Havent been on for quite awhile, but I just picked up a CAI M1 garande yesterday. From what ive read on the internet some folks hate them and not too shy about how bad they are. I know of another guy who has 3 garande, a SA a winchester and a CAI. He hasnt had any issues with any of them. Im not worried about collectability. I was told I can always swap the reciever out later, but I was just curious what I have now. From what I understand some of these are worth more for the parts its got hanging on the reciever than as a whole rifle.
Its got a nice non original stock,
the serial number is in the M1P22xxx range
Numbers and letters on the parts I can see
trigger housing. D28290 12 SA
the hammer has 286 in a triangular pattern with the "2" on top
gas piston housing? BMB
Operatiing rod D35382 WRA
Barrel 1 SA 7 44
front sight BMB
the bolt carrier has D28287 19 SA B-18
the phillips screw on the end of the gas tube P O
and the rear sight is the early locking bar variety that actually works.
Again any info is appreciated. Now I just have to pick up a few clips and see how it shoots. jim

So is there any reason you didn't get a CMP Garand?
Just an observation, but WOW the CMP has something for everybody who loves and admires the M1 Garand. They have the best customer service around, and can even ship to your door if the store is too far away.
For the money, its hard to beat checking with them, and they got ammo and accessories too. Hat's, shirts, targets, slings, lots of stuff. But Dude, CAI ??
not me brother, I got to much faith in H&R, Springfield, Winchester, and even IHC, to do that. Plus they got field grades, rack grades, special grades, collector grades.... There's always room on my rack for a CMP rifle, even a drill rifle here or there, I just couldn't see getting a CAI with all the options at the CMP.

well basically I had a couple of honda ATC's that I got up and running and this rifle was offered in trade. I tried selling the trikes for a few weeks and got no interest in them at all. So the question is. Keep 2 ATC's that I cant ride because I dont have a title and its going to cost a additional $230 to get bonded titles on them and probably still not sell them for what I have into them. I had about $450 into both trikes without titles. So now I have a rifle I can shoot. I do know a guy thats got 5 garands (just bought one sunday) 1 of them is a CAI garand and he has zero problems with any of them. Ive got a century C 15. basic AR 15 made from colt parts on a olympic reciever. Sure bad reputation but it goes bang every time I pull the trigger.
You know the saying
you get a bad experience you will tell 10 people or more (especially with the internet)
you get a good experience you may tell 2 or 3 people.
I see this with guns, cars, car parts. But in the end, I didnt pay any out of pocket cash, thats why I didnt go the CMP route. jim

On a side note, I did order a 20 pack of En blocks, a leather sling and a bayonet for the thing from SARCO the other day. Now that the clips are here I can acutally shoot the thing. jim

If it works for you, then enjoy. I have a CMP and it shoots well. I also have a Springfield Armory newly built Garand and it out shoots the CMP Model, but then again it's newly made with a new barrel. I shoot it more because it's newer.

As much as I like my guns, Im really more of a gearhead. My main interest is with my old cars. we've got a 68 el camino, 70 chevelle big block 4 speed 12 bolt etc, 71 camaro with a blown small block, and a 71 nova small block 4 speed, 12 bolt etc.
Then I find myself buying broken down honda three wheelers and fixing them up. Dont know why I keep buying them, but I just keep in mind how much I have into them and when its time to get rid of them, I offer them up for what I have into them cashwise plus maybe 50 bucks for my time, running around collecting parts etc. and I'll usually throw will trade in the ads and guns do pop up in the deals. jim