I've been looking at getting a garand from the cmp recently and I see the special grade which looks good. I'm wondering is it worth the extra cash to go from the service grade up. I'm not worried about collectability as I want it to shoot.

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I recently got a service grade with new CMP walnut wood and barrel spec’d at +1 TE and +1 ME, so I’m interested to hear how a Special might be considered worth the extra bucks.

We got one for my son a few years ago and the difference in accuracy with the Criterion barrel is significant.  Great upgrade and worth the extra $$.

On 7-31 I was at the North Store and handled a bunch of them.  They were nice rifles.

I was at the south store last week. I also handled them. I almost bought a field grade special in .308, but changed my mind and bought an International. They are very nice rifles.

I should have added that I inspected all the varieties the North Store had and they were beat!  It feels like the “specials” has diminished history with the new barrel and wood, but they are perfect for someone that wants to shoot it and doesn’t want to chase down replacement parts.

Exactly.  We also have a pristine, perfect, Correct Grade Garand that is put away in my son's WWII collection so we got a Special to shoot.  He loves the Garand and I, my M1A (I trained with the M14 in basic). As I said, it's Criterion barrel really makes a difference dropping the groups at least in half with just my M2 ball level handloads and even better with 168grns.

The Special gets you a "guaranteed" good shooter. The guaranteed is in quotes because a particular Service grade rifle may well outshoot it. A Special has a new barrel and is in a new stock. Both those items are key to the Garand's accuracy, so having the rifle assembled with new ones is likely to result in a good shooter.
The BEST way to do it is to sign up for the Advanced Maintenance Class, wherein you go to CMP and select and fit the parts under the tutelage of CMP's gunsmiths, and build your own Special grade rifle.

I got one it looks brand new. It was built on a 1941 Springfield receiver.

I think is was well worth the extra money.

I've been thinking about getting a .308 Special next month when I send in for the 1911 lottery (not sure I'll buy yet, but I'll play the game and see what happens.)

I have 5 Springer SGs and I'd like to get something different.

And hopefully, it'll keep me from needing a BM-59.

I’ve been shooting a H&R service grade for about 5 years.  It was purchased when SG’s were like 625.00.  I bought a new Boyd’s walnut stock from Fulton Armory and fitted it to the best of my ability.   I’ve shot cleans with it at Camp Perry and locally ( prone, of coarse not standing).  With the tight wood the gun shoots plenty good enough to hold the 10 ring.  I shoot 155 NCC w/ a near standard charge of 4895

My son is getting toward shooting age, and the SG’s don’t come quite like they used to, so I picked up a 3006 CMP special at the NS a few weeks ago.

First 10 shots they the gun had me wondering....it would hardly hold the 9 ring on a100 yard reduced SR target.

The next four 5 shot groups did not exceed 2 minutes, the sights adjusted in what seems to be dead on min by min increments, and the gun made me more than happy to spend the $$$ on it.  This was with the same 155 load I shoot in my H&R.

The trigger is also really nice, as it feels like someone has already stoned the creep out of the second stage.

If you intention is to have the most accurate M1 to shoot and/or compete in CMP as issued matches, this is the simplest and cheapest method to get the best rifle for your money.