The rifle is the single most expensive item you will pick up for your basic re-enactment impression. Some guys run out and buy 50 cal machine guns or a 1942 U.S. Army Dodge truck and pay thousands of dollars for them, but that tends to be after they've been in re-enacting for a while. For those of us starting out though, the M1 Garand is the big buck item.
The best place to purchase an M1 Garand currently is through the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP). They have online sales as well as auction sales through Gunbroker. A good source for information about the M1 is the Garand Collectors Association (GCA $25/year). They send out a quarterly magazine full of good stuff about the M1 to all members.
The bottom two photos show the butt plate of the rifle with the compartments for storing the cleaning kit.
This link is a cool little animation showing how the M1 works step-by-step.
Visit this page for information on how to get a rifle through the Civilian Marksmanship Program.
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