M1 value

[TSMODIE]

Hi, my name is Tim, I am a new member here, so hopefully you can help me, i have a m1 garand that i have had for 10 years now, it appears to be all original, with no import marks or rebuilds, I got it from my friend who got it from his grandfather, it is a 6 digit serial number 465xxx, so its from jan 42, and the barrel is marked sa-11-41, the reciever is markedD 28291-14, the bolt is marked D 28287-12-sa, charging handle is marked D35362-6-sa, triggger D 28290-12-sa, the operating rod has not been cut, and has the lockbar sights, it also has the cirled "P" on the stock, it is in great condition, i have been thinking about selling it, but cant get a correct value on it, being a six digit serial, and all original, what do you guys think the value would be,Tim

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[browningautorifle]

You will get some ball park prices, but I wish you would take a few pics so we can accurately assess you rifle...

[TSMODIE]

HERE IS A LINK TO THE PICTURES

---------- Post added at 02:08 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:07 PM ----------

Pictures by tsmodie - Photobucket

[Joe W]

Tim, Looks to be a nice rifle. The barrel is correct for the receiver but the rest of the parts and wood appear to be later WW2. Not unusual for a rifle that remained in active military service for some time. Things like a whole trigger group may have been replaced only because a hammer hook on the original was broken. The rear sights, which would originally been a "flush nut", would have been upgraded somewhere along the line, to the lock bar.
Then again, a prior owner could have sold off the valuable parts and replaced them, you can never tell for sure.
It would be quite costly to try and restore the rifle, the flush nut and correct SA/GHS cartouched stock alone could cost about $ 800.00 or more. I would just keep the rifle as is. If you are going to sell it I would put it on an auction site such as G.B. In my opinion the rifle, as is, is worth about $ 800.00. See what others say about the value, decide what the lowest amount you would take then list it, with good pictures and an honest evaluation on G.B. setting the starting bid at the least you are willing to take. You could set a reserve but alot of people, me included, pass on most auctions with a reserve. Good luck. My advice, keep it.

[Bill Hollinger]

Tim, first off, welcome to the site. Please enjoy and stay involved. Glad to have you.

Joe, glad to see you back! I think you are spot on with your assessment of this rifle. The barrel and receiver match up makes it a little more desirable then a mix matched set.

[Joe W]

Tim, first off, welcome to the site. Please enjoy and stay involved. Glad to have you.

Joe, glad to see you back! I think you are spot on with your assessment of this rifle. The barrel and receiver match up makes it a little more desirable then a mix matched set.

Thanks Bill, I am finding this forum more to my liking than the CMP forum.

[Bodyman]

If it were all original in that range you could be looking in the high 2 grand range to start, taking condition into account of course. I would want to see the stock a bit more closely and things like the presence of a sight seal, but this one is looking more like it is maybe half there so it is going to take a hit.

I will stop there to apologize - I don't mean to knock your rifle because it is really quite something, but there are two ways to access value; from the bottom up or top down. A pile of parts is usually where we just add them up if they were sold separately, but an original rifle goes the other way - you subtract from perfect and deduct for any lack of condition and see how far away you end up ... it is not always a gentle process, sorry.

But what you seem to have there, as far as your probably more lucrative potential buyers would see, is a nice start on a restoration. Most collector guys looking to buy such a thing are adding up all the stuff they need to complete the restoration or return it to original - there is value to these guys in an original barrelled receiver with some good original parts, but they are thinking 'dang, another one missing a short pinion and flushnut ... that'll cost me'. The other potential buyers are shooters and all the early parts mean nothing to them (in fact, they were the ones taking the short pinions off and throwing them out!!!!)(!!!!), especially if they don't work beautifully. If it does shoot nice, then the value is set by the near perfect, some near new, late rifles that the CMP has on the shelves right now ... that is your top and it has to be pretty durn nice animal at the range to get there.

The market is hard to figure right now - good stuff is selling but it is also coming out of the closet faster than the military (...) - but as a shooter you are probably looking in the 7 to 8 hundred range, or so (ish), given those nice rifles the CMP has currently. From what I could see in the pictures as a collector maybe 900 to 1400 - split it and you might be around 1150.00 or so. Both of these assume strong rifling and 'good' to 'very good' barrel readings on both ends (and I am guessing a vanilla stock on the collector side) - even collectors have to swallow hard to buy an original rifle with a roached barrel ...

Not sure if that helps but that is what I see so far.

Best all, ...

[TSMODIE]

Thanks for all your replies, i think the stock is whats hurting it, it seems to be the orinal, but someone started to refinish it and sande some of the cartouches, i have several peaple right now offering 1100 for it, i think this is a fair price, i have had this for 10 years and didnt start researching it until a couple of weeks ago, I have only run about 50 rounds through it in ten years, so i thought i would sell it,Tim

[Bodyman]

If there is even a hint of that cartouche left it adds to the value. Even if not, it is still the original and makes it a better package. At the risk of digging into one of my buddy's pockets, I'd go to the outer range there and pop it up to 1300 or 1400 (or so ...), especially if the barrel is a good one (and if REALLY good you can add even a few more bucks - mint or even good early barrels are non-existent and on their receiver it is even better!).

Good luck.

[Joe W]

Bodyman, Just curious as to the "original" parts I missed ?? Other than maybe the single slot gas cylinder lock screw I am hard pressed to see any other parts original to a early 1942 build. Bolt is a -12, op-rod -6, trigger housing -12, I would also expect to see the Hammer spring housing and plunger, along with the op-rod catch in the white.
Don't get me wrong, I don't put myself in the same ballpark with you when it comes to knowledge of the M1 rifle, but am just wondering what I am missing. I agree with your assessment of $ 700.00 to $ 800.00 as a shooter and if the OP has gotten an offer of $ 1100.00, I guess there is more to it than meets my eye. I also agree that it is a good bases for a restoration as it appears to me to have the original finish. Just would be to costly for me to undertake. In any case, it's a nice rifle that I would love to own as is. To me it represents a rifle that has not gone through a major overhaul and had upgrades, for one reason or anotrher, done at the unit level. I was an armorer in the Marine Corps in the mid 1950's, just after the Korean War, and this is the type of rifle I would see alot of. In the Marine Corps, unless the rifle had a shot out bore or was found to be unservicable it stayed in place. I recall a number of rifles in the mid 50's that still had the single slot gas cylinder lock. Most marines never used a grenade launcher and until the new M5 bayonets were issued, in about 1955, these lock screws were fine. When we were issued the new bayonets quite a few marines showed up in the armory to change out a lock screw. Joe