Originally Posted by
ORN197
A few thoughts...
Do you have any pictures of it? GOOD (clear, well-sized) pictures are going to be a must for anyone to tell you much about it.
Head over to the CMP forums and browse the for-sale section; scroll back through the pages a ways and you'll see tons of M1's in a variety of conditions, and be able to get an idea of value.
Are you able to strip it down? A lot of guys like seeing an inventory of the various parts, in addition to the pictures. RE your comment about it not being a "parts gun"... I wouldn't get too hung up on that. Pictures and an inventory of the components will tell that tale.
If the rifle has no import marks of any kind, it's possible that it was surplused through the DCM (predecessor the current CMP). For a fee ($25?) the CMP will check their records for your rifle's s/n. Apparently the pre-CMP (DCM) records can be a little spotty but it seems like guys on the CMP forums get hits fairly often. In any case, if the CMP does have a record of its sale, that's some evidence/provenance.
I'm no expert, just an amateur collector and somewhat-seasoned shooter. Hopefully the above gets you pointed in the right direction. Good luck!