CMP

[Gutlisswundr]

Anybody ever got a rifle through the civillian marksmanship program? I have always wanted a m1 or a 1903 springfield but I am not sure of quality that you get purchasing a rifle through them. I just got a bushmaster superlight A3 with a fixed telescoping stock that will be getting changed out for a telescoping one when the ban sunsets. Goddamn acogs are so expensive i went with a comp ml2. It's time to start blowing some cash on military style weapons. Gut

[FireFinder]

Ranger Gutlisswundr,

I haven't personally gotten a rifle from the CMP, but have had several friends get them.

They are in really good shape considering how old they are. My gun dealer says the ones he has seen have been really nice.

I would rather get one from CMP than a new reproduction M1 from Springfield.

[Oilpatch]

Ranger Gutlisswundr, I have a CMP M1 and I think it's a great way to get an M1, or whatever else they have. The CMP is pretty careful about safety issues, so you can plan on getting a rifle that is in "issuable" condition.

The price is good compared to gunshows and the delivery is fairly fast. They have good deals on ammo too.

I got a '44 Springfield, but that's strictly a random selection process, unless you get into the "added expense" categories. Condition is very good, with some only dents and dings from being stored in racks. For example, mine has a group of dents on left and side of the stock from being bumped by the bolf handle of the rifle next to it in the rack.

In general, CMP is not a good way to get an all-original collectors item. Most, nearly all, of these rifles have been arsenal re-worked. As a result, if you get one of those, you will probably not be getting an all-original rifle. Anything that was upgraded since manufacture would normally be upgraded during the re-work. The sight adjustment knobs are a common example of this.

Also, you might well get mixed parts, for example, my bolt is not the correct vintage for the rest of my rifle and my handgard didn't match the rest of the stock wood wise, so I got the right one off of ebay.

This stuff didn't bother me, since I wanted a shooter and a big part of the fun to me is seeing what exactly they sent you.

Like, I said, I think it's a great way to get an M1.

Oilpatch

[bigjohn]

Ranger Gutlisswunder--I just became eligible to post so I'm a month late on this. I got my DCM (now CMP) M1 in 1987, it took a year after I fired in the qualifying match for all the paperwork to go through at that time. I received a late WWII Springfield. I'd rate it very good condition. It was not pure stock, was rebarreled with a Springfield Armory barrel dated 04/65, it has the Type III sights. They are guaranteed to be safe to shoot. Bruce Canfield who writes books on military weapons and writes a column for THE AMERICAN RIFLEMAN says that pure stock WWII M1s are relatively rare because most M1s were rebuilt a number of times and received upgrades when refurbished. I considered it a very good deal as the price from the DCM at that time was $165. I think they're $400 and up now but you can spend more to get better condition now. I'd rather see these weapons going to good homes than be scrapped.

[keithlester]

Ranger Wunder:
I gotta ask: are you looking for a rifle for competition, or is your interest strictly as a collector? If you want to compete in service rifle or NRA high-power, the M1's, M1A's and M-14's are not a very good choice if you don't have the kind of resources that a shooter for AMU or the USMC team has. It takes a lot of money and TLC to keep these rifles in top form, kinda like a Ferrari. The AMU switched over to floated-barrel M-16A2's several years ago and have been tearing the M-14-shooting Marine team a new one at Perry every year. With the new 80-grain bullets and a floated barrel, a stock 16 will outshoot all but a few M-14's at 300. And at a quarter of the price. I know it sounds wierd, with what we've all been taught about the 16, but it's true.