I'm about to send in my order to snatch one up before they're all gone. However, i'm having a hell of time deciding which one to go with. I'm looking to purchase one more for collecting, but I do plan on shooting it every once and a while. My budget is slightly less than 600.

Will the rack or field grades appreciate in value eventually, or should I stick with the service grades? Should I pick up an SA or another type?

I already own one SA and am just looking to add to the collection. Any input is greatly appreciated, as i'm looking into putting the order in tomorrow.

Thanks.

Get the highest grade you can.  They're all worth it.

The CMP is the least expensive way to get a USGI M1 Garand.  Period.

They will ALL appreciate as time goes on.  After the CMP dries up, the only ones available will likely be private sale.  Supply and demand.  

Get one.  Get two.  

Service grade H&R if you can.

All the service grades except for the SA are sold out and they're not taking any other orders

And all the other grades' brands are Greek or Danish. Does that matter?

Quoted: Service grade H&R if you can.

+1, or jump on a FG Winchester, they are going to be gone very soon.

Quoted: All the service grades except for the SA are sold out and they're not taking any other orders And all the other grades' brands are Greek or Danish. Does that matter?

Not to a shooter, but maybe to a collector.  I have a Greek rack grade M1 (SA manufacture) and it's a very solid rifle.

Quoted: Quoted: All the service grades except for the SA are sold out and they're not taking any other orders And all the other grades' brands are Greek or Danish. Does that matter? Not to a shooter, but maybe to a collector.  I have a Greek rack grade M1 (SA manufacture) and it's a very solid rifle.

You realize that they are not made in those countries, right?   They were sold to or loaned to those countries and are now coming back home.  

I have a HRA "Greek" return "rack grade" that out shoots my dads "service grade" Springfield.

Yea, sorry, I meant they were loaned. In any event, I sent out the paperwork today for a field grade SA Greek loaner. I figured that since I already have a nice SA at home, I could use this one as my shooter. Plus I'd rather have a field grade Garand than none at all because I waited too long.

On a plus side, CMP's website doesn't say it has any sort of backorder, so maybe i'll get it soon

Thanks again for everyones input.

How much does the CMP sell them for?

Last I checked, depending on which manufacturer you buy, rack grades are like 295, field grades are 395, and the service grade are about 500. Their are two higher grades and they run between 900-1400. FYI, the prices above were for Springfield Armory Garands.

Quoted: All the service grades except for the SA are sold out and they're not taking any other orders And all the other grades' brands are Greek or Danish. Does that matter?

It looks like even the SA Service Grade rifles are Greek loaners - that wasn't the case when I bought mine 3 years ago.  In fact almost all grades and makes seem to be loaners now.  Bummer.  I might go for the SA Field Grade myself, which although backordered, seems to be the only cheap Garand that wasn't a Greek or Danish loaner.

I don't have anything against the Greeks or Danes - I'd just prefer to have a rifle that stayed at home in the US during its lifetime.

Dave

I was just about to post a topic on this...I'm also interested in a Garand.

I was under the impression that the Greek "return" rifles might have different, non USGI wood stocks?

Is that true? Are original USGI stocks hard to come by?

I would really like to see some of your guys CMP Garands. Please indicate grade and make.

I don't know squat about these rifles, other than the fact my grandfather carried one during the Normandy Campaign. That's a good enough reason for me to get one!

From everything I gathered and when I spoke with an individual at CMP, the loaners will only be differant in the type of stocks. Some may have USGI, others may have mixed wood, etc. The parts on most of the rifles are mixed as CMP only promises the receivers will be of the brand you purchase (unless you get the service, correct grades, etc.)

If you look at CMPs website it's evident that pretty much everything they have is drying up. I sent in my paper work a few days ago and still haven't received order confirmation. But they are indeed very busy.

My advice, if you have the money, purchase the service or higher grades (if available). If not, any M1 from them is better than none. Like everyone around says, they're only going to get harder to find. I'll try to post some pics of mine when I get the chance. They should be up sometime around Tuesday. Hope this helps.

Billy

Get a Service Grade.

Here's mine, I got it about 9 years ago for $310. For years I saw ads in SGN about how to get an M1 for $165 from DCM, and the price went up slowly till finally a friend and me went to do the shoot and got our score sheets. Course you only need a C&R anymore to order one, and the limit has gone up from 1 to a bunch. This is an H&R made in the mid 50s, service grade:

Last year CMP was at the gun show here and they were pulling out Greek Garands from their cases and laying them on the table.  You could pick out the one you wanted, then as long as you put in the paper work and money within a month you would get that rifle.

$1400 bucks would get you a Garand that still had the cosmoline from the factory.  They had never been fired other than test rounds at the factory, and never dissasembled.   Now that's about how much it would cost to get a "new" Garand from Springfield with a cast receiver.

Other Greek Garands there on the table looked hardly fired at all.  No- nothing wrong with those Greek Garands!

Quoted: Here's mine, I got it about 9 years ago for $310. For years I saw ads in SGN about how to get an M1 for $165 from DCM, and the price went up slowly till finally a friend and me went to do the shoot and got our score sheets. Course you only need a C&R anymore to order one, and the limit has gone up from 1 to a bunch. This is an H&R made in the mid 50s, service grade: i1.tinypic.com/o0tg12.jpg i1.tinypic.com/o0ti6g.jpg

Beautiful Garand Faldoc

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: All the service grades except for the SA are sold out and they're not taking any other orders And all the other grades' brands are Greek or Danish. Does that matter? Not to a shooter, but maybe to a collector.  I have a Greek rack grade M1 (SA manufacture) and it's a very solid rifle. You realize that they are not made in those countries, right?   They were sold to or loaned to those countries and are now coming back home.   I have a HRA "Greek" return "rack grade" that out shoots my dads "service grade" Springfield.

Um...yes, I realize that.  That's why I said "SA manufacture."  I'm pretty sure SA does not have any manufacturing facilites in Athens.  

Quoted: Is that true? Are original USGI stocks hard to come by? I don't know squat about these rifles, other than the fact my grandfather carried one during the Normandy Campaign. hat

USGI stocks are very easy to come by, cheap too. http://dougsstockpile.com/ is a good source, as well as others. You CANNOT go wrong with a CMP Garand!!! CANNOT, IMPOSSIBLE!

I recently (several months ago) bought a greek return service grade H&R from the CMP. The wood was in decent shape and had the defense acceptance stamp on it (eagle and stars). The wood foregrips had some deep scratches but the stock was in good shape.

I believe this was a 50's era Garand and although I haven't measured erosion, the barrel has a shiny bevel right at the throat so it may have been arsenal rebuilt. ALL the metal on the rifle looks brand-spanking new and the parkerizing is black and in great shape with practically no wear.

In the pics below the H&R is the one on the bottom and right sides (the other is a December '43 Springfield I bought from a friend who had owned it for over 40 years).

In these pics I have replaced the stock with another one I had around the house since I like the earlier pistol grip profile better than the later style that it came with so this is not the stock that came on the rifle. If you really want pics of it I can get some but it was in very good shape.




Buy one you won't regret it at all.

The BEST part is having it shipped right to your door! (NO C&R required!) This is the way gun buying SHOULD be!