My First Garand

I bought this Garand at an auction because it seemed like a good deal and I only knew they were a part of history I'd like to have. Since then I have grown very fond of it and have loved learning more about them with my son who thinks it is "so cool." I have stripped, cleaned, oiled/greased and shot it a few times and it appears to be in pretty good working order for its age. I know it's not in great shape, and will probably only shoot it occasionally at a range. I won't be doing any extensive restoration, although I already bought a new gas nut because the one in it was badly mangled.

If I understand what I've read so far, this one appears to have been a re-import and as you'll see in one of the pics it has an unattractive etching from Century Arms and a new serial number over the old one, which I can only make out 3 digits of an original stamped serial. So, I am posting these pics in hopes that the members can give me any info based on what you can observe in them. I have other pics and can provide various part numbers if it will help. Thanks in advance!

Mike

Overall looks like a pretty nice rifle, nice to have a match barrel on it too.
I don't think she's too bad looking as is with the below exception.

You really really need to take a couple days vacation and go beat the snot out of the idiot at CAI that hacked it up with the electric pen like that.
Who in the hell did they have putting the import marks on it like that, bobo the blind retard chimp??? Kinda like grinding off the serial number to put some sloppy crap on it like that, bummer.

I would recommend changing out the op-rod spring though, common replacement when you buy one of these and its cheap insurance too.

Enjoy the beastie and have a good time.

Dan

Damn shame about the receiver. Whoever did that engraving needs to be kneecapped. Repeatedly. And I'd be leery of the legality of that altered serial number.

I owned two ww2 Chinese loan lease CAI import 1903's. Never knew why but they had all markings except serials ground, and I mean all including the flaming bomb and dates on barrels and the safe/fire on the safety lever. They were then electro-penciled and stamped rifle 1903 3006 USA/CAI. as I remember. It was sad.
That Garand looks like good match gun potential! Congrats!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !

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And I'd be leery of the legality of that altered serial number.

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It is totally in compliance with what the BATF regs allow, importers have the right to assign unique serial numbers to firearms they bring in, and if there are no number in evidence they HAVE to assign a serial number.

CAI may not have been the ones that scrubbed the heel in the first place, its not common but you do see it occasionally where foreign country scrub the serial number data from US rifles they buy.

I have K98k's and SKS's that have two different serial numbers, the factory number and the number the importer engraved on the receiver as well but at least they had the decency to do it right and not like a five year old with a crayon.

Dan

Can you read the receiver drawing number with the revision number - might provide some idea of the time period

Looks like 23?873 on th heel? At least it appears to have been 6 digit serial.

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Originally Posted by RCS

Can you read the receiver drawing number with the revision number - might provide some idea of the time period

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Here is the pic of the numbers on the receiver. I can make out D 28291-3 and there are some letters/numbers above it but harder to make it all out: but, appears to be a "backwards 7", "upside down 8", maybe an out of line 7 and a D...if that's any help? :confused:

By the way, thanks to all who have commented so far, I guess I have a shooter I can just enjoy and not worry about scratching up, huh? ;)

Can anyone tell by these pics if it's a re-weld? Thank you,


C.

revision 3 receivers start in the mid 60,000 range and end around May/June 1941

Why would a beat up looking Garand which has been defaced, and is possibly well worn, be good "match gun potential"? It doesn't make sense.

Danny

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Originally Posted by Curt

I owned two ww2 Chinese loan lease CAI import 1903's. Never knew why but they had all markings except serials ground, and I mean all including the flaming bomb and dates on barrels and the safe/fire on the safety lever. They were then electro-penciled and stamped rifle 1903 3006 USA/CAI. as I remember. It was sad.
That Garand looks like good match gun potential! Congrats!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !

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Originally Posted by Danny

Why would a beat up looking Garand which has been defaced, and is possibly well worn, be good "match gun potential"? It doesn't make sense.

Danny

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It has a good barrel even though we don't know condition. If it didn't gauge well I would put on a new barrel, replace all worn out parts, fit some new wood to it, replace all springs,get a trigger job and be on my way. It may not have been too expensive, it will never be a collectors piece and may be hard to sell with the handywork on the markings.
I don't see a point in building a match rifle out of a expensive Garand mine end up sitting in the sun,rain snow and getting bounced to hell and back in a range cart.

Well the D28291-3 means its a revision 3 receiver (the other numbers/letter above the drawing number just ID the steel lot and inspectors).

Rev 3 receivers were made from Sept 40 to May or June of 41.

Dan

I don't see a point in spending time and money on making a "match rifle" out of something that will only look terrible and yield no pride in ownership. The receiver may well be worn, or even worn out. Springfield Armory didn't search for the worst receivers to build their NM Rifles on. Springfield Armory searched out the best of the receivers to build the NM Rifles on, probably mostly new ones.

Danny

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Originally Posted by Curt

It has a good barrel even though we don't know condition. If it didn't gauge well I would put on a new barrel, replace all worn out parts, fit some new wood to it, replace all springs,get a trigger job and be on my way. It may not have been too expensive, it will never be a collectors piece and may be hard to sell with the handywork on the markings.
I don't see a point in building a match rifle out of a expensive Garand mine end up sitting in the sun,rain snow and getting bounced to hell and back in a range cart.

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Pride in ownership? not what I look for in a working gun. It is about shooting. My current match garand was a blue sky that looked like it had been pulled from a burning tank. It brings home medals every season. It was a $250 clunker I dropped $800 into and gave a it a new life. It is ugly as sin but shoots like a dream.I understand your pride of ownership idea if I had one Garand I would want it to be nice.

BTW I do own a 1967 Type 2 NM,IHC's,HRAs, a 1963 1911A1 NM, 1903A4, a collection of original bring back carbines.I have never fired a round thru any of them. I shoot 18 matches a year and teach 4 more clinics. No reason to subject a nice gun to any of that.

I would try to find a way to find out the serial #. Does anyone know, maybe some sort of chemical that can bring out a pattern of damage when the serial # was struck. It looks to be a 5 digit # from here. Also, there has to be some way to polish that stencil on the side of the receiver. I type out of concern for what looks to be a veteran ( the rifle ) that in my twisted opinion or not, deserves touching up if nothing else. once again just my opinion.

actually I may be full of !@# the spacing in the photo may suggest a 6 digit serial # ?

That's what I said in the beginning. The lot number agrees.

I saw an import Russian Nagant a few months back with the same type of engraving. The guy selling it said that was now the required legal method of marking import rifles. No more barrel stamping. It is a shame. They could do it in a less obvious spot. However it is giving chimps a legit line of work.
Peter

So, all the Garad and Carbine re-imports from South Korea are going to be defaced?

Bob