CMP finds, let's show what we got...

[BGDave]

I can't recommend this often enough. https://thegca.org/# They are ate up with Garand trivia. I borrow my sons copies as they come in. So I can't nail down the particular issue about the barn stock story and eventual inventory. But if I recall they did about 2 or 3 stories on them. It was a big deal when this urban tale turned out to be true. I usually read the "Journal" cover to cover. Multiple times. Only own one Garand now and try to exercise it around June 6th. It's a 6 digit made in early 1941. Not a beauty queen, but it will do.

 

[femurphy77]

Well my CMP Special Winnie just showed up and they screwed the pooch on my order! I ordered it in .308 because that's all they had advertised but when I opened the case the tag said 30-06. Oh it's purty! Guess I should go to work now. . .or the range. Hmmmm. . . . . . . . . .

 

[led4thehed2]

I finally stopped messing around and got my first M1 in January. Assortment of Springfield parts, Service Grade from the North Store. Very little wear, exactly what I wanted.
View attachment 76730

 

[femurphy77]

I finally stopped messing around and got my first M1 in January. Assortment of Springfield parts, Service Grade from the North Store. Very little wear, exactly what I wanted.
View attachment 76730

The service grade rifles from what I've seen are typically in very good condition. I was very impressed with my IHC and it had several IHC parts on it so if I ever chose to try to make it all IHC it should come with minimal pain.

 

[99zhuggerz99]

Service grade I got last year was a Turk return. Overall good condition. And good shooter. Which is what I was wanting.
The real treat came when I decided I was not happy with the new stock and went about refinishing it...days turned into weeks, then months.

For anyone who has been thinking about it...do it. Supply is not endless but regret is.

 

[ru44mag]

I'll have two CMP guns for people to come shoot at the Revere's Riders Military Surplus rifle shoot. Both were hand picked while I was at the CMP North store in Ohio & are in excellent condition. You don't need to mail order these guns. You can go to either of the two stores and pick one out yourself.

Details for the RR shoot are being finalized now.

Does a person have to be a member of the CMP to go to their store in Ohio and buy a Garand?

 

[DoggyDaddy]

Does a person have to be a member of the CMP to go to their store in Ohio and buy a Garand?

You're not really a member of the CMP, but you do have to meet the same requirements whether you buy in person or online. (Proof of citizenship, proof of shooting activity - LTCH works for that, and member in an affiliated organization like Garand Collectors Association.)

 

[jwamplerusa]

Well my CMP Special Winnie just showed up and they screwed the pooch on my order! I ordered it in .308 because that's all they had advertised but when I opened the case the tag said 30-06. Oh it's purty! Guess I should go to work now. . .or the range. Hmmmm. . . . . . . . . .

Pictures; or it doesn't exist... :-)

 

[TheJoker]

Here is another lucky find at the CMP South Store.

Two years ago in early May(...before the PI Rifles arrived), in preparation for my annual visit, I had watched the inventory reports and the outlook was pretty bleak. There were no Service, Field nor Rack Grade M1s being reported at all. The CMP had moved to the downsized location. I left my hotel room telling my fiancee that I wouldn't be buying anything this year and that I was just making a quick visit to see the new Store.

When, I walked in the door...there was much buzz from the couple of folks that had come that morning. In the racks, there were about a dozen M1 Carbines which we had been told were all gone. I made quick work of evaluating the carbines and choosing a Service Grade priced at $795.

It was a National Postal Meter with an Underwood Barrel with exceptional MW and TE readings.

At the time, I believed the 7/43 barrel to be an arsenal replacement. But, I later learned that NPM did not make their own barrels and that the bulk of barrels were supplied by Underwood.

The main reason I chose this particular rifle was that the rifle was dressed in a P-U(Pedersen Bros. Wilton, CT) stock which were generally subcontracted by Underwood and it sported a crisp clear SA rebuild cartouche with an equally crisp ordnance wheel stamped on the left side.

On that same visit, I also found a Rack Grade HRA M1 that was closer to Field Grade in condition which I also snatched up for the bargain price of $560. Needless to say, when I returned to the hotel from my "I'm not buying anything...I'm just going to look" visit to the CMP, I had some 'splainin' to do. Fortunately, Kathy is a good sport and as long as the bills are paid, she doesn't care what I do with my money.

On a side note, this year ... as I left the hotel for my annual visit to the CMP South Store, I said: "I'm not going to buy anything, I'm just going to look." She just laughed. But this time, I did return empty handed. So, it IS possible.

 

[Conductor]

I would love to make a trip to the south store and snag one or two of the Winchester service grades they're putting out. I already have two IHC. I just mail ordered another rifle yesterday, hopefully I get lucky again.

 

[TheJoker]

Here's one ... I picked up this Service Grade Winchester at the South Store in October of 2017 while attending a Project Appleseed KD Event at Talladega Marksmanship Park. It was a real mixer with IHC bolt and Oprod, wearing a 3-1952 SA replacement barrel that measured much better than the ME 2 & TE 2 indicated by the CMP Armorer's tag. It was wearing the usual Walnut CMP Replacement stock which are coming on most of the SG rifles. The spray on sealer/stain, the CMP applies, looked dull and dry; but, it is uniform. The rifle was a decent shooter. So, I spent a couple of seasons bringing it to Revere's Riders Basic Rifle events and letting folks shoot it. Letting folks shoot a 75 year old piece of history at the end of the day is always a big hit, especially with the young ones.

Back in August, it spent most of the day in a downpour. The shooters still seemed to enjoy shooting it despite the inclement weather. As Slim would remind us: "Charlie don't care about no rain." Well I reckon, neither does Jean Cantius Garand. I took the rifle home, dried and cleaned her; but, that CMP applied finish was mostly gone.

Over the last several weeks, I hand rubbed a raw linseed oil finish into the stock. I pretty much followed the recommendations I found on the CMP Forum using Garand Gear's 50/50 RLO/Orange solvent and Pure RLO. I applied 5 coats of the 50/50 followed by 5 coats of the Pure RLO. I had intended to go to 12 coats total; but, on number 10, the wood just wasn't taking in any more oil.

I think it turned out pretty nice!

 

[EGParatrooper]

Looks good!

 

[red_zr24x4]

Really like the way that stock turned out.
I have a field grade that the stock is almost black on from the years of dirt. I've often thought about cleaning it up but I can't bring myself to wipe away all that history

 

[99zhuggerz99]

I stripped the CMP finish, and decided to use Raw Linseed Oil (RLO). Two thin coats of 50/50 mineral spirits/RLO (flax oil from organic section). I let them sit for a day or two, then wipped clean and smooth, then reapplied.
Next I took the RLO by hand and rubbed it in very, very thick. After 12-24 hours (depending on how the wood looked) I would rub with clean cloth. the next day I would lay it out in the sun...ALL DAY...it would get flipped and set to get sun in all of it. after a 4-5 day sun-tan; it would get another thick coat of RLO, and then back to the wait to wipe.
the finish came out very nice in my opinion. it is dark but the wood is still the focal point and the sunning actually brought the red out a bit, and let the oil soak in. I did this last summer and do not have the oil seep from the stock I have had/seen before on other oil-only finishes.