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From information found in quantities of items supplied in Lend-Lease shipments, Office of the Chief Military of Military History, 38,001 M1 Rifles were shipped to Great Britain. These shipments were in the latter part of 1941 and early part of 1942. Great Britain started releasing these for commercial sale in the latter 1950's, and most returned in excellent original condition, probably never having been used other than by the home guard if at all.
And here's mine...no red band remaining...
Yes, they needed guns badly because they left most of theirs in France after Dunkirk and the Germans were threatening to invade any day. Credit the RAF for the failure to do so, they shot up the invasion boats whenever they were assembled. You can't conduct a water invasion without total air superiority, which is why Communist China never invaded Taiwan... the US 6th Fleet in the Straits of Formosa.
So no invasion, no Garands pressed into service.
This was purchased for $79.95 if I remember, fired a fair amount still with the round pin too. Never any information about the round firing pin until a lot laterAttachment 58659Attachment 58658
Mine came to me in 1976(I think,$250?) and it had a half round firing pin in it and another in the butt. I didn't know for some time why this second newish one was in the butt. I put it back in because it was so new looking...and it was in there for many years. Probably just was replaced a few years ago with the half round...now it's back in because I have the 7.62 to shoot the p*ss out of. So, yes...I have a safe queen...
Has anyone ever found a "rebuilt" Gas trap LL Garand, as the original specs called for, for shipping to the UK?
I believe I read recently, that only a small % of the LL rifles, were supposed to be newly built. Who knows if that actually happened.
That makes the 1941 original builds, that much more rare, if it was true.
Back in the 1970s Chuck Clawsen was keeping track of them, and IIRC the lowest serial he saw was a 70,000 gun.
That's a beauty rifle you have BAR, I'm regretting passing up the one I had offer to me before Christmas.