Royalecheese
Member
- Apr 6, 2017
- 150
- 46
Apologies in advance for the length of this post.
Let me start off by saying this post is just a way to put down my thoughts in a semi-coherent way to remember a good time, and maybe plant the seed to influence a few people to take the trip I took.
Over the weekend I made a pilgrimage to Aniston, Alabama to visit the Civilian Marksmanship Program. I realize I am late to the party considering most have probably made at least one visit to the temple, or at the very least have a Garand or M1 Carbine, but if there is anyone here who has not been to the CMP I would highly recommend it. The analogy I'm about to propose does not hold water the way I want, but it's the first thing I thought of when I walked in the front doors. I would liken my visit to being an avid golfer and seeing Augusta for the first time. Like I said, it's not a perfect description, but the history and stories of the CMP and Augusta are very much in the same vein. For someone who is a diehard golfer I'm sure standing on Amen Corner and knowing you're in the same spot where Jack Nicklaus tamed those three holes, is an event that can be akin to standing in the CMP and holding a bit of history in your hands. That rifle may have seen action in WW2 or Korea, be something as banal as part of the Japanese Honor Guard, or even something as simple as once being in the hands of a young boy 50 years ago learning how to shoot in his high school or college. For me it's not about how shiny it is. Just think of where that rifle has been! Every nick in the stock tells a story, and it's about remembering the past and appreciating it, scars and all.
I'm sure there are some who reject the idea that an old cobbled together Frankenstein gun should hold a high place in society because it is a relic, and you can easily get a brand new 30-06 rifle for less money and effort. But it's never been about the price or sparkle to me. I have one Garand right now that was a gift. That rifle is precious to me because of the person I received it from. But now I had the opportunity to purchase one myself and truly make it my own, which is why I jumped at the chance to take this trip
with my father-in-law and brother-in-law.
We left Dallas on Friday afternoon and drove to Aniston. Note to all: If you are going anytime soon from the DFW area, do not take I-30 to I-40. It's a cluster of construction from Little Rock to Memphis. Also, those hillbillies don't believe in lighting on the highways at night either, but that's a different story. Do yourself a favor and take I-20. We pulled into Oxford, Alabama about 0200 and were able to sleep a few hours at our motel, and then got up at 7 to hit the store. The CMP building itself is pretty unassuming, and if you didn't know what you were looking at you would think it is nothing more than a plumbing supply warehouse. However, that changes once you get inside.
It was not very busy for a Saturday, which surprised me, but there was plenty of activity. Most people had their Garand history books and phones open looking for that one in a million find, but there were also several people in the store who had no idea what they were looking at. One guy who was with his young son thought a higher number on the throat/barrel erosion size meant the gun was better. But, thanks to the other customers as well as the people who work for the CMP the gentleman received the help he needed, was not made to feel like a fool, and in the process made a memory that will last a lifetime for both him and his son. The kindness everyone showed blew me away, and it was honestly the best experience I have ever had looking for and buying a gun. There was one lady there who said she had worked for the CMP for over 18 years. I would love to have had an hour to pick her brain and hear her stories, because I would bet she probably knows more than 90% of the people who walk through the door. But that really is the thing about the CMP, they are all there to help and make you feel welcomed. If any of them ever read this, I just want to say thank you. You helped make a good day great for me and my family, as well as the others.
About the guns:
Most everything was Rack Grade and Field Grade. There were also plenty of rifles that had brand new stocks and/or close to new barrels. Rack Grade started out at $800. That is what I got, and with a little cleaning and oil it will look great. Prices went from my $800 up to $2900 or so. One of the pictures I am posting here shows a pencil drawing they have hanging in the main breakroom area. You can see the "rack grade" price shown in the picture is $495. I kind of like that picture because it's almost hung with the purpose of being a kick in the ass to everyone saying "You should have come here before today. Look what you missed out on when we had so many guns, and how much less it cost then."
The purchase was quite honestly the easiest and relaxed purchase I have ever made. Each member of the CMP team helped out by answering questions, tagging your order, allowing you to use their gauges and serial number charts if you did not have one, completing the paperwork in a fast and friendly manner, and generally dispensing good information. It's a shame the gun community and dealers can't always work like that. And while the actual building is huge, you can see by some of the pictures that the store area is about the size of a small gun shop, around 20x30 feet.
My purchase:
January 1943 barrel,
Original stock with original proof "P" mark on the grip
Newer handguards. Probably from the late 40s or 50s.
1955 Receiver
+2 barrel and +3 throat.
Two small purchases were made as a reminder of the trip to have close at hand in the future. One is a 1911 keychain/bottle opener. This will probably go on my patio next to the cooler. The other item is a pocket knife that was made from discarded stock pieces of destroyed Garands.
They used to wrap your purchase in a cardboard box but they have switched to hard plastic cases that are made specifically for the Garand, which I thought was nice. As an added bonus they ran out of hard cases a few days prior to us arriving so they offered to either knock $20 off the price of the rifle or mail a hard case to me when they are back in stock. I chose to have the case mailed considering a basic case would cost at least $40 if purchased elsewhere.
What was also available for purchase:
* There were 15 or so 1903s for $900 and up.
* A few Garands were available chambered for .308.
* They had no .30 Carbines that day.
* There was .22 ammo available in cases, and I picked up some 30-06 ammo (from the Lake City Arsenal in 1972 batch): $398 for 400 rounds.
* Garand manufacturers on the racks were Springfield, Winchester, and International Harvester.
And for those that did not know, they also have another CMP location in Talladega, Alabama as well, which is about 20 minutes down the road from Aniston when heading back west on I-20. This site is used for their competitions, but they also have gun sales there as well. We didn't get a chance to stop by on our way out, but before leaving Aniston I kindly suggested they should think about opening a location a bit to the west, like maybe Dallas, Austin, or San Antonio.
The saying in real estate about "buying land because they aren’t making it anymore" is true for these weapons as well. These historic guns can have copies, but Springfield, International Harvester, Rock Island, Winchester, or H&R do not make the originals anymore. Do yourself a favor and grab your kid, dad, or anyone else for that matter and head to Aniston or Talladega, Alabama, or Clinton, Ohio while you can. For anyone who enjoys the sporting side, the marksmanship side, or the history side, I'd say the CMP has something for everyone, and memories you will talk about with those who go with you forever.
Let me start off by saying this post is just a way to put down my thoughts in a semi-coherent way to remember a good time, and maybe plant the seed to influence a few people to take the trip I took.
Over the weekend I made a pilgrimage to Aniston, Alabama to visit the Civilian Marksmanship Program. I realize I am late to the party considering most have probably made at least one visit to the temple, or at the very least have a Garand or M1 Carbine, but if there is anyone here who has not been to the CMP I would highly recommend it. The analogy I'm about to propose does not hold water the way I want, but it's the first thing I thought of when I walked in the front doors. I would liken my visit to being an avid golfer and seeing Augusta for the first time. Like I said, it's not a perfect description, but the history and stories of the CMP and Augusta are very much in the same vein. For someone who is a diehard golfer I'm sure standing on Amen Corner and knowing you're in the same spot where Jack Nicklaus tamed those three holes, is an event that can be akin to standing in the CMP and holding a bit of history in your hands. That rifle may have seen action in WW2 or Korea, be something as banal as part of the Japanese Honor Guard, or even something as simple as once being in the hands of a young boy 50 years ago learning how to shoot in his high school or college. For me it's not about how shiny it is. Just think of where that rifle has been! Every nick in the stock tells a story, and it's about remembering the past and appreciating it, scars and all.
I'm sure there are some who reject the idea that an old cobbled together Frankenstein gun should hold a high place in society because it is a relic, and you can easily get a brand new 30-06 rifle for less money and effort. But it's never been about the price or sparkle to me. I have one Garand right now that was a gift. That rifle is precious to me because of the person I received it from. But now I had the opportunity to purchase one myself and truly make it my own, which is why I jumped at the chance to take this trip
with my father-in-law and brother-in-law.We left Dallas on Friday afternoon and drove to Aniston. Note to all: If you are going anytime soon from the DFW area, do not take I-30 to I-40. It's a cluster of construction from Little Rock to Memphis. Also, those hillbillies don't believe in lighting on the highways at night either, but that's a different story. Do yourself a favor and take I-20. We pulled into Oxford, Alabama about 0200 and were able to sleep a few hours at our motel, and then got up at 7 to hit the store. The CMP building itself is pretty unassuming, and if you didn't know what you were looking at you would think it is nothing more than a plumbing supply warehouse. However, that changes once you get inside.
It was not very busy for a Saturday, which surprised me, but there was plenty of activity. Most people had their Garand history books and phones open looking for that one in a million find, but there were also several people in the store who had no idea what they were looking at. One guy who was with his young son thought a higher number on the throat/barrel erosion size meant the gun was better. But, thanks to the other customers as well as the people who work for the CMP the gentleman received the help he needed, was not made to feel like a fool, and in the process made a memory that will last a lifetime for both him and his son. The kindness everyone showed blew me away, and it was honestly the best experience I have ever had looking for and buying a gun. There was one lady there who said she had worked for the CMP for over 18 years. I would love to have had an hour to pick her brain and hear her stories, because I would bet she probably knows more than 90% of the people who walk through the door. But that really is the thing about the CMP, they are all there to help and make you feel welcomed. If any of them ever read this, I just want to say thank you. You helped make a good day great for me and my family, as well as the others.
About the guns:
Most everything was Rack Grade and Field Grade. There were also plenty of rifles that had brand new stocks and/or close to new barrels. Rack Grade started out at $800. That is what I got, and with a little cleaning and oil it will look great. Prices went from my $800 up to $2900 or so. One of the pictures I am posting here shows a pencil drawing they have hanging in the main breakroom area. You can see the "rack grade" price shown in the picture is $495. I kind of like that picture because it's almost hung with the purpose of being a kick in the ass to everyone saying "You should have come here before today. Look what you missed out on when we had so many guns, and how much less it cost then."
The purchase was quite honestly the easiest and relaxed purchase I have ever made. Each member of the CMP team helped out by answering questions, tagging your order, allowing you to use their gauges and serial number charts if you did not have one, completing the paperwork in a fast and friendly manner, and generally dispensing good information. It's a shame the gun community and dealers can't always work like that. And while the actual building is huge, you can see by some of the pictures that the store area is about the size of a small gun shop, around 20x30 feet.
My purchase:
January 1943 barrel,
Original stock with original proof "P" mark on the grip
Newer handguards. Probably from the late 40s or 50s.
1955 Receiver
+2 barrel and +3 throat.
Two small purchases were made as a reminder of the trip to have close at hand in the future. One is a 1911 keychain/bottle opener. This will probably go on my patio next to the cooler. The other item is a pocket knife that was made from discarded stock pieces of destroyed Garands.
They used to wrap your purchase in a cardboard box but they have switched to hard plastic cases that are made specifically for the Garand, which I thought was nice. As an added bonus they ran out of hard cases a few days prior to us arriving so they offered to either knock $20 off the price of the rifle or mail a hard case to me when they are back in stock. I chose to have the case mailed considering a basic case would cost at least $40 if purchased elsewhere.
What was also available for purchase:
* There were 15 or so 1903s for $900 and up.
* A few Garands were available chambered for .308.
* They had no .30 Carbines that day.
* There was .22 ammo available in cases, and I picked up some 30-06 ammo (from the Lake City Arsenal in 1972 batch): $398 for 400 rounds.
* Garand manufacturers on the racks were Springfield, Winchester, and International Harvester.
And for those that did not know, they also have another CMP location in Talladega, Alabama as well, which is about 20 minutes down the road from Aniston when heading back west on I-20. This site is used for their competitions, but they also have gun sales there as well. We didn't get a chance to stop by on our way out, but before leaving Aniston I kindly suggested they should think about opening a location a bit to the west, like maybe Dallas, Austin, or San Antonio.
The saying in real estate about "buying land because they aren’t making it anymore" is true for these weapons as well. These historic guns can have copies, but Springfield, International Harvester, Rock Island, Winchester, or H&R do not make the originals anymore. Do yourself a favor and grab your kid, dad, or anyone else for that matter and head to Aniston or Talladega, Alabama, or Clinton, Ohio while you can. For anyone who enjoys the sporting side, the marksmanship side, or the history side, I'd say the CMP has something for everyone, and memories you will talk about with those who go with you forever.
