Just ordered a CMP Garand...

[CortJestir]

And now the wait begins for my Service Grade HRA M1 Garand from the CMP.

Until then, any pics, advice, tips or other info Garandophiles care to share to tide me (and others who are, no doubt, also waiting) over?

 

[nbkky71]

Just a few random thoughts:

• When cleaning the bore, invert the rifle so the gas cylinder is facing up. This keeps solvent & crud out of the gas cylinder
• Lubricate with grease... not oil
• Make sure the gas cylinder plug is tight. A loose plug can lead to malfunctions & accuracy issues
• Make sure the rear sight has proper amount of tension.
• Avoid M1 Thumb by making sure the bolt locks completely to the rear and isn't resting on the follower slide.

The CMP sends a booklet along with M1 rifle called Read This First. It has nearly all the facts you need to maintain your M1.

 

[broncobob]

M1 care

When I was in the service,we used the M14,service rifle.At hat time when it came to lubricating the bolt mechanism,We used what they called Lubriplate,
I don't know if it's still available today, but that was the best stuff for our
rifle,if you can find some it might be the stuff you need for your M1.

 

[cobra81]

Congratulations! If you haven't already, consider placing an order for ammo for your new M1. CMP still has M2 Ball for around $75 per can, and it comes on Enbloc clips. Get it while you can.

Oh, and while you're waiting, go ahead and send in your order for at least one carbine, one 1903 or A3, one Mossberg US M44, and anything else that devious little candy store has to offer.

I got two HRA M1's from CMP this winter, and they are beauties. I hope you get a great-looking shooter.

One thing that was very helpful for me was Walt Kuleck's book "The M1 Garand Complete Assembly Guide". If you're new to the M1, or even if you're not, it's a great companion to your new rifle. I still refer to it when disassembling trigger assemblies or bolts.

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=111655

Only other thing I might suggest is deciding what you want your Garand to be/do. Service grade should come with pretty decent metal, but the wood could need some work. Lots of folks choose to leave the wood original; others strip and refinish it. If you choose the latter, there are lots of good on-line articles detailing different methods of refinishing.

Whatever you choose, be prepared to remove a lot of cosmoline from the entire rifle, and give it a good tear-down, cleaning, and re-lubing before shooting.

Have fun!

 

[Flatbush Harry]

Go to www.odcmp.com and read/join the forum...lots of valuable info there. Also, look at the Tech section...even more useful dope there.

Most important, use only M2 Ball ammo, such as available from CMP or current manufacture by Hornady or Federal, specified as such, unless or until you acquire a Schuster or McCann adjustable gas plug. Using regular, commercial .30-06 ammo or reloads whose exact components you don't know is a prescription for spectacular disassembly of your rifle.

BTW, you can get Lubriplate 130-A or 130-AA from Brownell's and others. The suggestion regarding Duff's book and also Kuleck & McKee's book is a good one...I have both.

Also, google "M1 Garand" and you'll find lots of helpful sites. Discount much of what you see posted on various forums (fora?) at a high discount rate and go with expert advice like Duff, Kuleck and a few others. I found the AGI Armourer's Course DVD helpful before my first detail strip.

Best of luck and enjoy the wait (90-150 days),

FH

 

[christcorp]

Well I too just ordered a CMP M1 Garand today. It's one of 3 guns I really wanted. And for the price, you can't really go wrong. I chose the HRA (Harrington and Richardson - H&R) over the SA (Springfield Armory); mainly because either one will be post WWII manufacturer and I've been told the H&R tended to be a bit newer prior to the Korean war. And while mechanically they are all good, the wood is usually a little better condition on the H&R. He's bought 3 so far in the last couple of years. (He's a major military history buff). He's got 1 Springfield and 2 H&R.

Anyway; I'm excited and look forward to having it arrive. QUESTION: On the page for ordering, it said 90-120 days for delivery. However, in the 2009 catalog, it says 60-90 days. Can anyone who may have received one in the last year say how long it actually took you to get yours? thanks.... mike......

 

[hodaka]

Saturday will be day 90 for my order for an HR Garand. Still waiting. My carbine, ordered in early December, arrived in late March. Waiting is a part of the process.

 

[Te Anau]

Do you have to belong to a local club in order to get a gun from CMP?

 

[ltdave]

Do you have to belong to a local club in order to get a gun from CMP?

a CMP affiliated local club OR your state rifle pistol association...

im all done getting M1s from the CMP. ive got 8. the one i DO need, isnt available thru the CMP. i need a Breda...

for those of you who dont know, after WWII winchester (WRA) sold their machinery to Italy. Italy installed it in their state arsenal (Breda Mechannica Romana) and the Pietro Beretta company...

they made the M1 under contract to several different countries. ive got a Beretta but not a Breda. i have the springfields, winchester, HRA and IHC...

if anyone has a lead on one fairly cheaply let me know...

the wait at 90-120 days is MUCH LESS than what it was back when the DCM ran the program and it was ONE a LIFETIME...

 

[christcorp]

I was going to order another one probably. For my father. Question: Can you order more than one at the same time, or is it like one a month or something similar? Thx...

 

[Flatbush Harry]

Limit is 12/year, can be ordered simultaneously.

FH

 

[Chris_B]

For what it's worth, there are several areas on an M1 that should be oiled. The CMP will be sending you a booklet so no worries there

When you get it, I don;t know what kind of wood they are selling now, but if its original GI and it looks horrible, don't freak out. On one hand, its probably so dirty that you can tell what it will look like after cleaning. On the other, you're buying the metal first and foremost, don't forget that point- the metal is the important part

I wish I'd taken 'before' pics of my CMP service grade. It looked, charitably, like King Kong had passed it through his bowels

Here's what it looked like after I worked the wood (handguards were replaced with better matching wood but this is original USGI walnut on the buttstock that came with the rifle from the CMP)

This one's my desktop photo

This was from last year. My receiver was reparked at some time. It's a 1944 Springfield receiver with a 1946 Springfield barrel. What happened between '44 and '46 that made a new barrel needed at rebuild..who knows!

The internals were this clean when I got the thing!

 

[auberg]

CortJestir, I don't have any pics at the moment, I'll try to take some of my HRA SG and get them up here in the next day or so. I have to tell you, mine has new wood on it, and it looks brand new. Great shooter too.

Good luck with your order.

 

[CortJestir]

Please do, auberg, thanks. And thanks for the replies thus far to everyone. It's helping to take the edge off the wait a little. Excellent info. And great work on that beautiful weapon, Chris B. Can't believe the action looked that clean.

 

[Chris_B]

Thanks!

I got lucky with how clean it was. At the risk of rubbing it in, it also only took 13 days for it to arrive

 

[auberg]

Cortjestir, here are the pictures I promised. One is all of my Garands, the other two are specifically of my HRA Service grade. I hand picked it at the time.

 

[CortJestir]

Very nice collection auberg. Thanks for posting...