I got a Garand from them in the early 1980s. All I recall was that it was an International Harvester, it was in near perfect condition (one small ding in the wood otherwise about 100%) and it cost $165.

Shortly after getting it my home was burglarized and all my guns were stolen...except the M1. It was left behind. I sold it to finance buying my first replacement handgun. Wish I had kept it.

Jump forward to around 2008. Got the Garand itch again and ordered one from the CMP. Now I paid something around $500. I also ordered an M1 Carbine at the same time. The H&R Garand arrived with perfect metal. I assume it was nicely refinished. The wood was horrible. It literally looked like it had been dragged behind a Jeep down 12 miles of bad road then attacked with a ball peen hammer. There was not one square inch of surface on the stock not dinged and damaged. I was really hoping for decent wood. No such luck. After hours of steaming and sanding I improved it to where it now looked pretty bad. That was a big improvement. But not enough and I gave up. I purchased a replacement stock for $35 at a show that is uninspiring but at least the surface doesn't look like a golf ball covered with dimples.

The Carbine took forever to arrive. After waiting two months I saw a Carbine at a local show for $400 and bagged it. It had a distributor's stamp on it so it must have been sold as surplus decades ago. Very rough looking but works fine. Maybe seven months later the CMP Carbine arrived. It was $200 more than the one from the show, was a little better looking but not a whole lot so I sold it for $50 over cost.

The 4/44 barrel date on the one I kept is intriguing. Could it have gone ashore at Omaha Beach? It could have gone through the war from the looks of it. I steamed and sanded the heck out of the stock trying to smooth it out but it remains pretty ugly. I have thought about buying a replacement but it's just a shooter so I live with it.

The CMP suffers from an unfriendly administration in DC and a diminishing supply of firearms to import and sell. I'm sure they do the best they can with what they have to work with. I'll pass on the 1911s if they ever get to offer them. Don't need a souvenir of WW II, don't need another 1911 shooter, don't need another project gun, and don't have any extra money these days no how.

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No life story has happy end.

Nice story and nice pair of war horses.

Simplistic answer but the CMP can only work with what is made
available to them. My experiences with them have exceeded expectations. I was told by others that despite the stated policies,
polite requests most likely would be honored. This was shortly after
significant numbers of Garands were made available for sale and I
found that it did seem to be true. My trip to the CMP North store was
actually surprising to me in how well I was treated. As to the 1911
situation it is a bit early to draw conclusions so we'll just have to
wait and see.

I've had 5 different 1911's, and I let them all go.

That almost sounds like it was an unfortunate event.

More like I SENT THEM AWAY actually.

I appreciate the historical component of the 1911, but I do not appreciate anything else about a 1911.

I'm too old to be boarding any more expensive souvenirs.

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WWSSD?
What would Skeeter do?

My CMP Springfield Garand is dated 6/44, so I kinda doubt it went ashore at Omaha.

That's all right, though. I like it anyway.

My CMP Inland Carbine, though, dates to early 1942, so it mighta.

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I always take precautions

I've had great luck with the CMP. Its been about 10 years since I got these Garands, but the polite yellow sticky on the order form worked then.



I wanted a WWII era one, and got a 6/44 Springfield.

My oldest son wanted the newest possible rifle, and got a very late Springfield.

My youngest son just wanted any old Garand, and got the HRA from the Greek returns for a whopping $295.



All are first rate guns and get shot often.



(My daughter didn't want anything to do with M1s, so she got a nice .22 rifle.)



I also got an 03 and Remington 40X, both fine guns.

Even if my luck runs out and I get a doggy 1911 I'll still be ahead.

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“What you got, ain’t new.”

We used to make yearly trips to the store in Anniston. We bought garands/carbines/HXP 30/06 ammo/clips/bayonets etc.. When you got buzzed into the gun room it was awesome!!!!!! The racks of rifles......The smell of cosmoline. Those folks in the Anniston store were always very nice. Hopefully with a new andministration next year they can resupply with some good stuff.

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S&W Accumulator

We stopped in the Anniston store a couple of weeks ago. The racks were pretty thin. I was in there 2 years ago and the racks were full. My M1 came from the DCM in about 1987. It was also $165. A little sandpaper and some oil and it is pretty. '42 receiver and '44 barrel.

I hope, if the CMP days are getting shorter, the government at least allows the Yankee Candle Company to go in and capture that smell.......

That's a lot of history right there ~ Congrats!

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John
S&WCA Life Member