My "backup" Garand

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  • Ponder_MD

    Ultimate Member
    Mar 9, 2020
    4,564
    Maryland
    Anywho, I'm not sure what I'm going to do. Since this unit has apparently been re-arsenal'd at some point, I guess it has little collector value. If the throat and muzzle gauge poorly, I may put a Criterion barrel on it. I'll shoot it first to see what's really going on but I want good grouping at long range. At least 100 yards, preferably 200.

    I have my Schuster adjustable gas plug so I can experiment with commercial ammo but I have much more M2 ball and only a couple boxes of commercial stuff so that's not high on the list. The Schuster is mainly so I can contend with ammo shortages.

    One of the forum members let me shoot his freshly maintained M1 at AAFG a couple of weekends ago. It is so much more refined than my Mosin but I love 'em both.
     

    Trepang

    Ultimate Member
    Dec 10, 2015
    3,310
    Southern Illinois
    Anywho, I'm not sure what I'm going to do. Since this unit has apparently been re-arsenal'd at some point, I guess it has little collector value. ......

    Beautiful gun.

    It is my understanding 99.9% of all M1 Garands have been through at least one arsenal rebuild.

    The .1% that haven't bring big, big dollars.

    I am new to Garands but have been reading several books and collectors guides. I have also been stalking high end auction houses and antique gun dealers. Truly "correct - collector grade" M1s seem to be a unicorn.

    My opinion evolved so that I now believe a true M1 is in fact a mix-master. That is what happened to them during their service life - they got sent back, rebuilt and came out with mixed parts.

    I'd rather have a Garand that had a chance of being at Normandy, Saipan, Anzio or Peleliu even if that chance is remote compared to one that probably remained Stateside, warehoused and thusly never needed rebuilt or one that was pieced back together in some collectors basement.
     

    Ponder_MD

    Ultimate Member
    Mar 9, 2020
    4,564
    Maryland
    Well consider that this rifle probably served in WWII and after the re-arsenal, may have served in Korea ('49 barrel). That would be a hell of a story.

    The wood is "ok." It was refinished at some point. My friend who let me shoot his M1...oh my, the wood. Like gorgeous furniture. He put a lot of time and effort into it.
     

    Trepang

    Ultimate Member
    Dec 10, 2015
    3,310
    Southern Illinois
    Well consider that this rifle probably served in WWII and after the re-arsenal, may have served in Korea ('49 barrel). That would be a hell of a story.

    The wood is "ok." It was refinished at some point. My friend who let me shoot his M1...oh my, the wood. Like gorgeous furniture. He put a lot of time and effort into it.

    I actually looked for one with a somewhat beat up stock. After I ordered the CMP Rack-Special I kind of regretted it since it comes with a new stock. Here is a pic of the one I am picking up Tuesday.

    My current plan is to obviously keep the '43 SA I just bought, probably keep the CMP Rack-Special (if I get one) as a shooter since it will have a new barrel and stock and see what I get with the luck of the draw CMP. If it's a WWII SA, I will keep it. A Korea War HR I will keep it. A post-Korean War HR I will sell.

    If these old guns could only tell stories of what they have seen and done! That is part of the attraction for me!
     

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    ken792

    Ultimate Member
    Sep 2, 2011
    4,481
    Fairfax, VA
    I'd rather have a Garand that had a chance of being at Normandy, Saipan, Anzio or Peleliu even if that chance is remote compared to one that probably remained Stateside, warehoused and thusly never needed rebuilt or one that was pieced back together in some collectors basement.

    As a very small subset that intersect both likely correct and original rifles and likely battle used rifles, there are the Saipan and Guam surplus Garands. They are all in WWII configuration with no postwar parts, some appearing to be correct and original to the factory configuration.

    It is believed that they were either directly transferred from the military to the civil governments of the islands or were battlefield pickups turned over to them.

    http://forums.thecmp.org/showthread.php?t=255038

    https://scott-duff.com/the-guam-garands/

    There are also the European barn finds, though they cannot be imported under current US laws since they are not in the possessions of the governments of those countries. I see French and Belgian collectors posting WWII correct and original M1s all the time often in kind of rough condition and mentioning the region where it was found or sometimes the name of the civilian who found and hid a free Garand in 1944-1945.

    https://www.app.com/story/news/history/2016/09/12/long-lost-d-day-rifle-coming-home/89611150/

    https://www.milsurps.com/showthread.php?t=39927
     

    Trepang

    Ultimate Member
    Dec 10, 2015
    3,310
    Southern Illinois
    As a very small subset that intersect both likely correct and original rifles and likely battle used rifles, there are the Saipan and Guam surplus Garands. They are all in WWII configuration with no postwar parts, some appearing to be correct and original to the factory configuration.

    It is believed that they were either directly transferred from the military to the civil governments of the islands or were battlefield pickups turned over to them.

    http://forums.thecmp.org/showthread.php?t=255038

    https://scott-duff.com/the-guam-garands/

    There are also the European barn finds, though they cannot be imported under current US laws since they are not in the possessions of the governments of those countries. I see French and Belgian collectors posting WWII correct and original M1s all the time often in kind of rough condition and mentioning the region where it was found or sometimes the name of the civilian who found and hid a free Garand in 1944-1945.

    https://www.app.com/story/news/history/2016/09/12/long-lost-d-day-rifle-coming-home/89611150/

    I have came across a few of those unicorns )with great provenance) come up for sale, unfortunately they were above my pay grade although I did buy a Powerball ticket this week. lol

    I can only imagine a European barn find M1....Wow!!!
     

    capt14k

    Active Member
    Jul 27, 2015
    221
    Almost all Garands are re-arsenaled. Most are refinished during rearsenal. There are very little correct Garands out there, but there are a lot of corrected. That is about the best one can hope for with a Garand IMO.

    Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk
     

    Ponder_MD

    Ultimate Member
    Mar 9, 2020
    4,564
    Maryland
    Almost all Garands are re-arsenaled. Most are refinished during rearsenal. There are very little correct Garands out there, but there are a lot of corrected. That is about the best one can hope for with a Garand IMO.

    Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk

    I'm satisfied with it, I didn't expect a unicorn.

    It is a fascinating thought that it could have served in two wars. When you hold it, you wonder about who else may have held it, so many years ago.

    I have a 1971 M813 cargo truck. As a former military guy, I can see the after images of decades of soldiers and reservists who sat in those seats, who performed the maintenance when I look at it.
     

    Threeband

    The M1 Does My Talking
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 30, 2006
    25,234
    Carroll County
    ...
    My opinion evolved so that I now believe a true M1 is in fact a mix-master. That is what happened to them during their service life - they got sent back, rebuilt and came out with mixed parts.

    I'd rather have a Garand that had a chance of being at Normandy, Saipan, Anzio or Peleliu ...
    .

    This is wisdom.

    And a good mixmaster may well have served at all four of those hallowed battlefields !
     

    TEN-X

    Member
    Aug 16, 2011
    31
    Prince Frederick MD
    308 CMP

    I got my CMP Custom last week. SA '43 refinnished receiver, Criterion 308 barrel, trigger job. They put it in a new stock and finished it with some kind of oil.
    I got it for Sanners Lake wood stock Military rifle match.

    Luke, the armorer, at CMP is helping me fine tune it. Also their is a wonderful lady at the Alabama CMP named Tiffany who will help you order the rifle you want.
    Getting good groups with LR 118, but my 70 year old eyes are making it difficult. Didn't realize just how much I've been relying on scopes and dots.
     

    Athelney878

    Active Member
    Jan 9, 2021
    201
    Montgomery County
    I am new to all this, but I’m a bit surprised that United would sell a rifle, even if on consignment, that was unsafe to shoot. I had kind of assumed shops would do a basic safety check on their inventory for liability reasons if nothing else. Am I wrong there? Should any used gun get a visit to a gunsmith prior to firing, even if purchased from a LGS?
     

    Ponder_MD

    Ultimate Member
    Mar 9, 2020
    4,564
    Maryland
    Because it's consignment I'm not sure that United inspected it very deeply.
    I don't blame United. I simply failed to ask enough questions or ask if I could have it inspected.

    I'll own my mistake but you can bet that I learned from it.
     

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