Garand Purchase and the CMP, Worth It?

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Nalapombu

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Hey,

I have nosed around the CMP site and read a lot about Garands and 03 Springfields for a while now. It always tempts me to get one of the Garands but I never have done it. One thing is that I don't know enough about the Garands to know what one I should get or try to get, which one is better to get, etc..
I also don't think I have a range in my area that would allow me to qualify si I would have to travel a bit to get that part of it done.
I know that none (or very few) of the Garands are all original and the same goes for the collectibility of them. I get the feeling that they are selling rifles that are meant to be shot, not hung on a wall. That is what I would do with it too, shoot it.
I just have the hankering to get a Garand and have one that has a bit if history added to it. Is it worth going through the CMP or would it be better and more cost effective to just find one on the auction sites and buy it from there?
What do you think about gettng the Garands through the CMP and what one should you get if you were going to get one (service or rack grade, Win, Intern. Harvest, Spring. etc...)

Nala
 
Got mine through the CMP and would do it again.

Great shooters. And by age alone you know they're going to have some history. Both of the ones they sent me are circa late 1944 and one has an anchor on the receiver indicating Danish navy (obviously bought Danish). The only drawback to the Danes is the increased likelihood (okay, damn near guarantee) of having non-US parts. But then, getting the USGI isn't going to guarantee that either and you're out an additional C-note as well.

If you just want the receiver to add your own stock, etc, go with the rack grade. If you want a shooter outta the box, go with the service grade. That's what I did.

And I haven't looked back since. If you want a Garand, go the CMP route. Unless you are specifically looking for a collector's all parts matching, you'll not find one is as good a condition for the price. Same goes for buying the new ones from Springfield. They're almost twice as much and there's no history.

Go ahead. Do it. :cool:
 
For a casual shooting iron ya can't beat those Danish rack grade Garands. The service grades will last you a little longer cause the barrel will be in better shape, but either should give you 4" or so at 100 yards, which is better than most people can shoot. But a shootable, servicable $400 or $500 garand is nothing to pass up.

As for which receiver, unless you're collecting it doesn't matter. All should be servicable. So go with SA as they're the cheapest.

& the CMP will be cheaper than any other place you can find a Garand, so don't think there are $500 or $600 shooters just waiting for you at the local gun shops. Ya want economy, go with the CMP.

On the CMP site there should be links to CMP affiliated clubs in your area. If any club in your area has a link they should have a list of High Power matches. All you need to qualify for the CMP is a 50 shot match (if I recall correctly) & membership in a CMP approved gun club. So if you want to do it cheaply, join the Garand Collectors association (around $25) & shoot in a match. Most clubs have loaners you can shoot the match with. It doesn't matter if it's a Garand, M1A, or an AR as long as you put 50 rounds downrange (although I'd recommened shooting an 80 round match so you can get the full experience). & some clubs have special CMP matches designed so people like yourself can shoot your 50 rounds w/o the pressure of an actual match. It'll cost you roughly around $25 for the match fees & about $22 in ammo assuming they sell mil-surp .30-06 & you're shooting an '06. So $47 for the match & $25 for the Garand Collectors Association. Considering you get to shoot 80 rounds (plus 8 sighters) in a match & have access to the GCA member benefits I'd say it's a fair bargain.

& what a lot of people do is order the cheapest Garand than can get through the CMP & then spend cash at a gunsmith to get it up to their standards. What a Garand will do is onyl dependant on your cash & your imagination. But there are a lot of 'smiths who offer CMP-type packages to get the Garand in shape & passably accurate for casual matches (around 2" to 3" moa) as well as serious match rifle upgrade packages. Plus you've got bored people like McCann who messed around & started building Garands in .338 Win Mag!

So check into those ranges that have matches in your area. I doubt you'll regret it.
 
Buy a Garand from CMP and you can shoot it AND still hang it on the wall! An all original Garand may not be the best shooter. Plus, put them side by side and only a hard core Garandite will check the parts to see if it's all original.
 
Sir - yes you should qualify to buy from CMP and buy a Garand, support civilian marksmanship training, and do everything you can to make sure the best available kids sign up for military service.

The Danish rifles can be nice but will require a lot more work to clean. They cost less for a reason. The Springfield Armory Service Grade is most available and most popular. The worst Service Grade I've gotten is well worth the money and the best is really good. Lots of people get rifles that are arsenal rebuilt and in great shooting conition. he wood is almost always the weak point, but even so many shoot great.

The gun show rifles in the same price range as CMP often are either beat up imports, or have worn barrels. Four out of five times, when I pull out a Throat Erosion gage to check one, the owner will tll me the number, and it's usually high or very high - that's why they're selling it.

How's this for $520 delivered from CMP? It's worth it.
588_LS_2.jpg
 
Hi Nala,
After getting a CMP M1903 & M1903A3, I ordered a Service Grade HRA M1 Garand (ordered mid June, rcvd early July). I can get 1.75MOA at 100yds off bags using Danish. I highly recommend getting a Service Grade from the CMP. Also, a match would be a great learning experience, but if there are none close by, you can qualify for the marksmanship reqmt' by taking certain NRA courses (Basic Pistol for ex.). Just drop the CMP an email first to confirm that the course you choose will suffice.
 
You should get one, no question about it. They are shooters. If you are worried about collectability, then get a CMP service grade to shoot and order an extra receiver. Then spend all of your money getting matching parts for the era. The Garand I received looks great and shoots great too. Plus who can resist the -ping- sound?
 
Garand Purchase and the CMP, Worth It?
Click to expand...
:) Hell yes it's worth it!
While true that it is a gamble what condition your rifle will be, you are assured of having a functional rifle at half the price you would expect to pay anywhere else. You could turn around and sell it for twice what you paid for it. Besides that, you know you are getting the real deal, a rifle carried by our own HEROS.
 
In one word:

YES ! ! ! !

Where else can you get a piece of history, and a good shootable one, at that ? ? ? ?

As originally made, .30-06, speedy reloads with en-bloc clips, and VERY functional.

MY FAVORITE "BATTLE RIFLE".
 
1 3/4" group at 100 yards with a plain service grade M1? Man, better take that to Camp Perry.......you'd beat all those guys using match grade rifles.
 
CMP Garands have been armory maintained and stored, so you get a level of maintenance and quality control that you cannot be assured of with a purchase from a store or individual.

As to the price, the price that CMP charges for Garands establishes the base line from which others price theirs. You rarely will see one priced less than CMP, except for some that are sold with CAI commercial receivers, and a lot of bad stuff has been written about CAI receivers on the various forums.

I would go with a service grade to get a barrel in better condition. Danish or not is personal preference. If you want a WWII rifle, go with Springfield Armory or Winchester. IHC's and HRs are mostly, if not all, Korean War vintage. For a first Garand, I would just go SA.
 
YES!

-Figure out a local CMP-qualifying highpower shoot and go shoot -- make sure they can lend you a rifle if you need one
-Join a local CMP-Affiliated club -- Or Join the Garand Collectors Association. http://www.garandcollector.org/
-Get a copy of your Birth Certificate
-Fill out the paperwork and mail it in with your credit card info
-Enjoy receiving the finest battle implement ever devised delivered right to your door.

I've posted it before, and I'll post it again:

8 points in favor of a CMP Garand

1. It's a piece of American history, a fine example of American ingenuity - and delivers a wood & metal connection to USA's proud service to improving humanity
2. Can be used for anything from plinking on up to serious High Power competition
3. Can be used for hunting large animals (be sure to use the right ammo, the pressures of modern factory softpoint hunting ammo can be too high for a Garand)
4. Ammo – You can still find deals on Danish & Korean military 30-06 FMJ. 30-06 ammo will always be available and reloadable.
5. Once they're gone from CMP, they're gone and you'll pay much more than $500 for one
6. Matches - Garand-specific competitions have sprung up all over the country. The Garand match is a great excuse to go to Camp Perry in August and shoot with thousands of the finest men and women in the world
7. An accurate, long-range BATTLE RIFLE with excellent, adjustable, bombproof sites
8. blam-blam-blam-blam-blam-blam-blam-blam-PING!

Get a Garand at www.odcmp.com
 
Steve in Pa,
It's not that dificult or expensive to get a Garand shooting 1 MOA or better groups. I could be mistaken but if I recall it's cheaper to get a Garand down to 1 MOA than any other .30 caliber service rifle. $1,000 or so (including a CMP rifle) should do it. That's about what you'd pay for a really decent AR & about half what you'd pay for a match grade M1A.

& a Garand that shoots 1 1/2" to 2" off the rack isn't that uncommon. I bought a Danish rack grade from a buddy & the first 3 shots I fired from it went into a 1 1/3" group, with the 4th opening it up into 1 1/2'. That was from prone with mil-surp 150 grain ball & it was windy. It will consistently shoot in the 2" to 3" range per clip, sometimes less if I do my part.

The guys at Perry that still use Garands are probably shooting rifles that group 1MOA or so. But the thing is that 1 MOA or 1 3/4 MOA is from a bench at 100 yards, which is a lot different than shooting from prone as your arm loses the last bit of feeling in it (from the sling) & you're trying to find the center of that little black circle at 600 yards. If anyone needs a rifle that will group 6" or less at 600 yards to shoot to their potential, then they would do fine at Perry with damn near any rifle.
 
Buy a garand from CMP?

Yes! Do it now, Do it often!


Mine only shots 4" groups with m2 ball ammo, but I learned a little secret this last weekend: carefully worked up handloads and a tightened up gas cylinder works like magic! I shot several 5 shot groups pushing 2" with handloads before I found a load that will do 1.5" if I do my part.:D
 
Although many gun clubs act as if you have to shoot some sort of special match to qualify there are other ways. I just sent them a print out of the results of a local IPSC match. That qualifies.
 
1 3/4" group at 100 yards with a plain service grade M1? Man, better take that to Camp Perry.......you'd beat all those guys using match grade rifles.
Click to expand...
Exactly.

The best single group I've gotten from any of my eight different Garands was 2.1". And that's for a single 8 round group, not five five shot groups.
 
You're making me want one REAL BAD
Click to expand...
You mean you don't have one yet? :confused:
The pressure is off a little with Klinton and his menace gone for the time being, but the fact remains that the CMP rifle sales program cannot last forever. JUMP ON IT!
 
My M1 will shoot under 3" groups of 100 yards all day. This is an 8-round group.....not the typical 3-round groups.

This pic only has 7-rounds in it, because I had a misfeed which dented the case of #8.
 

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