The M1 Garand is an icon of American ingenuity and freedom. It is an old design from the early-mid 1900’s, but it was revolutionary for it’s time. General George S. Patton called it “The greatest battle implement ever devised”. It is a semi-auto design chambered in 30-06 with a fixed magazine fed by 8 round en-bloc clips. When the last round is fired, there is a distinctive “ping” sound as not only the casing but the clip is also ejected from the weapon.
You can own the real thing through a program run by CMP (Civilian Marksmanship Program). They inspect and repair authentic US issued M1 Garand rifles in order to make them functional, regardless of grade. There are some special requirements for order through CMP but they ship the rifle directly to your door and it requires no FFL. That is where this particular one was acquired. It was a service grade (very good) M1 Garand made in August of 1944 (the date on the receiver) by Springfield Armory.
8 round En-Bloc Clip for the M1 Garand.
The barrel appears to be in excellent condition and looks to have been replaced in Feb. of 1955 by Springfield Armory if I am reading the markings on the barrel correctly. At nearly 10lbs unloaded, a 24″ barrel and walnut stock, this weapon is a handful. Especially to someone who is used to AR15’s and AK’s. However, the weight along with the semi auto operation of the weapon makes recoil pretty manageable. With shipping and the price of the rifle, it came out to $617.95. At that price, it’s hard to imagine that this isn’t a good investment and it’s hard to pass up as a piece of US history from a collector’s standpoint.
It’s pretty interesting to think that this weapon could have been used by Marines fighting on Iwo Jima or on some other historic battlefield. Now is the time to get one (or more) if you’ve ever wanted one or if you think you ever will. CMP also sells Greek surplus 30-06 for excellent prices right now, but the supply is sure to run out sooner than later, and CMP has recently put a limit on how much they will sell to individuals.
Greek surplus 30-06.
It is quality ammo, non-corrosive, boxer primed and works great in this M1 Garand. Save your brass as you may need to reload it when the surplus starts to dry up, as it will.