Post war M1 values, and DCM info

[Lance White]

I have been out of actively collecting M1's since 2009. I purchased a 1944 SA that has the CMP certificate (and purchased from a fellow Jouster years ago) that was sold as a Collectors Grade WW2. I love it, and haven't had the funds to put toward something to top it with (would love to have a sub 100K early Gas Port). Before that, I had many different Garands but sold all the "mixmaster" stuff in 2005. The only things I hung since 2009 were the WW2 SA and a post-war SA 5.4M that I picked up somewhere in the early 2000's that was tagged as sold through the DCM in the 60's. It is all matching, in great condition, has a painted 2-digit rack # on the butt and a sling. It looks slightly used, MW1 and TE2. This weekend, I picked up another 5.4M very close in serial number with a rack number stamped on it. It looks almost identical to the one I have had for years. It was sold to me as a non-CMP gun with about the same physical condition as my other one. It is about MW 0.5 and TE slightly less than 2.

What are the post war guns all matching but no CMP certificate worth? I remember the SRS used to show DCM sales on many guns on their database but I understand that has changed hands now. Would the new service (I don't remember the name off the top of my head) likely show DCM sales?

[Chaz]

Lance, Just this weekend I saw more M1s at Reno than anytime in the past 12 years except when the GCA Convention was there. Except for one tagged "correct", they appeared to be "Service Grade" mixmasters and prices were in the $1,200-1,400 range. I didn't see any CMP certs, and I personally don't think they are the equivalent of a Cody letter. Chaz

[dave]

The CMP cert. only says that the rifle is likely to be as the US military had it in stock. That was then, now I see they are referred to as CMP rifles, which means? I assume it means they are put to-gether by CMP. understand some even have new made stocks. Don't know what the certs. say now.

[lyman]

folks get the warm fuzzy's over a CMP cert, and I agree Chaz, not like a Cody, or Colt, letter at all

[Lance White]

The Collector Grade certificate does make a difference in early CMP guns. They were $750 for a as-found correct gun when a almost correct rack grade wasoften found for $295 in the early 2000's. There are a lot of restored WW2 guns now after years of rack grade guns with many different mixed up parts, so an as-found correct gun is worth more than a put-together.

[togor]

The one collector grade rifle I have from the CMP, post-war SA, had a data sheet in the buttstock, listing it as all original. I would think that would increase value a bit if it came time to sell.

[Chris W.]

I looked at quite a few setting at the Reno show as well this weekend. Looks like the sellers are in somewhat of a rush to sell looking at how many tables were packed with them. As I walked through the show looking at rifles and prices, couldn't help but think that the current M1 pricing is just about to flush down the toilet once the 80,000 M1's are on shore and setting in the CMP storage. I might be wrong, but flooding the market with these should have a rather dramatic effect on prices of rifles and parts. Now that Trump is serving in the White House, thinking that the rifles that have been stalled in place in Korea might end up right behind the others, could be some carbines and some 1911's as well. I think because most of these will go to private importers, we will see a over supply with a small price war. Buyers would benefit from the private sales driving prices down, and thus driving down the prices over at the CMP. Thinking soon it will be a good time to be a M1 buyer, and a poor time to be a seller. I guess the big unknown at this point is what the condition will be on the rifles that land here. Quality could be a game changer. Don't think the CMP paperwork or anything else will make the kind of difference that all of these M1's coming in will, that will end up being the big one in the next year or two.
Chris

[Johnny P]

Depends on what they look like. I didn't see anything market altering in the Korean imports of some 30 years ago. Whipped out barrels and oil soaked stocks.

[Chris W.]

Of course condition is everything. If even half of what's coming in is in good condition, it will be a game changer as far as prices go here in the US. What we don't know is how many are sitting in Korea waiting to come to private dealers, or what condition they are in, Tails of some being fresh from rebuild stored in sealed drums have gone around for years, who knows for sure what the truth is. The only thing I'm sure of is that this would be a bad time to be someone who bought quite a few of them to speculate the prices will rise.
Chris

[Rifleman]

4200742008

Might be a lot of rack grades again.

[togor]

And stripped receivers.

[lyman]

Depends on what they look like. I didn't see anything market altering in the Korean imports of some 30 years ago. Whipped out barrels and oil soaked stocks.

there was an increase in parts (barrels, stocks etc) sales, as well as smithing time to install and ream the barrels as needed

[Merc]

M1s I see at the various gun shows in my area over the past few years look like they've all been reworked. Barrels are all dated in the 1950s. Most have replacement stocks and some look as if they've been re-Parkerized. Some are a mixture of Parkerized and worn parts. Some had tags with the barrel wear numbers and a few even had DCM certs. Prices range from $1000 to $1500.

I've only seen one Springfield M1 that was in untouched WW2 battlefield condition last May at the Ohio Civil War show in Mansfield, OH. The barrel was dated 1944. The sling was old, the stock was dry, oxidized and worn and the metal parts were surface worn. The price was $2400.

[lyman]

if it helps, a customer just picked up a nice DCM (with photo copies of the DCM receipts) M1 that is very very good ,
we could not make out the year other than sometime in the 60's (last digit was completely faded out)

it was from an estate, has been shot a bit but by no means abused,
gauges like new Throat is a 1, times perfectly, passes all other gauges

he paid $1400 for it, IIRC it's a H&R

[danco101]

CMP Cert just shows its not an import, sort of like a bill of sale from the US govt. which is nice, no surprises stamped on the shot out barrels that imports had!