MAT,
You are not wrong, but there is one thing, the provenance is as good as you can get with a CMP auction. Besides, it I am going to shell out a butt load of schekles,
I would prefer it was to keep the CMP flush and not line some auctioneers pockets for being a fast talker.
One to the M40A1's that sold at Julia's for something like $25K was claimed to be original, and now that it has sole at such a prestigious
auction house its provenance is golden.
Sad thing is I built the rifle from scratch, I even stamped it U.S.
But if you know what you are doing its easy to tell its not real.