When did CMP implement the grading system

[John Wyatt]

My dad and I each ordered select grade M1's in 1999. We were notified that select grades were no longer in stock and a several month wait was expected before any would be shipped. We changed our orders to service grades. I also have a 1999 CPM collector grade IHC with original paperwork.

[Cass]

Cass, Do you remember the criteria for grading then, or the pricing scheme?

Here you go. I scanned the pages I had in my file that describe the grades and cost.

Cass

[LeonardC]

Select: "...good wood..." not on mine! Ugliest wood on any of the M1's I've received. Luck of the draw! (CMP did sent me another stock set.) I think my paperwork stated that it was a Select.

I just dug the paperwork out of the safe. The Select is noted on the Bill of Sale, but not on the Certificate of Authenticity. The date selected on mine was 11/3/00. It was a long wait.

One of my M1's came with a Certificate of Authenticity with my name misspelled and when notifed of this CMP sent a new one to me. The original did not state a grade, the replacement has "Service Grade" on it.

[snapperm1c]

I'm glad Nina was able to help date yours. She is a little off on her recollection of the dates though. I had an order in for a standard M1 in August 1998 when they announced the new grading, so I changed my order and received a Collector grade and a Select grade in September 1998. i even saved a print out of the announcement on the CMP web page.

Cass

Cass is quite correct. I was volunteering at Anniston in July or August 1998, and Orest told me they were introducing a "Collector Grade" criteria at that time. I had just purchased a 5.9M SA and "Mac" McCullum personally looked my rifle over and said it qualified for a "Collector" Grade. It is still unfired.

They were just then considering the "Cetificate of Authenticity" (Different in many ways from the ones today) and Orest gave me a couple of the newly minted certificates. They had just developed criteria for the "Collector Grade", but I don't recall the details.

But the DD 1348 did not specify any Grade at that time, the price was listed at $310.00.

Cheers,

JWB

[M1Riflenut]

Cass is correct and his scans also show something that has been the source of more than a few arguments over the years. That argument is that the early collector grades were not mint rifles,they were correct rifles,condition was secondary. The vast majority of todays buyers would have a hissy fit if they got what used to be a collector grade. Now the rifle has to be in mint original shape or the whining begins .

Personally,I'll take a beat to sh!t correct ww2 rifle any day over the dime a dozen post war drippy mint rifles that collector grades have become today.