CMP garand Ammo

[majones24]

I was looking at ordering some garand ammo from cmp. I wasn't sure about the disclaimer on the discoloration of the ammo. What should I expect from there ammo? If there is defects will it be ok to shoot. What do you guys think?

[pro-nra]

The HXP ammo CMP is selling now are delinked MG ammo but they function well and fairly clean. Your Garand will love it. All you need are some USGI clips and you are set.

[joefrank64k]

Best deal in town on M2 Ball...where else can you get that stuff for ~.50/rnd?

It works great...stock-up while you can! They used to limit to 10 cans/yr, not sure if that's still the case. I'm getting ready to order my 10 (or more if they'll let me )

[mls343]

Great stuff. Works great in your 03's as well.

[joefrank64k]

Or 1917's

[smokinstang65]

I've got to mimic the others' comments. I've got an M1917, M1903A3 and M1 (all through the CMP) and that ammunition is great. I don't believe I've had a bad round yet and I've gone through almost 400 rounds of it. I need to make another purchase here again too!

[pro-nra]

If you get very lucky, the 60s & 70s vintage seems to be the most accurate. I've fired at least 5K rounds of HXPs with not a single FTF. One thing I notice about HXPs is that they do run just a hair larger than USGI brass and if you have a chamber that barely closes on a GO gauge (a little short) some once fired cases will not. Other than that it is great ammo. The brass is thick and I prefer it over LC as the primer pocket do not have a heavy crimp like the LC brass.

[Capybara]

Not sure where you live but if you are in SoCal and shoot at ranges like Angeles, most ball ammo is magnetic and is a no go. I e-mailed the Piru range near where I live and they are the same way, no magnetic ammo. I want to buy a CMP Garand but now I am looking at either having to hunt down very specific types of ball ammo (there are a few that are non-magnetic - Google it) or installing a gas plug and trying to hunt down non-magnetic, affordable commercial ammo, which, coming from a .223, is an Oxymoron. There isn't any commercial, inexpensive 30-06 ammo.

It's a shame, that was one of the reasons I want to get an M1, to shoot inexpensive milsurp ammo. Leave it to SoCal to make that just a dream.

[Rock6.3]

Collet puller from RCBS.
Small single stage press.
Bulk .308 bullets (of the same weight as the CMP projectiles).
CMP surplus ammo.
RCBS 30-06 reloading dies.

It is an easy task to pull the projectile, seat a new one, then crimp to finish the round.

That also gets you set up to reload your own when the CMP ammo runs out.

[pro-nra]

Federal and Hornady do make "Garand" safe ammo but over $1/round. Reloading is the key. I shoot Sac Valley Silhouette match and they don't allow FMJ so reloading is the only way and you get better accuracy from good reloads anyway. Reloading is a win-win.

[SkyStorm82]

So the HXP stuff from the CMP is magnetic?

[bravoecho]

HXP M2 Ball will attract a magnet!

[louie]

If you get HXP 65 it is non magnetic. some of the lots from 68 were also non magnetic.

[Capybara]

Rock 6.3, I like what you are saying. So the HXP ammo is brass cased, correct? It is just the bullet itself that attracts the magnet?

I am thinking, shooting a Garand, for me, will be a special occasion, not plinking with my AR or a .22, it would be perhaps 20-40 rounds per trip to the range so perhaps that is a good way to go, without having to become a whole-hog reloader. I do want to learn how to reload but it takes lots of time, which I don't have and what little time I have, I want to go shooting.

Dan

[Eljay]

Yeah, there's some steel in the jacket covering the bullet in most years of production.

The loose ammo is decent. I've run into a couple of badly dented cases but they seem to include about 204 rounds per case so they more than cover it.