Garand vs SKS

[bannockburn]

I grew up around M1s and have to got to say they are way more fun to shoot than any SKS I have tried. There's just something very satisfying about firing 8 rounds then hearing that most excellent "PING" sound when the clip ejects!

 

[ApacheCoTodd]

I wonder if by "taking his chances" he isn't really commenting upon having to take what you get as to appearance/*condition* rather than that he may be commenting upon quality.

Paying potentially more to have it in-hand prior to paying - more or less. And NOT, that CMP might sell him a turd.

Todd.

 

[ford8nr]

Never knew anyone who got a turd from the CMP.
You can always go to one of their stores to touch them and pick your own.

 

[ApacheCoTodd]

Never knew anyone who got a turd from the CMP.
You can always go to one of their stores to touch them and pick your own.

No one said CMP had turds.

Too, statistically, very few can in practical scenarios simply drop by the CMP locations.

Todd.

 

[ford8nr]

I stand corrected.
Mis-read your post

 

[d2wing]

I still plan to pick up a Garand, but the thing about those is, you don’t see ‘em every day. I realized, thanks to the replies on this thread, that I was forcing myself into a corner unnecessarily. If I have no qualms about dropping $1k on a Garand (seems I can take my chances from CMP for, say, $750, or pay a little more for a sure thing) then why not pick up an SKS now while I can get one cheap? Even if I use them in the same “role,” plinking a couple times a year, there’s no good reason not to try both.

Congrats on getting a what you want. You really don't need to justify your decision. Some of us tend to be opinionated.

 

[WisBorn]

How hard/hurtles do you have to cross to obtain a Garand through the CMP?

 

[ford8nr]

Be a member of an affiliated club (some have online memberships for this purpose) submit paperwork, wait

 

[Gary W. Strange]

I have a sks and a Garand. I bought a sks for $75.00, many years ago. I bought the Garand through the CMP several, several years ago. I like them both but if I could only have one, it would be the Garand. While the sks will do everything it was made to do, it is like a utility gun. It feels that way. To me skss were made to put a gun in as many soldiers has, as cheap as possible. They are good firearms and go bang every time you pull the trigger. You can tell they were made to give to soldiers that had no real value to their country other than to just stop a bullet and to fill the needs, for a firearm just as simple as could be. The Garand on the other hand feels like a lot of effort was put into them, from a nation that wanted to issue it’s soldiers the best it possibly could. The Garand has a solid feel to it. There is a lot of machining on them. Even on the later ones that used the stamped trigger guard. There is just no other gun like the M1 Garand. If you handle a Garand side by side with most any military rifle, the Garand will stand out head and shoulders above them all. My Father was in WWII and I heard him talk about M1 Garands while I was growing up. He and most all of the greatest generation staked their lives on them and you hear them say how good of a firearm they were. They believed in them. Just trying to see the M1 Garand from my Father’s eyes makes me realize the same. There is nothing like it. I don’t know what the CMP offers now. The used to sell a select grade, it was completely rebuilt, with correct parts, had a new barrel and stock. They are very nice, if you don’t know and watch out what you are buying, you can get one that is just put together with any parts someone can get their hands on and you could end up with a gun that is not safe to shoot. Just look over or have someone that knows look it over for you. There are many dishonest dealers out there that will stick you with a Frankenstein gun. Just be careful and buy from a repeatable dealer.

 

[theotherwaldo]

I have picked up five different flavors of SKSs for about the same total price as the current going price of one Garand. I really like my Garand but I find the SKSs to be more accessible and much easier to train someone to shoot adequately. I'm also less concerned about trusting an SKS to the hands of a clumsy neophyte... .

 

[ApacheCoTodd]

I have picked up five different flavors of SKSs for about the same total price as the current going price of one Garand. I really like my Garand but I find the SKSs to be more accessible and much easier to train someone to shoot adequately. I'm also less concerned about trusting an SKS to the hands of a clumsy neophyte... .

There's a take on *fun* that I hadn't contemplated.

Completely sensible.

Todd.

 

[Mosin77]

I have nothing at all against the CMP, and I know their Garands are top quality, as shooters. My thought is, even a CMP Garand is not “cheap,” so, why not spend a bit more and get one that has a WW2 era receiver, or bar lock sights, or a pretty stock, etc. I might get those from a CMP Garand but it’s really luck of the draw... and yeah, unfortunately picking one out in person just isn’t an option for me. So I’ll save my pennies and wait, and probably have one before the year’s out.

 

[Riomouse911]

I had an SKS back in the early 1990’s, when pallet loads of Chinese imports were sold for about 95 bucks at every gun store in the land.

Meh. It was ok, but it went away to a new owner about 25 years ago without me ever caring to replace it.

I wouldn’t sell, trade or give away either of my Garands . A 1980 Yugo VS. a 1968 Camaro... no contest.

Stay safe.

 

[Nuclear]

I've owned both, got the SKS when they were cheap, and the M1 Garand when it was much less expensive than they are now.

The SKS threw shotgun patterns, the M1 shot groups you could cover with your hand. The SKS had a crappy trigger, questionable sear engagement and a safety that only blocked the trigger from being pulled. The M1 is heavy, and recoils more than the SKS, has a good trigger and sights.

Yeah, 30-06 is more expensive than 7.62x39, duh. But before I got rid of the SKS, I shot the M1 every time I went shooting, and the SKS sat at home. I had guns that were light recoiling that I shot more than th SKS.

I'd get the CMP M1 before they run out of them long before I'd buy another SKS. Now that I think about it, I'd buy almost any rifle before the SKS.

 

[MechAg94]

I have nothing at all against the CMP, and I know their Garands are top quality, as shooters. My thought is, even a CMP Garand is not “cheap,” so, why not spend a bit more and get one that has a WW2 era receiver, or bar lock sights, or a pretty stock, etc. I might get those from a CMP Garand but it’s really luck of the draw... and yeah, unfortunately picking one out in person just isn’t an option for me. So I’ll save my pennies and wait, and probably have one before the year’s out.

If the CMP still has the Special Grade M1 Garands, that would be the way to go if you want it looking good. I am not sure if they still have those.

On the SKS side, Classic Firearms has them at $299 which is pretty cheap for a working semi-auto.

 

[fpgt72]

I have nothing at all against the CMP, and I know their Garands are top quality, as shooters. My thought is, even a CMP Garand is not “cheap,” so, why not spend a bit more and get one that has a WW2 era receiver, or bar lock sights, or a pretty stock, etc. I might get those from a CMP Garand but it’s really luck of the draw... and yeah, unfortunately picking one out in person just isn’t an option for me. So I’ll save my pennies and wait, and probably have one before the year’s out.

Some of us don't want a WWII receiver.....Personally I WANT that IH branded rifle. If I was to buy another garand it will be an IH.

 

[ApacheCoTodd]

Some of us don't want a WWII receiver.....Personally I WANT that IH branded rifle. If I was to buy another garand it will be an IH.

True enough.
I have always been an IHC nut since a kid when the local dealer was across the highway from our shop.
I have a Scout, a Loadstar crew-cab, an Original Cub Cadet and revel in my old truck having the best truck motor ever; the last iteration of the 7.3 from IHC.
My Garand is the glaze on the cherry on the icing on the cake that is my IHC infatuation.

Still, always have my eyes open for just the right H&R as well as a replacement for the museum-perfect Beretta that I sold to a friend in a moment of weakness.

To wrap one's head around the state of those Berettas - the perfect ones - imagine if Sig built a Garand. You can tell a perfect Beretta by the sound of the action with your eyes closed.

The only reason that my 1943 Springfield means more to me is that it is a perfect gun from the old DCM and its origin story to me is quite unique. Otherwise, it'd be the IHC - also a DCM gun.

Todd.

 

[illinoisburt]

If you want a safe queen to take to the range occasionally to shoot on a bench, get a Garand. Truck gun to bang plates with cheap ammo, pick the SKS every time.

 

[Terry G]

I went full on lunatic in the C&R Golden Day's. The SKS rifles, both Chinese and Yugoslavian. shoot more accurately than I have read about here. My Son took down his first Whitetail with a Chinese "Paratrooper" at a paced 110 yards with one shot. It's never going to be a target rifle but so what? Lot of fun to shoot. The CMP Garands were $550.00 years ago and have much greater accuracy at distance than any SKS. At 300 yards they both will score on a silhouette but you can add 200 yards to that with the Garand. The Garand is one attention getter, that's for sure.

 

[TexasPatriot.308]

I prefer the Garand action, I have mini 14s and couple M1As. Good options in todays world.

 

[ford8nr]

If you want a safe queen to take to the range occasionally to shoot on a bench, get a Garand.

Off a bench ? You guys have to get off the bench.
I shoot my Garand OFFHAND out to 240 yds

 

[22250Rem]

But some of us senior citizens prefer M-1 Garand "accuracy enhancement" gear. AKA "benchrested", as my offhand ain't what it used to be.
..... Works for SKS's also; but they still can't hope to beat out a good M-1 in the accuracy department, whether offhand or benched. But they're still a great plinker even if they can't match the accuracy & "coolness factor" of the iconic Garand.

 

[Slamfire]

That is what I would recommend. SKS's will only go up in price, and Garands were never, and will never, be cheap. Get them while the gettings good.

I beg to differ.

Back in the mid-1980's M1 Garands could be had for about $300 at the Woolsworth. Stripped receivers were going for around $25 each and a parts kit, under $200.

They will never be that cheap again, but they were relatively cheap once.

I purchased one of those Blue Sky Garands for $300, the best out of a rack of them, and its only major problem was a long gouge in the barrel. Stock was beat to heck and had to be replaced, the bolt was heavily worn and in a box. Even though all those Koreans imports were reparkerized, they were all heavily worn, most of the muzzles resembled blunderbusses,. For the one I purchased the barrel was not that important as I had a Douglas barrel installed.

Again, you make your points though omission. You omitted to mention that SKS's were going for $75 at the time. I bought a $125 nice version, then I bought a $75.00 version which was beat to hell.

Relatively cheap is a relative matter. When you have to rebuild a $300 dollar rifle, it is not cheap.

 

[mustanger98]

Off a bench ? You guys have to get off the bench.
I shoot my Garand OFFHAND out to 240 yds

Back when I was fooling with a Garand, a lot of times I'd stand up and use the hasty sling. My old club's range only went to 100yds. I used to put a few clay birds on the berm... bust those, then go to work on any fragments I could see. Good times.

 

[D.B. Cooper]

and assuming each gun is equally “historically cool,”

Your entire question is predicated on a fallacy. I can't think of any gun anywhere, fielded by any nation at any time, that is more "historically cool" than an M1 Garand.