Hey I have a question about an M1 garand. I want to get one for my father as a token of appreciation for all the help he gave me getting me through academy and onto my feet. I ran across a site that sells them fully restored. Does that take away from the collectors value or increase it or what. I want to get him a nice one. Any help would be appreciated.
A fully restored Garand is not much of a collector in the true sense of the word. It will certainly appreciate in value, but the less it’s been messed with the more valuable it will generally be. It’s almost certainly got a new barrel and may have some aftermarket internals mixed with vintage. Each rifle will be different as they all wear differently based on how they’ve been used.
I own two Garands that I purchased from the CMP. I have a Correct Grade and a Service Grade. The Correct Grade is more pleasing to the eye and has matching parts. However, my Service Grade rifle shoots better despite having a mix of Winchester and Springfield parts. Go figure. Both have muzzle wear and throat erosion well within specs. The CMP is a great place to get your rifle and they will take care of you after the sale. If the rifle is not to your liking, they will do their level best to help you. If you want my opinion, give your Dad a Garand with some character. A perfect looking Garand is nice, but a “used” one from the CMP is a piece of democracy.
My Service Grade:
I’ll second the CMP rifles. I know several people who have M1’s from there and have never heard one bad thing about them. If I ever have the cash for a second Garand, I’ll get one from CMP
Even though I didnt buy my SA M1 from the CMP, i would third going through them. I have a couple buddies that did and they had no complaints, and both got nice service grade examples. From what ive seen, its worth going through the minor hoops required to buy from them. Its super fun getting three of them going on the line at the range too. 
Here are a couple of my CMP Service Grade rifles. Get a service grade for $620 shipped.
One M1A on the right in that last one.
Sweethearts, all! :agree:
I also advise getting a service grade from CMP. They grade them in favor of the customer and are really nice rifles.
My plan is to get two.
One for using and one for handing off to my boy when it’s his turn to run w/ the torch.
Maybe three, if prices stay close to where they are now.
I know that I would not complain on which one it is.
Every American male with an interest in shooting iron should probably invest in at least one CMP Garand in his life. The price is right, the rifles are a pleasure to shoot, and the history you’re protecting in the process is significant, to say the least.
AC
AC,
You’re so old school!
I got my M1 back in 1992 and my first handgun was a '70 series Colt.
Back then CMP was DCM and I didn’t know what I know now so I bought one from a local gun store. '43 Springfield that came with some kind of blond looking stock so I changed it our for a Fajen in GI black walnut. Just wish time allowed me to shoot it a bit more.
Stilll have both
wow thanks for the help guys,…i’m debating on a service grade . Might get one for him this week. I want it to look nice,…but I also want it to have an appreciating value.
You might as well get two of them since your giving one as a gift. I guarantee that you will contract a terrible case of garanditis!
Nolo Contendere. 
AC
CMP is the ONLY way to go with Garands. I picked mine up years ago for $500 (Service Grade Springfield), and I think the same for the Carbine. Both are amazing shooters and couldn’t be happier.
lol i probably will, the more im seeing the more i want one myself lo.
that m1 looks great! Yea i’m convinced i’m going cmp and getting two! Lol the g/f is going to kill me, I think im going to keep the second one a secret.
Might as well be hung for a goat as a sheep. Don’t keep the rifle a secret. When she finds out, she’ll string you up twice- and all the harder for lying to her on top of getting the rifle :help:
I was looking into a CMP Garand and found I could buy a “new” rifle for not much more money. I got mine from Springfield Armory and I think Fulton Armory makes one too. Most of the parts are new with some refinished GI parts. I have seen several restorations, '03A3s, 1917s, M1 carbines, M1 rifles, great looking guns. If you are not especially worried about the collector value the restoration might be the way to go. A really nice M1 rifle will sell for thousands of dollars, a new rifle in comparable condition costs much less.
Just a bit of a heads up: Many of the CMP service grade rifles these days are being shipped out with birch replacement stocks. This is something you need to be aware of because they do not look nearly as nice as GI walnut.
Looking at the pictures of the CMP rifles above they all appear to have GI wood. My SA SG came from the CMP last fall and has a birch stock. It is still a very nice rifle with excellent metal and its a GREAT shooter. While the birch stocks are servicable they are not pretty.
ETA: Target on left is a 50 yd, middle and right are 100 yd. 4" 8 shot groups with iron sights and surplus M2 are about the limit of my ability/vision, but I’m reloading w/ some match bullets to see if there is room for improvement.
I’ve been constantly talking myself out of one of these, just so that I can get a straight up AR (a type of gun which I don’t own yet). But I’ve shot M-1s and they are a beautiful thing.
For about $700ish, I could have a nice service grade SA or HRA and some ammo. And though I really want a BCM, I am certain that those aren’t going away any time soon compared to the Garands, which never will be made again. :fie: Maybe the inner marksman in me needs one. It’s also kind of hard to argue what Army Chief said.
Maybe I’ll just get one CMP Service grade and then really start saving for the BCM. So many guns, so little money.