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Posted: 10/3/2025 11:25:07 AM EDT
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$800 + shipping and online club fee for a "field" grade M1 Garand? I am not sure if that's considered a deal or not, and what those grade guns are looking like these days. I remember when $800 would buy you a decent rifle in wear and fit / finish. Is the expert grade the way to go in your opinion since you get a new barrel / stock and can get it chambered in 308, or is there still value in buying the mystery / luck of the draw field grade? I know someone who is obsessed with the 30-06 garands because it's the only semi auto rifle caliber where high quality and reasonably priced AP ammo can still be sourced. He claims he's seen videos where WWII black tip 30-06 out penetrated modern 308 AP!! Seems like a stretch? |
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To me they absolutely are. However, when I get a hankering for another Garand, I will make the 10-hour drive to Anniston and pick out one or three to take home with me. Also consider this. Sarco has M1 Garand parts kits with a mix of USGI and repro parts sans receiver for $800. |
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I'd say the key reason to buy from CMP is they are trustworthy. In the unlikely case where there is something is wrong with the rifle you get, they will fix it. Really fix it. I cannot say that about rifles purchased from a private party or even those purchased through a gun store. There are too many people who tinker once they get the rifle. |
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Condition - condition - condition ......... I guess I should ask how many do you want to buy over the next 10 years or so. If you're only going to buy one I would strongly consider an Expert Grade. Better finish on metal parts, new stock, new Criterion barrel. $800 for a field grade vs. $1,150 - $1,250 for an Expert Grade. The Expert Grade is a really nice rifle. I have three expert grades and two service grades. Three in 30-06 and two in 308. They all make a lot of trips to the range. 308 ammo may be a little cheaper but other than that there is not much difference. I travel about 3 hours to the National Matches at Port Clinton each July. I have the option of going to the CMP Store and pick out the one I want. Even thru mail order CMP is the way to go ! Just make sure you read the description of each grade on the CMP web-site. I received an unexpected "windfall" a couple of weeks ago. I see another Expert Grade in my near future  |
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Originally Posted By svt40: To me they absolutely are. However, when I get a hankering for another Garand, I will make the 10-hour drive to Anniston and pick out one or three to take home with me. Also consider this. Sarco has M1 Garand parts kits with a mix of USGI and repro parts sans receiver for $800. How hard are receivers to source at a reasonable price? I want a WWII spec Garand for reenacting, might be better to build than buy a postwar rebuild and swap stuff. I don’t know. |
If you aren't representing Jesus in a way that makes people want to hang out with you, you're doing it wrong.
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Attached File I was at CMP North Yesterday and picked this six digit SA up. Expert grade. Probably missed the good days of the CMP M1’s but I’m still happy I got it. Receiver June 1941. |
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Originally Posted By Sputnik556: How hard are receivers to source at a reasonable price? I want a WWII spec Garand for reenacting, might be better to build than buy a postwar rebuild and swap stuff. I don’t know. The best deal on the market is the reclaimed field grades. Building one will cost you more even with a reclaim receiver at ~$300, assuming you have the tools. |
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Originally Posted By TheNegotiator: I know someone who is obsessed with the 30-06 garands because it's the only semi auto rifle caliber where high quality and reasonably priced AP ammo can still be sourced. He claims he's seen videos where WWII black tip 30-06 out penetrated modern 308 AP!! Seems like a stretch? What is it about powder capacity that you don't understand? |
I sell firearms produced by the finest child labor in the world, be it Filipino, Muslim, Mormon, Arizonan, or Texan.
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Absolutely. Compare the private market with the CMP, and you will find field and service grades for 1500+. Most are CMP rifles that people bought, robbed parts off of, and are reselling. |
3-7-77
Proud Member of the Leather Head Mafia
“In my opinion, the M1 Rifle is the greatest battle implement ever devised” - George S. Patton
Proud Member of the Leather Head Mafia
“In my opinion, the M1 Rifle is the greatest battle implement ever devised” - George S. Patton
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Originally Posted By Sputnik556: How hard are receivers to source at a reasonable price? I want a WWII spec Garand for reenacting, might be better to build than buy a postwar rebuild and swap stuff. I don’t know. If that's the case then a field grade and a Pops blank adapter is perfect. I used my old Bluesky import Garand for re-enacting since the 80's with a .308 chamber insert. |
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Buy their rebuilt rifles that have new barrels and stocks installed. IMO, buying "historically accurate" rifles is not only a waste of recourses, but it ruins the future useability. Newly manufactured barrels are better than anything that was ever issued over 70 years ago. Having basically a new firearm, it will last another 80 years if you maintain it. Any rifle that has been re-barreled is better than a new rifle if the gunsmith is competent. Bolts wear, and it's the result of mating the bolt into the action over time. The locking lugs of their receiver are mated to that bolt. Headspace will grow over time, but the new barrel mated to the worn bolt will hold headspace much longer than the original rifle because of the previous wear/mating process. |
| If they had the Experts in stock the last time I bought from them, I would’ve done it in a heartbeat. Saves a ton of money and headache vs. buying a worn out rifle and then fixing any problems before you can shoot it. |
<**Me:**> I just spent 95% of my paycheck on LaRue stuff, within 30 minutes of getting paid. < **mfingar:**> For what it's worth, Dillo Dust is great on Ramen. </**mfingar:**></**me:**>
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North Store is about a six hour road trip for me - round trip. Drove up Friday afternoon to Port Clinton and then to the North Store Saturday morning. Two full racks of mixed Expert Grades in 308 ! Several other M-1s and P-17s - but not the inventory like during the National Matches. After about an hour and a half I settled on a six digit SA Expert Grade (Jan 1942) It's a reclaimed rifle but that's OK with me - I wanted a "shooter" - not necessarily a "collector". Other than a small weld mark at the bottom of the receiver the receiver is spotless ! Most parts have been re-parked. Looks like all parts are stamped "SA". Beautiful new walnut stock - new Criterion barrel. $1,150 plus food and lodging. Worth every dime ! Gonna take it out for a test drive tomorrow. Folks - if you're within driving distance of the North or South Store give them a call to check on inventory. I think you could be a very happy boy |
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They are still below market rate in most cases by 20+%. And if you don't have one, it is a great piece of genuine Americana to own. Sort of like the 1911s. Is $1,000 for a clapped out A1 a good deal? Not as a shooter, but USGI A1s were expensive and the price hasn't necessarily come down since CMP flooded the market. I wish their "Range" models would have sold for $600 or $700, since they weren't really collectors and would have been great bases for MEUSOC and other project guns. It is a little telling that they are now basically unlimited because I think the demand is mostly gone. But in theory all that money goes to support marksmanship training. |
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I would spend more and get a expert if it was just to have one Garand. The field grades are a real gamble for barrel condition and will be in poorer external condition. The experts will have new barrel and stock. They had a few ( like ten ) field grade reclaimed recvr rifles at Western Games and only one had a decent barrel. I would only do field if I could go to store and handpick for bore and overall cond. |
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What is your primary intention for the Garand? Is it just to have one to fart around with once in a while and fill a spot in a collection, do you plan on shooting any CMP matches, are you looking for a collector? As far as the first option, a field grade would probably do, they will have worn barrels but still shoot. If your primary goals is accuracy and shooting matches to expert grades are the way to go. If you are looking for a collector investment, none of the current options available at the CMP are going to meet that criteria. Almost all of the rifles coming out now have reclaimed receivers. Not a big deal in my opinion if you just want to own one or shoot competition. I have a small collection of Garands, some are somewhat collector grade, some are service grade, field grade and rack grade. The two rifles I shoot the most, probably a couple thousand rounds per year, are a .308 expert grade and a 30-06 I built off of my first Garand from 20 years ago, was a field grade. I like to collect them but I’m a CMP shooter first and foremost. |
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CMP M1s Still Worth it?? Ah meh, blah .... not really. The days of all-USGI M1s are long gone. Peak years were 2000-to-circa 2008. Now they're cranking out largely commercial knockoffs with maybe a few Mil parts. Fine if you just want a "shooter"-grade M1. Forget historical collectability. |
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Originally Posted By Nick_Adams: Ah meh, blah .... not really. The days of all-USGI M1s are long gone. Peak years were 2000-to-circa 2008. Now they're cracking out largely commercial knockoffs with maybe a few Mil parts. Fine if you just want a "shooter"-grade M1. Forget historical collectability.  The only new production parts on most of the field grades available right now are some of the gas cylinders, some nuts, and some stocks. With the experts that just adds a barrel. Receivers, oprods, bolts, stocks, springs, trigger housings and all internal trigger housing, receiver, and bolt parts, as well as sight parts, are all USGI with minor exceptions. Even their new build M1s that are coming out later in the year are just new build receivers, barrels, and stocks with mostly USGI parts |
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Picked up two M-1s during the National Matches this year at Camp Perry this year: 1) Service Grade 1954 dated HRA receiver with a 1946 SA barrel. With the exception of a new CMP marked gas cylinder all parts have either a manufacturer stamp , drawing number or heat lot number. Wood is a little ruff but she shoots like a dream !  2) Expert Grade IHC - 1953 date. New barrel, gas cylinder and stock set. All other parts have either a manufacturer stamp, drawing number or heat lot number. Shoots as good as it looks. Neither rifle is built on a "reclaimed receiver" CMP still has some very very nice rifles |
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Picked up a service grade Springfield M1D at the south store last week. However my first purchase was an expert WRA a few years ago. If you watch the cmp gunbroker account you will find much more than reclaimed receiver rifles. They post buy it now rifles every Thursday. I bought the expert to shoot but the M1D won’t see the range much. The trip to the store and the marksmanship park was sort of a bucket list item for me. |
| I’m 2.5-ish hours from the north store. Was going to go last fall but life got in the way. Just spoke to my wife about going this fall. I’ve got a pair of older CMP guns with GI barrels. I think I’ll add an Expert in 308 to the mix. I’d love to add an IH, but we’ll see. |
"He had the right hand of the devil strapped tightly to his side."-The Last Cowboy
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Originally Posted By Nick_Adams: Ah meh, blah .... not really. Does that also apply to this?  I'm not sure what constitutes historical interest in a rifle, especially those produced in the millions. Is it the history of the type or the history of that exact rifle? I bought my M1's from the DCM a while ago but I have a Dec, 1941 and a May, 1945 production M1's (beginning of WWII and end of WWII in Europe). I also bought an M1D with a full kit via a DCM lottery. I believe these are Korean War era production/upgrades (?). The M1 is a good rifle and is fun to shoot. To me, that's THE most important thing - I enjoy shooting the rifle. My Dec, 41 rifle has been used so much, it needs a new barrel. |
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Originally Posted By Nick_Adams:The days of all-USGI M1s are long gone. Peak years were 2000-to-circa 2008. IMHO the best years started with the Danish returns, the $295 Greek Rack Grade era (2003-2004) was peak, and it lasted until the Correct Grades and Collector Grades sold out 2011-2012. |
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