My anniversary present from my wife is gonna me an M1 Garand from the CMP! Anyway looked on the CMP site and they list different makes for different prices.
Springfiels being the cheapest @$500, with H&R @$525, IHC@$550, then Winchester rounding the highest price out @$575.

I don't care about the price but I want a good rifle and a good shooter. My grandfather has an H&R that is pretty nice. So what would you guys choose? I am more interested in the shootability and quality rather than collectibility. But I hear the H&R tend to be in better shape?

If I were to buy another M-1 from the CMP I would get the IHC. There's just something unique about a company famous for farm implements making a battle rifle.

Longstanding nickname for International Trucks:  "Cornbinder"

Gives you something to call it!


Seriously, when I went looking for an M1, I had ties to a specific type.  My late father was the 1st Scout in the I&R Platoon of HQ Co. for the 132nd Inf. (Americal Div.) from late 43 on.  He carried three different M1s over the course of his service, all Springfields.  I was fortunate to find a guy selling a CMP Springfield that was only 302 off of the one rifle that Dad carried.  Not the same, but close enough.  He never spoke of his experiences, but he had a respect for the M1 that bordered on reverence.  Dad passed away 5 years ago 12 April, but every time I so much as glance at the M1 on the rack, many warm memories come back.  It's neat.  Like the saying goes, "Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened."

It would be nice to select yours with some sort of tie or relevance like I did.  For no other reason, if Grand Dad has a "'Binder", then you should too, perhaps.

BRS, characteristically dispensing free advice.

My preference would be for a Korean War era/post-Korean War M1---my impression is that those were the best built and most "modern", all built with '65 Revision parts.  IHC initially had some manufacturing problems and received help from Springfield Armory----in my view, the mid to late IHC's are equivalent to the SA's and H & R's in terms of quality.

just settle it and order one of each and get it over with, and there is something special about the I.h.C.

Just buy all of them now. You are going to eventually anyway. Once you get hooked it's all over.

If you want a shooter, an IHC with a LMR barrel would be excellent. The LMR barrels are supposed to be superb. But since there's no guarantee of getting that combo, I think any of the three other than Winchester would make a great shooter. Keep in mind that although IHC had some production problems, all the rifles that did make it to the government had to pass a strict inspection. You would not be buying a reject, in any case.

Have fun. I know you will...

I went with a Springfield Service Grade, and haven't regretted it at all.

Got a tight 1943 SA Barrel on a 1943 receiver, definately a WWII era Garand. Shoots great, though controlling the recall is more work than the AR.

Replaced the unmarked CMP Stock with a 1943 era "correct " stock, and it's almost too pretty to shoot.

I'd recommend one of the Danish returns with a VAR barrel..it wouldn't be too bad to upgrade with glass-bedding and a trigger job for accuracy.

Wouldn't want to do that with a "correct-matching" WW-II era gun that may be more of a collector than shooter. :):):)

Quoted: If I were to buy another M-1 from the CMP I would get the IHC. There's just something unique about a company famous for farm implements making a battle rifle.

Sort of like beating plowshares into swords.

HBO is replaying band of brothers and it has really got me pumped up about the M1 garand. See my grandpa served in the 3rd marine division in the Pacific during ww2. He landed on Iwo Jima and etc. He always told me how much of great rifle the M1 garand was to him and he always wanted to buy one. Then he passed away before he got the chance to and now I think I want to get one kind like in his memory. SO any way how are the rifles from CMP?

They will be just like the one Grand Pa used. Don't expect a rifle that looks new. Service rifles with wood stocks get a lot of dents and dings. The metal finishes are often worn from repeated cleaning. The good news is where the rubber meets the road(shooting)they are great.
To sum up; not pretty, shoot well.

A great place to ask fellow shooters CMP related questions is the CMP forum on Culver's Pages.  Orest Michaels, CMP's Chief Operating Officer, frequently visits and answers questions there.  Just please try to avoid asking anything that has already been posted there or on the CMP site.  Orest estimated that 50-100 applications per day don't get processed because his people keep getting tied up answering the same questions over and over again!

www.jouster.com/cgi-bin/cmp-issues/cmp.pl

Dean's Gun Restorations refinished this wood for me for the princely sum of $75 without disturbing the cartouches. If cartouches aren't important, he can refinish for $55. Seems reasonable to me. If anyone's curious, he's also thought fairly highly of on the Culver site as well.

I chose the Springfield because that is what I qualified with in 1962 while serving in the U.S. Navy.
Jim

I think I'm going to go with an H&R for a shooter.... the later, get a Dane with the VAR BBL to restock, bed and trick out... then a good WWII era Springfield for a collector/restoration.

The reason I'm going to get an H&R first, is it should be newer, probably less rebuilds, more of the newer tweaks in engineering/specs, and should be in good operable shape.  It will be used for JCG and some highpower/service rifle matches, and some hunting...

I saw a Winchester at the gunshow, but what I could see of the bbl and action, it was pretty pitted, and the finish was kinda poor on the outside.  The stock was in decent shape.  He wanted $650... if I could have talked him to $500, I may have taken it, but I didn't bother.  The thing that was funny was the guy next to me checking out an SKS asks me while I'm holding the M1, "what's that?"  WHAT'S THAT???  I tell him "this is the M1!"  He says "oh, a dinosaur"  A DINOSAUR??  I says "this is the greatest battle implement ever devised!  And that's Patton's opinion.  The M1 will never be a dinosaur"


I think it's our patriotic duty to own at least one M1