M1 Garand Ultra Match

[Specvnpe]

Hello,
I just purchased about 8 months ago, I purchased it off of Armslist out of state, from someone claiming it was brand new never shot from Springfield Armory built some time in the 1980s. My dad has a couple of GI Garands and he said if I ever had the opportunity to buy a new one, why not buy a brand new one. So I purchased it and it was sent to my FFL, I picked it up and to my disbelief it looked brand spanking new. No rust or pitting, seemed a bit dry, so I carefully dis assembled it, cleaned, greased and lubed it and put it back together. The receiver was super tight in the stock, and looked glass bedded which raised a question in my mind, definitely different from my fathers GI Garand wooden stocks

I brought it to the range and fired 3 enbloc clips through it, for the first 16 rounds I would fire 1 shot and punch the barrel, for brake in assuming it was I unfired, and the last 8 rounds I fired at 100 yards, and I got outstanding accuracy. I took it home carefully disassembled, cleaned greased and lubed, and haven't shot it since.

But something wasn't right, something wasn't adding up, so I called Springfield Armory this morning, explained the situation and they looked up the serial number, they told me it is a Custom Ultra Match Rifle, that was sent to Nelsons Custom Guns, they also told me it was born November 1986, my question is could my Garand have been hand built by Glenn Nelson ? In my research it says that he built Ultra Match M1 Garands and National and Super Match M1As from his home up until 1987. Any info on my rifle would be greatly appreciated !!! I was just looking for a good shooter but think I stumbled upon something special !!!

[Specvnpe]

Here are some photos of my Garand

[Orlando]

Welcome to the forum
Not sure what you are asking? Its a commercial Garand and should be a great shooter

[lapriester]

What you have there is a Springfield Armory Incorporated reproduction M1, not a USGI M1 Garand. It is not the same company that manufactured Springfield M1's in WWII and until the last were made in 1957. You indicated it looked new and, no doubt, it probably was. Springfield Inc manufactured their reproduction Garands using their own cast receivers, most often using proprietary SA Inc barrels and used vintage and new reproduction parts. Pieced together rifles. The good news is, except for some of the early ones with badly cast and finished receivers, they are decent, well made copies far better then those made by others doing the same.

There were many versions of the rifles made. A standard version, commemorative versions with WWII battle laser etchings on.the stocks and fancy display boxes, "NM" versions and no doubt "Ultra Match" versions they sent out to have accurized. Enhancements raised the prices from too high for standard versions to insane prices for enhanced or special editions.

Now the negatives. Springfield Inc stopped making and marketing them because sales plummeted when real, far more collectable, M1's became readily available. Then the value of these reproduction rifles plummeted. Today they can be purchased for far less and it's doubtful they will ever go back up in value or ever be considered collectable unless all those real M1's disappear. CMPeven prohibits their use in most competitive events. Perhaps if you can get written verification about who did the accuracy mods and that person has a well known name the rifle could have higher value but, it still remains a reproduction rifle though will probably serve you well as a good and well functioning shooter for as long as you choose to keep it.

[Phil McGrath]

The CMP will not let you play in there Garand Game with a repo rifle(non-USGI) the local home town Matches are more flexible, however the NRA (High Power Service Rifle) will.