First MilSurp Rifle (CMP Garand!)

[acoonradt]

One of my M1 Garands arrived! A 1955 HRA Service Grade Special (see RM1HRASSP at Rifle Sales - M1 Garand). S/N 565XXX places it in production for 1955 from what I can tell.

The Muzzle Reading is 1+ and the Throat Erosion is a 2. Not bad...

I may have gotten lucky because aside from the new Black Walnut CMP Stock (and associated hardware) this may be a correct HRA rifle.

Maybe some of you guys with books can help me out. Looking for help in the following areas:
1. Dating the rifles parts/correctness

2. References on how to clean and maintain the rifle. Its obvious this thing needs greese, and everyone has an opinion as to which kind. I would plan on using my 30 clibar nylon cleaning rod/brush/patch pusher/boresrush most likely with Ballistol and M4 Clearner. Anyone see any issues there?

3. References on how to maintain the new CMP wood, or possibly even strip the finish and re do it. What do you guys think of the finish? I wouldn’t mind it a bit darker and warmer. I’ve heard that the coat of linseed oil CMP puts on there does allow other oils to really set in, read a lot of people refinishing the new wood.

4. What do you guys think. Being a newbie I am curious as to your thoughts on the quality/condition of this rifle. In particular there are a few scratches on the metal but I suppose that to be expected even at ‘collector grade metal’ as CMP claims. Also noticed a little nick on the crown of the barrel but it is on the outer radius, so nothing I should be concerned with right?

Here are the S/N that I could find, which ones am I missing? What else would I need to verify? What books should I buy to help date these garands, in particular the more difficult post war production rifles?

Receiver S/N: 556XXXX
Barrel: HRA 6535443 5-55 RS52
Bolt: HRA 6528287 U
Trigger Group: HRA 6528290 HRA-N
Receiver Side: 6528291 X
Op Rod: HRA 6535382 ᐧ
Gas Port Plug: HRA O
Hammer: HRA 5546008
Safety: HRA
Rear Windage Sight: HRA-W
Rear Elevation Sight: HRA

Here are some additional pictures.

 

[MAGG]

thats a beauty...enjoy it

 

[mac1911]

It is a nice rifle ......not in anyway to put it down but it is not correct......cmp would be selling or putting it up for auction as a correct grade if so.....what you have is a service grade with collector grade finish. Being ora large percentage of HRA parts is nice. You wood looks nice and better grain than most. Your te/me are pretty much a new barrel!
Nice rifle. As for care of the M1 and other technical stuff try these
Armorer's Corner

M1 Garand - Nomenclature & Accessories & Maintenance

The finish on the new cmp wood is best sanded of in my experience with 3 of them. Do a search on cmp forums on the new stocks to find many post. You can also search my nes name here and there to view some of my problems and solutions with cmp wood...
I also have a little write up of the last HRA SG. With new wood I received from the cmp.

As always I recommend a complete spring kit from Orion7 with any m1 you plan on shooting or just have on hand for spare. A extractor and fire pin are good to have also.

 

[Stryker]

Congrats! Be careful, they are like rabbits and multiply quickly!

 

[acoonradt]

not in anyway to put it down but it is not correct......cmp would be selling or putting it up for auction as a correct grade if so.....what you have is a service grade with collector grade finish.

That's fine that's what I'm trying to determine. I know that the stock and associated hardware is new, but what other parts could I check?

 

[mac1911]

thats beyound me, you can google M1 data sheets and catalog all the numbers and markings when you do the strip and clean.

 

[OldNorth]

Nice rifle! It looks like it just came off the line.

HRA Markings Charts-4.7M & 5.6M - CMP Forums

 

[Tommy Gun]

Yup, that's a very fine rifle you have there. That stock looks better than the orange one I got last year. I would take that in a heart beat.

 

[OreoTSi]

The SGS, per CMP website, are collector grade rifles... Just with new production stocks. So all those parts would be correct for the year of manufacture.

 

[majspud]

The waiting is over. Now comes the fun part - shooting!

T

 

[mac1911]

The SGS, per CMP website, are collector grade rifles... Just with new production stocks. So all those parts would be correct for the year of manufacture.

Not true.....the finish on the metal is "collector grade" it is a service grade rifle that has really nice arsenaled refinished metal parts.
It is not correct grade or collector grade....those are cherry picked and put to cmp auction.
Nice rifles no doubt but really is just a reasenal with extremely nice finish. Cmp cherry pics nice parts also and does put together rifles......they are not simply pulled from crates graded and sold.....if you watch the cmp auction you will see correct and collectors grades go for more money......remember cmp is not in the business to sell rifles. They are in the business to make money to support the mission.

The CMP Mission To Promote Firearm Safety and Marksmanship Training With an Emphasis on Youth

Our Vision That Every Youth in America Has the Opportunity to Participate in Firearm Safety and Marksmanship Programs

Still a great deal for a rifle in such nice shape......just think what one of those would be listed for on a local gun shop rack!!!!

If the cmp tried putting the service grade specials off as correct or collector grade the jurry would hang them......hence the creation of the "service grade special"

 

[OreoTSi]

Mac, I have to disagree with you. OP said he purchased the Service Grade Special, not the CMP Special.
From the CMP website:
RM1HRASSP
M1 Garand, Service Grade HRA (Harrington & Richardson) Special.
Allow 60-120 days for delivery.
HRA collector grade metal in excellent almost new condition. Walnut stocks and handguards and associated hardware are new manufacture. NOT original HRA manufacture.

The only reason these aren't cherry picked is due to the lack of an original stock.

 

[OreoTSi]

And to quote Orest from the CMP forums:
To clarify:

In years past, CMP received tens of thousands of M1 Garand rifles from the US Army. These "rifles" were a mix of bare receivers, barreled receivers, incomplete rifles, complete rifles - all in various conditions, from total rust buckets to what appeared as never issued. All of the crates containing these rifles were placed in storage in stacks of 100 rifles per crate, six crates high, and 8 stacks deep. Quite a few of the crates are still in the same location as when placed in storage (last scene from Raiders of the Lost Ark).

Over the years, CMP has pulled down the crates one at a time and worked whatever was in those crates. The "work" consists of inspection, repair, sorting, and grading. Many of the crates have still not been worked and we do not know what we will find as we continue.

We did find a number of crates that had what appeared to be unissued rifles (less any wood). Our assumption was that the wood had been cannibalized by the Army to support the Ceremonial Rifle Program. These are the ones that we built into complete rifles and graded them as our Service Grade Specials. Since the original bulk "find", we have not found any additional crates that had the same type of unissued rifles. it is possible we may find more as we continue the process, but we consider it highly unlikely.

All of the SA rifles in this grade (SASSP) have been sold and shipped and we still have approximately 800 HRA (HRASSP) remaining. Prior to selling out of the SASSP, we posted them as sold out in anticipation of enough orders to deplete the inventory. Apparently we did not post them as "sold out" soon enough and have received more orders than we had rifles (SASSP).

Although there is the possibility of us finding more of the SASSP, we consider it unlikely and have been notifying customers via email. The options available to the customer are to leave the order in place as a backorder, change to an HRASSP while these are still available, or cancel the order.

For the customers who choose to leave the SASSP on backorder, we will keep the backorder open for one year. If after one year the backorder has not been filled, we will email and ask for instructions to change or cancel.

 

[PATRON]

Nice rifle congrats.

 

[mac1911]

The term collector grade metal and service grade don't really makes sense.....yes they can be like new and possibly never issued but still service grade.....I think the "correct " woodless garands where sold off a while back.

Lets just agree they are great rifles at a great price and they are as close to new as we will see below the correct or collector grades.

 

[Dirtypacman]

Got to love the CMP and the gems they send out, look like you got a nice rifle. Enjoy it!

 

[Terrence]

The SGS, per CMP website, are collector grade rifles... Just with new production stocks. So all those parts would be correct for the year of manufacture.

Mac, I have to disagree with you. OP said he purchased the Service Grade Special, not the CMP Special.
From the CMP website:
RM1HRASSP
M1 Garand, Service Grade HRA (Harrington & Richardson) Special.
Allow 60-120 days for delivery.
HRA collector grade metal in excellent almost new condition. Walnut stocks and handguards and associated hardware are new manufacture. NOT original HRA manufacture.

The only reason these aren't cherry picked is due to the lack of an original stock.

And to quote Orest from the CMP forums:
To clarify:

In years past, CMP received tens of thousands of M1 Garand rifles from the US Army. These "rifles" were a mix of bare receivers, barreled receivers, incomplete rifles, complete rifles - all in various conditions, from total rust buckets to what appeared as never issued. All of the crates containing these rifles were placed in storage in stacks of 100 rifles per crate, six crates high, and 8 stacks deep. Quite a few of the crates are still in the same location as when placed in storage (last scene from Raiders of the Lost Ark).

Over the years, CMP has pulled down the crates one at a time and worked whatever was in those crates. The "work" consists of inspection, repair, sorting, and grading. Many of the crates have still not been worked and we do not know what we will find as we continue.

We did find a number of crates that had what appeared to be unissued rifles (less any wood). Our assumption was that the wood had been cannibalized by the Army to support the Ceremonial Rifle Program. These are the ones that we built into complete rifles and graded them as our Service Grade Specials. Since the original bulk "find", we have not found any additional crates that had the same type of unissued rifles. it is possible we may find more as we continue the process, but we consider it highly unlikely.

All of the SA rifles in this grade (SASSP) have been sold and shipped and we still have approximately 800 HRA (HRASSP) remaining. Prior to selling out of the SASSP, we posted them as sold out in anticipation of enough orders to deplete the inventory. Apparently we did not post them as "sold out" soon enough and have received more orders than we had rifles (SASSP).

Although there is the possibility of us finding more of the SASSP, we consider it unlikely and have been notifying customers via email. The options available to the customer are to leave the order in place as a backorder, change to an HRASSP while these are still available, or cancel the order.

For the customers who choose to leave the SASSP on backorder, we will keep the backorder open for one year. If after one year the backorder has not been filled, we will email and ask for instructions to change or cancel.

Agree. The SGS I have and have seen are not re-arsenaled rifles. They show no rebuild marks common on the depot rebuilt rifles. They are not a hodge podge of random manufacturers parts found on mix masters. The metal is, per the CMP description on the CMP sales page, in collector grade condition. The parts on the rifles I have seen are correct for the rifle's serial number and production date. If the CMP had a supply of USGI correct/collector grade stocks then they would no doubt build the SGS up into "correct" or "collector" grade rifles since they could charge more for them.

Another fact to consider when trying to determine how the CMP rates the SGS rifles is how they price them: $325 more than a regular Service Grade and $200 less than a correct Grade. So the CMP values them as more of a Correct Grade than a Service Grade. And good luck trying to find a USGI stock set in good condition for the $200 difference.

At the end of the day they are really beautiful rifles no matter how you describe them, and we will wish we ordered more when they are gone.