Where can I find?

EdInk · February 19, 2010, 05:53 PM

Where can I find an inexpensive M-1 Garand?

I've heard of a civilian marksmanship program, info?

The NRA user to sell surplus 1911s and other guns. Do they still do this for members?

Websites? It doesn't have to be perfect but I'd like it to be decent.

Thanks in advance.

Clark500 · February 19, 2010, 06:04 PM

SOG has them.

http://www.southernohiogun.com/index.php/

EdInk · February 19, 2010, 06:20 PM

Cheapest on there is $495.

Tom2 · February 19, 2010, 07:35 PM

The SOG link you gave was for a dealer log on. There are no "cheap" Garands anymore. But I suppose it depends on your definition of cheap. Maybe you can find a good deal from an individual, but any that are being sold cheap by distributers or dealers are gonna be having problems, I suspect.

EdInk · February 19, 2010, 08:24 PM

That is what I suspected.

Chris_B · February 19, 2010, 09:16 PM

CMP is easy to join and has rifles:

http://www.thecmp.org/m1garand.htm

Here is my 595 dollar CMP 'Service Grade' rifle, a Springfield Armory receiver (1944) and a Springfield Armory barrel (1946). All parts are now SA; it had an HRA trigger group when I got it. The buttstock is the one I received with the rifle. It is USGI, and was scarred, dented, and black. The receiver was re-parked. I didn't take any pics out of the box, but I should have. This pic is the nearest one I have, it's after I cleaned the wood.

I replaced both the handguards with USGI pieces I found at shows (I bought the rifle in 2008). The M1907 sling is a repro I got for 20 bucks, The rear handguard was 10 bucks, the front was 30. I did a lot of work to the buttstock, but it has just a boiled linseed oil finish

I tracked down a WWII lockbar sight, correct for the time the rifle was made, and that was by far the most money I've spent on it- 120 bucks. I didn't need it, the post-war sight I got with it is great

The rifle shoots well and looks great. The Service Grades they sell now, I think, have new wood. I think 595 bucks is a pretty good deal for an M1 and the CMP really stands behind their sales

UpandAtIt · February 20, 2010, 08:11 AM

Right now, based on current sales, not even sales from 3-6 months ago, if you pay less than $900 for a garand you are either getting a CMP Rack/Service Grade being resold for a quick profit, a bring home that someone forgot in gramps old stuff or it is an import from a lend lease program. In any event, they are great rifles and even if you buy a dud or one that needs work there are numerous places to get USGI parts and accessories.

I got my M1 Carbine (Blue Sky Imports) for $375 last year (better than CMP Rack or service grade), my M1 Garand for $575 and was a Greek re-import but in really good condition. The 1903/A3 I bought from a dang masonic lodge for $75.00 and rebuilt it from ground up with a Sarco Kit. The 30-40 Krag was a sporter bought at a gun show that ONLY was changed via the stocks and not the gun then I redid it back into a Military weapon for about $250. The P17 I got on Gunbroker in beat condition (rusted and missing parts) and am slowly rebuilding it, I only paid $100 and the parts into it so far is around $125.

There are deals out there you just have to be patient enough to wait. Now if you want a prestine, all matched VINTAGE non-import or non CMP Rack/Service grade Garand, be prepaird to pay upwards to $3000 and even more for the sniper versions.

For me, I am just happy to own working and safe guns from our history. The prices are going up, they will keep going up and when they are gone, they will go nuts like it did for the Johnson Rifle. I remember when Johnsons were sold by Sarco and Numrich for $149. Now try touching one for under $3000.

Heck look at the SKS, not just a few years ago they were sold for $100 from Century and SOG and such, now even those things are being sold for $300 and more.

I think the next big set of imports will be the Mausers and Enfields from South Africa, lord knows what they actually have down there.

If I had to pick just one C&R to buy right now, it would be a decent K31 and the accessories. Those things are gonna go right though the roof when they are totally dried up. They already are rising in price as fewer and fewer are left. I got two, one with walnut and one with birch and they both are just perfect tack drivers out to 150 yards w/o a scope.

SO...get what you can NOW and do not bitch and moan about the price right now, 5 years from now you will pat yourself on the back for getting that $500 - $1000 Garand.

CMP Rack/Service Grade are good guns and I feel much under graded, they always seem better than the pictures and descrioptions. If you can go to the Store in Ohio, it is just an amazing experience. Yes, it can take up to 4 months to get one. Yes, you must pay up front. Yes, you are at the mercy of the luck of the draw. I have yet to be disatisfied with any item I have gotten from CMP. I have however been highly disappointed by guns from Century, J&G, SAMCO, SOG and a few others.

I am still trying to figure out WHY Thompson dewat kits went from $80 to now close to $1000 ever since Private Ryan and Code Talkers came out.

BUY NOW and Laugh to the bank in 2015

Chris_B · February 20, 2010, 09:08 AM

I always wonder about "all matching" and collecting.

Yes, my M1 is 'all SA' but the drawing numbers aren't all correct for the receiver's age and the barrel isn't "right" based on year. Who cares? I didn't go out of my way to find my SA parts, I didn't really go looking at all. If I stumble across a 'correct' bolt that works as well as mine, I probably will get it

I collect some US militaria and my opinion is that folks get way too involved with "correct" numbers and parts. There were exactly zero supply sergeants in WWII who would have looked at a Winchester M1 and yelled "you ugly dumb sonovabitch! There's a Springfield oprod in the your Winchester and it's got a type II lockbar! Gimme five tours of the parade ground harch! And then we'll see who owns all th' foxholes on this base!"

I even see this with vehicles. So that '42 MB has a '45 spindle? In 1945, they would have stopped crossing Europe to get a 'correct' YOM spindle on that jeep??

People get way too involved with "collector's grade" M1 rifles in my opinion. They were US military arms. Unless there's a hole in your real collection of various M1s, then worrying about 'correct' might be a waste of time and effort. Some people like the challenge of finding the parts and that's OK too

UpandAtIt: I would like to make two points. I'm sure your BlueSky import is a nice rifle. But in regards to "better" than a CMP rifle...that BlueSky is import marked. CMP rifles are not, at least I have never heard of or seen or read about even a rumor of CMP rifles being import marked. To many people, this does not matter. I have a WWII P.38 that is import marked and I don't give a hoot. But some people do. I just wanted to mention the import mark situation

The other thing I'd like to mention is that in the photos above that I have posted, that is a CMP Service Grade. The CMP is selling them for 595 dollars, follow the link I provided above. Not 'from the CMP and resold for a quick profit', directly from the CMP

My rifle was nearly a 'correct' grade when I got it. There's an overlap in the grades. A "Poor" Service Grade can be nearly identical to a "Good" Field Grade. I think Service Grade is the most 'bang for the buck' and the prices are the same as two years ago. People should remember, when you buy from the CMP, you are buying the metal and the wood is a bonus. Some folks get astoundingly lucky with CMP wood. I've seen cartouched correct SA/GAW stocks on CMP field and service grades, although I think that era is over. There is a certain 'luck of the draw' with CMP rifles, but if folks take a good look at the grade rating system, then they will understand what they will get, instead of having a shock when they open the box.

It's only natural to show photos of a nice M1. People probably see my rifle and think "Oh, that's what a CMP service grade looks like" but they need to bear in mind that that's not how it showed up at my door!

It was worse looking than in my first photo, all the wood was dog-doo brown and it was dented and scarred

UpandAtIt · February 20, 2010, 03:26 PM

Yes, I know "Blue Sky Imports" was an Import, I did not get my carbine from CMP. It is in much better condition than any from CMP I have seen. I got it from L&S Supply and only after I assured him I would not bitch and moan about an import mark from Blue Sky. He wanted it out of his hands almost like it had the plague, for me I was happier than ever that I even got a real M1 carbine and did not settle like some do on an Iver Johnson or even worse a Universal.

My Remark about a resold CMP piece is aimed at the glutony folks at gunbroker and auctionarms that buy a few CMP's and then resell a cpl to make a quick profit. I see them all the time and people that know, know they are CMP, the ones who do not even know about CMP are dupped into paying $1000 for a $595 gun.

I do not care what I have has import marks or not, they are REAL GI, import or re-patriated or rebuilt by me. I do care that they ARE genuine GI, mis-matched as hell, I do not care as long as it is safe, genuine USGI and shootable. The lend lease guns have an important story to tell about the worlds affairs and conditions over the years.

I am sure some love to collect maker matched and drawing matched guns, nice hobby if you have the time and money. I personally am just a Plant manager and Quality Engineer for a local custom mfg shop and cannot afford matched part collecting.

My P-38 is an Interarms as well as the HSC I have, the Luger is a Spainish import but German made. The .45 is a Rand with gawd knows what other parts in it as I pieced it together via USGI parts. The K98 I have was made in Austria. By not being so picky and particular, I have been able to collect some nice guns at great prices and they match my MUTT heritage nicely.

I say get what you can afford NOW and be happy that you could do at least that. In 5 years people will be begging for imports of just about anything from anywhere.

Chris_B · February 20, 2010, 04:07 PM

Quote:

My Remark about a resold CMP piece is aimed at the glutony folks at gunbroker and auctionarms that buy a few CMP's and then resell a cpl to make a quick profit. I see them all the time and people that know, know they are CMP, the ones who do not even know about CMP are dupped into paying $1000 for a $595 gun.

I hear ya! I see M1s less pretty than mine with 1300, 1500 price tags and I shake my head

I know a guy who gets CMP rifles and then makes them 'correct' with the right parts, re-works the wood and then re-sells them, and that's not too bad I guess because he makes an effort to make his profit but still, that's not what the CMP is for. He's not out for something for nothing, but if his buyers weren't so eager to lose money they could do what he does and still spend less

February 19, 2010, 05:53 PM	#1
EdInk Senior Member Join Date: May 27, 2009 Posts: 3,968	Where can I find? Where can I find an inexpensive M-1 Garand? I've heard of a civilian marksmanship program, info? The NRA user to sell surplus 1911s and other guns. Do they still do this for members? Websites? It doesn't have to be perfect but I'd like it to be decent. Thanks in advance. __________________ Sic Semper Tyrannis

February 19, 2010, 06:20 PM	#3
EdInk Senior Member Join Date: May 27, 2009 Posts: 3,968	Cheapest on there is $495. __________________ Sic Semper Tyrannis

February 19, 2010, 07:35 PM	#4
Tom2 Senior Member Join Date: June 23, 2004 Location: Ohio Posts: 5,676	The SOG link you gave was for a dealer log on. There are no "cheap" Garands anymore. But I suppose it depends on your definition of cheap. Maybe you can find a good deal from an individual, but any that are being sold cheap by distributers or dealers are gonna be having problems, I suspect. __________________ Your gun is like your nose, it is just wrong for someone else to pick it for you!

February 19, 2010, 08:24 PM	#5
EdInk Senior Member Join Date: May 27, 2009 Posts: 3,968	That is what I suspected. __________________ Sic Semper Tyrannis

February 20, 2010, 08:11 AM	#7
UpandAtIt Junior member Join Date: February 14, 2010 Posts: 233	Right now, based on current sales, not even sales from 3-6 months ago, if you pay less than $900 for a garand you are either getting a CMP Rack/Service Grade being resold for a quick profit, a bring home that someone forgot in gramps old stuff or it is an import from a lend lease program. In any event, they are great rifles and even if you buy a dud or one that needs work there are numerous places to get USGI parts and accessories. I got my M1 Carbine (Blue Sky Imports) for $375 last year (better than CMP Rack or service grade), my M1 Garand for $575 and was a Greek re-import but in really good condition. The 1903/A3 I bought from a dang masonic lodge for $75.00 and rebuilt it from ground up with a Sarco Kit. The 30-40 Krag was a sporter bought at a gun show that ONLY was changed via the stocks and not the gun then I redid it back into a Military weapon for about $250. The P17 I got on Gunbroker in beat condition (rusted and missing parts) and am slowly rebuilding it, I only paid $100 and the parts into it so far is around $125. There are deals out there you just have to be patient enough to wait. Now if you want a prestine, all matched VINTAGE non-import or non CMP Rack/Service grade Garand, be prepaird to pay upwards to $3000 and even more for the sniper versions. For me, I am just happy to own working and safe guns from our history. The prices are going up, they will keep going up and when they are gone, they will go nuts like it did for the Johnson Rifle. I remember when Johnsons were sold by Sarco and Numrich for $149. Now try touching one for under $3000. Heck look at the SKS, not just a few years ago they were sold for $100 from Century and SOG and such, now even those things are being sold for $300 and more. I think the next big set of imports will be the Mausers and Enfields from South Africa, lord knows what they actually have down there. If I had to pick just one C&R to buy right now, it would be a decent K31 and the accessories. Those things are gonna go right though the roof when they are totally dried up. They already are rising in price as fewer and fewer are left. I got two, one with walnut and one with birch and they both are just perfect tack drivers out to 150 yards w/o a scope. SO...get what you can NOW and do not bitch and moan about the price right now, 5 years from now you will pat yourself on the back for getting that $500 - $1000 Garand. CMP Rack/Service Grade are good guns and I feel much under graded, they always seem better than the pictures and descrioptions. If you can go to the Store in Ohio, it is just an amazing experience. Yes, it can take up to 4 months to get one. Yes, you must pay up front. Yes, you are at the mercy of the luck of the draw. I have yet to be disatisfied with any item I have gotten from CMP. I have however been highly disappointed by guns from Century, J&G, SAMCO, SOG and a few others. I am still trying to figure out WHY Thompson dewat kits went from $80 to now close to $1000 ever since Private Ryan and Code Talkers came out. BUY NOW and Laugh to the bank in 2015 Last edited by UpandAtIt; February 20, 2010 at 08:19 AM.

February 19, 2010, 06:04 PM	#2
Clark500 Senior Member Join Date: February 12, 2010 Posts: 168	SOG has them. http://www.southernohiogun.com/index.php/

February 19, 2010, 09:16 PM	#6
Chris_B Senior Member Join Date: February 9, 2007 Posts: 3,101	CMP is easy to join and has rifles: http://www.thecmp.org/m1garand.htm Here is my 595 dollar CMP 'Service Grade' rifle, a Springfield Armory receiver (1944) and a Springfield Armory barrel (1946). All parts are now SA; it had an HRA trigger group when I got it. The buttstock is the one I received with the rifle. It is USGI, and was scarred, dented, and black. The receiver was re-parked. I didn't take any pics out of the box, but I should have. This pic is the nearest one I have, it's after I cleaned the wood. I replaced both the handguards with USGI pieces I found at shows (I bought the rifle in 2008). The M1907 sling is a repro I got for 20 bucks, The rear handguard was 10 bucks, the front was 30. I did a lot of work to the buttstock, but it has just a boiled linseed oil finish I tracked down a WWII lockbar sight, correct for the time the rifle was made, and that was by far the most money I've spent on it- 120 bucks. I didn't need it, the post-war sight I got with it is great The rifle shoots well and looks great. The Service Grades they sell now, I think, have new wood. I think 595 bucks is a pretty good deal for an M1 and the CMP really stands behind their sales

February 20, 2010, 09:08 AM	#8
Chris_B Senior Member Join Date: February 9, 2007 Posts: 3,101	I always wonder about "all matching" and collecting. Yes, my M1 is 'all SA' but the drawing numbers aren't all correct for the receiver's age and the barrel isn't "right" based on year. Who cares? I didn't go out of my way to find my SA parts, I didn't really go looking at all. If I stumble across a 'correct' bolt that works as well as mine, I probably will get it I collect some US militaria and my opinion is that folks get way too involved with "correct" numbers and parts. There were exactly zero supply sergeants in WWII who would have looked at a Winchester M1 and yelled "you ugly dumb sonovabitch! There's a Springfield oprod in the your Winchester and it's got a type II lockbar! Gimme five tours of the parade ground harch! And then we'll see who owns all th' foxholes on this base!" I even see this with vehicles. So that '42 MB has a '45 spindle? In 1945, they would have stopped crossing Europe to get a 'correct' YOM spindle on that jeep?? People get way too involved with "collector's grade" M1 rifles in my opinion. They were US military arms. Unless there's a hole in your real collection of various M1s, then worrying about 'correct' might be a waste of time and effort. Some people like the challenge of finding the parts and that's OK too UpandAtIt: I would like to make two points. I'm sure your BlueSky import is a nice rifle. But in regards to "better" than a CMP rifle...that BlueSky is import marked. CMP rifles are not, at least I have never heard of or seen or read about even a rumor of CMP rifles being import marked. To many people, this does not matter. I have a WWII P.38 that is import marked and I don't give a hoot. But some people do. I just wanted to mention the import mark situation The other thing I'd like to mention is that in the photos above that I have posted, that is a CMP Service Grade. The CMP is selling them for 595 dollars, follow the link I provided above. Not 'from the CMP and resold for a quick profit', directly from the CMP My rifle was nearly a 'correct' grade when I got it. There's an overlap in the grades. A "Poor" Service Grade can be nearly identical to a "Good" Field Grade. I think Service Grade is the most 'bang for the buck' and the prices are the same as two years ago. People should remember, when you buy from the CMP, you are buying the metal and the wood is a bonus. Some folks get astoundingly lucky with CMP wood. I've seen cartouched correct SA/GAW stocks on CMP field and service grades, although I think that era is over. There is a certain 'luck of the draw' with CMP rifles, but if folks take a good look at the grade rating system, then they will understand what they will get, instead of having a shock when they open the box. It's only natural to show photos of a nice M1. People probably see my rifle and think "Oh, that's what a CMP service grade looks like" but they need to bear in mind that that's not how it showed up at my door! It was worse looking than in my first photo, all the wood was dog-doo brown and it was dented and scarred

February 20, 2010, 03:26 PM	#9
UpandAtIt Junior member Join Date: February 14, 2010 Posts: 233	Yes, I know "Blue Sky Imports" was an Import, I did not get my carbine from CMP. It is in much better condition than any from CMP I have seen. I got it from L&S Supply and only after I assured him I would not bitch and moan about an import mark from Blue Sky. He wanted it out of his hands almost like it had the plague, for me I was happier than ever that I even got a real M1 carbine and did not settle like some do on an Iver Johnson or even worse a Universal. My Remark about a resold CMP piece is aimed at the glutony folks at gunbroker and auctionarms that buy a few CMP's and then resell a cpl to make a quick profit. I see them all the time and people that know, know they are CMP, the ones who do not even know about CMP are dupped into paying $1000 for a $595 gun. I do not care what I have has import marks or not, they are REAL GI, import or re-patriated or rebuilt by me. I do care that they ARE genuine GI, mis-matched as hell, I do not care as long as it is safe, genuine USGI and shootable. The lend lease guns have an important story to tell about the worlds affairs and conditions over the years. I am sure some love to collect maker matched and drawing matched guns, nice hobby if you have the time and money. I personally am just a Plant manager and Quality Engineer for a local custom mfg shop and cannot afford matched part collecting. My P-38 is an Interarms as well as the HSC I have, the Luger is a Spainish import but German made. The .45 is a Rand with gawd knows what other parts in it as I pieced it together via USGI parts. The K98 I have was made in Austria. By not being so picky and particular, I have been able to collect some nice guns at great prices and they match my MUTT heritage nicely. I say get what you can afford NOW and be happy that you could do at least that. In 5 years people will be begging for imports of just about anything from anywhere. Last edited by UpandAtIt; February 20, 2010 at 03:33 PM.