Warning: CMP and Garand Availability

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There is a serial number along the bottom of the butt stock that is the same as the serial number on the rifle. Does this mean that this is the original stock, or was the number stamped at some point on a replacement stock to match? I was told that it was uncommon for these old rifles to be in their original stocks.
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The Danes did the serial numbering on the stocks. It does not necessarily mean your rifle is wearing its original wood -- check if for USGI cartouches, though even that does not necessarily guarantee it's original, as far as I understand it.
 
I wondered about cartouches. I checked very carefully and can't find any other markings of any sort anywhere on the stock.
Thanks for the info HorseSoldier.
 
When I was in Anniston about 3 or 4 weeks ago I ran across the cartouche mark on the stocks of a couple of Dane Field Grades, according to the armorer one was a WWII stock for sure. The barrels were not that great so I passed on them.
 
I think your CCW will work as well as shooting activity. Just join GCA and do the paperwork and your set.
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YeahbuhWHAT?!?!?

Son of....:banghead:

I just assumed that trying to get "eligible" would be more trouble than it was worth...I had no idea that I was already halfway there!

But, what is GCA? :eek:
 
I just assumed that trying to get "eligible" would be more trouble than it was worth...I had no idea that I was already halfway there!

But, what is GCA?
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It is much easier than most folks assume, including me initially. I joined the GCA for $25 like many others. I could have just as easily joined the Texas State Rifle Association too. NRA membership doesn't qualify unfortunately.

Here's the GCA link:

http://www.thegca.org/
 
I just assumed that trying to get "eligible" would be more trouble than it was worth...I had no idea that I was already halfway there!
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CMP eligibility is incredibly easy. For a quick rundown:

US Citizenship - Pretty easy for most of us. You'll need a photocopy of your birth certificate or passport.

Age - Passport, birth certificate cover this. Driver's License too.

Membership in CMP Affiliated Organization - Not as hard as you think. Use their search engine and find one: http://clubs.odcmp.com/cgi-bin/clubSearch.cgi The Garand Collector's Association is probably the easiest to get involved in for most people (http://www.thegca.org/). Here in the Cornhusker state, there a quite a few clubs involved, many of them 4H. We also have the Nebraska Marksmanship Association which charges $5 for annual membership. More traditional "gun clubs" and shooting ranges are also eligible here too.

Marksmanship or other firearms related activity - This one is VERY broad. Current and former military servicemen, current and former LEOs, hunter's safety course, CHL/CCW permits, FFL and C&R licenses, and results of a shooting competition will all get you past this requirement. If you are over 60 years old, you do not have to meet the requirement.

Yup, it's really THAT easy. "Just set it... AND FORGET IT!"

http://www.odcmp.com/Services/Rifles/eligibility_requirements.htm
 
Dang! Been toying with the idea of a Garand for a year. Is it worth the bother to apply now?

Sounds like IF they get any more Garands, the quality will be low.????

OR do I wait to see if more shipments come in BEFORE I order???
 
I would wait unless you want a 395.00 Greek Rack Grade that are on the ugly side. That is even IF you can even get one at this point.

The best strategy is to wait because the CMP will be getting more Garands and they can't possible be worse than their current stock.

Ask me how I know...

My Greek racker came with a broken safety, a seized clip-latch pin that broke two drift pins trying to remove and a butt-plate that looked like the trapdoor mechanism had been dipped in cement. The wood wasn't fit for a fire, the trigger would only work sometimes and the lock-up was very loose. The finish on the rifle was already into straw. The gas cylinder fell off the rifle and needed to be peened and the crown was nicked. Pretty good bargain, huh?

CMP kindly sent me a new safety and clip-latch. I did a complete detail strip and cleaning and reworked the trigger to get it sorted. I replaced the stock and refinished all the wood, bought a new trigger-guard to improve the lock-up, re-blued the rifle with Oxpho-Blue, replaced all the springs and recrowned the barrel.

I _enjoyed_ the project but I don't think you're going to get a rack-grade CMP rifle that's ready to go out of the box. After close to 100 hours of work, I am very proud of my rifle at this point. The most redeeming quality of my M1 was it gauged 2.5 on muzzle wear and 5 on throat wear. I basically bought it for the barrel as I Hand-Picked the rifle at the North Store about 2 months ago. It looked like it had the best barrel of the ratty bunch they had up there.
 
I used my TSRA membership and CHL for the activity. I was told that just about any shooting class or activity that involves range time can qualify. A simple beginner handgun course or something like that would likely work.

If you have the funds, the rack grade may work for you. Just understand that you might end up getting new wood if you want looks or a new barrel if you want extra accuracy. I am a collector. As long as they hit paper, I am happy to have them. I liked what I saw about the rebuilt rifles they mentioned. I might consider selling one of mine to get one of those.
 
I _enjoyed_ the project but I don't think you're going to get a rack-grade CMP rifle that's ready to go out of the box. After close to 100 hours of work, I am very proud of my rifle at this point. The most redeeming quality of my M1 was it gauged 2.5 on muzzle wear and 5 on throat wear. I basically bought it for the barrel as I Hand-Picked the rifle at the North Store about 2 months ago. It looked like it had the best barrel of the ratty bunch they had up there.
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You should have sent the whole rifle back to CMP as "they" would have replaced/repaired it and you would have gotten something better back that's for sure. Sometimes a bad one slips by...but they always make it right.

But a rack grade is shootable out of the box, I've gotten several and they are all fine.
 
There was no reason to send it back, as I said, I hand-picked it for the barrel. It was the best of the bunch! You had to see the condition of the rack grades in the North store to believe it. Most of the crowns looked like someone had been using the rifles for lawn darts. When I bought mine, I was already scraping the bottom of the barrel. CMP sent me a new safety and clip-latch and I was very happy with their customer service.

Here's a pic of the rifle as I was near the end of the project.

Edit to include this: Besides the remaining M1's having bashed crowns, every M1 in the store would swallow a muzzle gauge. My rifle was a compromise as it had the best barrel in the store but the wood was horrible. The other problems I found later when I detailed stripped it. I never thought of sending it back because I knew I would not get another rack-grade that gauged 2.5 on the muzzle. I'm happy with what I got but rack-grades are what they are and what rack-grades were left at the time I bought mine had been picked over pretty good. There is such a thing as a nice rack-grade but they had been cherry-picked out of the North Store before I got there. Remember, CMP was about to run out of rifles when I bought this one so I'm glad I got it when I could.


CMPRL.gif
 
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Oh hell yes! I attended a gun show the day after I bought the rifle and picked up a nice stock for 35.00. All the wood and metal is refinished. I used Chestnut Ridge, mixed with some Walnut stain to match the wood parts and finished with Minwax Tung-Oil finish. The metal was done with Brownell's Oxpho Blue. There's nothing more I love to do than bring back a old beater. If this rifle was on a rack in a gun store now, the price tag would be North of 800.00

CMP is getting more rifles so the funs not over yet!
 
Well, I am hoping the RG Garands are adequate shooters. I just got mine in the mail this past weekend. It's my second CMP M1 (the first one was a Service Grade).

True, the cosmetics are rough but the innards look fine. I do not have gauges so no TE/ME numbers available. I have not shot it yet but am hoping it will do well enough to be a regular shooter.

The roughest part seems to be the wood but that's an easy fix (especially as there are no cartouches on this one, unlike my SG, so a replacement stock is definitely in this gun's future).
 
Apparently customs is arguing with the US Army that they need an import license to bring back their stuff.

This can't be the case. Customs knows DoD stuff just goes to DoD no import license required. Import licenses are for everyone else not the government,
 
Apparently customs is arguing with the US Army that they need an import license to bring back their stuff.

This can't be the case. Customs knows DoD stuff just goes to DoD no import license required. Import licenses are for everyone else not the government,
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You know that, and I know that. But this came straight from Orest at the CMP, so I'm a believer. But you know how attitudes in the fed. govt. can be. Somebody at Customs probably knows the CMP is getting these for resale, and feels that the feds needs a cut since they are being resold to the public. Remember, this is shipping containers of 60 year old "army surplus" not new production gear coming back from the sand box.
 
You know that, and I know that. But this came straight from Orest at the CMP, so I'm a believer. But you know how attitudes in the fed. govt. can be. Somebody at Customs probably knows the CMP is getting these for resale, and feels that the feds needs a cut since they are being resold to the public. Remember, this is shipping containers of 60 year old "army surplus" not new production gear coming back from the sand box.
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The "feds" DO get a cut....CMP pays them for every rifle they bring back ~$98ea..that's what they cost and that's what .gov gets back. Considering they are US Army property up until CMP takes possession/pays for them.
 
I am informed I am among the last to be placed on the Greek Field Grade waiting list. CMP has stated the last of the waiting list orders should be filled by the end of the month.

On the 17th I got a call from Anniston that began by telling me the Greek guns such as I ordered (all that were available when I ordered the day those were closed as well) were in such short order that there were not enought to fill "all" the waiting list.

Big lump in throat.

Then she asked if I would like to change my order to a Danish Field Grade return such as was not being advertised as being available when I made my order. She said I should recieve it in "a Couple of weeks" which would make it pretty much "on time."

The change in the order was done immediately.

Still listed as TBD and Pending as of last evening, but I still look suspiciously at every Fed Ex truck that drives past.

I just hope this Garand is better than the last two I bought on the civilian market. One turned out to be a reweld and never did function properly and the other was a Blue Sky Korean Surplus gun that held only a 6.5 inch to 8 inch 100 yard group depending on whether I wedged the Gas Cylinder in place with slivers of kitchen matches or not.

-Bob Hollingsworth
 
Kbob:

I also opted for the Danish FG after I had ordered the Greek FG and was pleased when I received it. It was in much better condition than the previous Greek FG I received last year. The Greek had the most God awful wood you ever saw. The stock appeared to have been run over by something (the wood was crushed on both sides, the windage adjustment was VERY rough when turning the knob (had to emery the shaft), and the metal finish was very worn. By comparison, the Dane had matching wood (birch, but in pretty good condition), no splits, metal finish much better, and some Beretta parts (front sight, bolt, gas cylinder and plug). It was really what I thought I would receive, when I ordered the first one (almost forgot, It's also a war year 12/43, the Greek was 03/55).
Anyway, don't fret over the change of order. It seems to me that the Danes took a lot better care of their rifles than the Greeks did. Also, I kinda like the anchor stamped into the rear sight (indicating the rifle was used in the Danish Navy). I think you made the right choice.
 
Somebody at Customs probably knows the CMP is getting these for resale, and feels that the feds needs a cut since they are being resold to the public.

There is no duty on returned US mfg goods so there is nothing for Customs to make money on. It's not unusual for stuff to sit on the dock for the importer to arrange transportation especially if the storage fees they pay at the terminal are less than they'd be paying wherever they are.

Thye might be waiting for paperwork from DoD to ensure that's where they're going.
 
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