CAI Garand.

[MP Freeman]

I'm considering purchasing one of the Parts kit garands with a CAI reciever.

Is it worth the $399?

How is the reciever manufactured?

Could I use the reciever and build a decent shooter?

Thanks,
MP

 

[kgs]

Fulton Armory....

Click on this link: http://www.fulton-armory.com and navigate the M1 faq's. The info you need will be there.


Hope this helps!


kgs.

 

[Zeebrahed]

Dangerous non-spec crap. The receiver that is....the rest of the parts are mostly Danish reimports.

I would recommend you pass.

 

[DougB]

I don't own a CAI Garand, but I've considered buying one. The universal response I get when I post questions about them is that I should get a CMP rifle (which, now that I've recently joined a shooting club, I'll probably do).

BUT, I still find it a little frustrating to read, over and over again, that the CAI rifles are dangerous junk - nearly always directing us to Fulton armory's web page as proof of this. Yet I hear that a local sporting good chain (Big 5) sells them as fast as they can get them in. Why don't we hear stories of them blowing up...or at least failing to function? I could be missing it, but I don't think I've ever heard of anyone actualy EXPERIENCING a problem with one of these rifles - just a lot of opinions from people who don't like them.

Fulton Armory sells Garands - for a LOT more than these CAI rifles. I wouldn't expect them to say anything good about their competition. What, specifically, is wrong with the Century rifles? I don't doubt that there are better Garands, and, from the CMP, maybe even for about the same cost. But for just over $400, the CAI rifles I've looked at seemed okay.

That said, I'm open to being corrected if there are consistent functional or safety problems with these rifles - and I think the CMP is probably a better option for those willing to meet the requirements.

Doug

 

[Destructo6]

All the ones I've seen at the local shop had their op-rods come out of the channel with just customers fiddling with them (rifle fully assembled). The op-rod on my Garand isn't that easy to remove.

I don't trust them and I haven't even read that Fulton Armory article.

 

[craigz]

 

[Dave McMillan]

If "blowing up" is the only criteria for a "bad" firearm, your criteria may be a little low. Repeated malfunctions and predictable failure due to out-of-specification construction might be a better one.

Fulton doesn't compete with CAI, not even close. So I don't consider his opinion tainted by being a competitor of CAI. So who do you really trust, a well-respected gunsmith's objective opinion or a junk importer just trying to make a buck?

 

[Southla1]

I saw a CAI Garand at a local gun show a few months ago. There was no comparison at all between that and my SA (CMP) Garand. I have to agree with Fulton ......... it's junk. The Receiver was poorly made, the parts were ill fitting, if one shook the rifle it rattled, the front sight was at least 15 degrees off square which means that the gas cylinder was not straight. I have no idea where some of the parts came from there was no markings at all on them but they looked cheap. To top it all off they wanted $589 for it! I do not know if it was safe to fire as it was but I can promise you it would not hold up like a GI rifle would.

 

[Zeebrahed]

My opinion means very little, of course....but I am somewhat of a Garand rifle buff and of US service rifles in general. All that one must do is go to a gunshow, pick up one of these commercial Garands and take a good look at it. It is a very shoddy piece of workmanship. Generally, these reimport kits are not in good shape as it is, and paired with a poorly crafted receiver, they are just not a good buy.

You can't hide poor quality. Look at one. Look at one next to a USGI Winchester or Springfield receiver. The proof is in the pudding.

Once again, I give my personal opinion that they are crap.

I hear that Springfield is tooling up to produce new Garands and Carbines. Now that should be very exciting, and I can hardly wait to see them. Springfield has some small experience with producing them in the past, and if they forge (instead of cast) the receivers, I will be the first in line to get one.

 

[MP Freeman]

CAI is not a well fitted gun? - agreed. But I was really hoping someone would have a better opinion that I could purchase one and build it up. Oh well.

Regards,

 

[Southla1]

MP, we just hate to see you get taken man. Some of the parts in the CAI may be ok but if the receiver is not good that is the heart of the rifle and no matter how good the parts are if the reciever is not good then the rifle is not good. I have to agree with Zeebrahed when he says to compare one next to a SA or WRA receiver, that will make a beliver out of anyone. I think the best advice is to take the $399 they want for that one and add $101 and get a CMP rifle.

 

[Mouse Gun]

Heck you can buy the Danish grade fron the CMP for $400 plus shipping and all have US receivers and good barrels in alot of cases. I have some personal experience with the CAI rifle and to sum it up; worn out parts and someone that doesn't know how to build a Garand(not a job for everone). The fact that I've heard some good things about Century Fals makes me wonder. Building a Garand is not rocket science but you have to know the M1/M14 rifle is not a simple rifle to put together, alot of variables and Kuhnhausens book opened my eyes to that.

Brian

 

[swampyMO]

guys,

I LOVE my M1 from CMP. It's a '45 Springfield with the original barrel and shoots 2.5 inches at 100 yds all day long. I've looked at the CAI M1's. Would not own one........

For $200 (the same price as a good parts kit), I'd buy it as a (possibly) shooting spare parts source. I'd never pay $400 for one, not when for the same $400 I can get a good Danish that has been inspected & tested by CMP and might just have one of those beautiful VAR barrels.

Having said that about the Century guns, I do have a CAI STG-58 (FAL) and like it a lot. Accurate & reliable.

Swampy

 

[ehenz]

I am not an expert however, I have some experience with the garand in question, and have read many post on this subject and not only on this forum. I have seen the "do not fire" invoice/evaluation at least 15 times, and is worth noting.

My brother has one of these and we do not go shooting without each other (our favorite passtime). We have put around 1500 rounds thru the thing without a problem (yea we got it a from some cat named "dick dunham.."). We even scoped it out with a b-square mount and a Simmons "blazer" 4-16x44 (very cheap, both ways)and got 2" groups at 200 yards. Thats with my brother shooting and he sucks!

This rifle may be an exception to the rule. I would agree that the CMP is the deal, and have heard many good things about it COMPARITIVLY SPEAKING. I just can't see anything wrong with the CIA, for a plinker.

If you are just into shoot'in stuff up, don't like to wait several weeks, don't belong to a club, and don't mind buying a used something 50+ years old with an eye inspection, you could do worse.

My 2 pennies,

Ehenz.