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Century Arms Garand?

robomanroboman Member Posts: 6,436
edited May 2004 in Ask the Experts
I see a guy selling a good looking Century Arms Garand. I've heard the receivers on these puppies can be pretty poopy but this Garand seems to be quite nice and can be bought now for only $600.

Any opinions? My gut tells me CAI Garands are pieces of junk but I have to ask anyway![^][^][^]

Here's some pictures:

A_A1_1083002570_m1garnd01.JPG
A_A1_1083002573_m1garnd04.JPG

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"The light that burns twice as bright burns half as long..."
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Comments

  • mark christianmark christian Member Posts: 24,443 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Trust your instincts, they are poor quality.

    Mark T. Christian
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  • robomanroboman Member Posts: 6,436
    edited November -1
    Damn! I was hoping this one would be a diamond in the rough. It looks like the guy had done a good job with it too. Assembled it with mostly SA parts. CAI receiver, linseed oil in the stock, everything reparkerized....

    DAMN!!! [:(!][:(][V]

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  • Dean CascioDean Cascio Member Posts: 2,301 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by roboman
    Damn! I was hoping this one would be a diamond in the rough. It looks like the guy had done a good job with it too. Assembled it with mostly SA parts. CAI receiver, linseed oil in the stock, everything reparkerized....

    DAMN!!! [:(!][:(][V]


    There is no such thing as a Century Arms Garand. Century only put its import stamp on them as they were brought back into America.
    Dean

    If they don't trust us with guns, how can we trust them with the government?
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  • mark christianmark christian Member Posts: 24,443 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    You have to keep in mind Rory that Century went out and purchased many hundreds of surplus M1 parts kits on the open market, gauged (maybe) some of the critical components, and then reparkerized everthing to make these parts look new. Add a new stock set and perhaps the rifle does not look too bad, but the truth is that their receivers are of low quality and can be purchased for as little as $150 by dealers. I bought one for the hell of it and while I was able to build a functional M1 using that receiver and a pile of spare parts I had sitting around, it was not a MILSPEC receiver and took some fitting before the rifle would even fuction. How much effort went into that Century M1 is anyones guess, but the examples I've seen were no where near the quality of even a Rack Grade M1 from the CMP. $600 is out of line for any M1 built on a Century receiver and you'd do better to pass on that one.

    Mark T. Christian
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  • robomanroboman Member Posts: 6,436
    edited November -1
    But according to you I'm a huge liar so maybe I just fabricated this M1 to begin with, right?

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  • HangfireHangfire Member Posts: 3,010 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Mark....You are a patient and gracious man. I commend you!!

    Love them Pre-64's!!!!-Bob
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  • jonkjonk Member Posts: 10,121
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by Dean Cascio
    quote:Originally posted by roboman
    Damn! I was hoping this one would be a diamond in the rough. It looks like the guy had done a good job with it too. Assembled it with mostly SA parts. CAI receiver, linseed oil in the stock, everything reparkerized....

    DAMN!!! [:(!][:(][V]


    There is no such thing as a Century Arms Garand. Century only put its import stamp on them as they were brought back into America.
    Dean

    If they don't trust us with guns, how can we trust them with the government?
    Century had some recievers made to fit the otherwise complete part kits they imported. They are hit or miss. You MAY get a great gun.... or you MAY end up with a gun that needs a new reciever. It could be that out of spec. Go for a Service grade from CMP for $500 instead.

    "...hit your enemy in the belly, and kick him when he is down, and boil his prisoners in oil- if you take any- and torture his women and children. Then people will keep clear of you..." -Admiral of the Fleet Lord Fisher, speaking at the Hague Peace Conf
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  • MooseyardMooseyard Member Posts: 2,541 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I knew a dealer in FL that had 3 of these Century Garands. He was trying to close them out at $350, and no one was buying. Just because it looks like a Garand doesn't mean it will function like one. He said the ones he did sell came back because they didn't not function
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  • lrarmsxlrarmsx Member Posts: 791 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Century actually had several different companies make their receivers over the few years that they did these Garands. The early ones had a variety of problems. They attempted to improve upon that as time went on. The later ones were, supposedly at least, a better receiver than the earlier ones. Unfortunately there is no way to tell which ones are which. They never actually had any names on them accept Century itself.

    Regardless, all of them were assembled from parts from various guns, from various countries, from various time periods. Tolerance, specs, and fit are questionable at best. Collectability-authenticity was never there, so basically you have a bunch of surplus (from used rifles) parts on a "No-Name" receiver. The gun has no history. It looks like a Garand, but it may or may not function like one or hold up like one.

    I still have real original Springfields, H&R's, etc. coming through on an irregular basis starting at under $700. I wouldn't recommend paying $600 or more for one that will never be worth much more than the sum of its parts. The Century ones may look okay for now (they are only 2-4 years old), but lets see how they have held up in even 10 years, much less 60 years, as the originals have done.

    LRARMSX
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  • jakelinjakelin Member Posts: 95 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    NEVER buy junk- it just gets to be older junk!
    If you want a decent M-1, save your near worthless FRNs and pony them up for a decent specimen when the time comes. The M-1 was a good rifle in it's day, as a combat weapon it is long out of date however.

    JAK
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  • mark christianmark christian Member Posts: 24,443 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    What the heck is an FRN????

    Mark T. Christian
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  • jakelinjakelin Member Posts: 95 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Federal Reserve Note. If you don't know what that means, go back to grade school.
    It's the paper "bills" you carry around in your wallet and think of as "money".

    JAK
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  • mark christianmark christian Member Posts: 24,443 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I don't recall studying the federal Rreserve in grade school so I doubt that a return the Mrs. Brodrick's sixth grade class would serve much purpose. On the other hand I'll cheerfully accept any surplus (near worthless) FRNs you'd care to send my way. Please note that I will be waiting anxiously for your next technical firearms question and then we will see who needs further education. Wow, I just noticed that I had answered your post on the Walther P99 so I made sure to delete that right away. I can't beleive you don't know about those pistols...they have been on the market for years!

    Mark T. Christian
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  • jakelinjakelin Member Posts: 95 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Don't play games with me. I have known about the P-99 many years now, I was just asking for the input of others, including you.


    JAK
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