Big Mike
Member
Has anyone built and M1 Garand? I've noticed the CMP sells stripped receivers. How difficult would it be? Anymore difficult than building an AR? Labor of love?
Building an M1 Garand?
- Thread starter Big Mike
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Unless you have access to the specialized tools needed for rebarreling & (potentially) finish chambering to get headspacing correct, it would probably be cheaper to buy a service grade (if you just want a shooter ...).
If you already have the parts & a good barrel lying around then you might be able to come out ahead, otherwise, I think it would be tough to do it cheaper.
If money is not the driving force, then it should be pretty doable - but at a minimum you'd probably be looking at building/buying/borrowing/renting a receiver wrench, a barrel vise, witness bars, go & no-go gauges, and a finish reamer for the rebarreling and maybe needing a lath for touching up the chamber shoulder to get proper indexing (or paying for a gunsmith to provide the rebarreling service).
Nick
If you already have the parts & a good barrel lying around then you might be able to come out ahead, otherwise, I think it would be tough to do it cheaper.
If money is not the driving force, then it should be pretty doable - but at a minimum you'd probably be looking at building/buying/borrowing/renting a receiver wrench, a barrel vise, witness bars, go & no-go gauges, and a finish reamer for the rebarreling and maybe needing a lath for touching up the chamber shoulder to get proper indexing (or paying for a gunsmith to provide the rebarreling service).
Nick
jpwilly
Member
Ditto that...need lot of tools to do it right! If you already have them or a friend that does and machining experiance you can do yourself Otherwise I'd look into getting the parts together and sending in to a company that specializes in this work!
Champion Choice has the best price for the purchase and installation of a Douglas Match barrel in 30-06. http://www.champchoice.com/detail.php?item=D06610
These barrels are Barnett barrels. If you don't know, Gene Barnett knows M1 and M1a barrels, makes them for Brownells, and others, along with myself, I have used them for decades on my match rifles.
Once you have the barrel installed, the rest is finding the parts and building the rifle.
I would agree that it would be better, and cheaper to start with a CMP rifle that has all the parts. I purchased lots of CMP Garand parts during the evil Clinton years, when parts were cheap. This was due to Evil Clinton turning millions of perfectly good Garands and M14's into scrap metal.
I have not checked the price of Garand parts, but if they are as expensive as M14 parts, I am sitting on a Gold mine!!
These barrels are Barnett barrels. If you don't know, Gene Barnett knows M1 and M1a barrels, makes them for Brownells, and others, along with myself, I have used them for decades on my match rifles.
Once you have the barrel installed, the rest is finding the parts and building the rifle.
I would agree that it would be better, and cheaper to start with a CMP rifle that has all the parts. I purchased lots of CMP Garand parts during the evil Clinton years, when parts were cheap. This was due to Evil Clinton turning millions of perfectly good Garands and M14's into scrap metal.
I have not checked the price of Garand parts, but if they are as expensive as M14 parts, I am sitting on a Gold mine!!
Having built a number of M1 rifles from the receiver up, I agree that getting the barrel installed, lined up, and headspaced correctly is the most difficult part of the job.
This is more involved than screwing the barrel on a bolt rifle because gas port and gas cylinder spline alignment is critical.
The rest of the build is fitting and assembly.
CMP occasionally sells stripped barrelled receivers and this route would be a better alternative for a new builder.
This is more involved than screwing the barrel on a bolt rifle because gas port and gas cylinder spline alignment is critical.
The rest of the build is fitting and assembly.
CMP occasionally sells stripped barrelled receivers and this route would be a better alternative for a new builder.
ColinthePilot
Member
I looked into it a few years ago, starting with a stripped barreled receiver and it wasn't cost effective to just have a shooter. I bought a complete rifle from CMP and haven't looked back
It's cheaper to buy a complete rifle from the CMP.
Now, if you already had a stripped receiver or, even better, a barrelled receiver, then you could get the parts and do the build. But, add up the cost of the receiver + cost of parts + cost of tools, and you are better off buying a complete rifle.
Now, if you already had a stripped receiver or, even better, a barrelled receiver, then you could get the parts and do the build. But, add up the cost of the receiver + cost of parts + cost of tools, and you are better off buying a complete rifle.
Swampy
Member
Agree 100%....
Best regards,
Swampy
Garands forever
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