This was my second annual trip to the CMP Store in Anniston, AL. Last year, I scored two really nice M1 Garands: a like new HRA and a rare "WIN-13" Winchester.
Here is that link: https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/long_guns/146004-cmp_south_store.html
A visit to the CMP Store with less than $800 of disposable cash in the bank is mighty painful!
They had a really nice assortment of rifles. They had the usual assortment of M1s. I found a really nice field grade Win-13(…Winchester’s last run of M1s) with a gorgeous new walnut stock. At first, I thought it was a service grade that was misplaced; but, nope it was priced at the field grade price of $595. Dang! I had to put it back!
They also had a lot more Krags(…the standard US rifle in 1898) and M1917s than they did when I visited last year. Since the Model of 1917 is at the top of my wish list and since I bought two M1s last year and since I had a pretty limited budget, I spent about an hour going through the rack grade Model of 1917 rack.
Although, most of the 1917s were not head spaced and had shot out barrels; there were a hand full of them with some shooting left. Okay, I know I've been telling myself this was an 'ammo & bayonet only' visit. I know I'm a liar!
I put a nice 1917 Eddystone behind the counter. I found the rifle in the 'rack grade' section where most of the rifles either failed headspacing or had shot out barrels. It was marked 'headspace okay' and 'MW +1'. Although the undated barrel marked "HS"(High Standard) was very, very dirty, I could see rifling through the crud. I was hoping has some life left under all that grime & gunk. The price was $400.
Although I mainly collect WWII rifles, the M1917 has been on my wish list for a while. My grandfather, Conley Stephens carried one of these in WWI. He was wounded by shrapnel and then poison gas in The Meuse-Argonne offensive during the Fall of 1918.
This must have been one of the many M1917s they refurbished during WWII. I am assuming that the cartouche, 3 GM - K in a rectangular box will indicate where and approximately when the refurb occurred. It must have also served in an American Legion Color Guard because "Am Leg" is painted on the left hand side of the butt stock. After doing a little research(...which is really half the fun of collecting these old rifles), I've found it was manufactured in October of 1918 and apparently the cartouche 3 GM - K in a rectangular box, is a big mystery. The best theory is that it is General Motors Guide Lamp Division which was given a contract to refurbish 45,000 rifles in 1943. Hmmm...maybe this isn't the first time this particular rifle has visited Indiana.
Before and during World War II, stored rifles were reconditioned for use as reserve, training and Lend-Lease weapons; these rifles are identified by sandblasted and Parkerized metal. They were sent Britain for use by the Home Guard, the Nationalist Chinese forces, the indigenous forces in the China-Burma-India theater, to the Filipino guerrilla forces, the Free French Army, the Local Defense Force of the Irish Army, Denmark and Norway.
Well after a little scrubbing and lots of patches, the barrel isn't too bad. There is some frosting in the barrel; but, the lands and grooves are sharp. I have never seen so much crud which(...I guess) represents 20 plus years of firing blanks without being cleaned.
I'm happy! It is a great shooter!
Out for its first shoot...
A WWII High Standard replacement barrel...
When Remington contracted to build the Enfield Model of 1914 for England, they subcontracted the manufacture of the Model 1914 and later the Model of 1917(…basically the Model of 1914 in 30-06 instead of British .303) to The Baldwin Locomotive Factory at Eddystone, PA. I read at one point in 1918 this facility was building in excess of 6000 rifles a day.
The mysterious cartouche...
It makes a fine companion for the other WWII bolt gun, my Smith Corona Model of 1903A3...
Here is that link: https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/long_guns/146004-cmp_south_store.html
A visit to the CMP Store with less than $800 of disposable cash in the bank is mighty painful!
They had a really nice assortment of rifles. They had the usual assortment of M1s. I found a really nice field grade Win-13(…Winchester’s last run of M1s) with a gorgeous new walnut stock. At first, I thought it was a service grade that was misplaced; but, nope it was priced at the field grade price of $595. Dang! I had to put it back!
They also had a lot more Krags(…the standard US rifle in 1898) and M1917s than they did when I visited last year. Since the Model of 1917 is at the top of my wish list and since I bought two M1s last year and since I had a pretty limited budget, I spent about an hour going through the rack grade Model of 1917 rack.
Although, most of the 1917s were not head spaced and had shot out barrels; there were a hand full of them with some shooting left. Okay, I know I've been telling myself this was an 'ammo & bayonet only' visit. I know I'm a liar!
I put a nice 1917 Eddystone behind the counter. I found the rifle in the 'rack grade' section where most of the rifles either failed headspacing or had shot out barrels. It was marked 'headspace okay' and 'MW +1'. Although the undated barrel marked "HS"(High Standard) was very, very dirty, I could see rifling through the crud. I was hoping has some life left under all that grime & gunk. The price was $400.
Although I mainly collect WWII rifles, the M1917 has been on my wish list for a while. My grandfather, Conley Stephens carried one of these in WWI. He was wounded by shrapnel and then poison gas in The Meuse-Argonne offensive during the Fall of 1918.
This must have been one of the many M1917s they refurbished during WWII. I am assuming that the cartouche, 3 GM - K in a rectangular box will indicate where and approximately when the refurb occurred. It must have also served in an American Legion Color Guard because "Am Leg" is painted on the left hand side of the butt stock. After doing a little research(...which is really half the fun of collecting these old rifles), I've found it was manufactured in October of 1918 and apparently the cartouche 3 GM - K in a rectangular box, is a big mystery. The best theory is that it is General Motors Guide Lamp Division which was given a contract to refurbish 45,000 rifles in 1943. Hmmm...maybe this isn't the first time this particular rifle has visited Indiana.
Before and during World War II, stored rifles were reconditioned for use as reserve, training and Lend-Lease weapons; these rifles are identified by sandblasted and Parkerized metal. They were sent Britain for use by the Home Guard, the Nationalist Chinese forces, the indigenous forces in the China-Burma-India theater, to the Filipino guerrilla forces, the Free French Army, the Local Defense Force of the Irish Army, Denmark and Norway.
Well after a little scrubbing and lots of patches, the barrel isn't too bad. There is some frosting in the barrel; but, the lands and grooves are sharp. I have never seen so much crud which(...I guess) represents 20 plus years of firing blanks without being cleaned.
I'm happy! It is a great shooter!
Out for its first shoot...
A WWII High Standard replacement barrel...
When Remington contracted to build the Enfield Model of 1914 for England, they subcontracted the manufacture of the Model 1914 and later the Model of 1917(…basically the Model of 1914 in 30-06 instead of British .303) to The Baldwin Locomotive Factory at Eddystone, PA. I read at one point in 1918 this facility was building in excess of 6000 rifles a day.
The mysterious cartouche...
It makes a fine companion for the other WWII bolt gun, my Smith Corona Model of 1903A3...
). They mainly had Garands there. I saw a couple of Krags but they weren't in shooting condition. Looks like you found a diamond in the rough! 
