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What is the rarest M1 Garand? Not the rarest single M1 Garand but what series of M1s is really rare and what kind of price do you think they could fetch? I think the gas trap is a really rare series but I'm sure there are others out there. Like IHCs with certain markings or S/As with such and such machine marks or whatever. Put your expert heads together and come up with some cool M1s.:beerchug:
Everyone has their own opinion, but I like the mid 1940 gas port rifles, next to that would be the 1941 Winchesters
IIRC there wer 6 or 8 rifles made for the line material company and the heal stamp was LMR - need to check the journal
From the Journal Volume 6 Number 2 page 10
By Bob Seijas
One of nine project (summary)
Components Procured out of chanels to construct nine special M1 Rifles, three for key people at Line material company, IHC and H&R - receivers were unserialed and marked with logos of H&R and LM and the legend 1 of 9
HRA 6mil. Other than Tony G who has one?
:move eek::thup:
One here. Quite a few have been destroyed, gone forever. :(Quote:
Originally Posted by M1Riflenut
There were also the SA 5.0M rifles. Serial number 5,000,000 is in the Springfield Armory museum. But SA was also assigned 5,000,001 to 5,000,499 serial numbers. There could be up to 499 rifles out there in this very rare range.
I like the arrowhead IHC. Wish I had one.
There is some of the experimental stuff, like I got to see a legit experimental box magazine Winchester (flat mint and gorgeous). There is also an early experimental coating called 'pentrate', but there might only be one of those left though ...
It is hard to collect stuff like that, though. But then some of the experimental stuff is rare but a bit more available, like the teflon coated Garands? I got to see one for sale here at a very high end gunshow years ago (and of course they wanted a very high end price ...). Then when I got to go down to Quantico I saw a whole rack of about a dozen of these funny greenish looking Garands - sure enough; teflon coated. Very neat and they even feel a little slippery. USMC tested the coating somewhere in the 50's, IIRC. I don't know how many were ever made but some of them managed to find their way out into the world.
There are also the ones that you just don't really think of. I think it might have been Dick Culver who spoke of a rack of HRA M1D's (or was it Bob Seccombe) while he was in the service. I have seen plenty of SA's and WRA's and know of one IHC that was sent out of the CMP, but I have never seen a papered HRA. That would be a neat rack of rifles - all 4 makers in M1D's.
AGREE! Bill didn't state whether he was refering to PRODUCTION rifles, or to the infinite variety of experimental and one-offs that may be floating around out there.Quote:
Originally Posted by M1Riflenut
IMHO, the HRA 6 million rifles are the rarest production pieces, as only about 400 were ever produced. As such, they are much rarer than gas traps, M1Cs, etc.
I currently have one, but it is under contract to be sold to a good friend.
BTW- when I mentioned "infinite variety", I was refering to the fact that if an experimental version of something doesn't exist today, there's at least the possibility that one will mysteriously appear tomorrow. Never underestimate clever people.
Picking this number is no differnt than picking any other 500 rifles. I always wondered why this number got people looking. Many have been found in this range.Quote:
Originally Posted by JAS
I am puttinmg my money on the 6 million HRA or the Educational Winchesters [around 40 known to exist at this time]. Rick B
Edited to meniton the model shop rifles as only a handful of them are out there.
Legitimate M1C USMC MC 1952 rifles might be good candidates too Rick.
Some of those 5,000,000 - 5,000,499 SA's showed up in the imports some years ago plus what CMP found. Some were destroyed.
I did forget about those. Many who get a M1C drilled receivers with the SA-52 on the heal do not know the real story to those having been readied for mounts but not used, correct? Rick BQuote:
Originally Posted by Ramboueille
I'll throw out the 3.88mil and above WWII SA's, since there is so little information, I wonder what is the last SN stamped on a receiver.
Please tell me more. I have seen 2 of these stripped recievers.Quote:
Originally Posted by Rick B
Quote:
Originally Posted by bphealey
Those receivers were plugged and returned to standard issue status originally by SA when the need for M1C's was no longer needed.
Some owners remove the plugs and restore them to M1C status and some owners leave them alone as a variation in themselves.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rick B
In the collecting circle which is the preferance on those receivers? It was the first time I had seen a stamp on the heel. I would one day like to add an M1C to my collection so any knowledge is power (so they say)Quote:
Originally Posted by Ramboueille
bp,Quote:
Originally Posted by bphealey
Years ago you couldn't find an M1C or a plugged receiver so when a plugged former M1C was found, many were unplugged and restored. Today with the CMP, plugged receivers with the SA-52 rebuild mark are a variation in their own right. Personally I would leave a plugged former M1C receiver alone as found today but it also adds to the conundrum of finding a legitimate non-plugged M1C equipped or at least a receiver without the rebuild mark.
How about a M1 that hit the beaches at Normandy and was carried across Europe.I saw one in my life and I can 't think of any rarer M1! Anything else would be miniscule in my opinion.Although very young at the time,I'm very glad to have had the chance to see it!!!
My candidate for rarest production guns would be the Model Shop First 80, but Bodyman's Pentrate finished guns are right up there. Rarest part is the welded seam op rod.