Question on type II National Match rifle on gunbroker

Somebody else posted this link over on Jouster and it started a discussion about the NM markings on the barrel and gas cylinder:

M1 Garand Type II NM National Match 6 million-MINT : Semi-auto at GunBroker.com


The markings on my barrel near the muzzle are the same, they appear engraved through the parkerizing, not stamped, but one poster over on the Culver's board claimed these are supposed to be stamped. I thought these were engraved to prevent distorting the barrel?

Who's right?

To Quote from the handbook issued at the 1963 National Matches:
“20. Identification mark shall consist of the letters “NM’ approximately 1/8 inch high "inscribed" on the barrel between the front hand guard and front sight.”
Mine is on the left side but I believe that some were inscribed on the top of the barrel. The gas cylinder "NM" appears to be stamped. My NM is a fully documented NM that I bought through the DCM in 1962
For what it's worth

I had asked this same question of both Bob Seijas and Dave McClain. Both stated that the NM inscription on the barrel between the rings of the gas cylinder is "engraved" not "stamped". Dave explained as follows : "The stamped NM came first and the folks at SA decided that there was a chance that the bore was being compressed by doing it, it's a fairly deep individual stamp. SA must have air-gaged a few barrels and found some bore discrepancies, it's the only way to check it. They then went to engraving the subsequent NM on barrels that waren't already marked. It's a perfectly logical ascension of NM bbl procedure."
Bob Seijas also said that he has never seen an M1 on which the NM mark was not inscribed on the left side.

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Originally Posted by Cosine26

To Quote from the handbook issued at the 1963 National Matches:
“20. Identification mark shall consist of the letters “NM’ approximately 1/8 inch high "inscribed" on the barrel between the front hand guard and front sight.”
Mine is on the left side but I believe that some were inscribed on the top of the barrel. The gas cylinder "NM" appears to be stamped. My NM is a fully documented NM that I bought through the DCM in 1962
For what it's worth

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I guess you are aware of this but as I read "The Type 2 NM Part 2' by Bob Seijas in the GCA Journal, your rifle was one of only 291 NM rifles sold by DCM in 1962. You are a lucky man to have overcome any temptation to sell it over the years. :thup:

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Originally Posted by Joe W

I had asked this same question of both Bob Seijas and Dave McClain. Both stated that the NM inscription on the barrel between the rings of the gas cylinder is "engraved" not "stamped". Dave explained as follows : "The stamped NM came first and the folks at SA decided that there was a chance that the bore was being compressed by doing it, it's a fairly deep individual stamp. SA must have air-gaged a few barrels and found some bore discrepancies, it's the only way to check it. They then went to engraving the subsequent NM on barrels that waren't already marked. It's a perfectly logical ascension of NM bbl procedure."
Bob Seijas also said that he has never seen an M1 on which the NM mark was not inscribed on the left side.

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FWIW, I agree with Dave & Bob, especially Bob's comment about NM barrel markings always being inscribed on the left side. Never on top.

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Originally Posted by Kragnut

Somebody else posted this link over on Jouster and it started a discussion about the NM markings on the barrel and gas cylinder:

M1 Garand Type II NM National Match 6 million-MINT : Semi-auto at GunBroker.com


The markings on my barrel near the muzzle are the same, they appear engraved through the parkerizing, not stamped, but one poster over on the Culver's board claimed these are supposed to be stamped. I thought these were engraved to prevent distorting the barrel?

Who's right?

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Stamped early (through 1956 - early 1957 builds), engraved after that for the duration. Marked on left side by SA to be always visible and consistent. If marked on bottom, which was not done by SA, the gas cylinder would hide the NM mark.