M14 Forum

bevobaseball44

I am sad to hear all of this about the CMP. I have ordered ammo, but never had the $ to order a M1. I finally am ready to order a rifle and now read all of this information. This has me worried.

Blademaker

I went with a CMP special for my first Garand not long ago, and is a nice rifle. The stock was a little rough, but some light sanding and a couple coats of oil took care of that. All in all a good shooter if your not wanting all matching numbers and don't mind a aftermarket stock and barrel.

I just wish I'd joined CMP earlier and got a good carbine from them before they ran out.

ppcshooter1

They don't have Service Grade at the moment. Field, Service Special (Service Grade with new wood) Correct and Collector Grades. They did have a few rack grade Winchesters that were more expensive than the Field Grades. If they had other rack grades I might have bought one and a new barrel.

Marty

Eagle 1

Both the muzzle and throat gauges measure the lands, not the grooves. If it was measuring the grooves it would make the overall bore less than .30 caliber. If a MW gauge doesn't even reach 1 it is a NEW BARREL. The service grade specials are essentially unused all-USGI rifles (ie. collector grade) with new commercial wood.

If you want to convince yourself otherwise that's your business, but you may want to do some more homework.

Eagle 1

Amsdorf

Pretty serious allegation and accusations about CMP being made here. How about you head on over to the CMP forum and post the concerns up in the "Ask Orest" section?

ppcshooter1

Actually you have it backwards. Lands are the raised areas in the rifling that cut into the bullet. You assert that a muzzle that measures 1 is a new barrel then how do you explain the 8-10 rifles I looked at with a ME of 1 that had NO rifling for 6-8 inches back from the muzzle? Btw, I may be new to Garands but I am not new to firearms.

Marty

Eagle 1

That is exactly what I was saying.....the gauge measures the lands, not grooves. So a .308 gauge is actually measuring LESS than .308 which is the groove diameter. The ONLY way a barrel with no rifling is going to measure less than 1 is to be using an 8mm muzzle gauge. I won't beat around the bush....you must not have been seeing the rifling because of lighting, focus of eyes, glasses if you wear them or something else. A .308 MW gauge measuring 1 or less on a barrel is telling you it is a NEW barrel.

But what do I know.

Eagle 1

Packing a 45

I do not think it is a bad thing for them too hold out most of there stock for mail in sales. I have distant relitives back east that have been going in and high gradeing there stock for resale and refer too DCM as there local wholesale arms dealers. So if they hold back for mail order it gives shooters not liveing close or do not have time too travel an oportunity to get something nice. Luck of the draw.

bd111

ppc, you may not have been able to SEE the rifling near the muzzles when you gauged them, lack of a borelight, whatever. I agree a 1 ME or 1.5 = new for all practical purposes. 2 is just battle-rifle broke in. The barrels on the FG's are normally good to OK, might need a crown clean-up.

Amsdorf, we all understand CMP has to market itself. Nobody's bashing CMP. They've got their gig, we've got ours. Packing's post confirms what's already been said, that the good FG's were being walk-in harvested and CMP figured it out, went to Plan B. Good luck to everybody who orders by mail or e-store.

ppcshooter1

I'm glad to see you two know what I saw through my own eyes. I'm not an idiot. I know what rifling is supposed to look like. I wasn't the only one. One guy had a borelight and I borrowed it on the first couple of rifles. I SAW the rifling get shallower and stop 6-8 inches from the muzzle. Others commented on it also. That flies in the face of CMP's description: "Bores will be generally good with only minor imperfections; the barrel crown may be nicked, and the muzzle may gauge more than “3” on muzzle gauge." If the crown had been nicked, no biggie. Just get it recrowned but missing rifling is not indicative of a generally good barrel.

Marty

Eagle 1

Nevermind. The gauge is lying.

bd111

I don't fault you for not spending $$$ for any firearm anywhere if you had any doubts about it. If the bores on the FG's were that bad, CMP oughtta part 'em out and sell the receivers stripped.

Tipler

I was at the South Store last week. The selection was poor to say the least. Racks were picked over by 0900. Found a few gems but the FG's were very rough and had high ME & TE. The lack of USGI wood was surprising. I believe the store was stocked with rifles that wernt fit for mail order.

I must have hit a bad day since reports on the CMP forum are very positive.

Hope things improve on the next trip.

PhillipM

I wasn't there so I don't know but here's my 2 cents.

The readings of the gauge are in thousandths of an inch over bore size. My gauge measures as follows:

-1= .299
0= .30
1= .301
2= .302
3= .303
4= .304

The lands are .004 so .004 x 2 = .308 therefore a .30 caliber barrel with no rifling would gauge at least 8.

DaveH

I'm actually glad there is no CMP store anywhere near me- it would have a detrimental effect on my pocketbook.