Let's See Those M1 Battle Rifles

[Mongo59]

I received my M1A less than a week after it was made and it still smells like fresh cut walnut when I pull it out. Heck, that was about ten years ago now...

 

[knutty]

I want to say they did the first time I sent it back. The second time I sent it back, they said it was a "timing issue" and that's when they replaced the rifle.

Interesting they gave up on it, wonder what it was.

That's the best thing with the CMP besides the price. If there is an issue they will take care of you. My first Garand had a worn down op rod tab which caused the op rod to jump out of the receiver track which simultaneously ejected the extractor and spring into the unknown. CMP fixed everything, no questions asked.

Good bunch of people there. I regret not taking a trip to one of the CMP stores back when they had M1s, carbines, 03s, etc, etc

 

[Dog1]

6 digit,January 1941

 

[Dog1]

I will tell you a little story about my six digit January 41 M1. It was years ago almost 15 when I bought it I was walking around a gun show on a Sunday afternoon it was pouring down rain. There was hardly anybody there except for the one guys who collect carbines and garand's that always set up the table then put the black netting over it and basically tell you to go away and treat you like crap. I really don't like those guys they're very arrogant and treat people like ****.

I had gone to the show kind of looking for an M1. I had printed out some laminated cards that had drawing numbers and serial numbers by years so that I could see what I was looking at.

So as I'm walking in there's this little elderly man in front of me with an M1 slung over his shoulder. So we are walking down an aisle and I come up to him and I asked him if he was selling his rifle. He said yes he said let's go over to this empty table and you can take a look at it well as we're walking over the empty table I see two aisles over the arrogant M1 Garand collector people all the time eyeballing me, this guy and his rifle.

So I start looking at it and checking some of the numbers. He says it's okay pop out the receiver take out the trigger group. So I do and I look at the numbers and I look at the serial number and I realize that I'm looking at a pre Pearl Harbor M1 that is nearly all correct. So I sat there and I'm looking at it and as I'm looking at it I noticed that two of the jerk M1 collectors have left their table and are easing their way over toward us. Now I wasn't going to let these bastards get this rifle. So I put the rifle back together I look at the guy and I said how much do you want for it?


So he stands there, squares up looks me right in the eye and says - what's your plans for this rifle? I look at him and I say I'm going to go home I'm going to clean it I'm going to shoot it I'm going to keep it and when I'm it's my time my boy is going to get it. He smiled he looked at me and he said - 600 bucks. I said are you sure? He said yes. I nearly tore my rotator cuff getting my wallet out of my pocket. I handed him $600 we shook hands I told him thank you very much he said I'm happy to do it for a guy who just wants to shoot it and pass it down.

On my way around the rest of the show I got ambushed by the jerk collectors. They wanted to know how much I paid for it they want to look at it what was the serial number what year was it blah blah blah. I told them that they're a bunch of jerks they're not going to look at my rifle and they can stick it sideways.

 

[Sgt7330]

It’s the M1’s next generation but how about an M14? 1963 Winchester GI rifle. Oh, how I miss this one

 

[Latewatch]

Here's a few of my M1's from a display I set up at the Garand Collector's Association Convention a few years back.

 

[jwamplerusa]

It’s the M1’s next generation but how about an M14? 1963 Winchester GI rifle. Oh, how I miss this one View attachment 300057 View attachment 300057

Hmm, with the giggle switch.

How did it get into the wilds of civilian hands? (Should be able to go to the hardware store and buy one, but I digress)

 

[BigMoose]

Hmm, with the giggle switch.

How did it get into the wilds of civilian hands? (Should be able to go to the hardware store and buy one, but I digress)

Well sort of. That is the Selector Lock on it.

To be clear its still got the full auto parts on the rifle. But the rotating selector that puts the M14 in rock and roll mode has been replaced with a little nub called the Selector Lock. This kept the person issued the rifle from putting it into full auto.

A armorer was required to put the aull auto selector on the rifle. (Roll pin).

Many LE and various .gov department were issued M14 with the selector lock.

 

[KokomoDave]

When I entered USN service, I was surprised to see real M14s like we had in our National Guard Armory. I went into the Guards before 100% So Cal drudgery for the Navy. I was so happy that they had true 7.62 rounds versus the 5.56 I was trained to fix at Aberdeen. At the time, only the M60 was spec'd in that caliber except for some specialty bolt guns M24 / M40 and those were only covered in passing to 1) 4 hour block of troubleshooting / bedding for accuracy issues. Rebarreling was for depot level guys and you had to come back for that class. Anyhoo, I am thread jumping like a muthah.

 

[Max Volume]

Here's my Garand I got at a gunshow over 20 years ago from a guy selling off his dad's stuff. Wrote a check for $800. The barrel date is 8-41 and it has a crown with Brit import marks on it. I have heard they are called lend lease garands among other things. The story I have heard and read in several places is that the U.S. was not yet in the war and shipped a bunch of them over to England but the English didn't want to use the new fangled rifles because they trusted their Enfields. The garands sat in a warehouse overseas until sometime in the mid 50's or thereabouts before being brought back to the U.S.
They didn't under go the rebuild process and supposedly are some of the most original but people didn't think much of them early on because of the crown and BNP import markings.
Then many moons ago there was a guy who had a booth at a gunshow with a few garands. He wasn't selling anything but was
looking to collect more and he volunteered for the CMP. Then he gave me his number and asked if I would be willing to come
to his house in Whiting. I called him a few weeks later and said o.k. He took it apart piece by piece, looked at all the drawing numbers and said the only parts that weren't original were the rear sight and front barrel band. The serial #, barrel date and inspector's cartouche all jive together.
He would call me once in awhile asking if I was willing to sell it until I told him it would be the last gun I would ever sell.
I do have a correct, long bayonet for it but didn't pull it out for pictures.

This is the import marks on the left side of the barrel behind the front sight.


Six digit serial #


It still has the front sight seal.


Barrel date of 8-41.










GHS inspector's cartouche for Col. Gilbert H. Stewart.

 

[Mongo59]

Here's my Garand I got at a gunshow over 20 years ago from a guy selling off his dad's stuff. Wrote a check for $800. The barrel date is 8-41 and it has a crown with Brit import marks on it. I have heard they are called lend lease garands among other things. The story I have heard and read in several places is that the U.S. was not yet in the war and shipped a bunch of them over to England but the English didn't want to use the new fangled rifles because they trusted their Enfields. The garands sat in a warehouse overseas until sometime in the mid 50's or thereabouts before being brought back to the U.S.
They didn't under go the rebuild process and supposedly are some of the most original but people didn't think much of them early on because of the crown and BNP import markings.
Then many moons ago there was a guy who had a booth at a gunshow with a few garands. He wasn't selling anything but was
looking to collect more and he volunteered for the CMP. Then he gave me his number and asked if I would be willing to come
to his house in Whiting. I called him a few weeks later and said o.k. He took it apart piece by piece, looked at all the drawing numbers and said the only parts that weren't original were the rear sight and front barrel band. The serial #, barrel date and inspector's cartouche all jive together.
He would call me once in awhile asking if I was willing to sell it until I told him it would be the last gun I would ever sell.
I do have a correct, long bayonet for it but didn't pull it out for pictures.

This is the import marks on the left side of the barrel behind the front sight.
View attachment 301347

Six digit serial #
View attachment 301348

It still has the front sight seal.
View attachment 301349

Barrel date of 8-41.
View attachment 301350

View attachment 301351

View attachment 301352 View attachment 301353

View attachment 301354

View attachment 301355

GHS inspector's cartouche for Col. Gilbert H. Stewart.
View attachment 301357

My IHC pretty much has the same UK markings but I was told even the Danish M1's came through the UK.

Yours is marked 30 cal while mine is 30/06. Probably had to change after the introduction of the .308...

 

[Mongo59]

Going back the The Great War, here is my 1917.

 

[Hulberr]

44 Springfield and a 45 Springfield turned 308 Tanker.

 

[woodstock]

CMP Service Grade 1943 Winchester Reciver

 

[Vanderbilt]

....my low# 1903 Springfield, yeah I know, the guns the internet tells you aren't safe to shoot.....

 

[Mongo59]

....my low# 1903 Springfield, yeah I know, the guns the internet tells you aren't safe to shoot.....

I would shoot it.

 

[Vanderbilt]

I would shoot it.

.....I have....would have shot it last weekend if I wouldn't have had to attend a family funeral.....club shoots require lead bullets with reduced loads and if shooting jacketed bullets, stay with military match loads similar to those shot with the Garand....

 

[Mongo59]

.....I have....would have shot it last weekend if I wouldn't have had to attend a family funeral.....club shoots require lead bullets with reduced loads and if shooting jacketed bullets, stay with military match loads similar to those shot with the Garand....

I stick to Garand food for mine without any troubles. Good luck and have fun.

 

[92FSTech]

It’s the M1’s next generation but how about an M14? 1963 Winchester GI rifle. Oh, how I miss this one View attachment 300057 View attachment 300057

We had a pair of those at work through the LESO program...an H&R and a Winchester. We recently returned them, but I was one of the few that actually shot them while we had them. I miss those guns, especially that H&R. Someday I will have an M1A to keep my Garands company.

Ours also had the selector lock installed, so I never did get to try them in full-auto.

 

[Dog1]

I have a couple of the m14ish pattern guns to keep my M1 Garand company. Although I don't have a picture right now, I have a 1918 Eddystone as well. That gun is fun to shoot