I belong to a CMP affiliated club and have participated in a CMP clinic that ables me to purchase a surplus Garand through them.
I know they range from $400 to $1200 depending if it's a rack, service or collector's grade rifle.
If I did decide to add a Garand to my collection, are these rifles worth the price? What grade of rifle is worth the money? I want a reliable, accurate rifle that I won't have to replace parts on. A few dings and scratches on the wood won't bother me as long as they aren't extremely severe. What grade of CMP Garand would guarantee that I would get a rifle like this since I cannot see the rifle before I purchase it and may have to wait a year for it.

What other sources could I go to get a bargain on a M1 Garand?

Thanks for any info.
ArmaLiter

If you want to see it before you buy it. Take a drive to Camp Perry in Port Clinton, Ohio, the home of The CMP North. They will have a selection of rifles on hand ready for purchase. They will also have tools to measure T.E. and M.W.. You really can't go wrong with rolling the dice and letting them pick a service grade for you. It may not be pristine but it will be in issue condition. Good enough to issue to troops if they were still our standard service rifle. Who says you have to wait a year? Last I heard it was less than 60 days, closer to 30. The great thing about the CMP is the customer service. If you don't like what they send you just send it back for an exchange (no waiting BTW).

The next one I get will be a rack grade. I will have it rebarreled to 7.62mm NATO.

Some of the premier grades of M1 Rifles have long or closed waiting lists.  Good, solid issue grade should be a matter of 3 or 4 weeks.  It takes this long as each rifle is pulled from storage, cleanded, gaged, test fired, and cleaned again.

Chicago to Camp Perry is under 300 miles and the CMP store is open on Saturday.  Check by telephone, though, with the National Matches just finished they may have little in stock.

Or take the luck of the draw and have the rifle shipped to your house.

You're going to get a reliable, reasonably accurate rifle -- these aren't match rifles.

-- Chuck

if you want an M1, you want an M1, regardless of whether it's a show peice or a workhorse.  You can get any cheap, beat up USGI M1 and with a little investment, turn it into a real gem.  Of you could leave it as is for it's historical value.  

Regardless, I think anyone that appreciates military rifles should have at least one.  

Armaliter,

What they sed....

Re CMP M1's...  you won't find rifles as good for the same money ANYWHERE.   CMP has the best price for value of ANY M1 source.  You can buy M1's at other places that will make you a guarantee of "pretty" and of certain specs, but you will be paying a LOT more money.

Wanna see CMP M1's???  Go here:
www.swampworks.com/SwampysStuff-Home.html

Best of luck in your decision,
Swampy

im in the same boat as ArmaLiter here. Is the service grade really in that much better condition to warrant a $100-$150 price increase? i have a can of surplus korean '06 sitting here waiting to be used up. it is PS marked, non-corrosive.

The biggest single difference between a rack grade and a service grade is bore conditon, Look at the CMP web site , they'll tell you that the service grade rifles will have a bore that will have Throat erosion less than 5, and Muzzel wear less than 3,  Rack grades may, and often do have alot more wear on the bores, alot of guy buy them with the idea of rebarreling them in.308 and buying a rack grade offers them a way to get .308 rifle,The last service grade rifle I bought has a bore that is, just about new, If buying sight unseen from the CMP, and want a good shooter I'd get a service grade, If you could go to camp perry and look before you buy I'd give the racks a good look as well, A friend of mine and my self went there before the matches and he bought a rack grade rifle that has a T.E of 2, M.W. of almost1, in other words the barrel is almost new,when we cleand it out, the bore was like a mirror inside, only thing wrong with it was the receiver was turning a plum color, other than that nothing was wrong with it, hell, the stock was pretty nice as well,excellent deal for $400 But  like I said if you're buying sight unseen I'd go with a service grade, you'll get a rifle with a good bore and should be a good shooter.