M1 Garand

[Darryl]

M1 Garand
USGI
30 Cal. M2 (30-06)
WWII October 1942 Springfield Armory receiver
Korean era rebuild, Barrel is an SA - 8 -51 Korean era replacement
Inspected and stored by Letterkenny Arsenal in 1964 (LEAD 64)
Non circled Proof P in the pistol grip
Ink stamped orange triangle with the number 68 (inspector mark) on the bottom of the pistol grip
Left side faint right end of a DOD cartouche

This Garand fought in WWII and then re-barreled and sent to Korea (probably)
I bought this from the Sarge. This rifle is my favorite WWII rifle to fire. I simply love it!

dolk

[desdem12]

[Junk Yard Dog]

The M1 Garand is THE rifle around here, I had a serious addiction to collecting them before prices went as high as a used car. I remember when you got this, it's WWII not WW1, and many of these rifles were still in the hands of state guard outfits well into the 1970's. Even as late as the mid 80's a friend reported seeing them being issued as training rifles by the Navy.

[Shooter]

[SA1911a1]

I don't think a well trained soldier would be under-gunned with these in Afganistan either. Nothing like an '06 to send you to hell on the express train.

[Darryl]

One to few I's

WWII

Great rifle! Pleasure to shoot and a pleasure to own.

Dolk

[Jumperwire]

Where is the "Sarge" at these days. He was a wealth of knowledge. Very nice BTW.

[WALKERS210]

A few years ago I had the chance to buy an Iwo Jima commemorative M1 and missed out because I had to think about it. Back in the mid 60's we used the Garand for funeral detail and trained with it for ground defense forces. I now have one of the American Heritage Foundation Korea War commemorative that is ear marked to go to my grandson. I will not let anyone handle or even touch it without the little white gloves, maybe a bit too much but I really love the finish on the rifle.

[entropy]

POW-POW-POW-POW-POW-POW-POW-POW-PING!

That's a piece of functional history there, dolk! Fought in the hands of the Greatest Generation, Then re-upped for a trip to Korea with them, too!

[Ban-One]

A beautiful finish on that stock...great pics!

[Miller Tyme]

I have but a single Garand, and one of these days I may actually put some lead down range with it.

[Darryl]

Load it up!...Don't wait another minute!

You're going to be asking yourself why did I wait that long!


Dolk

[Hlavinka]

Even as late as the mid 80's a friend reported seeing them being issued as training rifles by the Navy.

I carried one around in boot camp, 1987 at Great Lakes RTC. My first command had M14's and M16a1's.

[etprescottazusa91]

Dolk or any Garand people, I read the handguard has to be removed to find the barrel date, just where is the barrel date on a garand exactly and can you post a pic for an example sometime?
Oh yeah, really nice rifle in the post.

[target]

Ive got a Century Garand that has one of them cast receivers. All the other parts are springfield accept the barrel which is a 1944 Winchester. Stock is P marked but the rebuild covered it in polyurethane... that stuff is a bugger to get off. Got that off it and then BLO'd the stock, looks great now. Been thinkin about getting a mil-surp receiver and puttin it back the way it should be.

The barrel is pretty dark though and has some pitting in there. But at 100 yards kneeling I can nail cinder blocks with it all day easily.

How much do receivers go for? Don't really care what manufacture it is as long as its military.

[Ban-One]

"I read the handguard has to be removed to find the barrel date, just where is the barrel date on a garand exactly"

No need to remove the handguard, the barrel date stamp is visible by simply pulling the slide back and locking the bolt open. The barrel date stamp is on the right side of the rifle, just ahead of the receiver and under the operating slide.

[target]

My century rebuild has the WRA 1944 mark under the handguard on top of the barrel. It would appear that the placement varied by manufacturer.

[etprescottazusa91]

"No need to remove the handguard, the barrel date stamp is visible by simply pulling the slide back and locking the bolt open. The barrel date stamp is on the right side of the rifle, just ahead of the receiver and under the operating slide".

Thanks for the info with the pic, I located the date on my rifle, all these years never occurred to me to look for a date on the barrel.

[target]

I took the guard off mine and looked again. The date mark on mine is as series of marks. The first 2 or 3 are poorly stamped, then there is a 44 then 2 more marks that cant be read and then finally W.R.A. so it looks like this (the asterisks are the unkown numbers) ***44** W.R.A.