Lightsped
Member
I bought a M1 Garand at the CMP in Alabama. This thing looks brand spanking new (wood is new from CMP). It is a Springfield Armory model from 1955. How can I tell 100% if this gun has been fired?
How can I tell if my M1 Garand is unfired, or fired?
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skidooman603
Member
My Guess is..If you have new CMP stock and the park job looks REALLY black..It is a greek return. Just recieved a SG SA from CMP that looks as you describe
skidooman603
Member
Serial # in the 5.8 million range?
skidooman603
Member
Another way to tell is if you didn't pay $3000.00 for it 
skidooman603
Member
By the way also...The bore on the one I just got is like a mirror. Must be the Greeks didn't use them much. From a collector stand point the Greek re-parks are not real desireable however..IMHO they look great and who cares if you are using it for a "shooter"?
DeepSouth
Random Guy
They also sell the Special Grade which has a new barrel as well as new wood, I think they are $995. If you'll tell these guy's what you paid for it they can pretty much tell you what you got, as CMP has pretty standard pricing.
But I'm pretty confident that whatever you bought has been fired at some point, they just replaced all the worn parts so it looks 'like new.'
But I'm pretty confident that whatever you bought has been fired at some point, they just replaced all the worn parts so it looks 'like new.'
skidooman603
Member
True..Good point deep south.
skidooman603
Member
I would guess if he bought a "special" he would probably know that part
panrobercik
Member
I would look at the barrel right past the chamber. Usually if it's fired, the rifling will not be as sharp there as the rest of the bore.
skidooman603
Member
God Bless the CMP
I had one of the Greek reparks. It isn't going to be a historical piece of any collector value but mine was darn clean when I added CMP wood and the barrel looked all but brand new. It is a mix master and I am sure it as well as the current barrel had been shot, but the current barrel looks as if it has seen very few rounds prior to my purchase. The CMP isn't going to sell an unfired rifle without the documentation as well as a large, but fair, price tag.
If it wasn't the Special with new barrel, then it has been fired. I believe that unfired barrels have a cardboard tube that is inside the barrel.....at the GCA convention they found some of these.....they will go straight to the auction....I'm not a expert on this though....but I did sleep in a Holiday Inn last night.
Well, you would have to look for traces of finish wear, copper fouling, and powder fouling.
It used to be that all CMP rifles were test fired before shipment.
The Greek rifle shipment had lots and lots of essentially unfired late model Garands. Yours is likely from that category, but the wood was damaged or the metal finish is worn in places, so the CMP did not sell it as correct grade. The correct grade rifles I handled were in outstanding condition. If they had ever been shot, it was during factory acceptance. They used to sell Collector Grade rifles which were virtually new and guaranteed to be all correct from the factory.
The CMP has always had the problem of having lots of new rifles with damaged wood and damaged metal. Original stocks were always at a premium. If you go down to the CMP you will see a smattering of rack grade rifles that the barrel and receiver are correct, look unused, some surface finish wear due to shipment, but a couple of parts are mismatched. You will find combinations of switched trigger guards, operating rods, bolts, and stocks. A minimum of two marked parts will be incorrect. These were all correct rifles which had stock damage, or finish damage that kept the rifle out of the “Correct Grade” category. To stop complaints from people who paid $1300 for Collector Grade, or $1000 for Correct Grade rifles, and then saw their neighbors all correct 90% $500 rack grade Garand (and that happened), the CMP switches parts to ensure that nothing below Collector or Correct Grade goes out the door with all matching parts.
If you attempt to swap parts, to make the rack grade correct, the CMP has posted a sign that informs you that if they catch you doing this, they will kick you out of the store and won't let you back in.
However, if you go down there with a bud, and between the two of you, buy enough rifles, you can swap parts with your bud and create all matching rifles. I have done this.
Your rifle, with replacement wood, may be all original and all correct with respect to its metal parts. Because the wood has been replaced, it is not "all matching".
skidooman603
Member
The SG I just got is %95 correct. That is the one ass backward thing I think the CMP does. Intentionally making the rifles incorrect. If it were me I would work my butt off with the thousands of rifles they have at thier disposal to match everything up. For the sake of history. I Love the CMP and am one of thier biggest supporters (and customers)
)Tim the student
Member
This is from http://www.thecmp.org/m1garand.htm
Slamfire knows tons about the CMP and Garands, but this is what is on the CMP's Garand sales page. I guess it is possible that it is outdated though.
I'd have to agree with this.
Glad you have an awesome rifle that looks like new, but I personally very seriously doubt that it has never been fired - particularly since it (should) have been test fired when it was still at the factory and was new.
Unfired, almost noooo way.
Never issued, maybe, but I would have doubts about that as well.
Unissued since it has been rebuilt is also possible.
I think your best bet is that is was taken very good care of, and is like new, but has almost certainly been fired.
What grade was it?
Slamfire knows tons about the CMP and Garands, but this is what is on the CMP's Garand sales page. I guess it is possible that it is outdated though.
I'd have to agree with this.
Glad you have an awesome rifle that looks like new, but I personally very seriously doubt that it has never been fired - particularly since it (should) have been test fired when it was still at the factory and was new.
Unfired, almost noooo way.
Never issued, maybe, but I would have doubts about that as well.
Unissued since it has been rebuilt is also possible.
I think your best bet is that is was taken very good care of, and is like new, but has almost certainly been fired.
What grade was it?
skidooman603
Member
My $ is still on Greek return. The park job and shiney barrels on these rifles do make them appear nearly new
10X
Member
Look for any brass marks on the face of the bolt and on the ejector and extractor. Look at the bottom of the bolt to see it there are any brass marks from the bolt moving over loaded rounds. If fired, the gas cylinder, front hand guard and operating rod tip will have powder residue. Almost no one thinks to clean the inside of the front hand guard. Use a patch with or without solvent to see if anything is picked up.
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