M1 Garand

[mckenney99]

+1 for the Garand Collectors Association. Great, well run organization, really nicely done magazine and a wealth of information primarily for the Garand but every now and then another firearm gets featured. They also have contacts/marketplace for gunsmiths, parts and rifles.
As AJ posted, it is the best $25 a year that I spend.
They have a very close working relationship with the CMP and membership with GCA will meet one of the requirements to purchase from the CMP. With your consent, GCA will verify with CMP when you make a purchase.

 

[peterdeb]

Oh Brother, I'm getting that old familiar itch......

 

[AJ]

I was no stranger to M1s from age 14 in high school ROTC. In college, I borrowed one from the ROTC armory for the 1961 Arizona statewide Washington's Birthday match. I found that the gas cylinder and its integral front sight was loose in the splines on the barrel. I did a field fix with a screwdriver and a hammer to peen the splines so there was no front sight movement. I then proceeded to take 5th place in a field of over 200 shooters with this borrowed sloppy rifle!

Shortly after my active duty Army hitch, I bought one for my very own, and still have it. It's a Springfield Armory example from 1941, and there are British proofs on the barrel.

In all, a total of 38,001 M1 Garand rifles were shipped to England during WWII under Lend-Lease in 1941 and 1942. These were the “British Garands,” which in recent years have become highly sought after by collectors.

John

I have a Springfield also. My receiver was manufactured on July 1, 1944.

 

[oneeyedpete]

The CMP is your best bet. You don't need to join the CMP, just be a member of a CMP recognized club. I believe there is one or two such clubs organized for just that purpose. They cost about $25 to join for a year. Do it before the CMP runs out. That's what I did about 10 years ago and I am very happy with my Garand!

 

[waffles]

I don’t have a .30 carbine but do have the rest of them, several 1911s, a Garand, two 1903s and a 1927a1 Thompson. Not the GI originals but you can only afford what you can. I do compete and shoot matches with everything except the Thompson. I might carry it to a Zombie match when things get normal. Would be fun.

You owe it to yourself to get a carbine. Difficult to convey how fun they are, at least on Garand level, and (strike me down if I'm lying!) likely moreso if you ignore the involuntary smile the PING gives you.