Cut Away Factory Garand Question

[Mark in Rochester]

Did S.A. Ever produce a cut away M1 - if so does any one have a picture?

Gun Broker Auction Pic below



Home made one below



Another non factory

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[RCS]

Early issues of the GCA Journal have photos of gas trap cut away rifles, these were from the military

[Bob Seijas]

IIRC those were depot-made, one came out of Benicia when it closed. FWIW, I have never seen one with documentation as SA work, or any Ordnance memos that mention them. You would assume there were some, but I've never seen one that could be proved.

[Joe W]

I realize this does not address your question but it is somewhat related, in that while not a cut away of a real M1 rifle, this is what was used for training purposes.

[EdG]

I have seen and handled a gas port cutaway with serial number 0000000. The receiver is SA with original finish. The parts that I remember pooped out to sometime in 1944 including the lock bar rear sight. Pete Cardone, of course, thought it came from SA itself. No documentation that I know of.

I knew this rifle before I knew Pete. It was owned by a dealer in VA who used it for display at gun shows and it was not for sale until Pete talked him out of it. Pete gave $2500 and offered it to me for $3500 that same day. Later he advertised it for $7500 in his catalog. He sold it, but I don't know for how much.

I have a 900K cutaway with mixed parts including postWWII rear sight. I've had it more than 20 years and was told by the seller that it was depot made. This rifle has been re-parked.

There is or was an outfit here in NC that used to make a cutaway if you provided a receiver. I thought this current auction rifle may have been built by a private enterprise due to the type of cuts and the lack of paint on the cut surfaces of the wood.

[Mark in Rochester]

thanks to all - would be nice to see 0000000

[Tom Doniphon]

The cut-away M1 on Gunbroker was made by a private party. I know the maker/owner of the gun. It is very nicely done.

[RCS]

The Early GCA Newletter issue from the winter 1988 Vol 2 Number 4, had an article on gas trap serial number 6902 by Bill Blanch (Blanch was a Winchester collector) The owner of this sectionalized rifle told Blanch that it came from the Hawaiiian Ordnance Depot. The early SA SPG stock was cut away to show the receiver and operating rod. The top of the bolt was also sectionalized to show the firing pin. This rifle had the later no trap gas cylinder and was not sectionalized. This rifle still had the keystone spring and comp spring, early sights and slant cut operating rod. Blanch did note that the trigger housing was marked D28290 W.R.A.

[Bob Seijas]

Here's mine with seven zeroes -- it's not a cutaway. Barrel is 2-44 and parts are all consistent with that. Tiger-striped stock with no cartouche. One just like it came up for auction 15 years ago, so SA evidently made several. I'm guessing it was a "Board Gun" in which all the parts were fastened to a display board, then assembled when SA closed. BTW, this was the rifle featured on the cover of the Man At Arms magazine with my article on collecting the Garand.

[EdG]

Bob, thanks for that info.
I remembered that the 0000000 rifles may have been board guns that were assembled later. This idea had been discussed earlier on one of the Garand sites but I couldn't recall the details of that thread (boy, I sure do miss my memory).

I do not recall if I wrote down any info on that 0000000 cutaway but I do remember that it, too, had a 1944 barrel on it. May have also been 2-44.
I still have Pete's catalog with the cutaway in it but it is across town from me. When I get a chance, I'll go by and get it and see if the description provides any interesting details .

Is it possible that the 0000000 rifles were manufactured in 1944 as training pieces, some as board guns and some as cutaways? Or maybe, the cutaway was just a board gun that someone else made into a cutaway. Maybe there were only two 0000000 rifles made-- a board gun and a cutaway.