Garand Original vs. Mod at Will Continuum
What an interesting and bewildering are the many options available to the new Garand owner. As a newbie, I'm beginning to see a continuum represented various courses I could take with my rifle. So far, here's what I've figured out:
THE GARAND OWNERSHIP CONTINUUM
-------------|----------------|--------------------|----------------|------------|-----------|-----------------------------
Condition-|-Original-----|-Near-Original-|-Mixmaster-|-Shooter-|-Beater-|-Match
-------------|----------------|--------------------|----------------|------------|-----------|-----------------------------
Stock ------|-Don't Touch-|-Don't Touch-----|-Refinish?----|-Optional-|-Replace-|-Replace
-------------|----------------|--------------------|----------------|------------|-----------|-----------------------------
Metals-----|-Don't-Touch-|-Don't Touch------|-Optional----|-Repark---|-Rebuild-|-Replace as needed
-------------|----------------|--------------------|----------------|------------|-----------|-----------------------------
Add Parts--|-NO!!!---------|-A Few------------|-As needed--|-Yes-------|-Please--|-Liberally
-------------|----------------|--------------------|----------------|------------|-----------|-----------------------------
Shoot???--|-NO!-----------|-Optional---------|-Yes-----------|-Yes------|-Repair?--|-Match and practice only
Of course, then there is the question of the age of the rifle, with the continuum being ocupied on the left by early 1930s and spanning to the 1950s on the mid-right. Rifles on the far-right, in the match column, can come from just about any era except the early era of Winchester production when there were dimensional issues.
The key is figuring out where your rifle fits on the continuum, no? That's not so easy. It is a combination of originality, condition, serial, and owner's intent. An obsessive/compulsive might worry about the periodicity of every part on a commercial re-patriot such as a Blue Sky. A fun-only type might rebarrel, restock, repark, and mix-master-ize a five-digit Garand and break hearts throughout the community.
Frankly, from what Ive seen, the majority of us live somewhere in the middle-to-middle-right of my continuum. There, we get many opinions, possibly too many: Some say the patina is where the real character lies in these rifles. Don't touch all that "mojo" in the stock. Some say refin and steam out the nicks. Others say, "Life is too short to shoot an ugly rifle." Repark if you want. Others say enjoy your rifle. Me, I'm in it both for the connection to history and because I simply like the looks of the rifle. I look at the pictures of the guys in the 1940s as they we issued their rifles for war, and those rifles are all new. But the rifles have been through years worth of life in the interim and have become something else from what they were at first issue.
I'm having to kind of create my own little road to walk in this case. Perhaps that's half the fun? So I'm thinking I'll largely be keeping my field-grade rifle as-is or at least keep anything I change out. The metal is in great shape with a little wear from use. Oh, the stock and hand guards are pretty beat so I'm going to replace them and then see what I can accomplish on the originals. I've found a period sling (web) but may go with a leather one because they appear more comfortable for shooting and look like they don't encourage buckle rash on the stock. I'll pick up period tools and accessories. But the longer I know the rifle, the more I like it as-is.
Bob
