I just bought a M1 Garand 30-06 made by CAI made in USA. It is stamped on left side of reciever instead of the rear. I had heard they are newer recievers with Milsurp parts. Basicly a parts gun. It looks like it was fully reparked but the stock is waisted. Does anyone know any info on these like: Are the recievers good? safe to shoot, anything will help. Also some parts are stamped BMB which I heard was a Danish mark? Please let me know. Thank you. John
CAI M1 Garand. need info on these?
- Thread starter johnggrg
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BMB is an Italian Garand marking.
It stands for, Breda Meccanica Bresciana.
Century bought all the Danish issue M1 Garands that were not returned to the US Government and imported them to Canada.
Lend Lease rifles had to be returned to the US government but FMAP, Map and Italian contract rifles could be sold on the open market.
Since the complete rifles could not be sold in the USA, they broke the rifles down into parts and reassembled them using an investment cast, US made receiver.
Opinions of the assembled rifles leans from OK for a shooter to do not buy for any reason.
We bought several for sale in the shop I work for and personally I wasn't too impressed but I am a Mil-Spec all GI issue kinda guy so my opinion is biased.
There are some good parts on these rifles and some rare parts too, including uncut operating rods and rare wartime small parts.
Some of the parts can justify buying the rifle if you know what you are looking at.
The gas cylinders were all well within Military specification for serviceability on the rifles I have gauged but they were finished in a weird gray parkarizing or paint finish that I had not seen before.
The wood was all pretty beat up and could run from beech to birch to WW2 walnut complete with remnants of the ordinance markings.
All the buttstocks I inspected had the serial number of the rifle they were once attached to stamped deeply on the bottom of the buttstock just in front of the rear sling swivel.
All in all these can be some decent parts rifles especially if you know what to look for. HTH
It stands for, Breda Meccanica Bresciana.
Century bought all the Danish issue M1 Garands that were not returned to the US Government and imported them to Canada.
Lend Lease rifles had to be returned to the US government but FMAP, Map and Italian contract rifles could be sold on the open market.
Since the complete rifles could not be sold in the USA, they broke the rifles down into parts and reassembled them using an investment cast, US made receiver.
Opinions of the assembled rifles leans from OK for a shooter to do not buy for any reason.
We bought several for sale in the shop I work for and personally I wasn't too impressed but I am a Mil-Spec all GI issue kinda guy so my opinion is biased.
There are some good parts on these rifles and some rare parts too, including uncut operating rods and rare wartime small parts.
Some of the parts can justify buying the rifle if you know what you are looking at.
The gas cylinders were all well within Military specification for serviceability on the rifles I have gauged but they were finished in a weird gray parkarizing or paint finish that I had not seen before.
The wood was all pretty beat up and could run from beech to birch to WW2 walnut complete with remnants of the ordinance markings.
All the buttstocks I inspected had the serial number of the rifle they were once attached to stamped deeply on the bottom of the buttstock just in front of the rear sling swivel.
All in all these can be some decent parts rifles especially if you know what to look for. HTH
I have heard that some of those rifles failed headspace checks (an assembly problem), but otherwise have not heard of any serious problems. Onmilo seems to assume that the only purpose they can serve is to be broken up for parts, but I have seen some that were good shooters and seemed to hold up OK.
Cast receivers, of themselves, are not bad. Springfield Armory receivers are cast as are Ruger rifles and all handguns but the .22 auto.
I would not buy one if I could get a GI and mostly US gun from CMP.
Jim
Cast receivers, of themselves, are not bad. Springfield Armory receivers are cast as are Ruger rifles and all handguns but the .22 auto.
I would not buy one if I could get a GI and mostly US gun from CMP.
Jim
Here's what Fulton Armory says about the CAI Garands in the form of a tech inspection:
http://www.fulton-armory.com/CAI-TI.htm
http://www.fulton-armory.com/CAI-TI.htm
I assume nothing and I did say I was biased.
A CAI M1, like a Springfield Inc. M1, will never be the equal of what it aspires to be,,,,the genuine article.
At least the CAI rifles have some pretty excellent parts hanging off of them and when you can buy a rifle for $350.00 and potentially sell the uncut -9 operating rod attached to that rifle for $350.00 I say why not!
A CAI M1, like a Springfield Inc. M1, will never be the equal of what it aspires to be,,,,the genuine article.
At least the CAI rifles have some pretty excellent parts hanging off of them and when you can buy a rifle for $350.00 and potentially sell the uncut -9 operating rod attached to that rifle for $350.00 I say why not!
offthepaper
Member
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- Dec 5, 2005
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Quote:
"A CAI M1, like a Springfield Inc. M1, will never be the equal of what it aspires to be,,,,the genuine article."
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Enough said.
"A CAI M1, like a Springfield Inc. M1, will never be the equal of what it aspires to be,,,,the genuine article."
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Enough said.
mustanger98
Member
Re: CAI cast receivers...
I've heard a lot of stuff... either they're real good or it's a horror story. The rest of the parts... if they're USGI or Italian, they're fine. My CMP Danish service grade has a mix of US and Italian parts and it run real purty. But it's on a 1943 US Springfield receiver and trigger group and WRA bolt.
I've heard a lot of stuff... either they're real good or it's a horror story. The rest of the parts... if they're USGI or Italian, they're fine. My CMP Danish service grade has a mix of US and Italian parts and it run real purty. But it's on a 1943 US Springfield receiver and trigger group and WRA bolt.
I have one.
It has a low serial number at 002xx . The reciever looks crud but it functions just fine.Out of the total of about 400rds I have put through it so far I had only 2 jams while using badly tarnished U.S surplus FA ammo made in 1939. The accuracy is not that great (8 rds into 4 1/2 inches at 100 yards) but I think that is due to bedding problems.
Just git it checked out by a good gunsmith and if it checks out, injoy.
P.S. Does the rear sight aperture wiggle around?
It has a low serial number at 002xx . The reciever looks crud but it functions just fine.Out of the total of about 400rds I have put through it so far I had only 2 jams while using badly tarnished U.S surplus FA ammo made in 1939. The accuracy is not that great (8 rds into 4 1/2 inches at 100 yards) but I think that is due to bedding problems.
Just git it checked out by a good gunsmith and if it checks out, injoy.
P.S. Does the rear sight aperture wiggle around?
Kaeto
Member
I have one of those put together from parts Garands and it shoots like a dream.
a couple of years back CAI was selling good to very good garand parts kits complete less receiver for $250 and sarco had cast receivers for $100,
one could guess that CAI figured it could make more money by assembling the kits and selling them, but I don't know, I've never fired one,
I've have fired one assembled on the sarco receiver (that had some additional buffing and smoothing before assembly) and it functioned just like any other garand I've ever shot, and looked very good after it was reparked black and the stock refinished,
but it also wasn't assembled by the monkeys at CAI either.
one could guess that CAI figured it could make more money by assembling the kits and selling them, but I don't know, I've never fired one,
I've have fired one assembled on the sarco receiver (that had some additional buffing and smoothing before assembly) and it functioned just like any other garand I've ever shot, and looked very good after it was reparked black and the stock refinished,
but it also wasn't assembled by the monkeys at CAI either.
Well I took a look at some of the parts. The barrel is marked RSC 1955. The trigger housing is marked D28290-WRA. OP rod marked but can't make it out looks to have been grinded there. A few other parts including the gas cylinder marked BMB. What does RSC on the barrel stand for? John
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