fritz Posted February 10, 2006 Report Share Posted February 10, 2006 Perhaps I have the wrong forum, but I am excited about finally acquiring one. I am not disappointed in it, it came from a local country gunsmith that assembled it from parts (on a new receiver). I would rate it as between good and very good (the forward handguard is slightly lighter in color than the rest of the wood). While not a collector's grade, it will do me well for my purposes. And these are getting harder to find all the time. I paid $500 OTD for it with a guarantee of satisfaction or money back. Does that sound fair? fritz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FC Posted February 10, 2006 Report Share Posted February 10, 2006 Sounds fair to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doble Troble Posted February 10, 2006 Report Share Posted February 10, 2006 That's a good Garand price, particularly if the barrel is in good shape. My Garand is my favorite rifle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karlunity Posted February 11, 2006 Report Share Posted February 11, 2006 If the barrel is "excellent", or even "very good", you have made a killing. In Kali it would cost a grand. Karl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roscoedoh Posted February 11, 2006 Report Share Posted February 11, 2006 If you can hit a pie plate at 100 yards with it, $500 is a bargain. Enjoy it; you can used to the recoil. But a semi-automatic 30-06 is just downright awesome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fritz Posted February 11, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 11, 2006 Well, it's better than pie plate at 100 yards. More like palm size, and that's offhand. The barrel is excellent, and that is the only way I would have bought it. I may take a conservative approach on the stock (not wanting to hurt anyone's feelings over at Bill's board) but this one will be left in it's original military configuration. Reckon that will get me reinstated over there? Reckon I give a damn? Thanks for the opinions on my purchase, I do believe I could not have done much better. I have wanted one of these for so long (and I ain't getting any younger). Now if I can just find those old clips I stashed away years ago, I will be in good shape. I found out (again, since it has been many years since I used one of these in the service) that the clips have to be loaded from loose rounds in a certain way. fritz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doble Troble Posted February 11, 2006 Report Share Posted February 11, 2006 Fritz, If you want to email me your address I'll send you a handful of clips, and maybe a bandoleer (but it won't go with your sombrero). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr.Hess Posted February 11, 2006 Report Share Posted February 11, 2006 I have a Garand also. I think I paid about $300 for it (DCM) and it was handed to me by a uniformed member of Bill Clinton's government. Dr.Hess Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reverend Recoil Posted February 11, 2006 Report Share Posted February 11, 2006 I got two DCM Garrands for $124.00 each in 1983. I had a girl friend qualify with me at the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimro Posted February 11, 2006 Report Share Posted February 11, 2006 I saw a real crappy Garand go for $800 two years ago, the guy who bought it traded in a custom AR to make up his lack in cash. He immediately went about replacing the worn out parts and turned it into a real shooter. So I think 500 for a good shooter is darn near a steal. Jimro Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horsefly Posted February 11, 2006 Report Share Posted February 11, 2006 Me and my brothers got a Garand for our Dad for Christmas about 8 years ago for 300.00.It was an all matching Springfield,and the barrel looked new,but the outside was rougher'n a wood haulers arse,but looks new now after Dad jacked with it.They were going up even then,and we knew we better get one now,and the very next gunshow I went to in Dallas,the same dude had them at 500.You done very good fritz.A Garand is on my want list after I shot Dads.Jerry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manureman Posted February 12, 2006 Report Share Posted February 12, 2006 I wish I knew something about them ,saw one yesterday at a show for $525 and it really looked pretty sharp wood all matched and it wasnt beat all to pieces , park even all matched and the bore looked good too ,was going to talk to the guy but heard him blowing smoke up another guys arse about what it took to get a C&R and figured I'd just get lied to ,and skinned too as most of the time around here they start at about $700 and go up but I'm having a rough time not going back.I actually saw several guns that were worth the money yesterday. Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horsefly Posted February 13, 2006 Report Share Posted February 13, 2006 I snuck into Cabela's yesterday after work and they had 2 Garands,995.95 each,and not in real good shape.Everybody was picking them up and checking them out,but everyone flinched when they saw the price tag.Jerry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doble Troble Posted February 13, 2006 Report Share Posted February 13, 2006 You guys should look up the nearest Garand matches in your area. They are held across the country. There are great old geezers (pardon to the old geezers in the audience, I use the term with upmost respect, we have an old USMC instructor) running them, and usually everyone there loves just having people show-up to shoot. There are ALWAYS loaner rifles, and sometimes really good ones, available at every match. The fees are minimal, and you get expert assistance if you want it. The course of fire includes three legs at 100, 200 or 300 yds depending on the range. The first leg is slow fire prone, 10 shots in 10 min, the second leg is usually sitting rapid-fire, 10 rounds in 60 sec, two and then load a clip of eight. This is my favorite leg. When it starts its an amazing wall of sound of Garands firing for a full 30 sec and then tailing off for the rest of the miniute. It really is a sight and sound to behold. Finally, the most difficult leg, 10 shots freehand in 10 min. I'm lucky to keep them all in the black. I need more practice! You guys who are thinking about buying Garands should join a club, attend a match, and start shooting regularly. Its good for the soul, amongst other things. And after your first match you qualify to purchase Garands, 1903s, etc from CMP. There are still Greek and Danish rifles available for ~$400 and USGI for around $500. There are hints that the inventory is running thin. Every American rifle shooting enthusiast should be trying very hard to shoot a Garand well. Its a man's gun, unlike those ARs that the youngsters like so much these days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AzRednek Posted February 13, 2006 Report Share Posted February 13, 2006 I have a Garand also. I think I paid about $300 for it (DCM) and it was handed to me by a uniformed member of Bill Clinton's government. Dr.Hess Dr Hess you are fortunate!! I gave up after a few attempts at dealing with DCM after Clinton was elected. Same for two of the guys I shot with, a retired Air Force bird Colonal and his Marine grandson. The Colonal called me about a year after we shot in the qualification and said it was worse than dealing with the Pentagon. I threw in the towel after getting a letter saying they needed my id, copies were not acceptable. They recomended I mail or appear in person in another state with my driver's license and SS card, my CCW permit was not acceptable for some strange reason. Fritz, know the feeling on the M-1. With all the horse trading I've done over the years I went years without a real M-1 rifle. I did have a so-called Tanker's Garand in the 70's, it was a real piece of manure and I got the dealer to take it back. I finally got a real M-1 about a year and a half ago. I traded straight across with an all matching 09 Argy with the turret scope mounts. Dollar wise I traded down, with the scope mounts being the same as early WW2 German fetching about $500 for the mounts only. I hated to give up the Argy and came close so many times to salvageing it for the action and selling the turret mounts but when I was offered an M-1 I couldn't resist. Sure wish I would have got an M-1 bayonet when I was a teenager and they sold in Army-Navy surplus stores for about 1-3 bucks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doble Troble Posted February 13, 2006 Report Share Posted February 13, 2006 AZ, Go shoot it in a Garand match! Now that you have the gun the red tape is over and the fun part starts. I really hate the fact that our government makes it difficult for us to acquire these things. At least the courts haven't yet made it impossible (except in Washington DC, and parts of MA, its very difficult in CA, but not yet impossible). I believe that M14s should be issued to everyone - an M14 in every home, a chicken in every pot, and two biodeisel-fueled cars in every garage, is the motto I'll run on! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emul8 Posted February 13, 2006 Report Share Posted February 13, 2006 I have two M1 Garands! I am fond of them both. I got them from the CMP, which relaxed their qualifications a couple of years ago, and now, if one has a C&R license it precludes the need to shoot in a qualifying match. Otherwise, one still needs to be a member of an appropriate association, for example, I'm a member of the California Rifle and Pistol Association, but other folks have joined groups like the Garand Collectors Association, and other organizations that both support the shooting sports and meet the criteria for the CMP. My Garands were both the Greek returns, and were $295.00 each, plus shipping. One of the Garands is a Springfield Armory make, the other is a Harrington & Richardson make. They shoot equally well. The throat erosion in both of the Garands is currently inconsequential for my purposes, as I don't shoot matches, or often enough to really worry about wearing out the barrel anytime soon. There is truly something to be said for firing one of these rifles and hearing that distinctive "ping" as the clip ejects from the gun! It's incredible. My Garands are plenty accurate too...and while I am definitely not the greatest shot in the world, the beauty of a Garand is that it can make me feel like I'm better than I really am. I consider that a bonus! Somewhere down the line I am considering giving these old rifles a little boost and sending them off to Dean's Garand Restorations for overhauls...perhaps even new barrels should I feel so inclined. But until then, I am quite content to shoot them as they are, I may be content with their current configuration forever...one never knows! Just remember, Garands can definitely bite! While I didn't get a case of "Garand thumb", I did get "Garand finger", and no more than 5 minutes after I took the Springfield Garand out of the CMP box! I was showing a friend the location of most "Garand thumb" incidents by pointing into the chamber of the rifle as my friend held it. What I didn't realize until it was FAR too late was that when she pulled the bolt handle back, the bolt rested on the edge of the follower. When I stuck my finger in there, I hadn't anticipated that I would actually make contact with anything. The millisecond after I touched the follower, I realized what was about to happen, and could only think of an expletive as the bolt zoomed forward. When the bolt closed on my right index finger, I almost started crying. The velocity and the pressure of the bolt closing on my poor little digit split it on both sides and caused bruising under the nail in the nail bed. Quite a few people were certain that I would lose the nail, but I didn't. Here's a picture of it: I can assure you, there is nothing like being Garand bit to get the old adrenal glands pumping! But the bright side is, once you become aware of what could happen, you take extra care to avoid it. I can only hope that I got that lesson the first time! And STILL I love my Garands...I know that karlunity is probably rolling his eyes at me for my over-affectionate word usage there...but it's a fairly appropos description of the way I feel about these rifles! Enjoy your Garand, fritz! They are wonderful! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horsefly Posted February 13, 2006 Report Share Posted February 13, 2006 Dad told me yesterday,when they were issued their new Garand in 1950,their commander told them that if for any reason someone lost their gun,it would come out of their pay,and that the rifle cost the U.S. govt. 78 dollars.That scared the hell out of them.Jerry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doble Troble Posted February 13, 2006 Report Share Posted February 13, 2006 Ouch! I got bit like that once. The associated pain should help ensure that it doesn't happen again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.