late 43 garand

I looked at a late 43 garand today. Good bore, vary clean, original finish, nice wood GAW cartouch, short fork, lock bar, the only thing I could see wrong was a modified curve side 9 op rod and the trigger group was all correct but did not match for color with the barrel and receiver. The gun shop wants 1100 plus tax in this market is that to high I have a early 42 lend lease that is all correct So I am not really in need of a correct ww11 example for my collection. a few years ago i would have jumped on it but in this market I am trying to be careful

You got a question in there or are you just trying to rationalize not buying it 'out loud', so to speak?

Depending on condition it could be a deal or just about right. Curved sided -9 oprods have always been tough so buying it as a possible resto project should take into account that will not be the easiest or cheapest part to acquire. Perosnally, if it was a put together I'd pass, but if it was a substantially original rifle except for that one part (especially if it has excellent condition) I'd be more tempted to toss buying it around in my head.

I look at these downturns as opportunities to find stuff that only a few short years ago was not available. Ultimately though, don't buy because someone else thinks it is a 'good investment' (besides, look what that did to the housing market ...). No, buy what you are excited about. That way if the price goes down a little (or even a lot) you will still like it. If you really do insist on justifying these things as 'investments' then at least look at them as long-term ones - I have never purchased any of these that I have not intended to keep for at least ten years (or more ...) - they don't call me a black hole for nothing (grin).

On this one, you can always toss out an offer to test the waters too, just to see how motivated the seller might be. Make an offer of an amount you feel comfrotable spending, if they don't take it then so what.

Anyway, thanks for letting me ramble.

is a Curved side 9 correct for a late 43 or would a 6 or a 9 oprod be correct? it is just not finding a correct op rod but finding one over the internet that would match for finish it is always hard to tell from a pic. I am still stewing on the purchase

the last two months of '43 for a -9 so depending on the serial number you may need a -6 (probably easier as far as I am concerned ...)

ok I just got back from looking at the 43 garand 2305681 11-43, great bore, the lock bar was a type 3 not a 2 the bolt is a 12 with a blued extractor, the barrel and receiver appear to be original finish the oprod I think is a repark but it matches for color. single slot gas pug, short fork ,the stock is a refinish so I am suspect of the GAW cartouch. I will have to post pics. I had a rack grade 51 rebuild garand I got from CMP when the greeks first came for sale and they were cheap it was vary clean with a NFR cartouched barrel I trade that and 400 for the 43 and he ate the sales tax. I do not know if I made a good deal or not I get vary suspect of retored rifles that are as clean is this one is

can you tell from the pic if the cartouch is real

I'm not seeing anything bad yet. Color looks real nice and condition looks to be supreior. Wood looks sanded and refinished but not hideous - in fact it looks like they did quite a fine job of it. The park colors look very nice so far and I would say that at least what I can see from these pics, they would seem to indicate low usage - that could be a real honey.

Show us more. Do the internals reflect the same level of use? Trigger group - hammer to firing pin contact, trigger guard lugs - do they too show this level of use? What about the bore?

here are more pics the bore is perfect from the last pic I posted does the cartouch look realAttachment 10183

Attachment 10184

Attachment 10185

Attachment 10186

Attachment 10187

some more pics

buy! These are going fast.

Hard to get too specific - the pics are pretty fuzzy (does your camera have a macro setting?). It looks VERY clean. Is the barrel breach parked or in the white - should be in the white if original finish/assy. On the oprod, if the modification is still bare metal then it could well be original finish, but if the mod is parked then it is obviously refinished (though it could be almost contemporary). On those pics I am not seeing anything flagrantly wrong with the cartouch. Serial range seems early for a type 3 lockbar and it even looks out of place.

Overall I would say that it looks like it has been helped a little at the least, but if it is a put-together then they sure seemed to have some nice parts from which to draw, and short fork rods and single slot lock screws are just tough enough that those are usually the parts skipped. It sounds like you did OK on the price, do you have any Garand guys like Gus Fisher nearby that can give it a going over before you take it the range?

Congrats - looks very nice.

(I was trying to find a good GAW to post for you so you can compare it yourself, but I can't seem to find a nice strong one - maybe someone else can post a good pic of an original GAW).

The best guy I know in Omaha on Garands is the guy that works in the store that sold it to me. He said that the Lock bar was wrong for that serial number. He would not say either way on the cartouch and he felt that the barrel and receiver were original finish. I was not going to buy it at 1100 but when I was able to work a trade for my Greek rack grade garand and 400 I jumped. I got the Rack Garand when the greeks first came out and they were really cheap so I do not have that much $ in it. It just seems to clean for something not to be wrong with it I do not know how much of it is original. Years ago when I bought what I was told was a all correct IHC. I then found out that It had a fake stock and a RAD 65 rebuild inscribed on the receiver leg ( I was knew to the hobby) after that I try to be careful of garands or carbines that are to nice or to correct

"the only thing I could see wrong was a modified curve side 9 op rod and the trigger group was all correct but did not match for color with the barrel and receiver."

I believe the accelator pin should be bright and I know the trigger guard should be forged not stamped.

but it sounds like even if it is a put-together you did very well on the price.

Hopefully someone else has a bit of time to post a good GAW for you to compare yours to.

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...IIGarand-1.jpg
CMP Fall '43 Service Grade Springfield with Nov. '43 Springfield Barrel, got to be close to yours.
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...Cartouch-1.jpg
209XXX, late '43 Build I believe.
I restored the stock with Tung Oil Finish and knocked it down some after this pix. When I first got it the stock was sticky and dull.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Devil Dog

"the only thing I could see wrong was a modified curve side 9 op rod and the trigger group was all correct but did not match for color with the barrel and receiver."

I believe the accelator pin should be bright and I know the trigger guard should be forged not stamped.

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Trigger guard is forged.