4 recent rack grades to review.

[Truman]

Been a cmp customer since the late 90s and have never really been disappointed with my purchases. A buddy took a chance on 4 new rack grades and I got to help unbox and look them over. Well the good news was the wood was pretty decent a few gouges and a cracked hand guard but will clean up. Lots and I mean lots of pitting under the wood line. One barrel had a muzzle under a 3 the others swallowed the muzzle gauge. One barrel was an original 44 barrel and receiver but the muzzle one of the worst in the bunch. The rest were rebuilds with a mix of ww2 parts. Surprisingly one had a VAR barrel go figure. I ve been spoiled over the years with some really nice rifles even Rack grades. But I would have to say over all I would be disappointed with these. Just a sign of the times. Truman

[togor]

4 is a lot of rack grades to buy in this day and age, when the gems are fewer and further between. Some guys get the "Garand-itis" and just buy their CMP limit year after year, and I do wonder how many mixmasters does one man need?

[lyman]

4 is a lot of rack grades to buy in this day and age, when the gems are fewer and further between. Some guys get the "Garand-itis" and just buy their CMP limit year after year, and I do wonder how many mixmasters does one man need?

some folks just like them, and want all they can get
some just want one of each
some restore,

reasons vary,
I think I have 10 myself,


FWIW, 2 different estates, I bought 12 out of one, and 15 out of the other, all various grades and conditions, most with CMP paperwork,

the estate I picked up the 15 out of also had 1917's 1903"s 1903A3's Krag's , all CMP guns


I bought 2 pallets of parts, parts kits and ammo from a large shop here in VA that picked up a CMP collectors estate maybe 4 yrs ago,

they did not want to deal with all the pieces parts (Garand, M14, etc )

they sold 2 pallets of ammo that was all from CMP, I got part of one that was AP from them


everybody has different reasons for buying

[usmc69]

We started going to the North Store in the early 2000's. Would take a muzzle gage down the racks of rifles. Usually the best "gems" we found in the rack grades. Always walked out with our limit of Garand's.Vault2.jpg

[togor]

The circle of life for collectors.....buying retail, and selling wholesale (when the collection gets carted off on pallets or whatever).

I know some guys who got ahead of the curve and sold off a bit at a time and got their price instead of leaving it for the executor to figure out. Good for them, I say.

[Truman]

FWIW I think my friend had the thought of trying to get a couple decent ones out of the four. I had a chance to volunteer at Anniston back in the day and was impressed with the care each rifle received and gauged. Some of these didn't have any readings on the tags and were filthy like black soot on your hands when handleing them. But there are no bad Garands some are just a little more seasond than others. LOL!

[lyman]

We started going to the North Store in the early 2000's. Would take a muzzle gage down the racks of rifles. Usually the best "gems" we found in the rack grades. Always walked out with our limit of Garand's.Vault2.jpg

I was there in 03, 06 and 07,

they were good times to walk in the North Store,

plenty of every thing and it was restocked every night it seemed

pallets of ammo outside the door

[togor]

I remember cracking open one of my crates of HXP 4x192 spam cans with clips. First 3 cans, stencil exactly matches the crate. 4th can....Twin Cities AP M2 with a non-corrosive lot #.

Felt like I hit the lottery.

Apparently the Greeks had salted their crates with AP, and tracer. At first the CMP just trusted what was on the box, but eventually enough people said something and thereafter they broke it all down by can.

I did not say anything but others could not help themselves on the CMP forums. Remember this was before the 2010 CMP AP Ammo Blowout, when intact spam cans of 1950's AP in clips/bandoliers were seldom seen.

[dryheat]

I probably have bought 100 Garands. Loads of fun. But the pond is drying up and there's a lot of mud at the bottom. I have "retired" from playing with rifles and parts. Some of the stuff coming out now is actually OK, but there is a lot of corrosion on some too and I think it's icky. I can sandblast and re-park but I don't want to mess with pitting. I've handles too many beauties to mess with this stuff. I could still make a little money but I don't really care.
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