M1 Garand...what to look for?

[cptbhern]

Hello, I am new to this site,but had poted several times at the old site when I had an M1 Carbine.

I may have an oppertunity to make a trade on a Springfield M1 Garand.
I do not have any details on it as yet but I wanted to ask any who know, on what to look for,either in bad signs to watch out for or good points to look for.
Thank you for any info.

Information

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[1-12 INF (M)]

Check the overall condition of the rifle, don't be fooled by refinished wood or a nice refinishing job on the metal. Badly worn rifles can be given a surface facelift, but they still won't function or shoot well.

Watch for a welded-together rifle. Years ago when M1s were less common than today, guys would take demilled receiver parts and weld them together. Refinished metal, and wavyness in the op rod track are tipoffs. Someone more knowledgeable can compare the serial number with the code numbers on the receiver legs and tell for sure if the receiver has been welded together or not.

Receiver - Determine if its a USGI rifle, made from 1937 to 1957 at the U.S. Arsenal at Springfield, MA or one made by Springfield Armory Inc. - a private company that uses the same name. The S.A. Inc. rifles will have serial numbers starting with 7,000,000 and up, and may be chambered in .308 Win. I think the forged U.S.G.I. receiver is better than the cast S.A. product overall, all things being equal.

All the metal action parts wear, and this will effect the timing of the rifle, headspace, the locking action of the receiver to the stock, and how well the gas system works. A gunsmith familiar with M1s will have a gauges to check all these things. Headspace is the most important, for safety. The sights should 'click' firmly in the serrations milled into the receiver for holding settings. These fine serrations can be worn, and your sights won't hold zero. When you unlatch the trigger group, it should be a firm pressure against the stock to lock it back in place. The lugs on the trigger guard that provide this clamping action should be round, and not have a worn flat spot, and the wood stock shouldn't be compressed to the point that the trigger group clips closed very easily.

Barrel - Measure the throat erosion (TE) of the barrel and muzzle wear (MW). The seller should have a gauge, or borrow one, or get your gunsmith to check it out. Barrels that have been shot a lot will wear in the throat, and muzzles are often worn from soldiers with steel cleaning rods. If the TE and MW are 3 or 4 or less, it's probably ok. While you're looking at the muzzle, make sure there are no dings in the crown.

Gas System - the piston on the operating rod should not be worn down too small, and the metal tab on the op rod where it engages the groove on the side of the receiver shouldn't be worn either - both will cause problems. The gas cylinder, lock and screw are stainless steel and will usually be a different color than the barrel. That's fine. Anybody that touts 'all the parts have matching finish' doesn't know much about M1s.

Stock - the handguards, especially the rear one, is prone to cracking. It's okay if the front one rattles a little, it's supposed to be loose. Any brass dots are arsenal repair pins - that's not especially bad, but the stock was repaired at some point. If the buttplate overhangs the wood part - the metal is 'bigger' than the stock at that point - it's probably been sanded and refinished. The stock got smaller, but the metal parts didn't.

The things that might make an M1 especially attractive from a collector and value standpoint would (and do) fill a book. If you can post a description, I'm sure members here would be happy to help.

[medic2264]

Depending what you want the rifle to do, and what you plan on doing with it might narrow down what you should look for.

1. In general buy the gun not the story behind it.
2. Take someone with you who has some experience with M1 Garands.
3. Have a gunsmith who is familiar with M1 Garands check the headspace, TE & ME.
4. Be carefull, you just can't buy one...... There is no cure for Garanditis....

[medic2264]

2 posts up should give you more that enough information to start with.

[Bob Womack]

And one more thing:

Get serial numbers of the receiver and barrel (in the slot where the op rod travels on the right) of a prospective purchase as well as any other markings (such as on the stock) and post them on a place like this for folks to comment on. Pics can help as well. People can help you figure out what you are looking at.

In your area, Orion7 Enterprises (Tony Pucci) on long Island is a well regarded dealer and M1 gunsmith.

Bob

[Bill Hollinger]

Pull the action from the stock and check for a spot weld where the barrel meets the receiver along with all else that has been mentioned.

[1-12 INF (M)]

Bill, Bob and Medic added some good dope. I had forgotten about the drill rifles (and stubbed-together M1903 barrels...)

You'll find that lots of the parts have little numbers and codes on them. These all mean things to a collector, and have no direct (one-to-one, like a Luger) relationship to the serial number, but do apply to a period of manufacture. What parts are present can tell the age of the part, who made it, and if the rifle has been rebuilt, and often when. They can also tell if the rifle was lent to one of our allies overseas for a while. If you can listen, every rifle can tell it's own story. And they're 'waaaay more honest than the guy selling it!

None of this means much to someone interested in just shooting a well-performing rifle, but has a big bearing on cost and collector value - as opposed to performance value.

For example, a WWII-era barrel may have equal $ value to a match-grade barrel of modern manufacture, but appeal to totally different aspects of M1 ownership.

[kilroy]

I wanted to add to a previous post about drill rifles. Some of the drill rifles have had the gas lock welded to the gas tube. Gas plugs have also been knocked out. You will know what I am talking about if you look near the muzzle. Turn the rifle so you can see the bottom of the gas tube and lock. If it appears that someone drilled a hole and welded it, it is a drill rifle. This works with some, but not all of these rifles. I would tear the rifle down and look at it. Pull the back of the trigger guard back so you can swing the firing components out of the rifle. Pull the action out. Pull the op rod spring and hold the rifle at a 45 degrees and allow the op rod to fall back. If it comes back smoothly, you don't have a bent op rod. If it binds, the op rod may be bent. That has nothing to do with a drill rifle, but you might as well check while you have it torn down. Look at the joint at the bottom of the receiver and barrel. Look for any welds that join them together. Also, on the right side of the receiver under the op rod handle, check to make sure there is no weld. There may be a weld under the rear handguard, but typically you can't install the rear hand guard if it has been welded.

Sorry if this is wordy. I just had a really bad experence with a drill rifle, so I am a little sensitive. If you want to read my experence, I have posted it on other threads.