7.62 Springfield Garand - NM?

[bob seijas]

Steve Rutledge is also a student of the Navy guns, I asked him if it might be a match gun or trophy rifle:
"It doesn't look like one to me. Has hooded sights which would only be on A grade unless they added them. Stock doesn't have the typical finish that I'm used to seeing. Unfortunately, we can't see if there is an "A" or "B" stamped on the flat of the pistol grip which I think is always there. Most of the ones I have seen have fairly ugly birch stocks."

Let's see what Jim Adell says.

[bob seijas]

"I can check the lists when I get home.

It has the wrong spacer. I am sure that you noticed all the white plastic spacers that we saw. [on a June research trip to CMP to examine 1800 Navy 7.62 conversions, article in the next GCA Journal]

When the Navy had them, shooters that won Grade B rifles would bring them to the van to have a set of half minute sights installed."

[Phil McGrath]

With the short looking grip the stock looks like its a Boyds. Nice rifle bet it shoots great. Mine has the same barrel on a SA. 5.42 reciever

[browningautorifle]

stock looks like its a Boyds

That was kind of my though. Not just good but brand new. Not that it's a bad thing.

[Leggett71]

If I sum this up from the replies....
Barrel is correct Navy
Sights probably added
Spacer bloc not original
Stock Probably Boyd's (owner probably did not like ugly birch)
Ought to be a great shooter - Guess we will find out soon as the heat wave & fires in OK dies down - will post a range photo soon

Thanks for all the replies and next time I put photos in I will manicure my toes before I post them.

Leggett

[gsimmons]

Nail polish would be a nice touch too.

[Phil McGrath]

Don't forget the toe ring.

[browningautorifle]

Has this thread wandered???

[4gun-drill]

There are a lot of "Navy" barrels floating around right now. I know of two dealers that have them for sale. I have purchased one from each and they are legit barrels but I am not sure where they came from. The first one I bought came "new" in the cardboard tube, with caps and VCI tube installed. This dealer told me that they came from San Diego and that he had a "box" of them. My guess is they did not meet the stringent requirements for the Navy team and were sent to Camp Elliot to be used in training rifles. Who knows where they have been since then. The second dealer had about 10 or so an I was able to look through them all. At first I thought they were take-offs and most were in poor condition. Most of the chambers had a significant amount of rust and all of them had at least some rust on the surface of the barrel. I took a chance on the best one he had, only some minor surface rust on exterior. This one also had the end caps and VCI tube installed. I have gauged this one and it has a groove diameter of .3075 wich would have met the Navy requirements for a team gun. I have no idea where these have been or where they came from. It is a shame that they were in such poor condition.

I have also seen a fake Navy barrel recently. I believe it may have been a commercial barrel that was stamped to look like a navy barrel. However, it was pretty obvious that it was fake.

[Leggett71]

From what I can gleen, the Navy NM & presentation match rifles with true 7.62 sleeved or unsleeved barrels are a special breed of Garand. With as much as has been written on the Garand I am surprised not much info is available on the navy post WW2 conversions. Even here as I read these responses and others on the net there tends to be a lot of speculation on rifle builds.

Is there a list of rifle SN's that the Navy converted to presentation match & NM team rifles? If that were posted somewhere it would clear the air in what is real & what is fake. I keep searching and find spatterings if information on different web pages but scarce little that was published. Is any expert on these rifies looking to compile and publish anything?

I'll close with a thank you note to the forum members, I really appreciate this forum & all who post here. Love reading literally through US history on everyones vast knowledge of our military weapons heritage.

Leggett