Hey everyone,
My precious M1 Garand is in need of re-barreling and I decided getting it re-parkerized as well.
I’m also thinking having my M1 Carbine rejuvenated.
Who would you recommend (besides Fulton Armory? They good but a serious backlog)
Preferably someone that is accepting new work?
Quite a few of the ‘known’ outfits seem to have retired or gone silent. Or there’s a 2 year backlog…
Thanks - Gene.
CMP does this but I have no idea of backlog, quality or value of their services but I would suspect they know what they are doing.
https://thecmp.org/sales-and-service/services-for-the-m1-garand/
You might also check with Shuff’s Parkerizing, I believe he has a good rep.
Cassat Gun Works in Cassatt, SC is a good one. Issac was contracted by the U.S. Navy Shooting Team to assist the Crane Armorers with maintaining team members guns.
Dan.
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Getting your rifle rebarreled is the easy part of what your wanting to do, and any gunsmith with a decent amount of experience should be able to do it. I would suggest you purchase a Criterion M1 barrel, and I would make sure to retain the original barrel.
Parkerizing is another story. There are very few people or companies that have the desire, experience, or equipment to do it and do it right. I don’t know the condition of your rifles, but be aware that collectors want to see patina - not rust - on a rifle. Having your rifles reparkerized will kill any collector value they might have had.
Patina is oiled rust.
Shuff’s and I reccomend him without hesitation.
He’s worked on both of my Garand’s,
Looked at and considered provided suggestions, going with Fulton.
Dealt with them before, they are a solid outfit plus they have barrels in stock. Not the case most other places.
Adding it all up they’re also well positioned with price.
And I have come to rethink the refinishing part. Thanks all for making me see the light.
This rifle’s numbered part dates range from 2/42 to 9/44, making it a WW2 original. Lets just say I got stinkin lucky.
Whether it has been issued and ‘been there’ is impossible to discern, but I can see the merit of leaving it original. Not something one can replace or recreate. (though I’m refinishing the stock and its getting a new barrel …Not much left on this one.)
I will put up image once I get it back.
Thanks all.
Gene.
Good call.
UPDATE
They finally had it on the bench and gave me the story:
Barrel as expected totally shot out. New barrel.
Stock and hand-guard not matching (wood), most likely from the 50’s as was the barrel. New walnut set
Excessive wear on many parts, refinish strongly recommended (consensus was that it was the better way to go)
Replace what is unsalvageable -mostly springs.
Op-rod out of whack, replace, and whatever goes with that.
So yeah…we’re waaaaaaay past the basics. (May have to unload a bang stick to finance this one.)
But it will be worth it. I hope.
Honestly, although not inexpensive, I can see why you would go the full rebuild path. You will be upside down on it value-wise for a while but it will look and shoot great.
If you have not shot it before, do yourself a favor and find some used USGI clips. The newly made clips “by a US contractor” are stiff and roughly finished. They work OK in my guns, but USGI clips are easier to load ammo into and to lock into the rifle (it’s night and day on mine).
Andy
You are going to have a really nice rifle that you can actually shoot without worry.
Yeah, I hear ya but on the ‘upside down’ part… there’s one minor detail I left out, conveniently… Y’all remember when 223./5.56 ammo was cheap and the debate was ‘reliability, revolver vs semi auto’, and AR’s were still somewhat obscure and a bit weird…?
Thats when on a bit of a fluke I walked into this long since defunct “Red Barn Gun Store”, off US41, Bradenton FL, and found a M1 Garand and Carbine sitting in between all kinds of dusty obscure C&R gear. This was a time where no one really saw much value in them. But i was about to fulfill my childhood dream. Paid cash for both, considerably south of 1K yet thinking ‘shit I REALLY cant afford it but what the hell’. No regrets ever since.
Timing is everything buying milsurps. I came in a little late in the game. I bought my Special Rack Grade from CMP during the pandemic when the South Store was closed and Talladega didn’t have many GI M1s, and my “all GI” Garand after CMP cranked the prices up a few hundred dollars.
I don’t regret either purchase.
Andy
If it sounded like I was questioning your decision, I apologize, that was not my intent. I have 1 Garand that is a rack grade basically rebuilt by CMP and sold as a “Special Rack” (new walnut stock, Criterion barrel, reparkerized) and its kind of nice to have an M1 that basically looks and shoots like new. People in the know will spot how light the heel stampings are on mine - yours surely looks nicer. 
Andy