Civilian Marksmanship program
Question:
> I heard about the Civilian Marksmanship Program recently, that offers > M-1 Garands for sale to individuals through qualified clubs. I was > thinking about buying an M-1D for the kids (it is an M-1 with a scope) > but the CMP says they are assembled from parts and not necessarily all > have matching serial numbers. The $1200 price tag seems a bit high. > Does anyone think it would be better to get one from Springfield Armory, > or maybe just buy a Ruger Mini-14? I realize people collect Garands but > the way the CMP talks about them it doesn’t seem like anybody is getting > any great deals here.
The M-1D is a collector’s item. Unless you are interested in it as a collectable, you’d be better off buying someone else. It is actually a good deal financially, since you could sell it for significantly in excess of $1200. But there is a lottery for them and the chances of being selected aren’t great. If all you want is a Garand, you can get a serviceable Garand what I’d give to someone young and small — the Garand is large, heavy, long, and it takes some strength to load (not to mention M1 thumb). Now, the question is, what do kind of gun do you want to get for the kids? For what purpose? Target shooting? Competition? Plinking? A Mini-14 is a much different gun than an M1A from Springfield Armory and is built for a much different purpose. The Mini-14 is short, light, and handy, and fires .223. Accuracy is only middling. Recoil is minimal. The M1A is much larger, heavier, and longer, and fires 7.62 Nato. The M1A can be set up to be much more accurate than the Mini-14, but that requires bedding the action. The Mini-14 is cheap (~$500), the M1A is not (> $1000). The M1A can be used for service rifle competition, the Mini-14 cannot. (Nevertheless, I’d recommend an AR15 for service rifle competition over the M1A — easier to use and maintain.) Tell us what you want the gun for and we can give you a better recommendation. Also, how old are the kids? Jared Visit the rec.hunting and rec.hunting.dogs FAQ Home Page at: http://sportsmansweb.com/hunting/
Response:
I didn’t really buy mine as a collector piece or as a shooter. It was more a piece of history and a bit of family nostalgia. (My father was a marine who carried the M1) I enjoy simply owning mine and occassionally shooting it. By the way, the accuracy, even after much fiddling, is pretty poor compared to modern firearms. Good Luck! – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ——Original Message—– >I heard about the Civilian Marksmanship Program recently, that offers >M-1 Garands for sale to individuals through qualified clubs. I was >thinking about buying an M-1D for the kids (it is an M-1 with a scope) >but the CMP says they are assembled from parts and not necessarily all >have matching serial numbers. The $1200 price tag seems a bit high. >Does anyone think it would be better to get one from Springfield Armory, >or maybe just buy a Ruger Mini-14? I realize people collect Garands but >the way the CMP talks about them it doesn’t seem like anybody is getting >any great deals here. >Visit the rec.hunting and rec.hunting.dogs FAQ Home Page at: > http://sportsmansweb.com/hunting/
Visit the rec.hunting and rec.hunting.dogs FAQ Home Page at: http://sportsmansweb.com/hunting/
Response:
Assuming you are planning on shooting the gun: If you are looking for something in 30 caliber the M1A from Springfield will shoot as good if not better than the M1-D. If you are interested in something in .223 caliber, I would look into buying a AR-15. Thanks Visit the rec.hunting and rec.hunting.dogs FAQ Home Page at: http://sportsmansweb.com/hunting/
Response:
> thinking about buying an M-1D for the kids (it is an M-1 with a scope) > but the CMP says they are assembled from parts and not necessarily all > have matching serial numbers. The $1200 price tag seems a bit high. > Does anyone think it would be better to get one from Springfield Armory, > or maybe just buy a Ruger Mini-14? I realize people collect Garands but > the way the CMP talks about them it doesn’t seem like anybody is getting > any great deals here.
Garands are wonderful, historic rifles that shoot great with the right loads and a bit of accurizing. I love my M1, however, if you are going to spend $1200, it would seem more logical to invest in a Springfield M1A1. They can be scoped much easier, shoot the .308 (7.62 NATO), have detachable box mags, are lighter, more accurate/more readily accurized, are shorter etc. They are the civilian version of the M14, and as such have no automatic fire capability. If you plan on using this rifle to hunt with, the Mini-14 is a .223, too light for deer, and they can be a real pain to get to shoot accurately (1- 1.5 MOA, a rather easy goal to reach with the M1A1). At $1200, you should be paying for a collectable Garand, one that you might not want to shoot too much. For less than $500 at a gun show, you can get a service grade M1 Garand that you’ll love to shoot. Or, for a bit more, ($800) a brand new service grade M1A1. Try these websites for more info: http://www.shreve.net/~tea/ (M1 Garand rifle info) http://www.buffnet.net/~straitnr/m-1.html (M1 Garand collector info) http://www.fulton-armory.com (look to buy your M1 Garand here maybe) http://www.springfield-armory.com/ Good shooting! Got any room for more kids? I’d love an M1D! Dave Manfred and Remy (GSPs), Mauser (GSD) http://www.geocities.com/yosemite/rapids/7061 A Prince, whose Character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the Ruler of a free People. Decl of Ind, 1776. Visit the rec.hunting and rec.hunting.dogs FAQ Home Page at: http://sportsmansweb.com/hunting/
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > I heard about the Civilian Marksmanship Program > recently, that offers > M-1 Garands for sale to individuals through > qualified clubs. I was > thinking about buying an M-1D for the kids (it > is an M-1 with a scope) > but the CMP says they are assembled from parts > and not necessarily all > have matching serial numbers. The $1200 price > tag seems a bit high. > Does anyone think it would be better to get one > from Springfield Armory, > or maybe just buy a Ruger Mini-14? I realize > people collect Garands but > the way the CMP talks about them it doesn’t seem > like anybody is getting > any great deals here.
Gun Parts Corp. had an ad in the shotgun news recently for armory refinished Garands with new barrels for $650.00 CJ Lee I’m The NRA Visit the rec.hunting and rec.hunting.dogs FAQ Home Page at: http://sportsmansweb.com/hunting/
Response:
I heard about the Civilian Marksmanship Program recently, that offers M-1 Garands for sale to individuals through qualified clubs. I was thinking about buying an M-1D for the kids (it is an M-1 with a scope) but the CMP says they are assembled from parts and not necessarily all have matching serial numbers. The $1200 price tag seems a bit high. Does anyone think it would be better to get one from Springfield Armory, or maybe just buy a Ruger Mini-14? I realize people collect Garands but the way the CMP talks about them it doesn’t seem like anybody is getting any great deals here. Visit the rec.hunting and rec.hunting.dogs FAQ Home Page at: http://sportsmansweb.com/hunting/
Response:
>I heard about the Civilian Marksmanship Program recently, that offers >M-1 Garands for sale to individuals through qualified clubs. I was >thinking about buying an M-1D for the kids (it is an M-1 with a scope) >but the CMP says they are assembled from parts and not necessarily all >have matching serial numbers. The $1200 price tag seems a bit high.
FIrst, you don’t just buy an M1-D from the CMP. It is by lottery draw only. There are currently around 10,000 entrants for now fewer than 500 M1-Ds. Additionally, you should look at open market prices for M1-D rifles. The lowest I’ve seen in recent years was $1375 for a severely mismatched, very well used beater. Pristine condition and especially CMP papers make the price jump to a neighborhood of of $1750 – $2500. >Does anyone think it would be better to get one from Springfield Armory, or maybe just buy a >Ruger Mini-14?
Springfield Armory does not currently manufacture M1-D or any other configuration. Anything they have for sale is based on the original 40-50 year old receivers. Mini-14’s are good plinking rifles, not much else. I keep one under my truck seat for the odd coyote or other varmints wandering withing range. >I realize people collect Garands but the way the CMP talks about them it doesn’t seem like >anybody is getting any great deals here.
Yes, many people voraciously collect Garands. The supply is limited, and prices are rising across the board. If you check around, I’m sure you will find out differently. A $275 "woodless", a $400 service grade, a $550 select grade, or a $750 collector grade M1 Garand are each and every one a very good buy. Just in case you don’t have it, try WWW.ODCMP.COM. Most any question can be answered there. If not, there are many contact points listed. Dwayne Potter Austin, TX Visit the rec.hunting and rec.hunting.dogs FAQ Home Page at: http://sportsmansweb.com/hunting/
Response:
> I heard about the Civilian Marksmanship Program recently, that offers > M-1 Garands for sale to individuals through qualified clubs. I was > thinking about buying an M-1D for the kids (it is an M-1 with a scope) > but the CMP says they are assembled from parts and not necessarily all > have matching serial numbers. The $1200 price tag seems a bit high. > Does anyone think it would be better to get one from Springfield Armory, > or maybe just buy a Ruger Mini-14? I realize people collect Garands but > the way the CMP talks about them it doesn’t seem like anybody is getting > any great deals here.
Go to www.odcmp.com and www.fulton-armory.com and get the real scoop on the CMP and its rifles. It is not for everyone, but there is a lot of misinformation out here on the subject. By the way, the M1D is on a lottery system so there is no guarantee one will get one. There is a very limited supply of the M1D’s and the 1903’s that are on the lottery as well. For the money the service grade M1 is a good buy. Check out the above mentioned sites and get the word straight from the horses’ mouth. Jay Visit the rec.hunting and rec.hunting.dogs FAQ Home Page at: http://sportsmansweb.com/hunting/
