Talk to me about buying a Garand!

[Prof Young]

Local range has an M1 Garand on the rack. Made in the fifties. Asking $1100. Am thinking about going for it.

I'd like some advice on what to look for when buying a Garand.

Life is good.
Prof Young

[Steve in PA]

CMP is your best deal.....if they are available. Buying from the open market is got to cost you more money......about 2/3 or more money!

[jwamplerusa]

You need to be able to do a thorough inspection of the rifle. You need to find someone with muzzle and throat gauges so you can check the barrel.

If you are only looking for a shooter, and not a collector piece, then your average mixmaster is perfectly acceptable.

For pricing comparisons and conditional pricing go to thecmp.org and review their descriptions of m1 Garand grades and pricing. This will give you a baseline to assess your proposed purchase against.

In today's world there very well may be deals out there. Collections which are being trimmed for money, or rifles which have been passed down due to Covid deaths and present good values for their condition.

If I felt I had extra disposable income I would be on the lookout for such opportunities.

[10-96]

Also, you should read up on how to spot a re-weld. I didn't and my first M1 was a re-weld with a 2-groove barrel. Granted, apparently mine was done quite well and it's a great shooting rifle- it's always going to be in the back of my mind that it could be unsafe and I'll never get my $800 back out of it.

[OldCranky1]

Your best place for a Garand is CMP. If they are open and you are close to the Anniston store I suggest you get your paperwork submitted and plan a trip. I went there back in 2007 planning to buy a Garand and ended up taking two home with me. With CMP you don't have to worry about re-welds and the like and the staff is very helpful in selecting a rifle. When I was there you could use their throat gauge and find a nice barrel.

I bought a couple of Denmark returned rifles, one was a WWII rifle and the other was post war, both Springfield's. They were rack grade but had nice barrels and good stocks. I did replace one of the stocks later on with a replacement stock from CMP. A few years later I ordered an H&R Garand by mail made in the Korean War time frame and it looked almost un-issued.

Good hunting!

['88Scrat]

Yes!

The answer is yes buy a Garand!

+1 for CMP

Got 2 from them and hoping to add a CMP Special when they become available

[Prof Young]

Turns out the rifle in question was originally a CMP buy. I need to go back and check on the grade etc.

Life is good.
Prof Young

[Dfariswheel]

When buying an M1, or most any other shooting firearm, it's condition, condition, condition.
Look for pitting under the wood.

Most all M1's will have been rebuilt at least once in official rebuild programs, and most will have had parts replaced by Ordnance during standard repairs.
So the deciding factor is the overall condition of the entire rifle and the barrel in particular.

Note that the current CMP rifles are those that were given to allies and will have a mix of US and even foreign parts.
A key indication of one of these foreign service rifles is a serial number anywhere except on the heel of the receiver.

If you buy an M1, remember, GREASE is the M1 lubricant. Oil is used to prevent rust or corrosion.

[Twinsig]

Yesterday I happened upon a retired part-time CMP armorer who described the Service designation ($750-ish) had been slightly degraded in recent years due to supply and demand.. (not panic demand but long term)
He suggested the Service Special at around $1000-1100.

[Ignition Override]

Prof Young:
Retail sellers will probably misrepresent some aspect of a Garand.
It can be hard to resist if cash now burns a smoking hole in your pocket.

I heard such convoluted baloney about a Garand--> at a local gun show <--, that it made Bill Clinton's comments, in a Relative sense, seem crystal clear,

Why else would huge numbers of people go through the process of buying from the CMP, then waiting weeks for delivery?

You might already know that the CMP estimates how much ammo was used in each Garand
What retail store would do that, even if they owned the gauges?

[T. O'Heir]

A local gun shop perhaps? Ranges don't sell anything. They're just places to shoot.
I'd be very leery about buying an M1 from just anywhere for all the reasons already mentioned.
"...Retail sellers will probably misrepresent..." Yep. Everything from them saying all the S/N's match(M1 parts numbers have nothing to do with the S/N. They're drawing numbers only.) to all matching parts(highly likely it was made that way by somebody with too much time and money. Weapons techs do not and did not care who made what part.)
"...spot a re-weld..." Most if not all of those are not safe to shoot. Cutting with a torch is not in any way precise. It's very difficult even for a skilled welder, to put a receiver back together.
Buying from the CMP, despite the hoops that need jumping, guarantees the rifle is at least safe to shoot.
Oh and by all means, buy an M1. There's something about an M1 that no other milsurp rifle has. I think it's the perfect balance and not just that JC was born in Canada.

[Nathan]

The problem with Garlands is kind of like the problem with AR’s. It is hard to identify true value. That is where CMP sold rifles are great as they are matched to a grade by someone not seeking profit. They are also built and checked by someone looking to build usable rifles regardless of profit.

Also, in general, CMP rifles ship ready to shoot, regardless of appearance.

A private rifle may have been turned over to a store due to lack of interest or some issue. I’m not sure I can identify an issue like feed issue, bent op rod, etc by looking quick.

That said, a CMP rifle is usually a great deal and a fine shooter. I have an IHC special grade myself. Love it!

They have some Service Grade Springfields now for $750...good deal, I’d say. They also have partial refurb special rack grades for $650. Seems like a nice shooter too.

[Logs]

These were $650 EACH from the CMP a few months ago. NEW Barrel, New Stock and a refinished Springfield Armory Receiver. They are ABSOLUTE Tack Drivers. I changed out one of the gas plugs so I can shoot Remington 30-06 soft point ammo. I am thinking of trying to take a deer with one this year.

[Prof Young]

Still don't know what grade the rifle in question is. Have learned that the seller is selling because he decided he didn't need three garands.

You all are making me think I need to take a serious look at CMP.

T. O'Heir - I've been to six indoor shooting ranges and all were also a gun store. Only shooting range I've been to that was not a gun store too was a state run range in Indiana.

Life is good.
Prof Young

[Logs]

I still say he is over priced unless the TE and ME are under 2 and all the parts are correct.

One thing you can do if they will let you is take a round and put it upside down in the barrel. See photos.

If the bullet goes all the way in and touches brass you will need a new barrel. Also look for any markings under the barrel towards the muzzle. I had ordered a $450 from SOG many years ago and it was what is known as a Blue Sky import. I took it to a gun smith and he said it was not safe to shoot and I was able to return it.

Qualifying for the CMP is not that hard. Military background or you can do a Garand Clinic to get qualified. I did my clinic at Fort Knox for $50 and then drove to the North Store once my paperwork cleared and picked up my first Garand for around $400.

[Prof Young]

First, thanks for all the great info. Am learning a lot about Garands.

Query - What is TE and ME?

I looked at the CMP website and it appears that they don't have a lot of Garands to offer at this point in time.

Life is good.
Prof Young

[Logs]

Throat Erosion - Chamber gauge will measure this and lower the better.
Muzzle Erosion - End of barrel and once again lower is better. 1-2 is really good.

Rifles do not have import marks. Bores will be generally good with only minor imperfections; the barrel crown may be nicked, and the muzzle may gauge more than “3” on muzzle gauge. The Throat Erosion will gauge more than “5”. The overall appearance and condition of the rack grade will generally be rougher than any other grade. Fair condition.

OR

Bores will be generally good with only minor imperfections. The barrel crown may be nicked, but the muzzle will gauge “3 or less” and the throat erosion will gauge less than 5.

OR

The rifle bore will be very good with no significant defects and with a throat erosion of less than 4 and a muzzle wear of 2 or less.

Better the barrel the $$$$ the rifle will be. This is how most rifles are graded along with stock condition.

[Logs]

This is a really good deal for a great shooter Garand. This is what I ordered recently and they come in a really nice case.

RM1SPECIALRACK CMP Special Rack Grade (.30-06) M1 Garand.

This is a partially refurbished rifle with a refinished M1 receiver, new production criterion barrel, new production American Walnut stock and handguards, and new web sling. Receiver is the only part of the rifle that has been refinished. Remainder of the other parts have NOT been refinished.
Receiver will have heavy pitting above the wood line.

Available
$650
Free S/H

4-6 Week Delivery

[Prof Young]

Thanks for the great info.
Will look at CMP again.
Life is good.
Prof Young

[Chipperman]

Have learned that the seller is selling because he decided he didn't need three garands.

Wait... can you restate that using different words, because I'm not sure that combination of words is possible

[wayne in boca]

It certainly doesn't make sense.Maybe it is a translation from Russian.

[bamaranger]

One thing for sure, there are no more "new" Garands. If a guy wants one, do the research, and get one. Eventually, they will be extremely hard to get and very expensive.

[Bart B.]

Originally Posted by Logs

One thing you can do if they will let you is take a round and put it upside down in the barrel.

If the bullet goes all the way in and touches brass you will need a new barrel.

30 caliber bullets have diameters from .307" to .3095".

Does it matter what bullet is used?

[44 AMP]

30 caliber bullets have diameters from .307" to .3095".

Does it matter what bullet is used?

I would say no, its not a precision measurement and since its normally done with service ammunition (in this case .30-06) the extremes of .30 caliber bullet diameters are seldom a factor.

Its a "quick and dirty" field check, only. If the bullet enters the muzzle all the way to the case mouth, the bore is "off normal" oversize. Whether or not its unserviceable is determined with the proper erosion gauge and precise measurement.

Its just common sense, if the bullet goes into the barrel all the way to the case, that means the widest part of the bullet is a "slip fit" in the barrel, and that's not a good thing.

Won't matter much if you're shooting guys 10yds from your foxhole, can make a big difference if you're trying to hit them a couple hundred yards away.

[Bart B.]

Originally Posted by 44 AMP

I would say no, its not a precision measurement and since its normally done with service ammunition (in this case .30-06) the extremes of .30 caliber bullet diameters are seldom a factor.

Its a "quick and dirty" field check, only. If the bullet enters the muzzle all the way to the case mouth, the bore is "off normal" oversize. Whether or not its unserviceable is determined with the proper erosion gauge and precise measurement.

Its just common sense, if the bullet goes into the barrel all the way to the case, that means the widest part of the bullet is a "slip fit" in the barrel, and that's not a good thing.

Won't matter much if you're shooting guys 10yds from your foxhole, can make a big difference if you're trying to hit them a couple hundred yards away.

The bore diameter from throat to muzzle is not .308" if that diameter bullet goes in all the way to the case mouth. If it was, the lands would be gone.