National Match DCM Original?

Hello all! I hope the experts and collectors here can help identify the provenance of an M-1 National match I hope to purchase. It is serial 2,796,989 and the barrel is T / Swiss Cross / LMR / P / 06535448 / 2 53 / A 8 / P / II P / Crossed Cannons. That barrel area has been partially polished white.The NM is engraved on the barrel, but stamped on the gas cyl. bottom, op rod, rear sight and M is on the gas cyl. spacer. Stock looks like GI walnut but no markings at all, and is glass bedded with reddish brown glass, not yellow. Excellent condition throughout and very sharp bore. Trigger pull crisp, about 4 lbs. All other parts are SA. Did this gun come from the DCM in 1959 originally? Was it glass bedded later on or the entire stock was maybe added later by the owner? What is SRS and will that help me identify the rifle? Hope you all can help before I send the $25 to the CMP for a serial number search!

see Bob's post below for help

link here Garand National Match barrel symbols - Military Surplus Collectors Forums

SRS = springfield research service - they may have some docmentation on your rifle - I think the hit rate is below 5%

U.S.MARTIAL ARMS Springfield Research Newsletter - Services

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by CJS57

Hello all! I hope the experts and collectors here can help identify the provenance of an M-1 National match I hope to purchase. It is serial 2,796,989 and the barrel is T / Swiss Cross / LMR / P / 06535448 / 2 53 / A 8 / P / II P / Crossed Cannons. That barrel area has been partially polished white.The NM is engraved on the barrel, but stamped on the gas cyl. bottom, op rod, rear sight and M is on the gas cyl. spacer. Stock looks like GI walnut but no markings at all, and is glass bedded with reddish brown glass, not yellow. Excellent condition throughout and very sharp bore. Trigger pull crisp, about 4 lbs. All other parts are SA. Did this gun come from the DCM in 1959 originally? Was it glass bedded later on or the entire stock was maybe added later by the owner? What is SRS and will that help me identify the rifle? Hope you all can help before I send the $25 to the CMP for a serial number search!

---

Aftermarket accurized, perhaps a military team bulit rifle, perhaps civilian built. That's not the work of Springfield Armory. NM parts were available years ago as surplus. CMP won't have any NM records on team built rifles.

Thanks so far! About the barreled action. The barrel has the Swiss Cross like1959 completely assembled NM rifles had. Did "Parts" barrels, sold as a bare barrel by itself, have this Swiss cross on them? What about the "T" and upside down "P" proofs? Did those proofs come on parts barrels?

I recommend you wait for a posting from Bob Seijas. He knows NM rifles and has forgot more about them than 99.9% of those who have interest.

Bob will be able to tell you exactly what you have.

Looks like a USAR Team Rifle to me. We had footlockers full of NM parts and could make up nice rifles during a weekend drill.

Looks like a Type 1 that was updated by a team. The barrel cross would indicate built or rebuilt at SA in 1959. Is the front handguard screwed to the lower band? That would be another Air Force practice, like the polished barrel. It could also be a take-off barrel cannibalized from a different rifle. It didn't leave SA the way it is.

Thanks Bob! Lets see if I have this right. So we know the stock is Not SA because of the brown glass bedding, but it could be Air Force. We know the barreled action could have started out as a complete 1959 NM rifle but the barreled action was further modified later on (polishing), likely by an Airforce team. So........I am thinking it is worth a letter to CMP to see if they have a listing on this serial number. Am I reading this Right ?

The rifle does have an odd hole on the bottom of the stock behind the front sling swivel (see picture). Is this the Air Force Modidfication? Also, I can't get the gas cylinger off! Screw is too tight. Where do I hold the receiver in a vise, side flats?

Polished underside of Barrel is pure USAF.

You don't need to remove the front handguard to see if it is attached to the middle band. Just remove the rifle from the stock and look at the rear face of the band. You will see the screw heads if it is attached. If the lock screw is realy tight, and you want to hold it at the receiver, you should hold (vise) the receiver the same way a receiver wrench holds it....top and bottom at the ring. It may be a lot easier to just grab the gas cylinder and barrel together in a padded vise. Use a high quality 1/4" drive socket extension on the nut.

Devil, Thanks! It does have the 2 screws so I guess it is now very well established that the rifle ( in it's current configuration) is 1) An original 1959 SA NM reworked by an Air Force team. Or, 2) It was built from scratch by an Air Force team using a 1959 barrel removed from a real NM.

I think I will sent the letter of inquiry to the CMP to find out if the receiver was ever part of Springfield National Match rifle. Obviously the rifle is much more desireable to me if it at least started it's life as a SA NM!

Whatever it is it sure looks like a very nice rifle!!!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by CJS57

Devil, Thanks! It does have the 2 screws so I guess it is now very well established that the rifle ( in it's current configuration) is 1) An original 1959 SA NM reworked by an Air Force team. Or, 2) It was built from scratch by an Air Force team using a 1959 barrel removed from a real NM.

I think I will sent the letter of inquiry to the CMP to find out if the receiver was ever part of Springfield National Match rifle. Obviously the rifle is much more desireable to me if it at least started it's life as a SA NM!

---

It looks like a type 1 that could have been built/rebuilt anytime between 1953 and 1959. The 1959 Greek Cross indicates that the rifle was either built or rebuilt in 1959 at SA. As the glass bedded stock was not introduced until 1960 it may have went to one of the military teams and they subsequently bedded the stock. The op-rod was a 1962 update so that was also added after the rifle left SA in 1959. As far as the polishing, while A.F. team rifles did have the underside of the barrels heavily polished and also the bolt lugs, other military team armorers or team members could also have done this type of work, such as Army MTU's or Marine Corps teams or Army Reserve as someone said.
As far as getting NM confirmation from CMP, I believe they only have records of NM rifles sold through the DCM sales program. They will not have records of NM rifles that went to military.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by CJS57

Devil, Thanks! It does have the 2 screws so I guess it is now very well established that the rifle ( in it's current configuration) is 1) An original 1959 SA NM reworked by an Air Force team. Or, 2) It was built from scratch by an Air Force team using a 1959 barrel removed from a real NM.

I think I will sent the letter of inquiry to the CMP to find out if the receiver was ever part of Springfield National Match rifle. Obviously the rifle is much more desireable to me if it at least started it's life as a SA NM!

---

CMP charges a $25. fee.

Thanks Joe and Charlie! I appreciate your input. I did send off the $25 for the serial number search---Just in case! I will report back in a few weeks when they tell what they know or don't know. Chris

I have a near twin to your rifle, I believe it came from the estate of a reserve member.It did not turn up in CMP search. Shoots like a house on fire though!

Ok got the letter back from CMP, very quick response too, but they have no records on mine either. Thanks All!