What is a typical price for collector grade Garand?

[onelonehorseman]

Okay M1 Garand collectors . . . please share your expertise.

I am pondering a search for a "collector" grade, WW2 correct, example of an M1 Garand. I am not looking for a high end investment gun, just a nice, honest example in original WW2 configuration, in decent condition. I am hoping for an example with an original, properly marked, factory stock with no post war re-work stamps. All parts should be consistent with the period of the SN manufacture date. The exact manufacturer is not important to me as long as the parts are correct for the gun as it would have originally been issued.

What would you expect to pay for an example that falls into this very general description?

[ccandgc]

The CMP used to sell "correct" grade garands. I don't think they do anymore. There was one recently for sale here, I believe. I'm guessing in the neighborhood of $800-$1200. I'm no expert by any means, just my personal experience with the 10 in my collection. A good shooter grade isn't that expensive, and you can obtain "correct" parts pretty much anywhere to get it how you want, sell the other parts to help recoup.

[onelonehorseman]

The CMP used to sell "correct" grade garands. I don't think they do anymore. There was one recently for sale here, I believe. I'm guessing in the neighborhood of $800-$1200. I'm no expert by any means, just my personal experience with the 10 in my collection. A good shooter grade isn't that expensive, and you can obtain "correct" parts pretty much anywhere to get it how you want, sell the other parts to help recoup.

Yup, that's what I did with my IBM M1 Carbine. It took me about 1 year and a half to find all of the correct parts though. I figure, for a Garand, I would need to at least start with one that has a correct original WW2 stock since they are likely not that easy to find on the loose.

[kurac]

A decent WWII stock and barrel are going to be the most difficult items to find followed by the uncut operating rod. Based on your description, I am thinking at least $1500 but probably over $2,000 considering the first three parts I mentioned could easily cost you $1500

[Top Shotta HiFi]

...or just order a Field Grade M1 from CMP and ask for a WW2 serial -
$630 gets you most of the way there. Also be sure to purchase your yearly limit of HXP .30-06 from CMP. You can always scrounge around for WW2 parts at a later date. Getting one of the ever dwindling CMP M1s and plenty of food for it is your critical path at this point.

[onelonehorseman]

A decent WWII stock and barrel are going to be the most difficult items to find followed by the uncut operating rod. Based on your description, I am thinking at least $1500 but probably over $2,000 considering the first three parts I mentioned could easily cost you $1500

Kind of what I was thinking cost wise.

[ccandgc]

This....

...or just order a Field Grade M1 from CMP and ask for a WW2 serial -
$630 gets you most of the way there. Also be sure to purchase your yearly limit of HXP .30-06 from CMP. You can always scrounge around for WW2 parts at a later date. Getting one of the ever dwindling CMP M1s and plenty of food for it is your critical path at this point.

[Milsurp Collector]

I am pondering a search for a "collector" grade, WW2 correct, example of an M1 Garand. I am not looking for a high end investment gun, just a nice, honest example in original WW2 configuration, in decent condition. I am hoping for an example with an original, properly marked, factory stock with no post war re-work stamps. All parts should be consistent with the period of the SN manufacture date. The exact manufacturer is not important to me as long as the parts are correct for the gun as it would have originally been issued.

What would you expect to pay for an example that falls into this very general description?

Original WW2 configuration with a genuine, non-faked stock = high end investment gun.

http://cmpauction.thecmp.org/detail.asp?id=1838&n=M1-Garand-SA-Collector-WWII-3413874

http://cmpauction.thecmp.org/detail.asp?id=1945&n=M1-Garand-SA-Collector-WWII-3474912

http://cmpauction.thecmp.org/detail.asp?id=2250&n=M1-Garand-SA-WWII-Correct-3517998

http://cmpauction.thecmp.org/detail.asp?id=2711&n=M1-Garand-Springfield-Armory-3630583-Like-New

http://cmpauction.thecmp.org/detail.asp?id=2132&n=M1-Garand-SA-WWII-3385827

http://cmpauction.thecmp.org/detail.asp?id=2234&n=M1-Garand-SA-WWII-Correct-3746069

http://cmpauction.thecmp.org/detail.asp?id=2760&n=M1-Garand-Springfield-3851380

http://cmpauction.thecmp.org/detail.asp?id=2254&n=M1-Garand-Springfield-Armory-11361

http://www.scott-duff.com/M1Garand.htm

There is a lot of demand for what you specified and prices reflect that. The more affordable Correct and Collector Grades from the CMP are post-WW2 rifles. I got a Correct Grade HRA from the CMP for $950 when they were available.

That being said, sometimes you have to be lucky. Back in 2012 I lucked into a correct but almost certainly not original Winchester including a M1907 sling and accessories for $1600 at a local gun show. All Winchesters were made during World War II. I bought it from another member of Oregon Arms Collectors who I had bought many things from in the past, mostly militaria. We had a running joke about the number of consecutive shows I had bought something from him, but he has a lot of good stuff and he always gives me a good deal.

So finding something like this at a reasonable price takes luck and connections with other collectors.












Slideshow with more pictures at http://s625.photobucket.com/albums/t...view=slideshow

[onelonehorseman]

^^^ Those are some seriously nice rifles in those auction links!

That is also a fine example that you picked up. I'm definitely not interested in spending $6K - $7K. I'll be on the look out and maybe get lucky too.

Thanks for your input Milsurp.

[sickboybrad]

I gave up looking. Also the cost cut me out.
Post a want to buy post, they are out there.
Im going with a service grade. It won't hurt as much on the pocket book.
B

[IeatPi]

Ive seen several corrects recently for about $1500-1600. The terminology here is what will get you in trouble. A "Collector" grade is a whole new league of money. A "Correct" grade is what you are after.

[TRICKSTER]

...or just order a Field Grade M1 from CMP and ask for a WW2 serial -
$630 gets you most of the way there. Also be sure to purchase your yearly limit of HXP .30-06 from CMP. You can always scrounge around for WW2 parts at a later date. Getting one of the ever dwindling CMP M1s and plenty of food for it is your critical path at this point.

Doesn't even get you close. Odds are that the barrel will not be correct, +$300. Oprod will not be correct, +200. Stock will not be correct, +$250-$400.
This is on the low end, not counting all the smaller parts and assuming that you don't have to pay someone to swap the barrel for you.
All that $630 may get you is a WWII receiver.

[Discogodfather]

I'm not sure how a Garand can be authenticated " as built" at the factory considering it's a completely modular gun with no real parts matching or numbering. The codes will tell you when it was built and by whom, but at the factory it was all taken out of a box randomly. You can pay a big time collector expert to render an opinion as to if it was built and fielded that way, but it's still just an opinion.

For example, many people value the finish of the rifle. They comment on the "parkerizing" matching. This is folley, because parts where parked at different times and in different tanks, sometimes months apart, then assembled and they DID NOT MATCH aesthetically when they where issued and used.

Applying a "Mauser" style of logic to Garands will get you into overpaying for something that has no real provenance.

[marksmandowntown]

I've sold a couple Service Grade Garands recently so I've been more or less up on the prices. Weaker Service Grades will run about $1,000 and better ones $1,200 to $1,500 but they could take a few weeks to sell at those prices. In most cases, making a rifle "Correct" will cost you more in parts than the completed rifle is worth, so it's more a fun hobby project than a business thing. The last Correct Springfield I saw on the CMP forums was for sale for $1,800, and the seller said that amount was what he had "put into it" to build it. I am not a serious enough collector to even comment on Collector Grades. I don't do guns that are too nice to shoot.

EDIT: Great point Discogodfather

[Discogodfather]

What does "correct" mean? That lot codes match to a rough date range? That's like having 5 mosins with mismatched Izzy and Tula parts and just swapping them together and saying it's original.

True originality is the way it left the factory, was issued, and used. Mix and match is silly.

Muzzle and throat erosion is how to value a good Garand, everything else is just a ponzi scheme cooked up by those that would profit from it. CMP is a fine organization but it should have never got into the collecting game.