The M1 Garand never had a laminate Beech stock. All of the Beech stocks were solid Beech and I own about 60 of them and not a one I have seen was ever Laminated. Rick B
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The M1 Garand never had a laminate Beech stock. All of the Beech stocks were solid Beech and I own about 60 of them and not a one I have seen was ever Laminated. Rick B
Great thread guys!!
Everyone has to work thru this in their own head and decide what they are comfortable with. When someone asks me, I usually ask them a question;
'Just who is it that you are trying to fool?' I mean, if you put together a 'perfect' piece and put it on your gun rack next to some others, when you pick it up and look at it, are you fooled into thinking it is an original? Do you think it is real? Did you trick yourself?
Of course not.
It comes into much sharper focus if you can put it next to a real 'original' or even a substantially original rifle - even the best restoration can hardly hold a candle to that.
I am amazed that when you get down to brass tacks, the study of these rifles (and just about anything) is really just the study of human nature and is a study of character. It comes down to intent and what you want - why are you doing it? If it is to build a representative piece for yourself, that's cool, and restoration is not just a lot of fun but a great way to delve into the study of these pieces. But if the intent is only to put something together so it can be pawned off on the unsuspecting in order to make a few bucks, well, ... that sucks and says an awful lot about the character of the one involved.
Most people who care about originality and that have respect for the awesome history in these rifles will, if they use reproductions, label them in some inconspicuous way so they cannot be misrepresented in the future. Most guys understand that a flood of 'fakes' hurts all of us by discouraging people from even trying to enter the area at all ...
MHO, that is where the GCA comes in by educating everyone (and why I was so glad to help in a small way) - it makes it all very much harder for the fakers to bother even trying.
As for shooters, how excited would you be to find a cast hammer in your Garand?
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../02/0001-1.jpg
It is much more fun to find a Model Shop hammer with original finish on it still, eh Bob?
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../02/0044-1.jpg
and look, I just changed the subject again, completely ... :D
Best regards all.