CMP Special Grade....Anybody bought one?

[Nathan]

Anybody bought a CMP Special Grade M1 Garand? How did it shoot? Any need to be tuned or checked over by a gunsmith? What kind of accuracy did you see?

What do they sell for on the open market after being bought from CMP?

[MagnumWill]

The stuff I'm seeing from the CMP these days, also the condition of the guns from the Philippines, and the rate they're trying to get them on shelves, you should have it checked out anyway. I'm sure they're doing things like headspacing properly, but unless they're literally giving the guns a complete resto (trigger housing and pins, re-shaped op rod lug, etc.), caveat emptor.

[HiBC]

First,read CMP's description of a CMP Special. That should answer your questions. They have been reconditioned by CMP with a new Criterion barrel,a new stock,and re-parkerized.

Mine shoots fine.

Mine is not for sale.I did not buy it for market speculation,and,IMO,thats not what the CMP is for. I can't tell you anything about value,other than the mil-surp market has been driven ridiculous.

Mine will go to my Grandson

[1stmar]

I have a special grade in 308. Shoots extremely well. 1.25-1.5” 5 shot groups. Showed real promise so sent it out to have it bedded, unitized etc. solid 1” gun

[Nathan]

I ordered 2. My thought is that if there is some difference, I can pick the better one as a keeper. Most likely, I will keep them both maybe one as a pre-grandson rifle.

I ask about the market more to judge financial risk. I think about that in most decisions.

[agtman]

I have several CMP 'Special' M1s.

Bottom-line: I'd recommend a .308/7.62 'Special' M1 for the simple reason that those Criterion barrels are GREAT shooters. You won't be disappointed.

They do offer 'Specials' with a .30-06 Criterion tube as well, and they likely shoot fine, but the .308 variant makes it easier to source new and less pricey factory or surplus ammo.

[COSteve]

My son and I have a Special Service grade, Criterion barrel, spec'd and repark'd everything, new stock and it shoots significantly better than even my son's pristine, correct grade HRA with a 1+ muzzle. We got the Special Service Grade from CMP back in 2012 for $999 shipped and it was worth every single penny.

We got it as a shooter because the HRA my son found for a song ($452) turned out to be a near Correct Grade (just replaced the gas plug and it's all correct HRA) so now it's too valuable to shoot.

It came from CMP tuned perfectly so it runs like a top. It's also a great shooter and reliable as snot. In all, it's just a beautiful rifle as the stock, once oiled properly, has taken on a great color and depth. If you can get a true Special Service Grade in great condition, it's worth a grand for sure.

[Nathan]

Great! I’m excited to break them in!

Any tips or links on reloading for the Garand?

[Road_Clam]

I have the CMP M1 Special in -06. Very happy with the quality. The CPM gunsmiths do an outstanding job with rebuilding the Specials. You won't find better quality for the $1100. With my 168 gr match handloads my M1 is shooting about 2.5 moa at 200 meters benchrest and with an optic. I wanted to invest in a weekly M1 shooter, i'm not into collectables so hence why I chose the M1 Special

[shafter]

I can't speak about the special grades but the field grades I bought a few years ago were nicer than expected. I imagine a special grade would be really nice.

What I don't care for is people buying them to turn around and sell to make a profit.

[Nathan]

Maybe, I came off wrong....I didn’t buy them just to turn over. I really want to shoot them. There is a difference between being a speculative buyer than someone wondering what the free market value is...

[sarge83]

I have bought field grade and service grade, Garands and M1 carbines, main difference on the Garands were the barrel throat erosion. Still the field grades are the ones I pull out of the safe to shoot.

[COSteve]

Originally Posted by sarge83

I have bought field grade and service grade, Garands and M1 carbines, main difference on the Garands were the barrel throat erosion. Still the field grades are the ones I pull out of the safe to shoot.

Not relevant to the question about a Special Service Grade as they have a new Criterion barrel installed.

[Nathan]

You won't find better quality for the $1100.

$1100?? Man! $1250 now!

With my 168 gr match handloads my M1 is shooting about 2.5 moa at 200 meters benchrest and with an optic.

An optic? How do you put one on?

[1stmar]

http://ultimak.com/BuyM1Garand.htm

Works very well.

[Road_Clam]

Originally Posted by Nathan

An optic? How do you put one on?

I have the FA mount. Very well built and rigid. Only problem is if you have a scope with a windage turret knob that sticks out far you can't insert a traditional 8 round clip. I only use an optic when load testing and I just single feed using a special SLED. On a side note I see the M1 Specials have increased a lot in price. I payed $1039 not too long ago in 2014. Still even for $1250 you're getting a very high quality rifle.

https://www.fulton-armory.com/scopemountw1-inrings.aspx

https://www.fulton-armory.com/faqs/M1G-FAQs/SLED.htm

[agtman]

You won't find better quality for the $1100.

Actually, you can ... but it's on the private GCA market.

$1100?? Man! $1250 now!

The 'market price' for Garands generally is only going up. If you're going to get an M1, I'd highly recommend getting one now.

Worse - in terms of quality - what once might have passed as a mediocre 'Field Grade' M1 is now a 'Service Grade' specimen, which are being built with some amount of commercial parts, not USGI. But even still, the current SGs are nowhere near as nice or as pristine as the SGs of 10-years ago.

With my 168 gr match handloads my M1 is shooting about 2.5 moa at 200 meters benchrest and with an optic.

An optic? How do you put one on?

Anyone seriously into shooting Garands could care less how theirs shoots with a scope off a bench on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Don't mistake an M1 for a bench rest queen.

Nope, if they're serious, they're shooting it with the 'as-issued' iron sights, and they're looking to see how it performs at 200yds, 300yds, and 600-yds from traditional 'service rifle' positions with a sling (standing/off-hand, sitting, and prone).

Anything else, beyond mere function-testing, is just Sunday afternoon make-pretend.

[Road_Clam]

Originally Posted by agtman

Anyone seriously into shooting Garands could care less how theirs shoots with a scope off a bench on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Don't mistake an M1 for a bench rest queen.

Nope, if they're serious, they're shooting it with the 'as-issued' iron sights, and they're looking to see how it performs at 200yds, 300yds, and 600-yds from traditional 'service rifle' positions with a sling (standing/off-hand, sitting, and prone).

Not sure exactly why you're slamming people that use an optic on a Garand. Like I said I use and will continue to use an optic and shoot benchrest for accurate and consistent shots when developing loads. Unless you're a High Master , shooting irons and shooting traditional offhand / sitting / prone introduces unwanted variables. An optic and a rock solid rest removes "some" of the unwanted variables. Other than load development, optics really don't belong on a Garand IMO.

[COSteve]

Originally Posted by agtman

Anyone seriously into shooting Garands could care less how theirs shoots with a scope off a bench on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Don't mistake an M1 for a bench rest queen.

Nope, if they're serious, they're shooting it with the 'as-issued' iron sights, and they're looking to see how it performs at 200yds, 300yds, and 600-yds from traditional 'service rifle' positions with a sling (standing/off-hand, sitting, and prone).

Anything else, beyond mere function-testing, is just Sunday afternoon make-pretend.

Add your 'roll eyes' all you want in your post but actually, you're not correct.

Any CMP shooters, 'serious' shooters as you call them, would have immediately replaced the 'as issued' iron sights with National Match iron sights giving them more precise aiming with their thinner, 0.062" wide front blade, smaller, 0.0595" hooded rear aperture, and 1/2 MOA rear sight adjustments vice the standard 1 MOA found on the 'as issued' rear sight for more precise aiming.

National Match iron sights are required for any serious competitor shooting the M1 Garand in 200, 300, or 600yd CMP events unless they were competing in a John C. Garand competition which has very specific rules. No 'roll eyes' forthcoming.

[agtman]

* * * Unless you're a High Master , shooting irons and shooting traditional offhand / sitting / prone introduces unwanted variables.

Yep, it's called 'work.'

Iron-sighted marksmanship at incremental distances out to what was once called the 'Rifleman's Quarter-mile' (i.e., 500-yds) was a standard measure of achievement and competence with a rifle, as Col. Jeff Cooper noted more than once.

But it took a lot of long hours of practice in hot, sweaty weather to get there.

An optic and a rock solid rest removes "some" of the unwanted variables.

Like the over-caffeinated donut-stuffer working the trigger?

Other than load development, optics really don't belong on a Garand IMO.

Yep, I agree.

[agtman]

Add your 'roll eyes' all you want in your post but actually, you're not correct.

No, actually I'm right, but I'll correct myself on one point that you're right about: I should've included Nat'l Match sights within my reference to iron sights generally, not just USGI sights.

I inherited my Dad's NM M1 and it has exactly those sights, so no issue with that.

Any CMP shooters, 'serious' shooters as you call them, would have immediately replaced the 'as issued' iron sights with National Match iron sights giving them more precise aiming with their thinner, 0.062" wide front blade, smaller, 0.0595" hooded rear aperture, and 1/2 MOA rear sight adjustments vice the standard 1 MOA found on the 'as issued' rear sight for more precise aiming.

Yep, no dispute there.

National Match iron sights are required for any serious competitor shooting the M1 Garand in 200, 300, or 600yd CMP events unless they were competing in a John C. Garand competition which has very specific rules.

Well, beyond 300-yds, yes.

The JCG Match is a 200yd Match, although I've seen better shooters than me dialing in tight groups at 300-yds with only G.I. sights and shooting decent ammo.

Where the NM sights are really effective is past 500-yds - 600yds out to 1K yds, which most here would not attempt unless they were shooting an M1D.

[COSteve]

You must be young. As we get more 'seasoned' (yep, turned 71 last week) we really need the smaller aperture to increase our Depth of Field so the targets are more clear; even on the 200yd targets. Don't worry, you'll get there too some day and need every advantage you can get.

[Road_Clam]

Originally Posted by agtman

Anyone seriously into shooting Garands could care less how theirs shoots with a scope off a bench on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Don't mistake an M1 for a bench rest queen.

Nope, if they're serious, they're shooting it with the 'as-issued' iron sights, and they're looking to see how it performs at 200yds, 300yds, and 600-yds from traditional 'service rifle' positions with a sling (standing/off-hand, sitting, and prone).

Anything else, beyond mere function-testing, is just Sunday afternoon make-pretend.

Seeing as how you're so hostile over a Garand with an optic, i'll just post this here for you to spit on :




Dam, it sure is sweet for the "non purists" to look at !

[COSteve]

Originally Posted by Road_Clam

Unless you're a High Master, shooting irons and shooting traditional offhand / sitting / prone introduces unwanted variables.

I get what you're saying concerning optics and I don't have anything against them. However, there are many of us who like to shoot with National Match style irons specifically because it is hard. Harder to shoot at length than with a scoped rifle. Harder to shoot well because you have to pay attention to all of the fundamentals.

Even though I have a couple of ARs that are very accurate (my scoped 20" A4 with my 68grn Hornady handloads will produce 5/8" groups at 100yds and I use it shooting at medium sized apples at 400 yds) neither is as much fun to shoot as my M1 Garands, M1 Carbines, M1A, or Mini-14.

I think they are so accurate that you can get away with some amount of sloppy shooting and still be respectable while the conventional rifles require you to be mindful of all the fundamentals and work a bit harder for good results. That's what I like about them, they are more difficult to use well so I have to pay attention and not get complacent.

I see many younger shooters today spending a ton of $$ on accurizing their ARs and then accepting 'decent' groups from them and walking away. Not trying to learn and practice all the fundamentals needed to shoot better and realize the full potential of their rifles. Relying on the rifle's accuracy instead of their fundamentals to do the job. It's a lazy way of shooting but that sums up many shooters these days.

[1stmar]

I have both and use both i shoot virtually as well with irons as i do with a scope. However my vision precludes me from shooting irons for an extended period of time. I enjoy shooting both, irons a bit more. Call it sacrilege if you want, couldnt care less, i enjoy shooting the m1 and im going to get the most out of it.