M1 Garand

The Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) just dropped a bombshell for rifle lovers, history buffs, and serious competitors: a brand-new, forged-receiver M1 Garand.

Sometimes I like to do dumb things with firearms.  Dumb as in use it in the ways they were never intended to be used. One day while bored earlier this year I decided it was time to bring the Garand back to life.

Adjustable gas plugs allow users to control how much gas from a fired cartridge is redirected back into the piston and operating rod, which in turn cycles the action and loads another cartridge. If all the gas is allowed the escape, the action won’t cycle; if too much gas is redirected, the action will cycle too quickly or too forcefully. Adjusting the gas flow to fit a specific cartridge ensures that the action cycles reliable with minimal wear and tear on the blot, op-rod, etc.

For those of you who might be unaware, there is a program that sells surplus military rifles to civilians. This is the Civilian Marksmanship Program or CMP. They sell WWII era firearms primarily, most of which are M1 rifles at this point, though there are others as well.

John Garand refused numerous and substantial offers from foreign governments and arms companies for the rights to his rifle’s design, but upon his retirement he accepted the one millionth M1 Garand as a token of his nation’s appreciation. That rifle sold last week for $287,500 through the Rock Island Auction Company.

To veterans like Florida resident Dick Cowell, the M1 Garand represents powerful memories from all over the world, memories the unite generations around bravery, honor, and service.

Let’s take a look at the 10 of the top M1 Garand rifles sold to date.