Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Mausers and Military Rifles H&R Garand

It takes 3 seconds to break it down into 3 groups

The only issue in field stripping one is when yanking/springing the trigger guard open to begin the process. I've had worn out beat to sh*t ones that a good yank with my fingers did the trick, other fresher/tighter ones require a metal rod (I use a long Philips head screwdriver) passed through the rear of the trigger guard to provide a good gripping surface to get your whole fist around. The earlier milled/forged, call it what you will, trigger guards had a hole for that very purpose, stamped ones like yours just use the radius in the back end of it. After that like Mickey said it's a 3 second job.

I bought my first one 50 years ago for $60 out of the trunk of the Plymouth of a college classmate who needed beer money. There went my own beer money....

Nowadays I have but one, and it's strictly a shooter CMP Special Grade from 4 years ago - Criterion barrel, new stock - and quite a decent shooter it is. Its parts are a mix-match and I don't care as long as it works reliably for when the zombie banzai attack rolls across my front yard.

A correct grade HRA is a $2000+ rifle but to get that $$$ you'd probably need the certificate showing it was sold as a correct grade and not someone's "corrected" rifle, a service grade is $900 thru the CMP. A lot of the difference between the rack grade and service grade is bore and muzzle measurements, although some rack grades can be fairly rough. Nice service grades are getting to be uncommon thru the CMP and bring around $1500 on the used market.

I believe your rifle has been refinished both wood and metal. I would say it's a $1000-$1200 rifle.

Definitely refinished stock. A nice looking Garand though. I bought an above average "correct" 1954 H&R a year or two ago for $1450 off the CMP forum. I looked at an IHC at a local gun store yesterday for $1450 so you know they had plenty of profit built into it. Some people lose their minds on these things, I have seen rack or service grade garands go for $2.5k plus on GunBroker. Personally I would pay $1,200 for it, some people would think that is too high and others too low. Like you said, all over the place.

I've only owned one IHC Garand. It was the rifle I got through the DCM back around '90-'91. (You remember, back when it was a "one per lifetime" deal, and you took what they gave you.) $165 to my door. I sweated the luck of the draw because a buddy got his right before me and it came through as a beat to death POS. Imagine my surprise when I opened the box and there was an immaculate 1953 IHC. I swear it was unmolested and unfired. I kept it that way for a bunch of years then swapped it for a M1903A1 National Match - the guy didn't care for 03's and wanted the M1, and I wanted the National Match 03 so bad I could taste it. We both walked away with smiles.

They are fun to shoot, be fun to have a pen full of pigs. Sit back about 50 yards, bang away at them. I did that with a 32-40 last year.


keyboard test full

I think the correct grade HRAs were selling for $1800 when they had them in 2020. They were $1100 in 2010. Did the rifle you bought come with the CMP certificate stating it was a correct grade?

One sold today on the forums.
https://forums.thecmp.org/forum/mar...a/3521369-wts-cmp-hra-correct-grade-4-55