Ever tried the FBI Thumbs Forward grip? Adopting that grip ended the muzzle flip issue I'd experienced with the .40 cal. P229 I've carried for the past 13 years. Sig's DAK system replaces the decocker/safety you disliked. Give it a try, if you haven't already done so.
If you are getting a CMP gun I'd recommend the Garand rather than the carbine. The ammo for the carbine isn't all that plentiful compared to 30-06. You really have only one loading and that's a 110 grain slug of whatever flavor (ball, hp or sp) there is. It's not really cheap stuff now. It's not known for accuracy or effectiveness in the field. It was a replacement for a pistol so you could hit something at farther than touching range. The carbine is a hoot to shoot and does have some history if you already own the Garand. It's great for smaller folks to shoot and is handy but given a choice of a M1 Carbine or even an SKS and I'd go with the SKS. Far better round and just as handy.
Ordered one of these yesterday. CZ 452 Special/Trainer. The 452s have been winning matches straight out of the box. At less than 300.00 for an open sight bolt, I'll give it a shot... I'll post up pics when I get it in Monday.
Actually they come in the .177 also, which alot of suppliers are over stocked in... Ordered mine in .22, peep sights are available... These are drop-in replacements for the rear sight blade made from laser cut steel finished with black oxide. The apertures available are 1/8", 3/32", 5/64", and 1/16" (3.2mm, 2.4mm, 2.0mm. and 1.6mm).
.177 is for airguns. .17hmr and .17hm2 are rimfire rounds. .17hmr is actually a really fun plinker - easy peasy 1" groups at 100yds. A bit spendier than .22lr though.
.17 HMR is getting mixed reviews in my crew. Quick barrel fouling being the primary complaint. .17 M2 seems moribund.
I didn't want to have to mess around with the .17, I have a handful of .22s already and wanted a decent open sight bolt rifle. Purty too...
My father was WWII Marine in the battle for Okinawa and carried the Garand, so I've always wanted to own a Garand. I'll likely get one some future day, but I'm really interested in the Carbine right now (already have a Remington 700 in .30-06). While no ammo is cheap now, it appears to me that .30 Carbine is cheaper than either .223 or the 7.62X39 (by about 25%-30%). And while not avilable in every store you walk into, it doesn't seem that it is scarce either. The M1 Carbine just seems like a cheap way to get and shoot a fun little rifle, and own a little piec of history. A handy 'truck gun" and a working museum piece, together. Am I missing any drawbacks?
I'm a horrible shot, and I've never cleaned my hmr (probably about 400 rds down the pipe). I find it incredibly easy to keep 5 shots within the 1" black square at 100yds off a simple rest. It's almost boring as a paper puncher. I need to stop using the rest or something. It's also quite fun against fruit - it can blow a watermelon in half. Pretty impressive little pill, I think.
Pics, or I'm calling ... I hate me some fruit too. Avocados, peaches anything with a nice sized pit explode nicely. Avocados are the best so far...
Don't have any, it was the first day I shot my hmr, and it took me about 20 minutes to dial it in to "minute of watermelon @ 40 yards" before I finally took the top off the melon. 17hmr is MUCH more destructive than .22lr, ridiculously so. In fact, I think it's borderline useless for hunting because it's so destructive. here's a stolen picture of a can of sauerkraut being hit by an hmr: