Garands and M1's

[remington]

I am looking at Garand's and M1 carbines. I am a history buff and they have a lot of history behind them, but there is such a dizzying aray of them. H&R, Winchester, Springfield, etc. Which one is the best made and the best value for the money?

[jim]

They're all overpriced. Will they have a serious use, or just for collection purposes?
jim

[seekeroftruth]

I have to disagree with Jim. *Overpriced is a relative thing. *You can still find them modestly priced. *For a piece of history that still functions as it did when it was new. *Cant be beat. *Most of them are between 600 and 1000 right now. *Some variants do fetch higher prices, but thats only of value to a collector.

The best place to get them, unless you can find a private individual selling them, is through the CMP (civilian marksmanship program). *When they have them available are all modestly priced. *Check out www.odcmp.com

As far as one being better than the other, any of the surplus variants were well built, and I dont think you could go wrong with one. *Make sure you know what your looking at though or have an experienced gunsmith go over it before you buy it, or at least before you shoot it. *Remember they have been through several wars. *Another good thing about surplus is the abundance of spare parts available.

Springfield armory currently manufactures NEW versions of the Garand and Kahr Arms (Auto Ordnance) manufactures a NEW M1 Carbine. *They both have gotten mixed reviews. *I think they are still working the bugs out of them. *But the good reviews I've heard have been great. *So use your judgement there.

Fulton Armory manufactures the M1 carbine also. *They are very well built. *They are also Very expensive.

The only thing you have to watch out for with the M1 carbines are the ones manufactured by a company called "Universal" *There is nothing wrong with the carbines. *They shoot well. *The problem is. *They were built with NON Mil-spec parts. *(These are NOT surplus. *None of them saw any combat and were manufactured much later. *Make sure noone is trying to sell you one as a "rare" surplus variant.) *You cant get repair parts for them as easily. *You have to use "Universal" parts.

Other than that. *Have fun. *They are both fun and rewarding guns to shoot.

B

[remington]

Thanks seeking. Jim- They would be a fun to shoot type thing and also for SHTF (love the 30.06 and .30 Carbine)

[jim]

Well, with expanding ammo, the M1 Carbine is about equal to a .357, and that ain't bad. *It is magazine fed, and that is also good.

The Garand is powerful and accurate, but unless you have enough clips for every round you have, or shoot it only from inside a bldg. to targets outside, then it would'nt be good for the long haul. Any serious combat weapon has to be mag fed, or it won't cut the mustard. For the stated 600.00 you should be able to find a good AK and 12+ magazines, and that would be a better deal for you.



jim

[CA357]

If you want a shtf rifle, FAL is a good way to go. 7.62X51 is definitely a main battle round. The M1 Garand worked very well in War II and is still an effective rifle. The M1 carbine killed an awful lot of the enemy as well.
A surplus M1 or M1 carbine will do the job for a shtf scenario. Stay away from Inlands and the other "new" carbines, they have very mixed reviews. I wouldn't gamble my life on one.
Price is relative. If you want a "shooter", they're out there.

[Spikejerk]

Fulton Armory manufactures the M1 carbine also. They are very well built. They are also Very expensive.

Other than that. Have fun. They are both fun and rewarding guns to shoot.


http://www.fulton-armory.com/

Fulton Armory's website also has a lot of historical information and links on the left side of the site. It should point you in the right direction. Plus, it's a great place for spare parts if you buy a Garand or carbine that needs a little (or a lot) of work.

Because of the collector's value, they are not cheap guns to buy anymore, but they are worth the investment if you are wanting one for their history or the fun of shooting them.

[Ridge_Runner]

I think an M1 Garand is an excellent rifle for survival purposes. Here are my reasons.....

1. It killed a lot of Nazi's
2. It killed a lot of communists.
3. It killed a lot of Japanese soldiers.
4. It killed some VC in Vietnam
5. If another AWB comes into play, they will not be affected. Any bans on rifles with "detachable box magazines" will not affect it.
6. Parts are still available.
7. It does not scare people by its appearance.
8. People seem to be OK with rilfes that are kept because they are "historical."
9. Synthetic stocks are available
10. Scout scope mounts are available
11. 30-06 is a popluar caliber (just do not use commercial hunting ammo!)
12. Reloading components are plentiful.
13. Excellent range
14. Proven reliability
15. Fantastic ballistics
16. Simple to disassemble and clean.

I think a man should be able to own any rifle he wants, but taking into account public perception and maintaing a low profile needs to be taken into account.

[Stinger]

5. If another AWB comes into play, they will not be affected. Any bans on rifles with "detachable box magazines" will not affect it.
Good point! *Hope you're right. *;) *

8. People seem to be OK with rilfes (sic) that are kept because they are "historical."
Ain't nothing, 'academic' about a working Garand.

9. Synthetic stocks are available
Now it's getting, 'scary'! *

10. Scout scope mounts are available
Yeah, but the mechanical sights are fine for humanoid targets out to, at least, 600 yards.

11. 30-06 is a popluar caliber (just do not use commercial hunting ammo!)
As long as it feeds, commercial ammo is OK in a Garand. A little hard on the op rod, maybe; but mine has digested hundreds of rounds. *The receiver is stronger than many people realize. *

13. Excellent range
A talented marksman can work, accurately, out to a thousand yards. An opposition force will begin taking damage at more than twice the effective range of an AK/SKS, or - for that matter - an AR.

14. Proven reliability
For the most part. *Some of the lend/lease imports and older rifles can have their problems.

16. Simple to disassemble and clean.
Hardly! *You've got to know the manual. * ::) *

[RangerRick]

I received the latest SOG flyer today and they have M1 Garands in good condition for only $695. *You can add $25 to have your rifle hand picked. *Considering that they have been going for $800 to $900 in this condition, SOG's price is a bargain. *SOG will let you call them at (800) 944-4867 and place the order yourself.

Rick

Edited: Talked to a few folks that have seen these Grands and are telling me they are in the $300 quality range so I'd steer clear of em.

Rick