I made the mistake of lending my M1 Garand to a family member for a few months, and they shot corrosive ammo through it and didn't clean it (after I explicitly told them to not shoot corrosive ammo and to clean it after each firing). My mistake for trusting my dad. So now I am left with a barrel that has been allowed to corrode for over 5 month and I fear that the barrel is shot, or at least the accuracy I once enjoyed will be gone. I am in the process of cleaning it and will fire it to test for accuracy after deer season.

My question is this: How hard is it to install a new M1 barrel? I am currently building my first AR-15 and that was a breeze with all of the help I have received on this site. Is Installing a M1 Barrel similar in terms of skill required? Or am I better off sending my rifle off to have a barrel installed?

I know this all may be premature, but I like to have a plan B in place in case my rifle barrel is indeed, shot.

If I were to buy a new barrel, what are your recommendations?

If I were to have a new one installed for me, who does a good job for the best reasonable price?

Thank you

You can send it to the CMP Custom Shop in Anniston, Alabama.  They can properly install a brand-new Criterion barrel.

http://thecmp.org/cmp_sales/custom-gunsmithing/
http://thecmp.org/cmp_sales/custom-gunsmithing/services-for-the-m1-garand/

Not particularly tough to do, but you'll need to buy tools and blocks for a single barrel change.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbJKD0_XyrE

The only issue is that my M1 is from the CMP, but my grandfather purchased it for me, and he is no longer alive, and I don't believe I fit the criteria or am eligible for their services according to the website.

Are there any other places that perform the same work?

I'm not sure of what criteria you are referring to as the only restriction I know is that the will only work on US military receivers.  Yours is a CMP one so - they are your best bet!
I recommend them 100%  

What Steve says.

It is easy to change an M1 barrel if you have the right tools.

You could send your barrel and rifle to Shuff's Parkerizing and Tim Shufflin could install the barrel for you.

You can buy a Criterion barrel for around $210 and these are very good barrels.  They are an excellent value.

Did you even clean it and shoot it yet?

I guess I readthe CMP's eligibility rules incorrectly. I would only have to join an affiliated club

http://thecmp.org/cmp_sales/rifle_sales/eligibility-requirements/

My dad said he bought the ammo from the sportsmanship guide maybe 8-10 years ago. It was Chinese manufacture (the markings on the ammo box). The only reason I know it was corrosive since I don't  read whatever language was on the container is what my barrel looked like (rusty, snowflake like formations inside the bore). It was on M1 bandolier and in ammo pouches.

I have not had the chance to shoot it yet, as I'm preparing for deer season, but I will in a few weeks. I cleaned it the other night , and it was unlike anything I have ever cleaned before. There is still a layer of gunk in some spots in the barrel. The rusty patches that came out were unreal. I used powder blast first after the bore brush on a cleaning jag, then used some CLP, and then a foaming bore cleaner and kept running patches with all of them. Must have ran a few hundred patches already. Never seen anything like it! Tried all The products I own. I put a coat of CLP down the barrel and will continue after deer season. Maybe it will be fine , but I am worried, and like to have a plan "b" ready to go. I'll continue with a new bore brush and start over to remove some variables.

Thanks for input so far

Deleted

Too bad you don't live closer to me. I am preparing to rebarrel 2 of my garands and just ordered the headspace gauge set from Dave Manson. Next month, I'll gift myself the pull through reamer and the barrels will come in January. Much easier/simpler job than fitting a barrel blank to a 45/70 rolling block and I've still got the barrel vise and action wrench from that.

It would have been easy to add another rifle to the project.

Don in Ohio

You'll need the following tools to re-barrel an M14 or M1 Garand:

Barrel wrench
Barrel vise clamp
Alignment gauge
Lathe
Headspace gauges

And depending on the barrel you buy:

Chamber reamer

These tools are expense and this is not a do it yourself job unless you know what you're doing.

 Lathe?? what for

I would guess that it would be needed to cut back the barrel shoulder in case the barrel doesn't index when it is drawn down.

I would say that is pretty rare.  Most barrels will index, but need to be finish reamed.  To say you need a lathe is a bit of an over statement.

I have never had a barrel that would not index and even if it didnt you could hand file the shoulder. A Lathe is not needed

In fourteen rebarrellings, we had a single barrel that would not index.   But it worked with another receiver.

So if your barrel wont time, just exchange the barrel for another one.

Thats OK for us that have spare parts but for people whp dont have that luxury there are very simple fixes. If it under indexes you simply hand file the shoulder, it doesnt take much. If it over indexes you can roll the shoulder or peen it with a punch.

You're right because that's how it should be done by someone with a little skill.

I'm not skilled with tools and if the OP was worried about filing anything, he could simply use my chicken livered approach

In our case, we had a Beretta receiver and it would not work with a brand new Criterion .308 barrel.  We then tried that same barrel with another Beretta receiver and it worked perfectly.

Korean can be corrosive.
Korean 30-06

Never heard of a gunsmith who hand files the shoulder to index. The reputable ones all use a lathe.

A lathe would be the preferred method.  But chances are really good that the barrel will just screw in properly the first time

Don't be too hard on your dad -- we only get 1 issued to us for the most part (some exceptions) ---   Mine has been gone since '08 , but my new M1A purchase was largely influenced by his regard for the M14 .

Sometimes Shi-ite happens and machines are repairable    (but i'm hoping its not permanently F'ed for your sake )

Actually a reputable Ggunsmith would never need to use a Lathe. It isnt Rocket Science
I have never seen a barrel that would not time and I have had some pretty far off.. If you have a good quality heavy receiver wrench it will time.  If you have a barrel that is off simply tighten barrel, let set for a hour, loosen and tighten again, usually this will let barrel index properly.
As I also stated you can use a small triangle file and remove a very small amount of metal on the inside EDGE of the face. Also can use lapping compound

M1G is right.  The shoulder should crush to index.

Those eligibility requirements are for BUYING a rifle. Not for sending one in to be serviced at the Custom Shop.

The eligibility requirements are the same for both buying a rifle from the CMP,and sending a rifle in to be worked on at the CMP shop.

They will not work on your gun unless you pass the same criteria as you would be buying a gun from them.

There's a lot of WWII era ammo that was corrosive as well