The Found M1

[RT Ellis]

On an M1 rifle the serial number was only applied to the receiver. What might be referred to as part numbers were applied to some of the larger parts (receiver, barrel, bolt, hammer, trigger housing, operating rod, gas cylinder) that usually consisted of a letter (C or D) representing a drawing size, a number representing the drawing number, and the manufacturer's identification (SA - Springfield Armory, WRA - Winchester Repeating Arms and etc.). A dash followed by a number indicted the revision number to the drawing. Obviously the lower the revision number the earlier the part was manufactured.

With these revision numbers modern C&R collectors have gone a little berserk to exchange parts, that were replaced, with parts that are "correct" for their rifle. This generated by the johnny-come-lately C&R writers that have published this information.

Since the military history of this piece stopped apparently sometime during WWII it can be expected that most, if not all, of the parts are original to it and the drawing revision numbers on the parts are "correct." If no parts were replaced on the rifle, which may be indicated by the drawing revision numbers, then it can be a statistically useful piece to further document the general time period these parts were assembled to rifles. BTW these revision numbers will not all be the same, as revisions to the drawings were made independently and at different times.

[read6737]

Have been cleaning this evening.
Gave up on the idea of no metal brushes and had to use a soft bronze one.
The crud is like the overheated oil in a car engine dry with dust and baked on.
The sonic cleaner did a bit in getting it off but time and effort did the rest and then dack into the sonic bath to get rid of the last loose bits;
Not a 100 percent finish but good enough for me.
I have 2 pics to start,
first for "imoore" as he had a questim 4 yrs ago about it the mag foller.
The second is t show the crud.
The other pics I hope to do Sunday, with what seria Nos have found, all so far are SA marked.

[browningautorifle]

If you let that soak for a bit in varsol it may make that stuff return to it's muddy consistency.

[read6737]

I have made a start.

Trigger Block D28290--SA
Hammer C46008-3-SA
Saftey Bar C26015-9SA
Bolt D28287-12SA and below W9B
Return Spring Tube D35332-6-SA

Some pics to follow.

[Bob Seijas]

We need a little nomenclature drill: The part that holds the trigger and hammer is the trigger housing, and the whole assembly is the trigger group; the safety is just safety; the "tube housing" is the operating rod and the number is 35382 not 332.

[read6737]

Thanks.
Wife confirms as an 8.
Terms for things well I think in a mx of French and uk english,
so I tend to say things as I see them, I have to keep checking my spelling as a result.
US terminoligy is not therefore in my vocabulary.

Thanks
pics being sorted as I type be up soon.

[Bob Seijas]

Suggest Army Field Manual 23-5, available as a reprint cheap. All you need to know.

[read6737]

If any one wants others please ask and I will take some.
But be exat with the part and what bit to photo.

Are the part numbers in the right range so far for November 42?

[RT Ellis]

I attended the Veterans Day event at the George Patton Memorial Museum today. The museum is located near the original headquarters of the DTC, commemorates the Desert Training Center that Patton selected to train the troops that would be deployed to North Africa.

Late in the event I noticed a man holding a rusted rifle M1 that was complete except all the wood was missing. The steel, except for the gas cylinder, gas cylinder lock, and gas cylinder lock screw was very corroded. I asked the man if the rifle had been found in the DTC area and he said it was. The serial number was readable enough to see it was six digit starting with a "6". He went on to explain that he was the archeologists working for the Bureau of Land Management, and had recovered quite a few items of equipment from the area. As it turns out the rifle remains were being presented to the Museum for the collection of DTC items. I had my camera with me and didn't have the presence of mind to to take images, but just imagine an m1 rifle badly rusted and complete except for the stock and hand guards. There was no sign of cartridges or a clip in the receiver so the rifle was unloaded at the time it was lost.

The "tank park" has about five M60A1 tanks, (some of which are in poor condition missing major components) an M26 that has two serious hits in the bottom of the gun mantlet, and an M4 that is pocked all over from some kind of explosive round hits, none of which penetrated the armor. The museum has a rather jumbled display of U.S. and foreign equipment most of it related to WWII, the DTC or Gen. Patton.

[Bob Womack]

Suggest Army Field Manual 23-5, available as a reprint cheap. All you need to know.

Available free for download HERE on this site.

Bob