What to do with a pair of CMP "Expert" Grades?

[ssgross]

It's should be old news to most here, but the days of unlimited CMP Garands is coming to an end...or should I say going through it's death throws. The service grade's are long gone. The field grades are now gone too. So, they have a new "Expert" grade in 30-06 or 308, pieced together from parts, everything refinished, new criterion barrels and new wood, selling for $1000 and with very short turn around time. My pair was 2 weeks from dropping off paperwork at the post office till rifles at my doorstep.

So what to do, other than shoot of course! Well, I've really wanted an M1C - not happening anytime soon. The new OEM Griffin and Howe mounts are pricey, not the same, and aluminum. Are they even legal for vintage matches? So how about lets make up an M1D.

I have a new mount and barrel with scope block already installed from Sarco, and I have an old, beautiful, field grade that has a sewer pipe that can use the extra new barrel taken from the expert grade.

DISCLAIMER: I have read all the posts and complaints about the repro mounts being crappy. Indeed, Sarco has sold me crap in the past...but is probably the easiest parts dealer to work with on returns, and the fastest too. They stand by their crap. I ordered well prepared for what another thread said 10:1 odds for sending it back.

So here we go. Of course the mount doesn't fit. Being the first one I've ever handled, I studied carefully.

Here is mine...second pick is an "original" right now on eBay with 25 bidders at > $300.

Looks like 3 "pads" of contact...purposefully raised so there is some room to fit. Of all the complaints I've read, I haven't read one where the complainer attempted fitting except to crank down on the screw with a wrench to tighten, or added some shims.

Here it is, with the screw hand tight like it's supposed to be (I think. The soldier is supposed to be able to remove it with his hands right? There was a tech manual with torque specs in a post I read that supports this.)

The problem is clearly seen, and felt. The mount teeter-totters on the bottom pad...doesn't even engage the pad.

Here is my novice opinion on what should happen to properly fit one of these.
The wedge part at the bottom is too thick preventing the mount from settling on all 3 pads. Of course the purpose of the wedge part is to prevent vertical play. We can either stone the beveled edge of the barrel block (easier to do), or work the mount. The barrel block is more expensive should we screw it up. I'll study some more, and plan my course of action while I hear back from some of you. I've fit an OEM mosin scope base. They can be sloppy too until you correctly file down the tabs. There is plenty of documentation out there to correctly fit a mosin scope. Can't find much for the M1D.

EDIT: Here is a better pic of our initial fit.


And equally exciting, this came in the mail today too Happy Birthday George Washington! what to work on first?

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