CMP Purchase question

[ColdDeadHands1]

I'm going to buy a rack grade M1 Carbine from the CMP. For $479 they have Underwood, Quality Hardware, Saginaw, and National Postal Meter. I really don't have any preference of these manufacturers so I was thinking about making a special request. On my order form I would pick one just so the costs added up correctly. But I was thinking about adding a note that I have no preference of these manufacturers and to please just pick the nicest one available.

I've read that sometimes special requests are granted, sometimes not. What do you think? Will this cause confusion or tick anyone off?

Also, the reason I didn't include Inland is because my Dad already has one, so trying to diversify the family!

[TRICKSTER]

Since they are sorted by manufacture, that would have someone checking 4 different areas and who knows how many carbines. Even checking the best of 5 for each manufacture would take a considerable amount of time.
They will not do it and may get confused as to what you are ordering.
Pick a manufacture place your order and hope for the best.. I have 5 rack grades and only my Inland fell
within the rack grade description, but even that had a nice WWII stock. The other 4 could easily match the description for service grade.

[Milsurp Collector]

But I was thinking about adding a note that I have no preference of these manufacturers and to please just pick the nicest one available.

I've read that sometimes special requests are granted, sometimes not. What do you think? Will this cause confusion or tick anyone off?

Someone asked the same question on the CMP forum recently and someone else replied:

Asking for "a nice one" or "something super sweet" won't do you any good. Those are subjective terms that really don't mean a thing to the folks packing the rifles. If you ask for a "new wood" or "serial number over 4 mil" (post war), you've got a chance of getting what you want. Asking for a "good barrel" won't help. The folks packing the rifles do not have gauges and are not armorers. They are the packers. The slip says "service grade" so they go to the crate and grab a service grade from the top.

Of the choices you listed I would pick an Underwood. Underwood made the best barrels. Quality HMC and NPM also used Underwood barrels, but they also used barrels from other makers, so there is a chance you would get a non-Underwood barrel. Picking an Underwood maximizes your chances of getting an Underwood barrel if the carbine still has its original barrel, which most do. But even if you select Underwood you might get one with an arsenal-replaced barrel that could be from any maker.