Trophy M1 Garand

VJJPunisher

VJJPunisher

Necromancing the stone
Full Member
Minuteman
Apr 30, 2010
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prison purse
#1
ok, so here is the rifle I won for Being the long range Champion at All Army, it's a "Secretary of the Army" M1. These are donated and engraved by the CMP each year to the event so it's an old original gun, later serial range Springfield. Dont know if any of you checked out my Award caspian I started a thread about but pretty much have the same questions. Whats the "collector-ness" in this? A great buddy of mine won the year before me and his is engraved with "long range champion", neither have the year. I've been toy-ing, not sure, with the idea of maybe trading this gun for something I generally couldnt afford, what I'm thinkin(wantin) is maybe a USO scope. What do you guys think, am I way off base here?

M1trophy.jpg


M1trophy3.jpg
 
#2
Re: Trophy M1 Garand

Not sure how the Army paper trail goes but the SECNAV awards never issued Garands as well. These are from the inventory at Crane not the CMP and there is an DD Form 1149 transfering custudy from the military to the individual service member.

Not sure if the additional (not as issued) emblems in the stock add to of detract from the value but the unissued unaltered trophy rifles are highly desirable and quite valuble. SA less so than some of the other more rare manufacurers.

One was on Gun Broker a few months back with all paperwork. Try an archive search there to get an aprox value.

Great gun by the way and congrats on winning one.
 
#4
Re: Trophy M1 Garand

Hang onto it. Money comes and goes (goes mostly), but you will only ever win that rifle and pistol once. It's quite an accomplishment.

When you can no longer compete, the memories it and the pistol will bring will mean more to you than the money or scope. If you sell them, you will regret it in the future.

Congratulations, that is a very remarkable accomplishment.
 
#6
Re: Trophy M1 Garand

With these rifles providence is everything. Like zero-six asked,do you have paperwork to prove where it came from and what it was awarded for? I collect Garands and with the Navy rifles the paperwork makes them. You can tell them by features usually but without paperwork they are scarcely worth more than a standard Garand.

That being said from what I see of yours it's an original condition/parts late SA. 5.8 million range is my guess. That's a $1500 rifle without any special providence or markings. That's getting pretty close to your USO. With paperwork USO would owe you money $3000 to $3500 is my guess. Check out www.scottduff.com and pull up the selling prices of trophy garands.

I myself would sell my left nut before I sold that if it was mine! TJR
 
#7
Re: Trophy M1 Garand

what I do have is a pic of me on stage being awarded the rifle, also have the printed match results. Of interest though was I didnt sign a thing to get it, they said that the CMP has an arrangement with the ATF or some such deal that for prizes there's no need for the standard rigemarore. It was Def donated by the CMP cause the CMP president is there each year and presents the rifles.

I'm torn, I mean The majority of my being says keep it, tell stories to grandkids, and hand it down to my son. that being said It's hard to have a safe nazi that someone might enjoy alot more in their collection
 
#8
Re: Trophy M1 Garand

JJP,

The CMP was established by law under the Defense Authorization Act of 1996. They fund their operations by sale of rifles, ammo, and parts transferred from Army surplus stocks.

Your M1 IS an Army rifle, and as government property was transferred as dictated by law -- it was not a retail purchase.

It is a piece of history -- you made it.

The mercenary side of me says it would be worth the scope. The Soldier, historian, and dad in me says keep it. Ever watch Pawn Stars on History Channel?
 
#9
Re: Trophy M1 Garand

Don’t misunderstand, I love US Optics. That being said, this is history and it will not come this way again.

I have a 2002 Olympic Torch from my involvement with several of the projects. This rifle would be analogous to owning that piece of history.

Keep it.

Eat Ramen and get your US Optics.
 
#10
Re: Trophy M1 Garand

Jay Jay, I have a flag that was flown over Tora Bora and a SF compound in Afghanistan and given to me by a friend whom I've only spoken to on the phone and via email.

If my house catches on fire, I'll be throwing guns out one window and that flag and certificate out the other window.

Items like that, and your rifle, only come along once in a lifetime. You'll regret ever selling that rifle from now on, and you're son will kick your ass when he's old enough to do so if you do this, that's what I'd do to my dad if he'd done something like what you're contemplating.

Keep the rifle!
 
#11
Re: Trophy M1 Garand

thanks for all the feedback, think I def decided to throw it in the safe to be cracked open once again in a few years to give to my son.

another couple questions-
1) was thinking of having a woodshop engrave the year I won it below "championships" and maybe "long range champion" like the one from the year before, should I do this, would it degrade it? any thoughts?

2) tried to get an appraisal but my guy wouldnt do it, said he had no clue how to, what do you guys think is a good insurance value?
 
#13
Re: Trophy M1 Garand

actually this one makes number 6, can't get enough of em actually, like I said it was just thoughts in the brain, but you guys helped me 100% decide they were idiotic thoughts
 
#15
Re: Trophy M1 Garand

JJ Think abt the first shot you fired and all your many days on the range and the number of people who were also trying to win what you have. You are in the books now and have the proof. Those rifles are not given away every day, you earned it. I would strongly suggest keeping it. Just my 2 cents. MM
 
#18
Re: Trophy M1 Garand

Here's mine. I won this at the 2009 matches. It is actually one of the special grade Garands from the CMP, new wood, new barrel, and refinished. Its a bad ass gun, but I will never ever shoot it, it would have been much cooler to get a bad ass custom built rifle from hmmm, I don't know, GA Precision!

100_0543.jpg


100_0544.jpg


100_0546.jpg


By the way, here is a pic of the second place prize, Not to take away from the historical significance of the M1, but it is more modern and with the times. Hey jayjay are you interested in trading your prize for this one? I'm sure we can track the winner down and see if he'd be interested in an old beat up M1.

AR-DE-M47-A1.jpg
 
#19
Re: Trophy M1 Garand

Yes, don't touch it with anything but your hands.
Don't engrave it or alter it in any way.
The rifle is worth tons to you, little to anyone else; you won it...it was awarded to you...everything happens for a reason. Keep it.
USO's aren't worth what they cost anyway.
Enter a sniper match and win one like you did the M1?
 
#20
Re: Trophy M1 Garand

hence "the buddy" that won before me, hey deuchrocket, why you gotta post yours and make mine look like ass? yours is sooo much nicer than mine, CMP musta said "this guys an assclown lets give him this boat oar"

And that shotty is SAAAAWEEEEEET
 
#23
Re: Trophy M1 Garand

I have had a few Garands in my short time buying guns...one of them turned out to be a British Lend Lease. bought it for $450 the guy told it was a Danish gun because it had all these weird proof marks. Did some research on it and it turned out to be a LEnd Lease that was only a few numbers off of the one that Duff had in his book.

Ok so i had been shooting the hell out of this rifle at garand matches and such...then I realize how much it's worth. Ok, I'm not a rich man but I love to shoot. This garand would just sit in there and collect dust...dead wood. I'm not rich enough to be a collector...but I am a shooter.

I sold that rifle for $2K and bought a Surgeon 591 and a McM stock...guess which rifle my son would rather have...?

Sell it if you want just use the money to get something that you will shoot more. But if you keep it then that's cool. Price will go up and down with the economy but rare guns usually will always be a winning end game.

Also if you do sell one day make sure you do as much research as possible.

Nice shooting by the way.

Respectfully,

--KJ
 
#27
Re: Trophy M1 Garand

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: jayjayPunisher</div><div class="ubbcode-body">thanks for all the feedback, think I def decided to throw it in the safe to be cracked open once again in a few years to give to my son.

another couple questions-
1) was thinking of having a woodshop engrave the year I won it below "championships" and maybe "long range champion" like the one from the year before, should I do this, would it degrade it? any thoughts?

2) tried to get an appraisal but my guy wouldnt do it, said he had no clue how to, what do you guys think is a good insurance value? </div></div>

Do not engrave it or alter it in any way.
Contact the Garand Collectors Association. Good bunch and have many experts to help you. http://www.thegca.org/
Also Contact Scott Duff. http://www.scott-duff.com/

I inherited my Grandfathers 1894 Winchester which was made in 1894 as well a Purdey SXS that my father brought back from WWII. They only make an average of one Purdey a day and if you want one you have to fly to London to get fitted and they start at 50K. I would not trade those guns for anything and I'm not a rich guy. If you have a son some day he will feel the same about that Garand.
 
#28
Re: Trophy M1 Garand

Posters like yourself, your buddy and others are what makes this site so interesting. Congrats to both of you. I'm on the other side of the fence as regards keeping the gun unless it's for investment purpose.

SxSs are my favorite birdguns. I've owned several guns that were seventy to one hundred years old and in unfired condition. They have all gone down the road, probably to a collector who will never pull a trigger on them. They'll probably never see the light of day nevermind spend a sweaty day behind a good dog. I've had my go-to gun for fifty years and it's seen a bunch of those sweaty days. I hope one of my grandkids will choose to keep this one rather than others that are way more valuable.

I bet your son will most value your favorites. JMHO















 
#32
Re: Trophy M1 Garand

No idea on insurance but don't engrave it and keep it in the family. Do you have a regimental museum you could loan it to ? That way they would probably cover the insurance cost if you find it too expensive.
 
#33
Re: Trophy M1 Garand

ill trade ya a nice tasco fer that ther therty-ort-six. ill stik some rail cancer on ther mount a bsa and a green laser beam for traffic control and paint a nice...hell ill just have you do one of yer nice dikflage schemes on ther. itll be pimp.
 
#34
Re: Trophy M1 Garand

that sounds too good to be true Marduk, it's a deal, but I'm a fair man so I'd prolly hafta toss you a few extra bucks on that trade, I will be holding my breath waiting at the mailbox
 
#35
Re: Trophy M1 Garand

I all seriousness, the current "trophy rifles" are not the trophy rifles of the past. The current ones are CMP built Service Grade rifles with the special CMP logo on the stock.

In the past, Navy Trophy Rifles were contract built 762 National Match M1s. I am lucky enough to have an HRA contract built one in my safe. That is about a $3500 rifle.

One has to ask - why do you want to sell it? Do you need the money?

If you really want to sell it, document it well, including pics with you and the rifle along with the official pic from when you received it and a letter regarding its origin and what it was given for, then shop it on the For Sale section on the CMP forum web site. Scott Duff may also consider putting it up on his site as a consignment sale.
 
#36
Re: Trophy M1 Garand

Maybe its me, but I would think that rifle would mean more to your grandkids then anything you could get with the money you would get from the sale.

Heck If I really needed the money I have extra grandkids to sell before I would sell something like that.
 
#37
Re: Trophy M1 Garand

Yeah sentimental objects like that often appear useless when money gets tight or another project calls, especially if it's from a part of your life that you feel you've moved on from.

But unless you are selling it to put food on the table for your family, I think you'll be really sorry if you get rid of it. Though you might get immediate use out of that scope (more use than you're getting out of the rifle), you will probably come to greatly miss the rifle in time, and likely come to regret that decision for the rest of your life.

Money comes and goes, material objects come and go, but those sorts of objects that tell a story about the sort of person you are, or the sort of person you were at a certain point in your life, cannot be replaced.

Just my opinion, offered humbly.
 
#38
Re: Trophy M1 Garand

please dont sell or trade that. its a trophy. you won it, and no one else will value it like you do (even though right now you dont fell strongly about it). you won it, and its a trophy. put that in a glass case and hang it up.
 
#39
Re: Trophy M1 Garand

Listen to 9H and KraigWY
If you need it appraised,call Tony Pucchi at Orion 7
He has become quite the Garand Master,,long way since the ole Saratoga days.
Also he's now the President of the Carand Collectors Assocciation.
 
#40
Re: Trophy M1 Garand

Keep it for yourself and family. I am a civilian, but I imagine winning All Army is no easy task. Definitely a keeper. A good friend of mine won the NTI in 2008 and he wouldn't even let me touch his award rifle.

Mark
 
#41
Re: Trophy M1 Garand

If you want a USO or something close, then take your skill set and enter the Fall Shooters Bash or Cup. Depending on what is donated for the prize table, and your shooting you could end up winning a brand new rifle with a scope attached. Not only that, there is Usually a few scopes on the prize table. Thats not to mention all the fun you will have at the match.

BTW...do not sell your rifle, thats an awesome piece of family history.
 
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