So I finally got my first M1 Garand and I am so excited and can't wait to shoot it.
I've got 100 rounds of 30-06 Sellier & Bellot M2 Ball ammo coming and I'm pretty bummed about the cost and availability.

At $1.85 a round it seems pretty steep, even with the current ammo price gouging that seems to be happening.
Anyone recommend a supplier more cost effective than AmmoMan that has stock?  (New M1 specific or old stuff, I'm indifferent)

About the Garand... I ordered it from the CMP knowing full well that it is a crap shoot on what you're going to get.
I ordered an Expert Grade M1 at $1,100.00 hoping for a lower SN Springfield, but that seems to be what everyone is looking for right?

What I got was an absolutely beautiful rifle... but probably couldn't be more undesirable.

Manufacturer: Harrington & Richardson
Serial Number: 5,778,xxx

Pretty much one of the last ones to be produced in 1956.  If it were the last one, cool, a talking piece and probably worth a mint, but a couple hundred from the last?  meh... basically a new rifle.
Then CMP'd with a new barrel and stock removing any charm it may have had.

But it's a looker.

Don't be too bummed about getting the H&R. Most of us wanted a Springfield for the first and a H&R later. H&Rs have been slim pickings and the vast majority get a Springfield.

If nothing else, it won't be hard to trade that rifle for a Springfield with a good barrel.

Any pitting on the receiver? My H&R Expert has some under the wood 1 side, my Springfield a minor spot upper receiver.

Keep in mind CMP isn't putting new barrels and stocks on these because they want to ruin the history of the rifles. These were stored in poor conditions in the Philippines and the stocks rotted or termite infected and the barrels were rusted out. You have to look at them as arsenal rebuilds. You would have been happy with a WWII service rifle rebarreled with 50's production barrel. These are the same IMO, plus you have the advantage of a new barrel with plenty of life in it.

As for ammo I suggest trying this

https://www.royaltigerimports.com/product-p/ital3006ammo0002.htm  

I've a case here I intend on trying before I buy more (it was $349.99 when I bought it). Right now it's the cheapest Garand spec ammo on the market. The other reason I'm waiting is I ordered another Garand from CMP for shits and giggles, I'm wanting to see what I get the 3rd time

I'll trade you straight up for a cmp war era field grade if you want.

Edit sorry got my grades mixed up

I grabbed 2x the prvi partizan 500rd ammo can ammo made for m1 garands. Shoots nicely. Looked at a bunch of sites. Oos everywhere. Fuck

Lots of people sell HXP and LC on the CMP forums. Is is a decent source of ammo.

Local matches still sell HXP and LC, some still in clips, for $0.50 a round for the match. Oddly there is few takers.

I think you're looking at it wrong. That is a really nice rifle.
As others have pointed out, the H&Rs are not as common.

I think you did good.

Indeed! Springfields are the "Run of the Mill" Garands, you lucked out and got a desirable one. I really wanted a Winchester but I got a crummy Springfield (Not really crummy).

The only good long term solution to steady feeding of an M1 ( unless you are filthy rich of course) is to reload. There is tons of appropriate reloading data that is garand safe.

Most any 147-150 FMJ load is going to do fine.

M2 ball has gotten stupid expensive.

You can use commercial brass, and every so often someone runs a good deal on bulk 147-150 FMJ bullets

Even reloading at today’s prices is way cheaper.

$0.04 - 1x fired case for $0.20 used 5 more times
$0.23 - 125gr Speer TNT bullet
$0.10 - primer
$0.28 - powder @ $40/lb

Total $0.65 per round

Be advised there is no such thing as garand spec ammo.


Regular commercial ammo is fine in a properly greased and inspec rifle with a good spring.

Commercial ammo and milsurp ammo operate at similar pressures so zero worries.

You know what.. I really appreciated the replies.  I'm super happy with the appearance of the rifle, and after disassembly I found 1 miniscule put near the front of the receiver... nearly impossible to find unless you're really looking for it.
And I'm totally good with what I received and will eventually pick up a rougher shape early WWII era rifle with my next one.  I have ammo on order and I'm really excited to take it to the range.

Thank you guys for the feedback!

My CMP was a springer receiver, but a hodgepodge of other parts. IHC trigger assembly, Winchester op-rod. Forget if anything else was marked.

No way to know (that I’m aware of) if they were arsenal rebuilds or if CMP did or what.

Don’t really matter to me. I got mine to shoot and enjoy, not collect. Here it is with its British friend:

@mike_nds

I wish I had an H&R Garand

More undesirable? So there’s two trains of thoughts here.
Am I going to throw the dice and get a rifle that MAYBE in good condition, because Iv been reading a lot of the rack grades are not great. Or do I spend the $1100 for a new stock and new barrel. I just got my Expert yesterday and it’s a 1957 Springfield. I wanted a problem free shooter with a stock I can finish on my own. A Garand is a Garand. H&R are known to have better fit and finish. But like any CMP rifle, some look great some are ok to bad. My rifles finish is flawless.

With the first one I ordered, the on hand options were service and special grade. Specials were what they are now calling expert...but built on a nicer receiver and fully reparked, for $200 more.

Took me forever to make up my mind, finally ordered a service grade. Got a 3.8 million Springfield-with a new GI barrel and new looking park. So I got lucky enough to get what amounted to a special anyway, other than GI instead of commercial barrel.

When I ordered that one they had a bug run of NOS 2/55 Springfield barrels and that's what I got.

Its funny you say that about the reparked receivers I thought mine was a re Arsenal but I guess it was just re parked, I don’t mind.

I got a 6 digit springer with a 1950s barrel when I ordered mine years ago.

I definitely went into it with the wrong thinking.
I thought I knew what I wanted based on feedback from other posts I've seen... I have absolutely no qualms with the H&R and it ran flawlessly today (not that I would expect anything less).
It was a blast to shoot, and looked fantastic doing it.

Just waiting on some more clips and a sling to make it feel like it's done.

I was wanting to run some of that Italian surplus today through me H&R but had to leave the range early for a work issue (I was off today too )

It'll be a couple weeks before I can get back to the range too, that sucks.