Garand CIA Receiver.......JUNK!

S

Southla1

Member In Memoriam
I was at a small gun and knife show in a town nearby yesterday, and got my first chance to look at a Garand built up on a CIA receiver. It is as the Fulton Armory says .....junk. To top it off the rifle was poorly assembled action was rough to work had a lot of grinding feelings in it. Some parts were NOT GI, and also seemed to be poorly made. The kicker to all this is they wanted $589.00 for it! I just wanted to pass this on.

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Carlyle Hebert
 
Yeah... the pictures of the receiver I saw at FA's web site didn't impress me. It looked crude. IIRC, it even lacked the hash marks that should align with the windage line.

A shame that perfectly good USGI parts are being wasted to mfr a rifle based on this receiver.

Ironic that in this hi-tech age a forged, dimensionally correct Garand receiver has yet to be reproduced. I'm sure it could be done, but would cost major $$$$.

Cliff
 
Many folks would settle for a high quality cast receiver, but those also would cost too much. People talk a lot about what they want but seldom are willing to pay for it.

A complete M1 made the way they were made in the 1940s and in the small quantities likely to sell would, I think, cost over $3000.

Jim
 
No doubt that the original GI forged receivers were/are better. But has anyone actually shot one of these Century rifles?

I ask, because I'm tempted by them. I can order them from several sources for $400. Buying an original Garand would cost me much more...or require me to jump through all the hoops necessary to qualify for a CMP rifle, and then take what I get, sight unseen, for $100 more.

I am skeptical of the complaints about Century's poor quality because, against similiar advice, I bought one of their STG-58 FALs. I'm happy with it. It works fine - much better than my buddy's "custom built" FAL. I'm sure it isn't as nice as a DSA, but it cost 1/2 as much, and, I suspect, shoots just as well. Maybe I was lucky.

I don't want anything that's unsafe, or won't work properly, but if the Century Garands work, I could accept some "rough edges" to actually have and enjoy shooting a Garand, rather than just looking at the nicer ones that cost more than I'm willing to pay. And this isn't a case of not being able to AFFORD an original Garand, its that I don't want one badly enough to pay $1,000 for it. I'm not a serious collector or competitor. This would be a "fun gun" with some historical interest. I might shell out $400 for a Century if it functions resonably well.

Don't get me wrong, I not doubting your evaluations and I appreciate the info. I'd just like to hear comments from someone who has shot one of these budget Garands.

Doug
 
Fulton Armory did a technical evaluation of one

they returned it with a receipt mark
DO NOT FIRE
 
Every time these rifles are mentioned, Fulton Armory's evaluation is cited as proof that they are no good. Wouldn't this be the same as asking DSA how Century's FALs are? Or Smith & Wesson to give an evaluation of Taurus revolvers? I don't mean to be argumentative, and I'm sure Fulton Armory's people know their business, but I'd like to hear first hand, from someone who has actually shot one, how well the Century Garands work.

Doug
 
Doug, I never fired one but recall either here in TFL or on another gun forum such as this one that a man that bought one took it out and started firing it and the barrel started to UNSCREW!
I do not know if the one I saw Sunday would be safe to fire or not, but judging by the looks of it, it would not hold up to long use.

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Carlyle Hebert
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by DougB:
I ask, because I'm tempted by them. I can order them from several sources for $400. Buying an original Garand would cost me much more...or require me to jump through all the hoops necessary to qualify for a CMP rifle, and then take what I get, sight unseen, for $100 more.[/quote]

I see Garands in very good condition at local gunshows for around $600, I'd take one of them in a heartbeat over the thing that Century is selling. The receiver is the heart of the gun, don't save a few bucks there. FWIW, I've purchased three CMP Garands, and I was only disappointed with one of them. The barrel was clearly bad, and I had to replace it. However, after replacing the barrel and having the stock refinished, I only have about $550 in the gun, and it's a great shooter. The other two guns I got from the CMP were "range ready" when I got them.

Do yourself a favor, jump through the hoops and get the CMP gun.
 
I had a CAI receivered Garand that I bought to shoot with my son while waiting for the CMP Garand to arrive. I did a set of standard safety tests on the gun before shooting it. The action was a little rough, and the sights were of poor quality. However, it shot well and with accuracy and was a lot of fun. I probably put 250 rounds through it with no problems. As I had planned, when the CMP rifle arrived I traded it in on another gun I wanted. I don't regret having it, and although I respect Fulton Armory, I agree that one should take their review with a grain of salt.
 
I purchased a CAI Garand a year ago and was not worth $400, as it needed alot of work after shooting it. I'll try to remember all the details. It needed: a new elevation knob(had a worn detent and was full of blasting media, sight base needed peening to prevent wobble, sight serations were not well defined, missing hash marks for sights(not very usable for making wind. and elev. corrections), new sight spring cover, barrel timing was off, new ejector and extractor assemblies, op rod was full of blasting media and was binding on receiver. There may be more but this is all I can recall at this time. Even if the receiver was good the folks building them don't know much about them. With the CMP rifle someone is going through them and test firing before shipment and from what I see they know a he!! of alot more about the M1 than all the people at Century combined. FWIW


Brian
 
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