CMP: Garands & '03's coming up

[DangerousDan]

BUMP/UPDATE: As of the end of May, the CMP is apparently plumb out of M1s till October. Was finally in the market for one too (condo sucked up all my money). Oh, well . . . hope they don't run out too soon.

Well they have them back in stock now, I ordered a Correct Grade M1 by Harrington and Richardson company and got it just last week. Now I need to go figure out how to get rid of the cosmoline.

 

[ChuckMK23]

Now I need to go figure out how to get rid of the cosmoline.

Lots of boiling water - or even better a wall paper steamer if you can get your hands on one. But pouring boiling water on the stock and receiver and barrel will do the job in a hurry

 

[DangerousDan]

Lots of boiling water - or even better a wall paper steamer if you can get your hands on one. But pouring boiling water on the stock and receiver and barrel will do the job in a hurry

Yeah I was thinking about that since I found an article about the wall paper steamer.

http://www.surplusrifle.com/shooting/cosmoline/index.asp

 

[DangerousDan]

Lots of boiling water - or even better a wall paper steamer if you can get your hands on one. But pouring boiling water on the stock and receiver and barrel will do the job in a hurry

Will like a garment steamer work or does that not have the juice to do it?

 

[scoober78]

Dishwasher....'nuff said. Rumours of weapon destruction are highly overrated as long as it is COMPLETELY stripped prior to rinsing.


BTW...no lemon detergent...

 

[MasterBates]

Second on the dishwasher.

Two unloaded HOT cycles immediately after will keep cosmolene from clogging the drain.

 

[DangerousDan]

Dishwasher....'nuff said. Rumours of weapon destruction are highly overrated as long as it is COMPLETELY stripped prior to rinsing.


BTW...no lemon detergent...

I dunno if my landlord would like me if i did that... even with the two hot cycles afterwards!

 

[MasterBates]

It won't hurt anything. The 2 rinses is just a precaution. I managed to clog a drain because I had 4 SKS's really full of cosmo in the washer at the same time.

One normal rifle, as from the CMP, no problemo. Just a precaution.

 

[HackerF15E]

I don't put the whole rifle in the dishwasher, but it is DEFINITELY a great way to restore a Garand stock. Cleans off all the grime, lifts out the vast majority of the dents and dings, and leaves a great raw surface to work with.

Of course, it takes some gentle sanding and some follow-on work with the tung oil or boiled linseed oil, but it is definitely worth it.

WRT getting cosmo off the rifle itself, I'm not a fan of the diswasher simply because I've seen personally rifles that did not get completly disassembled afterward, and the resultant water that was left over after the wash did some nasty pitting.

I think the best way is just to completely disassemble all parts of the rifle (great way to learn about your new toy, by the way) and wipe the cosmo off using an old t-shirt and a bottle of hoppes.

 

[A4sForever]

.....I think the best way is just to completely disassemble all parts of the rifle (great way to learn about your new toy, by the way) and wipe the cosmo off using an old t-shirt and a bottle of hoppes.

Agree -- especially if the stock is in good shape otherwise and has inspector cartouche's or other arsenal stampings on it -- the last thing you want to do is raise the wood grain w/ a good water soaking, then subject what might have been a "collectible and correct" stock to a sanding ... it might make a good shooter, but any collector value just got flushed right down the dishwasher drain.

 

[NozeMan]

Holy thread resurrection!!!!

I'm thinking of making a drive up to Anniston soon to pick out my very own M1 Carbine! I think it'd make a nice winging gift to myself...just need to get permission...

 

[HackerF15E]

Agree -- especially if the stock is in good shape otherwise and has inspector cartouche's or other arsenal stampings on it -- the last thing you want to do is raise the wood grain w/ a good water soaking, then subject what might have been a "collectible and correct" stock to a sanding ... it might make a good shooter, but any collector value just got flushed right down the dishwasher drain.

I went through a phase a couple years ago with the "Rack Grade" Greek Garands where I cleaning and tweaking them -- I got all my squadron buddies to plunk down $295 for one, and then I worked them into being decent shooters. Most of them simply needed to have their bores cleaned. They looked terrible upon first inspection, and a cleaning jag did nothing to improve them. I had a homemade electric bore cleaner that really did the trick, and there were nice bores underneath all the crap. Similar was true for the rest of the rifle; they had caked-on bearing grease and cosmo everywhere, and after some elbow grease and Hoppes they cleaned up into well-used but better looking rifles.

Nearly all of them had lousy replacement beechwood stocks that were mis-shaped, or beat to death, or under-sized, or whatnot. I found a place on the 'net (Doug's Stock Pile) that had old GI walnut stocks for sale for something like $15. The wood on these things was usually GREAT, but it was under a coat of paint or a ton of old dirt and grime (they were usually ex-Korean).

A trip through the dishwasher almost ALWAYS returned these stocks to a beautiful walnut base, and then I really enjoyed the sanding and BLO treatment to beautify them for use.

 

[HackerF15E]

Holy thread resurrection!!!!

I'm thinking of making a drive up to Anniston soon to pick out my very own M1 Carbine! I think it'd make a nice winging gift to myself...just need to get permission...

I bought an Inland from the latest batch, but I haven't laid eyes on it yet. I'm stationed overseas, so I'll have to wait until I get back to the states in a couple years to even see what Orest-claus delivered me last year.

Fortunately, the CMP is military friendly, otherwise I would have missed out on the opportunity to get one.

 

[feddoc]

I went through a phase a couple years ago with the "Rack Grade" Greek Garands where I cleaning and tweaking them -- I got all my squadron buddies to plunk down $295 for one, and then I worked them into being decent shooters. Most of them simply needed to have their bores cleaned. They looked terrible upon first inspection, and a cleaning jag did nothing to improve them. I had a homemade electric bore cleaner that really did the trick, and there were nice bores underneath all the crap. Similar was true for the rest of the rifle; they had caked-on bearing grease and cosmo everywhere, and after some elbow grease and Hoppes they cleaned up into well-used but better looking rifles.

Nearly all of them had lousy replacement beechwood stocks that were mis-shaped, or beat to death, or under-sized, or whatnot. I found a place on the 'net (Doug's Stock Pile) that had old GI walnut stocks for sale for something like $15. The wood on these things was usually GREAT, but it was under a coat of paint or a ton of old dirt and grime (they were usually ex-Korean).

A trip through the dishwasher almost ALWAYS returned these stocks to a beautiful walnut base, and then I really enjoyed the sanding and BLO treatment to beautify them for use.

Good on ya for taking care of your buds.

 

[DangerousDan]

plunk down $295 for one

Yeah I wanted to buy one about 8 years ago but I could never find the time or the money too. Mine ended up costing a whole heck of a lot more than 295 dollars! However I think overall its a good buy.


I'm almost tempted to get a M1 Carbine however I highly doubt I would ever shoot it.