Somehow, in preparation for the first article in this series on ordering M1 Garand rifles from the Civilian Marksmanship Program, we missed the least expensive of the bunch. They are called “Field Grade” Garands, and at $525 (plus $24.95 S&H), they seem to be a great buy. We ordered both the Springfield Armory and Harrington & Richardson (HRA) versions of these guns, and the Winchester is no longer available. Of all the Garands we have ordered from CMP so far, if you are looking for a Garand to just shoot and enjoy, you can’t do any better for the money than these field grade guns.
Look around in gunshops and online and you will be hard pressed to find a nice looking and shooting Garand for under $600. Even at live auctions these days more Garands go for upwards of a thousand bucks. These “cheapest Garands” are a real find, and you order them directly from the CMP, just as we described in the first installment of this series. Our guns came in less than three weeks, each with its own hard plastic CMP case, and certification paperwork. Who knows when these guns will dry up, so if you are thinking long, heavy boxes under your Christmas tree this year, now would be the time to order.
The condition listed on the Field Grade guns on the CMP sales page shows them as “Fair to Good,” and there is an extensive warning that these rifles may contain mixed manufacturer parts, or even import parts, and that you should not expect rifles in “mint” condition in this grade. This could be the reason we didn’t order them for the first article. It is worded pretty harsh. But as you can see from the pictures, these guns are actually nicer than the the $625-$950 “Service Grade” rifles we got in the first order.
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It would be nice to own one! :-)
ReplyDeleteI really would like one, as that is what I had in military school.
DeleteI went through basic with the M1 and at first I hated it because it was so damn heavy but later on I grew to love it. when I was issued the M14 all I wanted was my M1 back.Whenever I get my M1 out today to give it a once over I wonder how in the hell did I haul this thing around when I was a scrawny 145 pound 17 year old kid.I have other guns including ARs but I love my M1 the best.Buy one and shoot it you'll see what I mean.
ReplyDeletewhen I was issued the M14 all I wanted was my M1 back.
ReplyDeleteAs I mentioned I had the M-1 in military school, but was issued the M-14 at first in the Army and felt like you.