somebody is buying 100,000rds of CMP ammo and re-selling it. I see CMP Greek '06 ammo at the gun show for outrageous prices...That's why CMP has recently limited how much ammo you can buy.
 
Are there any modern makes of 30-06 ammo that fit the Garand specs? Is there a failure rate for ammo as old as the Greek stuff? Do any come too corroded to use? Will requesting the ammo that comes in the 'spam' can ensure it's not corroded?

Is the .30carbine ammo they sell at CMP new ammo? It looks to be the same make as the .22 they sell, which looks new, or at least recent.
 
Col. Plink-
I've been using the CMP Greek .30-06 (HXP) for a few years now, sealed in spam cans dated '67, '68, '69, '70, '72, etc. and never had a bad round out of several thousand. I've seen only occasional tarnish, no corrosion. It's good ammo.
Don't know about commercial because the HXP has always been a better deal.


The .30 Carbine is made by Aguila and is brand new. I've used a lot of it and again, it's good ammo.


Tinpig
 
How about using the HXP stuff in a new 30-06? I'm guessing there would be no problem. Also, is it enough to simply choose the same HPX (1260 fps?) velocity rating in new 30-06 cartridges used in a Garand?
 
I've heard nothing but good reports as to accuracy and reliability for the Greek ammo out of CMP. I still hang out with high power match Garand shooters who are using it, sometimes even trusting their scores to it though most use it for practice mostly.

col. Plink -
is it enough to simply choose the same HPX (1260 fps?) velocity rating in new 30-06 cartridges used in a Garand?
Click to expand...
is that 1260 fps a misspeak, or are you talking about .22 lr ammo?
 
misprint, trying to remember the velocity marking from the HXP ammo cans.

Question is, if matching velocities are found is there some reason not to use modern ammo in a garand? thanks!
 
I think Col. Plink meant 2650fps...also you can buy Hornady ammo just made for the M1 Garand, more expensive, but more accurate than the Greek CMP....

If you want a Service Grade, You'll be waiting at least 180 days now! If not more, an none in the stores for months...how long will this last...a long time.....The Special Grades do look nice, some are from WWII, new barrels, new wood.....I'm still happy with my 1942 SA, with 1951 HRA barrel, with new wood it looks an shoots great.
 
It's not the velocity, it is the gas pressure of the powder, some have said when using modern ammo, you must keep bullet weight below 180gr.
If you don't change out gas plugs, some have called the manufacturer of the ammo to ask if its safe for Garands, some have said yes...you don't want a slow burning powder in a Garand, it builds too much pressure an this causes problems an damage. If it was me an had to shoot modern ammo, I would just spend a little money an swap out the gas plug with an adjustable one.
 
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