Help with M1 Garand Prices please????

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Originally Posted by Patrick Chadwick

It's nothing to do with being a new guy. So please do not take it personally. "Tough" tends to have a negative flavor - I would prefer "rigorous". And the rigor is in the interest of your wallet!

You did the right thing in coming to this forum, as the collective eyeballs of forum users will often pick out aspects that a single person might overlook. But to make use of that collective experience, photos are of the essence.

And please beware of the word "original". The swapping out of parts to create what is presumed to be an original configuration for a particular date or number range is so easy that it is not possible to guarantee that a rifle is original (in the sense of being the same assembly of parts as left the factory) merely because the parts match the approved configuration. In this matter one must be rigorous - even tough - and inspect the rifle minutely for signs that parts have been retrofitted. This is often revealed by differences in wear, scratches, dirt etc. All aspects that require no particular knowledge of the type of rifle, but a sharp eye for material inconsistency.

So in the end, even with the best photos, no-one will be able to guarantee that the rifle is original. All we will be able to say is that (hopefully) nothing is visibly wrong. Considering that the price that the seller is looking for is 8 times the price of my 1943 original-enough-for-me Garand, you certainly should be rigorous in evaluation - of the rifle and the seller!

At the price level that you are considering, one should a) have the rifle examined by an acknowledged expert and b) obtain a written guarantee from the seller that he will take back the rifle and return the money if the rifle is subsequently proven not to be as he claims. Remember the old saying: verbal claims are not worth the paper they're witten on!

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Thank you Patrick, great advise! I understand the extreme difficulty of authenticating a rifle as "Original." Which is why I have not yet purchased anything. Good pictures will be a start and I would be willing to send the rifle to a expert to get a opinion. Scott Duff does not do this any more, do you know of anyone else who does? If so please let me know. I am trying to talk to as many knowledgeable individuals as I can before making a purchase. Again, the seller and I have not talked about a confirmed price yet, I will not be interested unless he is willing to come down considerably. I still haven't even seen any pictures so the rifle may be no good.

I really do appreciate the opinions on value but at the same time I believe many I have spoken to have been buying M1s since the 1990s and are not aware of the value these rifles now have or a outraged by what they sell for today. You said this rifle is priced 8 times what you paid for a 1943, that's $500. There are no M1s for sale for $500. Unless you are willing to sell your rifle for a profit? I'd give you $700 for it? See what I mean. Prices have changed. I don't want to get ripped off (which I understand anything near $4,000 is too high) but I understand that am not going to pay 1997 prices. This was why I posed this question here so that those who still go to the big gun shows and buy and sell these can tell me what they are seeing nice M1s sell for. I hope this makes sense. Thanks

I don't understand why authenticity even matters! He's not requesting that you authenticate a rifle.
He isn't asking for advice. A simple rough estimate on value.

I don't know garands at all. I am a k98k and G/k43 collector. But when asked a question, ie; what's a matching bnz44 kreigsmodell rifle in 95% condition worth, I just answer the question. I don't even care if the rifle in question exists. Haha. I can, as an up to date collector, just give an estimate on value. If the rifle turns out bad, he should have asked about authenticity not value.

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Originally Posted by CanadianAR

I don't understand why authenticity even matters!

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Originally Posted by CanadianAR

I don't know garands at all.

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Both these statements show why you should have stayed out of this then. Here in Canada, many don't know squat about an original or collector M1. Most wouldn't know one if it bit them. There's a vast difference in the prices and we're trying to establish what he's trying to buy. There's a huge price difference.

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Originally Posted by browningautorifle

Both these statements show why you should have stayed out of this then. Here in Canada, many don't know squat about an original or collector M1. Most wouldn't know one if it bit them. There's a vast difference in the prices and we're trying to establish what he's trying to buy. There's a huge price difference.

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Who gives a damn what he's buying!? He did not ask you guys to sort out of its original or not. Just a price on a stated item, that's assumed good.

Give a price for an original 1944 garand.

This isn't an issue with knowing garands or not. It's about knowing English and listening to what the OP is saying.
Again he is not asking for authentication. He just asks what a 100% good gun is worth.
So you must assume(to give him an answer)the rifle is all good and lay out a value as if it was a good gun.

We'd rather not assume here. Thanks for coming from no where and sorting us out. You don't know what you're talking about.

There are very few Garands that would command $4,000 or more and most of those have scopes attached or funny looking front ends and are beyond the scope of what you asked. As a real world example I happened into this scenario yesterday at my favorite shop for all things Garand or US surplus. Sitting on the counter was an all correct, except for the clip latch, M-1 in the early 3 million range that had just been sold. The original asking price was around $1,700.00 but it sold for around $1,300 as part of a package deal. As I said it was correct with the exception of the clip latch and had one of the nicest SA/GAW stocks that I have seen. Had I known about it before the sale I would have bought it at that price and considered it a good deal.

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Originally Posted by browningautorifle

We'd rather not assume here. Thanks for coming from no where and sorting us out. You don't know what you're talking about.

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You're honestly ridiculous. This is why I never
Come to this forum. Because it's half useless.

And I don't know what I'm talking about?? I know how to answer a question without trying to be some sort of garand messiah by implying no information can be given out without photos. When in fact the entire thread could be resolved without pics at all
A simple question. Such an epic waste of time.

Again, the OP doesn't want your opinion on originality or correctness. Simply a ballpark on a known good 1944
Garand.

Can someone who bought a correct 44 garand in the last year at a fair price just post what they paid. Lol.

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Originally Posted by CanadianAR

You're honestly ridiculous. This is why I never Come to this forum. Because it's half useless.

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It's only half useless when you wade into a thread, carrying a gasoline can in one hand and a book of matches in the other, seemingly to add little value except to incite a firestorm, about a collectible genre that you self admittedly don't collect and know anything about. :confused:

We sorry that you find our forum and style of communications between members unsuitable for what you're looking for.

This thread is closed, as there's little more that could be added except for everyone to experience additional literary drive-by shootings. ;)

Regards,
Doug

PS ...

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Originally Posted by mdarnell19

I am not selling anything, I am wanting to buy this rifle. I would post pictures if I had them but I don't. I will as soon as I get them.

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Hey partner... as some have been trying to say, it is difficult to give you any kind of a reasonable price on a Garand that they can't visualize. Condition and authenticity are everything. Once you get your pics, send them to me at badger@milsurps.com via email and I'll post them for you, as well have our Advisory Panel give you a pretty accurate appraisal as to what you're looking at. The more pics the better... :cheers: