other gas trap rifles

Attachment 20068Attachment 20069Attachment 20070Attachment 20071Attachment 20072Attachment 20073Attachment 20074There are alot of other gas trap rifles around that required some or alot of "help" or as they say on jouster "corrected" to look good. I had the opportunity to take some photos of a gas trap rifle over the holiday, purchased in 1990, the required parts were still around without using repro or new manufactured parts to complete this rifle. The serial number is in the early 40 thousand number range, the barrel is marked D-28286 heat lot T-2. The gas cylinder plug is marked -0 which is too early it that matters. The rear sight aperture is without a number and without tracks. Everything is correct to around April/May 1940.

Gas Traps were re-called back to SA around that 1940 time frame. They were re-barreled and new Gas Cylinders installed. Very few unmodified Gas Trap Garands around.

I don't believe they were recalled ... according to Guy H. Drewery's testimony to Congress, the plan was to change the front end when they came up for normal refurbishing.

One part that was recently changed was the follower rod which did not quite look like it was manufactured by Springfield. You have to really look at the serrated grasping grooves.

On the photo, the center follower rod was replaced by the dark colored known SA which is at the top. The bottom is the early unmarked Winchester flat side follower rod.Attachment 20108

Any opinions concerning these follower rods ?

Robert, this is going to sound kind of dumb but what does the spring seat on with the flat side follower rod? Do you have a photo of on installed? TIA

Bill, here are some additional photos, note the bottom follower rod in the first photo.Attachment 20109Attachment 20110

whoops, drew the wrong conclusion. I have "other" gas trap rifle. Made by Mauser. G41. I guess all that is left is the Danish "Bang". gary

Robert, I clicked the links but I don't see any photos.

I am no Garand expert. I have a 13,xxx Garand with an early 1940 barrel on it. I thought Springfield recalled all of the Gas Traps in 1940 to rebarrel them. I thought Springfield did not replace any other parts (ie- bolts, Op rods), but instead did each rifle individually and simply installed new barrels and new gas cylinders. My rifle has a faint "S" stamped on the left side of the receiver. If they were rebarreld as they were turned for maintenance then that process would easily have lasted until 1946. Also I thought the early Gas Traps went out to Panama Canal, Phillipines, and Fort Benning(The Infantry School). Only the rifles at Panama and Benning could be recalled for rebarreling, as the ones in the Phillipines were on a one-way trip. I guess the Japanese captured a pile of early Gas Traps. I would GUESS you could try to tell by serial number where an early Gas Trap went. As production ramped up the Army (The Navy and USMC declined) continued to get them and the National Guard began receiving a few. I do not recall the date but the British received Garands, but most likely after their disaster in France. May 1940(?). Early Garands, but most likely not Gas Trap guns. That's about all I know, there isn't too much available on the early history of the Gas Traps. My point is this, a late production (46,xxx) Gas Trap might not have made it to the Canal Zone. But, then again, I am not certain. Anyone else?

"I thought Springfield recalled all of the Gas Traps in 1940 to rebarrel them. I thought Springfield did not replace any other parts (ie- bolts, Op rods), but instead did each rifle individually and simply installed new barrels and new gas cylinders."

No, Steve, they were not recalled for upgrade. Some came back for repair of something else and were upgraded at the time, but that's a pretty small number. In the early days, SA did fix just what was broken, that's probably what you are thinking of.

Bruce Canfield postulated the "Direct Conversion" theory in one of his excellent books, but has reconsidered that and will modify it in his upcoming book.