Just in case you missed it - Reserve not met
HISTORIC ORIGINAL GAS TRAP M1 GARAND RIFLE
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Just in case you missed it - Reserve not met
HISTORIC ORIGINAL GAS TRAP M1 GARAND RIFLE
$50, 000. reserve. Historic rifle? The WWII vet apparently never claimed any history. The "Historic" claim comes from the dealer who is selling it.
Saved this auction information for posterity to benefit future research by our members … ;)
Regards,Quote:
Gunbroker Auction # 214621828 (2/17/2011) - HISTORIC ORIGINAL GAS TRAP M1 GARAND RIFLE
Seller says:
Gentlemen offering for your consideration is the most historic rifle I have ever had the pleasure of owning and now offering for sale. It truly is the most interesting battle documented M1 “Gas Trap” Garand Rifle I’m sure in existence. Quite possibly any M1 for that matter, much less an original “Gas Trap”. Its provenance is impeccable. The rifle was purchased directly from the original vet whom a very astute collector (he passed away in 2006) spotted in a July, 31, 1990 local newspaper article. The veteran was pictured holding the "Gas Trap" talking about his service during WWII. In the newspaper article the vet states “he still owns the M1 rifle issued in Panama to replace the broomstick rifle used in training”. The collector subsequently found the veterans name in the local phone book and called him. He later purchased the rifle directly from him after becoming friends. The veteran just happened to be a former paratrooper in the 551st Parachute Infantry Battalion (GOYAS).
Let me tell you a little about who the 551st Parachute Infantry Battalion were. The 551st was originally commissioned in Panama to take the French Caribbean island of Martinique, they were shipped instead to Europe. His battalion which spearheaded the attack against the Germans at the “Battle Of The Bulge” in January 1945, had been lost to God and history. The unit was completely decimated and suffered 85% casualties including its popular commanding officer Col. Wood Joerg. Of the 643 officers and enlisted men at the start of the battle, only 110 men survived (14 officers and 96 enlisted men). Nowhere were casualties higher than in Col. Wood Joerg’s 551st Parachute Infantry Battalion. Subsequently the 551st ceased to exist as a unit. On January 27, 1945 General James Gavin in Juslenville, Belgium informed the remaining men that the battalion was being inactivated and the remaining soldiers would be absorbed into the 82nd Airborne Division. Because so few men survived and personnel records disappeared it would be decades before the 551st would even be labeled “The Lost Battalion”. On February 23, 2001 Army Chief of Staff General Eric K. Shinseki awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for extraordinary heroism during the “Battle Of The Bulge” to the unit during an official ceremony at the Pentagon.
Now about the rifle. The rifle is a late production “Gas Trap” M1 Garand s/n 46097, and was manufactured at Springfield Armory July 1940. It is absolutely original down to the last screw and has been documented on page 230 in Billy Pyles book “The Gas Trap Garand”. The rifle of course shows actual service and battle use, although still remains attractive in appearance. I copied the rifles data sheet in the photos below for anyone interested on what parts and drawing numbers are in the rifle. Plenty of photos are available in the ad below. Like I said earlier this rifle is 100% original down to the last screw and absolutely not a later restoration.
Along with the rifle the buyer will receive the July, 31, 1990 newspaper article of the vet holding the rifle, a subsequent April 1, 2001 front page local newspaper article on the vet describing his participation in the “Battle Of The Bulge”, his personal copy of Dan Morgan’s hardcover 548 page book “The Left Corner Of My Heart, The Saga Of The 551st Parachute Infantry Battalion” (Very interestingly there is a photo of a member of the 551st actually firing a “Gas Trap” while they were training in Panama), Billy Pyles book “The Gas Trap Garand” where the rifle is documented on page 230, his cut-down M1 Bayonet, and his Basic Field Manual, U.S. Rifle Caliber .30, M1.
Gentlemen this rifle should be in a museum or should be highly cherished by the lucky winning bidder on this auction. It surely is fitting for the best museum or private collection. Should somebody be the winning bidder I will personally deliver the rifle. It is much to valuable to risk shipping.
Doug
Not Historic - You must be JokingQuote:
Originally Posted by Calif-Steve
It is a Garand - "The greatest battle implement ever devised" that is historic.
It is a Gas Trap - one of only a handful that survive today - that is also historic.
It is an original Gas Trap, rare indeed - "Determining that the components of a particular rifle are correct and original can be materially assisted by comparing their configurations and markings to those of KNOW ORIGINAL rifle in the same or approximate serial number range. To this end we include the following completed data sheets on a number of known original rifles" Billy Pile THE GAS TRAP GARAND
The 551st was in Panama - The 1st Battalion, 551st Parachute Infantry Battalion was activated on 26 November 1942 at Fort Kobbe in the Panama Canal Zone
There were gas traps in Panama in 1942
Attachment 20925
A Panamanian girl gives U.S. service member water during a U.S. training exercise in Panama, 1942. The defense of the Panama Canal occupied U.S. military forces in Panama during World War II and the Cold War.
I am not sure what is more rare and historic - a surviving 551st vet or an original Gas Trap.
If you carefully read the article in the GB add the paper states "_____ was on duty in the C Company orderly room in Leaon, France, when the 551st received word of a Nazi counte rattack which became the Battle of the Bulge"
Seems to imply that the vet was at least at some point not on the line.
" The WWII vet apparently never claimed any history" - they seldom ever admit that anything they did was historic.
It appears to be a bigger leap in logic to suggest that a dealer found a vet (551st) and a Original Gas Trap after the fact and concocted this story. - "Kramer, my friend , that is one ripping good yarn"
Mark,
Very good post. Much better provenance than just looking at a worn weapon and determining it has a lot of history.
The rifle sold after the auction ended.
Historic what? As best as I can tell the Vet never claimed he carried THAT rifle in combat. He never claimed he carried that rifle in Europe, as best as I can tell. You need to read, re-read and then read again all of the claims. A very desirable collector rifle, but read the claims again. That's all I am saying. By the way, I carried a Garand and a Carbine and an M16 in RVN.
On the 1911 forums you can count on someone proclaiming that they wouldn't want a nice condition "Safe Queen" as they have no history, but if we judge all military weapons by the amount of fully documented history they have we end up with virtually none having any history. That makes everything much easier as they can be priced according to rarity, condition, and originality rather than some imaginary history.
The selling price of the Gas Trap did not reflect any real or imagined history so it becomes a mute point.
Guys, this rifle stands on its own merits. Why it has been turned into a "Story Gun" is beyond me. I have a very good friend who paid REAL MONEY for an M1911A1 that was owned by Somerset Maugham, the famous author. I asked to see the provenance. My buddy whips out a screwdriver, and pulls off the grips. On one grip (plastic) someone had scratched "SM" on the inside panel. My buddy explains this is the proof of historic ownership. I almost fell out of the chair. I want concrete proof, that's all I seek. The truth.
The story came with the rifle, and I don't blame the seller for using it. It does not appear that it influenced anyone to buy the story instead of the gun, so I don't see the problem.
:thup: Got to agree 100 %.Quote:
Originally Posted by Johnny Peppers