  Both of the Field Grade Garands we ordered for this article were in great shape. You can see from this picture that they seemed to have stocks that had been heavily oiled and they always have a shiny, cloudy look to them, but it doesn’t look bad, and at this price you can’t really go wrong.
 Both the Springfield and Harrington & Richardson varieties seem to be in plentiful supply at $525. The Winchesters were not available this year at all.
 All of the CMP guns come with a hard plastic CMP case, and they are shipped Fedex overnight right to your door. This picture is very representative of the coloring of both rifles, though there is no gaurantee that you will get the same. The warning on the Field Grade guns is extremely ominous, but our guns are very nice.
 These guns didn’t come with the accumulation of cosmoline that we found with the service grade guns. They weren’t spotless, but overall they have nice original finish and the cosmoline has been mostly removed.
 The Springfields will always be in demand just because they are Springfields, and this $525 Field Grade is a great buy.
 The HRA guns were delivered after the armistice in the Korean Conflict in the sunset of the M1 Garand, but they are nonetheless a piece of history and because of their scarcity they will be collectible. At this level of original finish you will have a very desirable firearm.
 The HRA even has what is left of an Department of Defense acceptance stamp.
 We switched to 100 yards for these tests and the Springfield was able to keep 3 rounds into about 2 inches, but opened up another 2-3 when opening the group to five shots. This was pretty consistent.
 Each gun gives you a yellow tag with both muzzle and throat erosion measurements on them. These are not as bad as they could be, but not perfect either, which is why the guns don’t shoot as well as the other grades.
 The HRA has the same measurements, but was a little more stable, with groups on the 3-4 inch range.
 Though we did shoot some of the Greek ammo that CMP is selling, all of our accuracy testing was done with Hornady Garand Ammo, available through CMP, Midsouth Shooters Supply, and a few other online sources.
 Garand triggers aren’t known to be the best, but both of these guns had decent triggers that broke under 8 lbs.
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Civilian Marksmanship Program
https://www.thecmp.org/garands
Hornady Match Garand Ammo: https://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/garand
Somehow, in preparation for the first article in this series on ordering M1 Garand rifles from the Civilian Marksmanship Program, we missed the least expensive of the bunch. They are called “Field Grade” Garands, and at $525 (plus $24.95 S&H), they seem to be a great buy. We ordered both the Springfield Armory and Harrington & Richardson (HRA) versions of these guns, and the Winchester is no longer available. Of all the Garands we have ordered from CMP so far, if you are looking for a Garand to just shoot and enjoy, you can’t do any better for the money than these field grade guns. Look around in gunshops and online and you will be hard pressed to find a nice looking and shooting Garand for under $600. Even at live auctions these days more Garands go for upwards of a thousand bucks. These “cheapest Garands” are a real find, and you order them directly from the CMP, just as we described in the first installment of this series. Our guns came in less than three weeks, each with its own hard plastic CMP case, and certification paperwork. Who knows when these guns will dry up, so if you are thinking long, heavy boxes under your Christmas tree this year, now would be the time to order.
The condition listed on the Field Grade guns on the CMP sales page shows them as “Fair to Good,” and there is an extensive warning that these rifles may contain mixed manufacturer parts, or even import parts, and that you should not expect rifles in “mint” condition in this grade. This could be the reason we didn’t order them for the first article. It is worded pretty harsh. But as you can see from the pictures, these guns are actually nicer than the the $625-$950 “Service Grade” rifles we got in the first order. Those should have been the next step up, but based on what we got they aren’t. It could be that people get scared away like us, so there is a better pool in the field grade guns. Granted, there are advanced Garand collectors out there, and they will be able to tell you why these guns are cheaper. Some Garand parts for example, from specific manufacturers, are worth more than whole other rifles, and certainly these rifles. I’m sure these field grade guns aren’t a “steal,” but considering that they have been gone over by the experienced Garand gunsmiths at CMP, at least you know you aren’t buying someone else’s problem gun at a bargain basement price.
The prices on the CMP guns haven’t changed this year since our first article, which should lead us all to believe that there are still plenty of guns. You may have heard rumors that we will be getting more guns back from South Korea at some point as well, but so far that has been stonewalled by the current administration. These Garands are from Greece, and they carry no import marks. They are exactly as issued, going back to World War II and Korea, and it is doubtful that the Greeks every even used them. If you notice, on the sales page, several of the models that were original available are now gone. There may have been notice before they were marked gone, or there may have been no notice. Demand for Garands rises and falls with the movies, and the video games. There is no telling when the next blockbuster movie like “Saving Private Ryan” or video game like “Call of Duty” will pop and inflate the price of Garands, but right now we are in a dead patch in both Hollywood and the video game consoles. It was surprising how nice these cheapest examples were, and it could soon be a case of “you snooze you lose.” You just never know.
It could be that the folks at CMP read our first article (they did) and decided to clean the guts of their guns a little better, but these Field Grade guns came with almost no cosmoline in the action at all. The stocks were also closer to matching than the more expensive Service Grade rifles we had ordered for the first article, and one of the rifles even had a cartouche stamp visible on the stock. The finish on the metal parts, for both guns, is outstanding considering the price. The wood is a little hinky and seems to bleed oil somewhat, but it looks good, and in both of the guns the finish is very even across the main stock and the top of the forend, which was mismatched on the Service grade. We didn’t take them apart to check the numbers, but even if our numbers matched, with that strong warning on the sales page, there would be no guarantee that yours would should you order one.
To mix things up a bit, we tested the accuracy on these guns at 100 yards instead of 50 yards like the prior articles. As expected, the groups opened up, but we didn’t have Ben Becker our US Army Sniper to shoot for this article. We’ll bring him in for the next installment on the Garand Sniper Variants. Accuracy was nonetheless acceptable, averaging 2-4″ at 100 yards. Note the numbers on the yellow tags. They are measurements taken with a muzzle wear gauge and a throat erosion gauge. Muzzle wear is when the rifling wears away at the end of muzzle, leaving freebore, or partial freebore. This is a major factor in accuracy potential for a rifle, as the “let go” of the bullet, when not uniform, can cause it to do all sorts of subtle things that cost you in accuracy downrange. Throat erosion is on the other side of the rifling, when the bullet first enters. As you fire any rifle, the beginning of the rifling gets burned by the hot gases and scraped by the bullet, and this gradually wears it away, usually unevenly, and it can make the bullet start down the barrel slightly cockeyed as throat erosion gets pronounced. Neither of these guns had terrible readings, but even with a great shooter they probably won’t do much better than 2 minutes of angle or so, which would translate to a 2″ group downrange at 100 yards. Note that we also gave up on that crappy Federal Garand Ammo. It just doesn’t perform well. If you are shooting for accuracy and you don’t handload, use Hornady.
You may be asking, who in the heck is Harrington & Richardson? If you are new to guns and shooting, H&R is one of America’s oldest gun companies, founded in 1871. The original company lasted until 1986, and it survives today as H&R 1871. . If you ask anyone over the age of 40 what their first gun was and they may tell you that it was an H&R “Topper” single barrel shotgun, which are still made today. Towards the end of the Korean Conflict, H&R was tapped to make Garands, but the guns were not delivered until after the armistice was signed. The company later went on to make the M14, which is basically a Garand with a detachable box magazine, and H&R was one of only four companies to ever make US Military versions of the original M16. H&R Garands are both not collectible because they were not made during a war, and very collectible because not that many were made. For now you can get a really nice H&R for cheap, and all Garands will eventually be extremely collectible, so they are a great investment.
When it comes to buying old guns, no story in a review is always the best story because it means that nothing is wrong with the gun. These Garands have no real story. They functioned perfectly out of the box and had zero failures whatsoever. We tested them with the Hornady Garand ammo, as well as the Greek ammo that CMP is selling by the case, and we used the standard 8 round Enbloc clip, as well as the SLED single round, two round, and five round competition clips. The only quirk was that the Springfield tended to spit the single shot SLED out like a standard 8 rounder. You couldn’t ask for nicer Garands for the price, and if there is a steal in what is arguably the most classic battle rifle of all time, it is these CMP Field Grade Garands for $525. Remember you can only buy 12 guns per year, and they are supposed to be bought for your personal use, not for investment or resale, but if you are wary of the shrinking US dollar, it certainly can’t hurt you to tie up some cash in these Field Grade Garands. You can shoot them and enjoy them, and they will never be worth less than you paid. How many things can you say that of these days? Again, the ordering instructions are in the first article linked here.
how can the average joe get an m1 graded and valued? i have a numbers matching HRA M1 Garand that i just recently bought and would love to know if i made a good buy
Receied my H&R today. Mixed parts SA barrel/WRA trigger. Wood is fair. Also bought 200 rounds of greek ball. 206 rounds in can (bonus). My wife had me order a second one “before they are gone” keeper.
So update us how long did it take to get it? That greek ball has a good deal of dead primers btw. You can sometimes get them to fire on 3rd strike.
Have read your articles about 10 times, the first to the last with the sniper M-1. Now I am really confused. Headed to Port Clinton (CMP) tomorrow to pick up a few M-1’s and think the specials are the ones I want, with the new barrels. Was to busy to get down there a few months when the first article came out. Just would like to know what you all think the best buy is? I want them for shooting and as a investment, and the rack grades are gone and the collectors, so the choice is down to a few. The other is the barrel and action combo for $350.00 , you have no input on these options. Andy help would be very much appreciated, love you input and all you do for the shooting sport.
Regards, Doug
Have read your articles about 10 times, the first to the last with the sniper M-1. Now I am really confused. Headed to Port Clinton (CMP) tomorrow to pick up a few M-1’s and think the specials are the ones I want, with the new barrels. Was to busy to get down there a few months when the first article came out. Just would like to know what you all think the best buy is? I want them for shooting and as a investment, and the rack grades are gone and the collectors, so the choice is down to a few. The other is the barrel and action combo for $350.00 , you have no input on these options. Andy help would be very much appreciated, love you input and all you do for the shooting sport.
Regards, Doug
http://www.odcmp.com... This is where you can order them from. The info on ordering is on the web site along with a lot of other info.
I received my Garand from CMP about 2 weeks ago. Currently it is at a Gunsmith shop I have done business with for years, for cleaning and evaluation as I just don’t have the time right now. No knock on CMP. The action looks great and works smoothly. The stock is in terrible condition. My Garand has had some hard use. That’s ok. My only disapppointment is that I was hoping to get one from WWII era. Preliminary research shows mine to be 1950 production from Springfield. Still checking. Overall, I am very pleased. Oldest son gave me a bayonet and sling for Christmas. The bayonet is wicked looking. The bayonet I had for my M-16 in the service was puny in comparison. I don’t even know why they bothered issuing one.
Documented WWII Garands area in collections. These guns are all post war, but many did serve in Korea where the Garand was the US battle rifle.
Since the first article appeared, I have been able to purchase 2 of the Garands, a CMP Special and a Service grade, both SA’s. I’ve joined the local rifle club and have participated in 2 matches so far. I was able to let my brother fire the service grade on a couple of occasions just before he died. He loved the Garand!
I love both of the rifles and plan to continue shooting as often as I can. I hope the Garands will not be affected by any legislation that may come into being as a result of the Conn. school tragedy.
Thank you very much for your initial purchase of the rifles and the great articles that have followed.
Thanks for the kind words Alan.
I have one. I bought it a couple of years ago. It is a (special) as I remember. New barrel, new stock, rest of parts new or like new GI parts. it wass about $1,000 delivered to my house.
I will tell you all how to get the best grade garand at the best price. Buy the barrel and receiver from the CMP for 350.00. It is a Sa and headspaced by the CMP armorer. I know it will be hit and miss on quality, but I got a 1952 set with readings of muzzle 1 and throat 2. I ordered all of the original 50’s parts to put it together and spent about 800.00 for a collectors grade M1.
I want one !!!!!. Thank you.
I ordered one! I checked out a new one at the Sportmans Warehouse in Meridian Idaho last week. $1,400! I believe a field grade that is fixed up will be much more fun to own. Also no plastic on these babies. I know in bootcamp while at RTC San Diego in 81 I carried a lead filled junker Garand while being punished on the grinder. 🙂 Also, my dad had one from WWII….I remember always admiring it when I was a kid. His evil old lady gave them to her family when he passed. Wish I had that one now. For those reasons I justified the purchase. My son’s will love it. Can’t wait. I will send updates when I get it with how it looked when recieved and after cleaned up.
I missed the first and second articles on the Garands. I found the link to the first article but can’t find the second article. Is there a link or a way to get it? I have had a 1943 vintage Garand since I scraped the money together when I was 19 (that was 41 years ago)! I have a nephew who would love to have one of these rifles.
Thanks!! Fred
I have purchased 4 garands from the DCM and the CMP. 1 Winchester, 1 International Harvester in select condition. 1 Springfield and 1Springfield Reciever I built into a match rifle. I shoot all of them and all where luck of the draw rifles. The Winchester shoot better than the others except for the match Garand. I’m looking forward to going to Perry next year and possible getting an HR to and to my group. My father shot my first garand and he started to talk about WWII and how he could remember how heavy it was carrying it all over europe and germany then Back home after the war. Glad my dad had a chance to shoot this gun before he passed.
An earlier comment mentioned giving thousands away to foreign countries. Maybe they can use some of that money to fraudulently buy these guns and start a war somewhere instead of just throwing sticks at one another. Please tell me that can’t be happening. We have enough trouble overseas without the NRA’s CMP becoming involved, directly or indirectly, in terrorism by supplying guns to third world lunatics that may be planning Allah knows what.
How about M1 30 cal. carbines??
I have owned two. The first was a “single spring” Singer manufactured carbine that I got rid of years ago. I currently own one I purchased locally at Hyatt’s. Great fun for shooting. Ammo is sort of expensive.
where do I get my free one ha ha
Second thought the whole idea that our country can give thousands away to forgin countires but we have to buy them BULLSHIT!
You are pretty ignorant. You can’t spell either. I don’t believe you are entitled to one.
People doesn’t it bother you that if not us but our parents and family have already Paid for these and some with their lives? So why are we having to pay for them again civilian marksmanship My ass should be a program to give back to the people who they already belong to.field grade that means junk look into it before you by 1 most are not safe to shoot and at 600 bucks that’s not the final cost whats it gonna cost to have a good gunsmith inspect it and repair it if needed you could be looking at another 400 to 500 unless your just interested in buying a 600 dollar wall hanger …just go buy a new Springfield armory m14 in the end it will cost about the same and you will not only be shooting it out of the box but also shooting at a 1000 yards!
You pose a theoretical question as being a fact, don’t you think?
Yes, we own these M1 Garand rifles as a nation, but certainly not as individuals. Besides, how would you give away a few million Garands to over three hundred million people? The DCM/CMP combined have sold less than 500,000 of the Garands ever made.
You should also know that the money from the sales is used to finance shooting programs for all of us, especially our youth, and to run these programs all over the nation and stage the National Matches at Camp Perry. Also, many (if not most) CMP employees are volunteers who are just there to help out, and they do a great job IMHO.
You are entitled to think as you please, but I am also free to disagree completely with you, and I do.
How do I get an M1 ? Can I reach somebody by phone ?
Click through to the first article.
I want to buy A field grade M-1 garrand
I am looking for my first deer rifle. Would one of these Garands be suitable? Can you mount a scope on them? I own a .410 Mossberg shotgun for home defense, and a .38 special for range practice. I have owned these guns for less than a year, and do not get to practice as much as I would like.
We have an article coming up on scoping them. The peep site is also serviceable out to several hundres yards.
I bought my first over thirty years ago. DCM Korean War vintage rifle. I had it rebarreled to 7.62NATO and accurized. That was the thing back then. Cost of ammunition. I’ve had at least two by Charlie. One of my first High Power Matches at Quantico found me partnered with a “Misguided Child” Veteran of the Chosin. I heard him tell of the name “The Hammer” on his stock. He said it was the name of his rifle in Korea. Every Chinaman hit with one of those “Black Tips” went down like they were; “…Hit by The Hammer. No matter how many blankets they were wearing.” For youse getting started I recommend getting a “Hammer” of your own and try and wear it out. “Ready On The Firing Line?”
I recently received a “Service Grade” Garand from the CMP and it’s about in the same condition as the “Field Grade” ones you got. Any chance they knew who you were and got preferential treatment for some top notch Field Grade Garands? I wonder if other Field Grade Garands are in similar condition?
Wondering that as well, but at this point, when they know we are going to take pictures and use it as an example, you would think that they would send a representative example.
I carried one of these old girls during the Korean War. I would like to know how I can buy one. I’m a member of The American Legion. Thank you. Don. 258 Watergate Road, Clinton, AR. 72031
Please read the first article.
an I have to try one of these puppies what is the total cost shipped to California and do they have to go thru a gun dealer??
JIM TANNER
I think they have some cali regs on the website.
Guys I started out with the M-14 in the Corps. I,ve been looking to purchase a Garand for a while. Now that I know I can get one for a little over 600 I’m going for it. Thanks for the info. Staight shooting gents.
I trained on the M1 Garand Springfield and have always wanted one. I can only afford to pay on a lay a way basis, since I am on a fixed income. Is there anyway you all can set up a lay a way program for this one old retired army sergeant?
It has nothing to do with us. Just save up and do the paperwork.
I did my training with the Garand at Fort Lewis in the summer of 1965. My rifle was made by Singer “Sewing” Machine Company and was exceptionally accurate. When firing for record I finally missed one on the last target because my glasses fogged due to linseed oil boiling out of the stock from an extremely hot barrel. I sure wish I had that rifle back, I suppose only a few were made by Singer.
You are confusing a M1 carbine with a M1 Garand.
Not really. I have several of both. A number of outfits made these rifles during the war that were not normally in the gun business. Singer was just one of them.
As Al said, Singer did NOT make any M1 Garand rifles. Eleven different companies, many of them not known as gun makers, did make the M1 carbine though.
Keep your eyes open for things that don’t make sense. I saw an M1 that was listed as a 1961 model. No such thing! turned out to be SA, March 1942. Logged all numbers on all parts and it all makes sense with field repairs and upgrades. Only things not correct are the stock and the barrel which is a Danish VAR (must stand for very accurate rifle) It shoots much better than I do! 75 yards with Greek HXP rounds- 1 1/2″. I won’t let my wife shoot it ’cause she’ll kick my @ss.
Join the Garand Collectors Association. Great quarterly magazine and qualifies for CMP purchases. Also building a range compex behind Talladega.
They have contracted a producer who is working on a documentary on the M1 Garand for cable TV. If you join in time, you might get some goodies associated with this movie.
We Floridians have a Medal of Honor recipient who held back a couple battalions of Chinese for over 5 hours with his blinded buddy at Chosin Reservoir. The buddy loaded en-clips while the MoH fired over 300 rounds. Might not sound like a lot of rounds in 5 hours, but running out would have been a bad thing. He has been interviewed for this film.
I have wanted one for years. Bought a Ruger mini 14 to have a 5.56 cal. rifle as the ARs are to darn expensive. The wife let me buy a bolt action 30:06 several years back so I have my 2 military cartridge rifles. both have 3x-9x scopes. The surplus military cartridges are fairly inexpensive to buy and shoot well enough for practice and are readily available. Don,t shoot as much as I should though.
I bought my Garand back in the late 1980’s early 1990’s for $400! It came shipped directly to me via an 18wheeler. Like the stocks seen now, my stock was “leaking oil” and my bore was full of cosmoline. I bought the NRA’s book on the Garand and learned how to field strip and clean my “new” firearm. I also learned how to bed/glass the stock for accuracy and clean the stock of all the cosmoline and “knock the dents out”. I shot it once in competition and actually won. It’s been put away, for no good reason, but I know that should it be called for duty I have one of the finest rifles bar none.
Can I pick up the garand in Anninston Al.?
Yes, but if you are not already approved and in the CMP system, bring the required items with you to the store.
Also, if you pick it up in Anniston, you pay AL sales tax which works out to about the same that shipping (FedEX?) costs. But if I was going to Anniston I’d definitely get a few hundred rounds of garand load 30-06.
If you want to by a CMP Garand, go to the CMP website and download the forms. There is a requirement to belong to an organization such as the Garand Collectors Association. I qualified by virtue of being a disabled vet. There’s several ways to qualify and now is the time to get one. The HRAs are in great condition. Mine shoots consistant 2″ groups with handloads. WW2 Springfields are available in field and service grade. You can order and receive them directly through the mail or, if you wish, visit the North store at Camp Perry or the South store in Anniston, Alabama and pick out your own. You are guarauteed a USGI issued rifle (unless you order a “Special with the CMP stock).
Hey guys if you want one go to their website and see what you have to do ! !
http://www.thecmp.org/Sales/m1garand.htm
I got one 12 years ago and it is great. Not a competition winner but functional. If you are local to them drive over and pick the one you want.
Best of luck and vote Republican the WHOLE ticket. Too many Dem’s in the local arena. This is not over till it is over. If you know of any undecided voters , buy them a DVD of 2016 and they will see the “Mentors” Communists that formed Obama’s political background.
Tom
Texas
There is a link to the first article Tom, that explains it in painstaking detail. The prozac nation speaks.
I know a guy that ordered a surplus M1 and when he received it, it looked new and he had to take a course as in some type of sharp shooter class.He only paid $165.00 for the rifle. I don’t remember what type program he bought the gun through.
At that price ($165.00) it had to have been when the DCM was still around (1996 or prior). The shooting class was required to qualify to buy the rifle if you were not already a competitive shooter.
THE GARAND RIFLE CAN IT BE RE-BARRELED BY CUSTOM BARRELL MAKERS///SUCH AS McGOWEN IN IL. ? THANKS SFC CLAUDE C. SLUDER JR. RETIRED US ARMY
New barrels can be found here.
http://criterionbarrels.com/ProductPages/M1Garand.html
Where can I buy one how much with postage and ins.
It’s a great deal.
So tell me where mite one have to go or who mite a person have to contact . In order to get his hands on a field fired M1 Granad.
hi! i would like to buy one, tell me price and how to arrange shipping. thanks, woody
Sirs, these look great, how do I go about buying one? I am a life member of the National Rifle Association. thanks, Mike
There is a link to the first article that explains it.