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This morning I went to the North Store with two new CMP customers who had never been to the North Store nor purchased from the CMP. We had scheduled an appointment three weeks ago when we had heard a new truck load of Garands had arrived for the North Store. Our appointment was at 2:30pm but after reading the reports from Friday, we decided to arrive early to see if we could get in earlier. We arrived shortly after 10am and there were not many cars in the parking lot, and a few people were just leaving with their newly purchased rifles, so it looked good for an early arrival. We went in and got checked in and sure enough, there was no one in the store, with a couple of people waiting for their purchases to be finalized and one other person was going into the store ahead of us. Good timing.
The racks were about 50% full. Two sides of a rack of Service Grades with HRAs and SAs; one side of a rack of IHC SGs; four 6 million SAs; a few IHC FGs; 1 M1D; 1-2 M1Cs; and I did not look at the rest. They had .308 Creedmoor ammo in 167g Lapua Scenar; some .308 with a Hornady 168g bullet (I think); and Jim said something about 9mm ammo, but I did not ask specifics. No .30-06 ammo. I did not see any Special Garands, Winchesters, 1917s, or 1903s. Frankly, we were so busy inspecting the Service Grades and the 6 million serial number rifles that we didn't look at much else.
The Service Grades were $750 each and were a mix of HRA and SA rifles, with many of them with worn muzzles between 2-3. A few were at 2 on the muzzle and a few below 2. Some had USGI wood, some had CMP wood. One of my friends found an SA with a USGI stock with a light SA/GW cartouche and lead dipped heal. We saw another rifle with a light SA/JLG cartouche and a 44 barrel but left it behind. Some of the SAs had lead dipped heals, and my two friends each got a WWII SA with lead dipped heals and USGI stocks. One friend's SA rifle had an early op rod and an early small hole SA trigger assembly. I don't remember all the details on their rifles. I saw 5.9m, 4.2m, 4.3m, and WWII serial numbers on other rifles. There were HRA rifles in various serial number ranges including 5.7m.
Then Jim pointed out the four 6 million serial numbered SAs at $1220 each. Their muzzles were around a 1. I got a 6.09m serial number rifle with a boxed SA stock, and the other two friends each got a 6.08m serial numbered rifle. The whole trip was kind of a blur since we were trying to limit our time in the store. Jim, Bob, and the other workers were very helpful explaining the features of the rifles to my friends. I think we did well, even with the racks half full.
The IHC SGs were ok with not a lot of IHC parts. All postage stamp rifles. A few with LMR barrels. I was going to get a IHC SG if I found a good one but the 6 million serial number rifles were in better shape and somewhat rare, so I could not pass on one of them. There was one 6m rifle on the racks when we left.
There is still a 2 rifle limit for the year in the store right now. Hard to imagine that will last all year. We have lived through the days where we had one rifle limits in the NS but the limit was changed as the frenzy died down later in the year. Cross our fingers.
I really miss the old NS building. Probably 3 times the size of the new NS building in the administrative complex. Not as easy getting your purchases to your car even though they have carts. One of the girls helped us get our rifles and cases to the cars in the parking lot. That was really nice of her to help us. The extra space in the old building made it much easier to spend several hours looking leisurely at racks and racks of rifles. It was a fun place to go on the weekends, especially in the winter, and I always seemed to find a rifle to bring home even though I was not planning to buy one. But now we have limits, appointments, and a smaller sized store so it is a different experience. But still a good experience. Where else can you pick up racks of Garands and see the different features?
When I got home, I was thinking back to the old days when the NS had racks of correct SA and HRA rifles for $900 each, and people were ignoring them for the Service Grades. I wish I had bought more of those correct grades. Remember when you could find an SA SG with a HRA trigger assembly and a HRA SG with a SA trigger assembly, and you could buy both and then swap the trigger assemblies when you got home, resulting in correct rifles. Remember the days of the Service Grade Specials which were correct rifles with CMP wood. And remember when the NS was full of carbines, including that one day when it was full of IBM carbines with early parts. But even today, you can still find some interesting rifles, since we are seeing rifles with 6m serial numbers, cartouches, and IHC rifles which were absent for years. Some day in the future, we will be talking about the days when the NS had IHCs, 6m rifles, 1903s, 1917s, etc.
If you plan to get a rifle next week at the NS, I would suggest you go on Thursday.
The racks were about 50% full. Two sides of a rack of Service Grades with HRAs and SAs; one side of a rack of IHC SGs; four 6 million SAs; a few IHC FGs; 1 M1D; 1-2 M1Cs; and I did not look at the rest. They had .308 Creedmoor ammo in 167g Lapua Scenar; some .308 with a Hornady 168g bullet (I think); and Jim said something about 9mm ammo, but I did not ask specifics. No .30-06 ammo. I did not see any Special Garands, Winchesters, 1917s, or 1903s. Frankly, we were so busy inspecting the Service Grades and the 6 million serial number rifles that we didn't look at much else.
The Service Grades were $750 each and were a mix of HRA and SA rifles, with many of them with worn muzzles between 2-3. A few were at 2 on the muzzle and a few below 2. Some had USGI wood, some had CMP wood. One of my friends found an SA with a USGI stock with a light SA/GW cartouche and lead dipped heal. We saw another rifle with a light SA/JLG cartouche and a 44 barrel but left it behind. Some of the SAs had lead dipped heals, and my two friends each got a WWII SA with lead dipped heals and USGI stocks. One friend's SA rifle had an early op rod and an early small hole SA trigger assembly. I don't remember all the details on their rifles. I saw 5.9m, 4.2m, 4.3m, and WWII serial numbers on other rifles. There were HRA rifles in various serial number ranges including 5.7m.
Then Jim pointed out the four 6 million serial numbered SAs at $1220 each. Their muzzles were around a 1. I got a 6.09m serial number rifle with a boxed SA stock, and the other two friends each got a 6.08m serial numbered rifle. The whole trip was kind of a blur since we were trying to limit our time in the store. Jim, Bob, and the other workers were very helpful explaining the features of the rifles to my friends. I think we did well, even with the racks half full.
The IHC SGs were ok with not a lot of IHC parts. All postage stamp rifles. A few with LMR barrels. I was going to get a IHC SG if I found a good one but the 6 million serial number rifles were in better shape and somewhat rare, so I could not pass on one of them. There was one 6m rifle on the racks when we left.
There is still a 2 rifle limit for the year in the store right now. Hard to imagine that will last all year. We have lived through the days where we had one rifle limits in the NS but the limit was changed as the frenzy died down later in the year. Cross our fingers.
I really miss the old NS building. Probably 3 times the size of the new NS building in the administrative complex. Not as easy getting your purchases to your car even though they have carts. One of the girls helped us get our rifles and cases to the cars in the parking lot. That was really nice of her to help us. The extra space in the old building made it much easier to spend several hours looking leisurely at racks and racks of rifles. It was a fun place to go on the weekends, especially in the winter, and I always seemed to find a rifle to bring home even though I was not planning to buy one. But now we have limits, appointments, and a smaller sized store so it is a different experience. But still a good experience. Where else can you pick up racks of Garands and see the different features?
When I got home, I was thinking back to the old days when the NS had racks of correct SA and HRA rifles for $900 each, and people were ignoring them for the Service Grades. I wish I had bought more of those correct grades. Remember when you could find an SA SG with a HRA trigger assembly and a HRA SG with a SA trigger assembly, and you could buy both and then swap the trigger assemblies when you got home, resulting in correct rifles. Remember the days of the Service Grade Specials which were correct rifles with CMP wood. And remember when the NS was full of carbines, including that one day when it was full of IBM carbines with early parts. But even today, you can still find some interesting rifles, since we are seeing rifles with 6m serial numbers, cartouches, and IHC rifles which were absent for years. Some day in the future, we will be talking about the days when the NS had IHCs, 6m rifles, 1903s, 1917s, etc.
If you plan to get a rifle next week at the NS, I would suggest you go on Thursday.
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