M1 Garand Experts Needed - Review My Garand Please

[Rylan]

Hey guys,

This is my M1 Garand, I have had it for a couple years now and I would to know some info about it if possible. I was told the "drawing numbers" marked on parts can give additional info to whether it is a parts guns or if it is a military re-build. I think it could be a danish lend lease type gun because of a sticker on the inside of the stock. Also, on the butt end of the stock there is the serial number marked into the bottom, is this often seen on Garands?

The serial number is 434768 meaning it was made January '42, that is about all I know. Here is some technical data:

Barrel: S-A-4-50
Receiver: REP 21A D 28291-14 SA

Trigger Housing: D28290-12-SA
Hammer: C46008-3 SA

Safety and I think the bullet guide were both marked PB for P. Beretta. If anyone can tell me more info about this M1 that would be appreciated.

[Crock57]

Hi Rylan,
Here's a link to some Garand production data serial #'s from WWII that you can check your parts numbers against.
http://battlerifle0.tripod.com/id3.html

It does look like it was rebuilt at some time, which the #REP 21A D indicates above your receiver drawing number and it has a 1950 barrel. Unsure about the sticker.
It could be a Dane?

Most Garand's have been rebuilt at one time or another. Does your stock have any other markings on it?

It's is a very,very, nice rifle!!

All the Best,
Brian

[KEP]

Well from what i can see from the sticker it's been a trip in denmark...

The label says M50 which was the danish name for the gun... And it's in danish...

[MikeP]

Pretty safe to say that unless one was ripped off the end of the assembly line there is no such thing as a non rebuilt US piece.
Whether a total rebuild or periodic revision or upgrade, they were constantly subjected to ongoing directives.

I don't think SA applied any foreign spec stickers in their stocks.

[mjb]

M 1 garand

Hi, definite rebuild, the Danes marked the serial number on the stock, check out the books on the M1 on this site, http://www.scott-duff.com/index.htm especially the WW2 M1 book, lots of info on the "right' part for the serial number, always remember that there were exceptions to the rules and never alter what may be original parts if restoring a M1 unless you have done the research. regards, mike

[scotty1418]

Based on the dane markings, it's most likely a CMP rifle. I'd say it's more of a parts gun than having any semblance of a us rebuild. Any cartouches on the stock?

[phild]

It can be difficult to impossible to tell if a Garand (and a lot of other U.S. military firearms) has been enhanced or even re-built post military use period (i.e while in civilian hands) or is a period military re-build....most of the countries that used these rifles re-built them as well....some to greater extents than others.

Very very many of the 3 to 4k "all correct" and "collector grade" (nonsense term) Garands have been made up completley from nothing more than an original barreled receiver. These are sold for huge amounts as "original" 1941-45 "untouched" Garands when in fact no 2 moving pieces on the rifle have been on it more than a couple of years or less!

I've seen some of these guys at every gun show spending hours going thru parts bins with a mag light and loop buying dozens of the same type of parts with the batch number and series that they need to make those Garands and Carbines that they will turn around and sell for several thousand dollars each at the next show.

Maybe some can understand why I feel it is the height of hypocrisy to class a factory original finish Luger with a mis-matched mag and say an axle pin or even sideplate as something with no historical value and not worthy of a "real" collector and at the same time holding up these Garands as super collector items because they look correct.

[geopop71]

correct M1's

Phild is right on the money, there is no such thing as an all correct M1 simply because there is NO way to prove it! Unless like myself, who witnessed a SA
five digit serial # M1 coming home in a box of Japanese relics from an Island called Munda. I was 12 when it came to my aunts house. The vet has passed away, it is now in the hands of his son in law, I held it myself a few years ago,
it has not been altered in any way since it came home. It looks new. He was a Sea Bee and was wounded on that Island. I have an SA 1943 dated reciever with a SA 1945 dated barrel, even that M1 came from the DCM in the sixties
and it was a rebuild, the barrel seems new and has a MW and TE of just two.
All parts are 1945 or earlier, except the rear sight which is a late/ post war sight. It is easy to find correct parts from dealers for the M1, and any claiming to be original is suspect. We were not like the Germans, marking every part that wasn't welded to the rifle with serial numbers, which in my opinion makes no sense what so ever for a combat weapon!
Try to sell me an all corrct M1, better be able to some how prove it!!
And, if my relative tried to sell that M1, who would believe him?
Geopop

[MikeP]

Holy crap, dude!

Reason and common sense is raising its head right here.

Last couple guys nailed it

Heard a guy braying about his original matching carbine just last week.

Even while innocently sitting in racks in arms rooms, US weapons were subject to periodic upgrades, corrections or modifications.

Most vets are familiar with "change # whatever" practice.

[geopop71]

Correct M1's

Remember, our ordnance wanted to be able to put ANY M1 part mfgd by ANY
MFGR into ANY M1 Garand in the field, and expect it to work! Any one notice how sloppy a new Garand bayonet fits on a decent M1 garand? They are all
rattle traps! Drop em in the mud and they still fit. I have seen myself, K98 Mauser Bayo,s so close a fit, they would fit on one K98 and not another with out forcing it on, and off. My 42 BCD K98 has a mint bayo and the fit is so tight
WOW!!! Nice to look at, beautiful machining and finish, but don't get dirt in the bayo handle! Geopop

[mjb]

Holy crap, dude!

Reason and common sense is raising its head right here.

Last couple guys nailed it

Heard a guy braying about his original matching carbine just last week.

Even while innocently sitting in racks in arms rooms, US weapons were subject to periodic upgrades, corrections or modifications.

Most vets are familiar with "change # whatever" practice.

just wondering, just which post needed to have "Reason and common sense is raising its head right here" as a reply?

[Vid]

Pretty safe to say that unless one was ripped off the end of the assembly line there is no such thing as a non rebuilt US piece.
Whether a total rebuild or periodic revision or upgrade, they were constantly subjected to ongoing directives.

I don't think SA applied any foreign spec stickers in their stocks.

Mike, I had one that was totally untouched and it was a Winchester, you can tell but it took several guys to know what they were looking at before I had 3k in my hand.

Had a carbine as well, sold that for 2K. They are not common.

Best,

Kris

[P08]

The sticker is danish that's for sure! Maybe it's a put together gun, but many are. Anyway a genuine untouched specimen is near impossible to get one's hands on so it doesn't matter. To me it's ok if the rifle is made to be as original as possible. That's about the best we can do.

My own has a brand new american made barrel and the stock is either restored or a post war danish made. Looks much like your's only mine isn't marked with the serial. Instead I have a "mystery stamp" near the buttplate that reads: MT

I have no idea what that stamp means?

[Frogprince]

I’ve seen more than one Danish rifle with Beretta parts. I don’t now why that is unless the Dane’s also did some rebuilding or got the rifles from Italy? (The beech wood stock was another “giveaway” that the rifle had been modified.)

While I generally agree that a rifle (or carbine) that has not been rebuilt or altered is fairly rare. I have seen on a few occasions untouched/unaltered carbines that came out of very old collections, and maybe even a Garand or two that was not for sale.

While most of the Garands I’ve owned at one time or another were armory rebuilt. I have a late example that is completely factory original, with about .001 % wear on one small corner of the butt plate probably from sitting in a rack. I knew it was completely original when I bought it (because of that reason).

And when I showed it to some really hard core M-1 collectors I got all sorts of both cash and trade offers which told me that I had not made a mistake. The point being that are some rifles/carbines out there that have not been altered. But finding them is going to take patience - because it took me well over 15 years to find that one untouched example. FP

[NTZ]

I agree with both sides somewhat on “untouched” examples. It is all semantics. Is there any Garand out there that can be called 100% “untouched”, hell no. There is no way to tell for sure. Now there are Garands out there that have been sold through the DMC or CMP and even private channels that ARE NOT armory rebuilt. They are unused or weapons that show very little use that still have their original finish and have not been though the rebuild process. Does this make them “untouched”? NO. From the day they left the assembly line to the day they were sold they could have parts changed out for safety reasons, upgrades, broken parts. Unless you are talking about one of the handful of Garands in the Springfield museum NOTHING can be called “untouched”. Original finish with correct parts is the best you can do and they are out there and go for a pretty penny too.