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CMP "special grade" Tell me about accuracy vs service grade? New production barrel
12/25/2011 8:55:32 PM
The rifle looks NICE. Of course, I'm not terribly concerned about looks, I care FAR more about function. What kind of accuracy can I expect to get with the new barrel?
12/26/2011 1:00:30 AM
In for more info. I'm overseas now with a CMP Springfield special grade waiting for me when I get home. It'll be summer before I get a chance to do any work with her. 
12/26/2011 3:52:22 AM
I have a couple year old Special Grade that I love. I've never grouped it but I shoot some small steel prairie dogs at the 100 yard range and can hit them easily every shot. My Bushmaster 20" AR couldn't come close to doing that. I don't know that you get any extra accuracy or not but you do get a real nice, new Garand and, to me, a lot of pride of ownership. It's my favorite rifle.
12/26/2011 7:20:12 AM
The barrel alone won't make it accurate. A new barrel, correctly made and installed can help. I've only gotten one of the special grades and won't buy another. Rust on the metal under the stock as well as being very poorly fitted in the new (commercial stock) turned me off to paying more for a rifle with more problems than the standard CMP M1's. Yes, I'm judging based on only one rifle but that's my sample size - one special grade and several rack and field grades.
My most accurate M1 is a rack grade Greek return rifle. When I start doing the head shots at 400 yds. thing people start looking at that raggedly rifle and asking if it has a "match grade barrel" on it. The barrel is only one part of an accurate rifle. Part is the shooter, part is the way it fits/works in the stock and part of it is the mechanical fit/working of the rifle parts with each other. Oh, no, my rack grade ugly does not have a match barrel. I don't think they made match barrels in the early 50's.
Good luck with your rifle. The CMP rifles are the best deals out there. Your better off (if you live close enough) to drive to either the north store or the south store and pick out a rifle yourself. The folks working there are great at helping you pick out a rifle in good conditiion with a good barrel (they will measure the wear on both ends if you ask.
Funny story - The first and last CMP M1's I bought (first through the mail from the south store and the last picked up by me at the north store) were both Springfield Armory rifles made in December 1944. By the serial numbers they were made about a week apart from each other. Didn't know it till I got home and started checking the serial numbers.
My most accurate M1 is a rack grade Greek return rifle. When I start doing the head shots at 400 yds. thing people start looking at that raggedly rifle and asking if it has a "match grade barrel" on it. The barrel is only one part of an accurate rifle. Part is the shooter, part is the way it fits/works in the stock and part of it is the mechanical fit/working of the rifle parts with each other. Oh, no, my rack grade ugly does not have a match barrel. I don't think they made match barrels in the early 50's.
Good luck with your rifle. The CMP rifles are the best deals out there. Your better off (if you live close enough) to drive to either the north store or the south store and pick out a rifle yourself. The folks working there are great at helping you pick out a rifle in good conditiion with a good barrel (they will measure the wear on both ends if you ask.
Funny story - The first and last CMP M1's I bought (first through the mail from the south store and the last picked up by me at the north store) were both Springfield Armory rifles made in December 1944. By the serial numbers they were made about a week apart from each other. Didn't know it till I got home and started checking the serial numbers.
12/26/2011 8:14:24 AM
M1's, with the oprod and all the wood hanging everywhere, can be fairly variable as far as accuracy goes.
Stock fit matters a lot. Given two rifles, one with a new match barrel and one with an average servicible GI barrel; the one with the tighter stock fit is probably going to shoot best.
Stock fit matters a lot. Given two rifles, one with a new match barrel and one with an average servicible GI barrel; the one with the tighter stock fit is probably going to shoot best.
12/27/2011 1:37:13 PM
Originally Posted By 30Caliber:
M1's, with the oprod and all the wood hanging everywhere, can be fairly variable as far as accuracy goes.
Stock fit matters a lot. Given two rifles, one with a new match barrel and one with an average servicible GI barrel; the one with the tighter stock fit is probably going to shoot best.
M1's, with the oprod and all the wood hanging everywhere, can be fairly variable as far as accuracy goes.
Stock fit matters a lot. Given two rifles, one with a new match barrel and one with an average servicible GI barrel; the one with the tighter stock fit is probably going to shoot best.
yep, tightly fit in the RIGHT places. around the action, a little even downward pull on the barrel at the front of the stock. No stock rubbing on the op rod's path, no tight rear handguard, just enough looseness in the front handgaurd.
Too tight is just as bad or worse than too loose. I had one rifle that would start out nice and accurate then migrate to 8" groups when hot. I had a couple issues; barrel contact with upper handguard near the tip, contact between rear guard and stock near the tip of the stock, a little op rod bind. This was a Dean's fitted walnut stock. (not fitted to my rifle, but his and sold as ready to go, which isn't quite true). Some judicious sanding fixed it right up.
Proper fitment is key. A lot of the CMP field and rack stocks are horribly loose around the action and are at best plinking grade. I don't like it when the action drops into the action without any side friction and expecially not when there is some room for fore and aft shucking of the action within the stock. Old stocks tend to shrink.
