Field grade question?

[Dr. Pepper]

I have been wanting to buy a Service Grade M1 for some time, so I am working on getting my paperwork ready for the CMP. I was talking to a good friend of mine about the CMP, and he told me that I had better chance of scoring a USGI stock if I ordered a field grade over a service grade M1. Is that right? In addition to that question, I wanted to know if the CMP would give you a stock from a field grade Garand if you asked them to. I know they will sometime be willing to cooperate with requests, and I wanted to know if that sounded realistic?

[mievil]

Are you asking if you asked for a Field Grade stock on a Service Grade rifle, would they do it?

Your chances of getting a USGI stock on a Field Grade rifle are about certain, I would say. You wouldn't be guaranteeing a good stock, nor would you be guaranteeing a good barrel.

Field Grade could get you a Service Grade metal set with a junk stock, or a junk metal set with a Service Grade stock. Or a junk metal set with junk wood or decent on both. It's really a crapshoot ordering by mail. I'd suggest trying to acquire the assistance of a person headed to the CMP for a buying trip if you are going to go Field Grade. There are some awesome gems in the Field Grades, but the risk is pretty high.

[c20rj]

Either way you wont be disappointed! It definately is a crap shoot like someone else said. I have been to the Anniston alabama store, it is mindboggling. The amount of rifles all lined up around the walls, the smell, the history.

[Dr. Pepper]

Are you asking if you asked for a Field Grade stock on a Service Grade rifle, would they do it?

That is exactly what I am asking. If I can do that, then I can be guaranteed a good barrel, nice parkerizing, and a USGI stock. And, I don't know about ordering the field grades, but I have never heard of anyone having a bad experience getting a service grade Garand form the CMP.

[TRICKSTER]

Never heard of them doing that, but you can always call or email customer service and ask.
custserve@odcmp.com (256) 835-8455

Better yet, order a correct grade and you get a good USGI stock and metal.

[Orlando]

If ordering a Field Grade you will get USGI wood but will also get a rifle that will probably need rebarreled. Field Grade stocks are pretty beat up and handguards usually are a different wood and dont match.
I have personally handles and gauged many , many hundreds of Field Grades at the North Store and most of them would swallow a Muzzle Gauge.
There are always a few gems hidden amoung them but I would never take a chance on one with mail order

[blu97]

I've bought over a dozen rack and field grades, never been disapointed.

[mievil]

I have personally handles and gauged many , many hundreds of Field Grades at the North Store and most of them would swallow a Muzzle Gauge.
There are always a few gems hidden amoung them but I would never take a chance on one with mail order

this seems to be the common thought by anyone that travels to the store. I had one handpicked for me that had decent matching USGI wood and a barrel that was 2 and 3, so good in my eyes. But the person that was there on my behalf told me that most of the rifles that I requested were swallowing the gauge. So it was definitely beneficial to have eyes on site.

And just like the other poster said, just contact Customer Service. They are typically very fast to respond and will answer the stock swap question. Seems like it would be beneficial for them since they may be able to upgrade what would be a FG to a SG by putting the SG stock on the FG (if it were only a wood problem), but they would be taking the labor to do it.

Alternatively, you may be receiving your SG metal with a trashed FG stock that you specifically requested just to get USGI wood. Know what I mean? Probably better to go with a Service and try to source a correct stock later if you don't like the wood.

[Orlando]

I've bought over a dozen rack and field grades, never been disapointed.

You used to be able to mail order decent Field Grades . CMP doesnt offer Rack Grades anymore and in my opinion the Rack Grades are todays Field Grades. If mail ordering a Field Grade chances are very good it will need a new barrel unless you dont care about having a accurate rifle

Most of myGarand collection are handpicked Rack and Field Grades all with MW under 2. It took alot of searching through many rifles with sewer pipe barrels. Most of these were bought years ago.

[blu97]

Every rifle, barrel, cleaning kit or round of ammo I've received from DCM/CMP has been mail order.
Bought a field grade and a service grade H&R about 3 months ago, only real difference was the wood quality (both were GI) and metal finish, barrel cond of the field was slightly less than servicegrade.
Luck of the draw with mail order has been very good to me or somebody at CMP likes me.
I would have to think that the north and south stores are restocked out of the same piles that mail orders are pulled from.
The piles are just larger for mail order.

[Orlando]

What was the TW, MW on the Field Grade compared to the Service Grade?

[blu97]

H&R's

No gauges, used HXP, some pics before cleaning

[Orlando]

[rp55]

As I recall there was a bit of discontent over at the The CMP Forums about a guy who traveled to the south store and was mighty upset because there is a guy who, as I understood it did it for a fee that went to charity or something, was cherry picking all the Garands to meet specifications for those that paid him to do so. More than that I cannot say but if that is still going you could find out there and go that route.

About the stock. Do you want a USGI stock or a nice USGI stock? AKAIK, most every Greek return rifle out of there has a USGI stock. They may have been refinished with the proof marks sanded down but they are USGI. Now which USGI stock do you prefer as there were at least four manufactures and two distinct types. You can put a special request on the order form and they are really great about trying to fulfill them.

[blu97]

Good god allready,
Mailed order 11-12-10
Delivered 12-10-10
That works out to 99 days give or take.
I agree that having guages would be much better in checking the TE & ME.
I double check headspace and call it a day.
The only barrel I have that comes close to taking the entire bullet came with a woodless winchester rack grade, ( no I don't remember the date I got it) the headspace was fine and its an OK shooter, but calling it a shotgun might be a bit of an overstatement.