Some M1 Garand love!

[johngfoster]

I've had a growing interest in this rifle platform over the years, and yesterday had the opportunity to get one. However, I'm a real noob when it comes to the M1 Garand, so honestly, I don't know if I got a good deal or not. It was a consignment rifle at my LGS. I don't have any gauges to check the throat and the muzzle and I haven't shot it yet. Looks to be mostly Springfield parts, except for the HRA plug. Any idea what grade this rifle would be (CMP grade)? What would it be worth? What kind of wood is the stock? Looking forward to shooting it!

Details:
Springfield Armory action
Action SN: 5,473,xxx (probably early 1955 manufacture date?)

Stock details:

Barrel: SA F6535448 12 54 A2220 (giant P)

Hammer: SA 5546008

Safety: 11

Trigger Group Housing (L side): 6528290 SA

Lower part of receiver on R side (hidden inside the stock): F 6528291

Op Rod: 6535382 SA

 

[johngfoster]

L side of rear sight (elevation dial)

Rear sight from rear

R side of rear sight (windage dial)

Gas plug: HRA

Chromed gas port

Looking in the chamber, the throat and rifling looked crisp and sharp (sorry for the crappy picture)

View down the bore

Piston end of the op rod

And all put back together

 

[elfster1234]

Nice pics and nice rifle! Thank you for posting. Very nice.

 

[Paulyr450]

Everything looks really good especially the proof stamp on the stock. I would not hesitate to buy it.. 1200 would be my guess but who really knows when it comes to those rifles.

 

[308boltgun]

Looks like its in great condition. I am no expert on M1s but I have several.

M1 stocks were walnut or birch. In some of the pictures, yours looks like it might be birch but in other pictures, it looks like walnut. Most people prefer the walnut. I one that started out twice a dark as yours, covered in oil and cosmaline. I stripped it all off and re-finished it. It is as blond as a California beach bum and very pretty. Your stock looks in great condition so I would not try to refinish it. Leave it alone.

 

[pmclaine]

Nice rifle. Stock looks to be walnut and dry. You would be perfectly correct to treat it with linseed oil or pure tung oil.

I use pure tung oil from the Real Milk Paint Company. I use it in the stock channel, down the stock bores and of course on the exterior. Apply a small amount to your finger tips/palm of hand and rub the oil in with the intent to create spontaneous combustion or to wear the friction ribs from your fingers/hand. Less is better, build the finish in coats, some cut the first coat with mineral spirits, tung oil will be shinier than linseed, repairs can be done over the existing coat. Its great stuff, smells nice, drys overnight.

PS - pants are a good accesory to wear when posting photos on the net.

 

[pmclaine]

Just took another look. If those stock stamps are real that stock may be very valuable to M1 Collectors. Im a little suspicious that you have a GAW with something else beside it. Id post your rifle, with information as nicely presented as you did in this one, on the CMP forum and see what you get for responses.

A GAW stock was from the height of WWII and if yours is original, in the shape its in, people will wet themselves.

 

[johngfoster]

Thanks for the replies so far. A few more questions: do all of the parts appear to be original, or period correct? I realize the plug is a different manufacturer but are all the other parts original?

 

[pmclaine]

Thanks for the replies so far. A few more questions: do all of the parts appear to be original, or period correct? I realize the plug is a different manufacturer but are all the other parts original?

The barrel date is within reason for the SN. The op rod is relieved so it is post war. It has later model sights correct for that SN. The trigger guard is stamped rather than milled - correct for 1955 would be the stamped guard, also better for shooting. Grease the lugs on the trigger guard to keep the from rounding off. Dont take the rifle out of the stock too often it wears the lugs and throws your zero. The whole rifle looks in need of some grease. The CMP has sections devoted to maintenance.

The stock shows a stamp of George A Woody, the CG in charge of Springfield Armory in WWII. The 1955 serial number rifle would have only had a Defense Acceptance stamp - a small eagle stamp. The other stamp I cant really make out but it appears to be a Springfield Armory stamp with initials below. What are the initials?

The crossed cannons look strange.

The rack number is interesting.

If the SA GAW stamp is real that stock would not have been on that rifle originally.

The two high pressure P stamps seems odd. One could have been original (GAW time frame) and the second could be a rebuild (the other stamp. I think the last initial stamps were NFR and they were done at the end and shortly after WWII. After that the Armory went to Defense Acceptance Stamps (DAS Eagle).

Post your pics on the CMP forum.

Its a beautiful rifle. If the stock is legit it could outvalue the barreled receiver. If the stock has been faked, its still a beautiful rifle, I just hope you didnt pay for the GAW stock.

 

[johngfoster]

Thanks for all the info. I traded a Bushmaster Patrolman Carbine straight-up for this M1. I didn't pay a penny for it. Unfortunately I'm still wating for one of the mods over on CMP forums to approve my account before I can post over there, so hopefully I don't have to wait too long. There are a few dents/dings in the stock. Should I just leave it alone, oil it, try to steam out the dents, or anything else? If this stock really is valuable, I don't want to ruin it.

 

[pmclaine]

Leave it alone until you find out what it is.

CMP will approve your account pretty quick. Culvers Shooting Page Forum has the same posters pretty much if you want to post there.

On a collector stock steaming dents isnt a good idea.

Oiling the stock with pur linseed oil or pure tung oil wont harm the value. Doont use anything marked "finish" it most likely contains polymers that are not GI authentic. Wait until someone confirms those stamps before you do anything. A gent Rick Borecki (RickB) seems to be the authority on the stamps.

 

[dang472]

You asked what kind of value this Garand has.....Assuming the potential buyer can visualize you holding this baby while pantless in a beanbag chair, the value could go either way. Depends on the type of guy/gal it is.

On a more serious note, that's a good looking Garand and I should be adding one to my collection soon.

 

[johngfoster]

Sorry about the blindingly white legs. I guess I owe everyone a pair of sunglasses ;-)

On a more serious note though: would it be desirable to try to find a period-correct stock and gas tube plug for this rifle then? Are there other parts I should also check to make sure they are also period-correct? Of course, if I change out the stock, the. This one will become an M1 Garand seed and slowly over time grow into another rifle. You know how that happens ...

 

[pmclaine]

Sorry about the blindingly white legs. I guess I owe everyone a pair of sunglasses ;-)

On a more serious note though: would it be desirable to try to find a period-correct stock and gas tube plug for this rifle then? Are there other parts I should also chech to make sure they are also period-correct? Of course, if I change out the stock, the. This one will become an M1 Garand seed and slowly over time grow into another rifle. You know how that happens ...

There would be no great value enhancer trying to make a correct 1955 Garand. people like the history of rifles that could have been in WWII or Korea. After that its rifles that fall into rare serial blocks, consequential serial numbers, maybe something close to the SN dad was issued. Mine is a "SA-52" marked heel. Supposedly there were only 6000 rifles rebuilt and marked such many were WWII receivers and M1C snipers being returned to line soldier issue.

If that stock is legit someone with a WWII rifle they are trying to make correct might possibly trade you a rack grade for your wood. Buy a NOS barrel that CMP sold two years ago for $125 (price now +/- $200) and you will have your second rifle cheap. The rack grade will probably be a pretty decent shooter as it is assuming it came from the CMP and the wear number aren't too bad. Muzzle condition is more important than throat.

Im really interested to get some knowledgeable evaluation of the stamps. I hope you hit pay dirt.

 

[Orlando]

Your rifle at best (depending on muzle and throat erosion) would grade as a $625 Service Grade at CMP. It is a mixture of parts of various manufactures and era.
I cant tell from the pics if the cartouches on stock are legit. If they are the rifle that the stock was originally on went through atleast one rebuild as you can tell from the double stamp aand non seriff P rebuild stamp. Stock is not that particually valuable. That being said in the secondary market I beleive your rifle would sell in the $800 range
If you need any help or need specifics PM me

 

[pmclaine]

Your rifle at best (depending on muzle and throat erosion) would grade as a $625 Service Grade at CMP. It is a mixture of parts of various manufactures and era.
I cant tell from the pics if the cartouches on stock are legit. If they are the rifle that the stock was originally on went through atleast one rebuild as you can tell from the double stamp aand non seriff P rebuild stamp. Stock is not that particually valuable. That being said in the secondary market I beleive your rifle would sell in the $800 range
If you need any help or need specifics PM me

Orlando,

What do you think of the cartouches? A GAW is sought after. The other one may be an SPG. I think he preceded George Woody at Springfield. If its an early stock in that shape it out prices the metal. I have no where the knowledge to judge the legitimacy of a cartouche unless it was totally fake.

I think a SPG with a Woody is unique.

 

[pmclaine]

Cant edit my post for some reason SPR should be SPG (Stanley P Gibbs).

Googling reveals he did mark rebuilds post WWII.

 

[Orlando]

GAW stocks are not all that rare,really worth no more than a Post War DOD stamped stock. Can you post a clear close up pic of the stamps, alos pull the action from the stock and post a pic of the barrel channel. Also remove buttplate and post a picof end of buttstock

 

[pmclaine]

OP,

I wont post a pic of somebody elses rifle (especially if that person is partially clad wearing man clogs) but I did ask about the cartouche combination over at CMP. Orlando has the right line on the history. I thought Woody's wood, being from WWII production, was more sought after.

You can see what CMP replies come in here.

SA/GHW with SA/SPG valuable? - CMP Forums

 

[johngfoster]

OP,

I wont post a pic of somebody elses rifle (especially if that person is partially clad wearing man clogs) but I did ask about the cartouche combination over at CMP. Orlando has the right line on the history. I thought Woody's wood, being from WWII production, was more sought after.

You can see what CMP replies come in here.

SA/GHW with SA/SPG valuable? - CMP Forums

Thanks for posting this over there. I am now able to post there too, so I added a few pics I have of the stock. I'm debating taking down the rifle again to get pics of the barrel channel in the stock. However, I do need to grease it well, so I may try to take some pics once I get her all greased up.

Orlando, you stated earlier "It is a mixture of parts of various manufactures and era". In my ignorance, it seems to me all the parts are SA except for the HRA gas plug. If not, can you identify more specifically which parts you are referring to? Just trying to learn as much as I can about this platform, as I'm a total noob regarding these rifles. Thanks.

 

[Orlando]

Gas screw and stock arent correct, cant tell from the pics about trigger guard, follow, gas lock etc ,etc
Dont sweat it, its not a original rifle . Just enjoy it for what it is

 

[oneshot onekill]

To help with the Cartouche question if I may... The stock on your Garand looks Birch to me which would mean the Cartouche has to be fake. I guess it could be walnut with rough sanding marks but the "stringy" look of the grain suggests Birch. It's a very nice looking Garand. I wouldn't be too concerned about making it 100% correct. Sounds like it was a solid trade.

 

[Kreeper]

Nice m1, i love the action on those. Very smooth easy to shoot.

 

[Orlando]

To help with the Cartouche question if I may... The stock on your Garand looks Birch to me which would mean the Cartouche has to be fake. I guess it could be walnut with rough sanding marks but the "stringy" look of the grain suggests Birch. It's a very nice looking Garand. I wouldn't be too concerned about making it 100% correct. Sounds like it was a solid trade.

Stock does look funny but why would someone fake a GAW stock then stamp it with a rebuild stamp?
It possible but wouldnt make sense. Thats the reason I asked the OP for more pics of the stock. Guess we will have to see if he posts them or now

 

[johngfoster]

I went by a gun show today and was able to swap out the HRA gas plug for a Springfield gas plug. Upon closer inspection, the second cartouche appears to be SHM. Here's a pic:

Muzzle Erosion seems to be OK:

Pics of the bolt and new gas plug screw:

Overall, I just wanted a shooter, not a museum piece. However, I'd like to keep it as original as possible, for my own OCD-ness more than anything. Even if it doesn't enhance the value any.

 

[pmclaine]

Muzzle Erosion seems to be OK:

Overall, I just wanted a shooter, not a museum piece. However, I'd like to keep it as original as possible, for my own OCD-ness more than anything. Even if it doesn't enhance the value any.

That barrel looks great! Appears the gas cylinder is pretty cherry, hasn't seen a bayonet anyway.

Sorry if I got you excited about the stock cartouches. I got excited, it is a great piece of wood. Still I was just hoping that you had found a real gem for yourself. In a way you did, anyone would be happy to have that rifle. If you need cheap ammo the CMP is the best place to buy. Fill out the paperwork. Join the Garand Collectors Association through the CMP as a club affiliation. They send you a great, nicely published magazine quarterly that includes research and stories from vets that used the rifle in service. Once you are approved by the CMP you can buy ammo. The Greek HXP they are selling is actually pretty accurate and relatively cheap.

I wish you the best of luck with a very nice rifle.

 

[johngfoster]

Took it out yesterday and shot it for the first time. Very different from shooting a scoped rifle! We were shooting 1964 LC Ball ammo. Set up a paper target at 100yd to see where it was shooting.

Then took it out to 340yd on steel (12" x 16"). That was tough. Seemed to be hitting all around the target but not ON the target. I think out of 13 shots I bounced one in, and a friend got 2 hits out of 16 shots. Part of it I think was the awkward shooting position (prone on a down-sloping hillside away from the target), and probably the largest part was my inexperience shooting iron sights. I would have expected that Ball ammo should have produced many more hits at that range than we were able to make.

The ammo we were shooting:

 

[Parallax]

The square P proof is a post War rebuild proof.... the original proof was the circle P. Nice rifle.

"August 1943- March 1945- stocks marked S. A. / G.A.W. (Springfield Armory / George A. Woody). Even though George A. Woody died in August 1944, his inspection stamps remained in the Stamp Racks until March of 1945."

"Rebuild program. November 1945-December 1947 - stocks stamped S. A. / S.H.M. (Springfield Armory / Steven H. McGregor) added square P."

I would guess that this was one of the nicer condition specimens of the CMP Service Grade often seen a while back.

 

[Orlando]

I thought P in a square is a rebuild from Red River Army Depot

 

[K-tech]

I dont always wear shorts but when I do...

 

[johngfoster]

OK, enough with the "bright legs" already!

Overall, I'm very happy with the rifle. Just need to learn how to shoot it now, and reload for it.
So would this stock be appropriate for a late WW2 era rifle?

 

[Orlando]

It would be appropriate for a August 1943- March 1945 rifle that later went through a rebuild . A nice stock but not as collectable since it has the rebuild stamp on it

 

[johngfoster]

Some more pics of the stock:

Barrel channel:

Metal Butt-plate removed:

I also noticed a very tiny crossed cannons (Springfield) cartouche on the bottom of the pistol grip area, but don't have any pics of this yet.

Is the op rod supposed to have a very subtle S-shape bend to it when viewed from the side? Mine seems to have this, but it appears straight when viewed from the top/bottom:

 

[Orlando]

Op Rod is supoosed to have bends

 

[IrishWind]

Garands are a great rifle. Mine is a Springfield from Mar 1944