would a service grade Winchester be worth collecting?

Its a Winchester mixmaster stamped Red river on the leg and stamped on the stock be fine as a Winchester M1 or should I look for a correct Winchester with matching parts. The rifle is really clean and the ME and TE are under 2 . I have been looking for a Winchester and thought it was a good deal under a grand. Why do people try to sell Winchester's for so much? At the show's I see mixmaster winchesters for 1200-1600 bucks lately. The rec is two toned ,darker on the back side. 2.3 million ser and barrel 11-53 LMR.

It's great just the way it is, besides, it would cost you way too much to correct, if you could even find many of the parts now. Shoot it, enjoy it, post pictures.

Winchester uncut op-rods and stocks are like hen's teeth. Barrels are more like dodo birds! Just the Winchester receiver makes it collectable to most.

As they said, shoot it and enjoy it. I'm an amateur collector so take what I say FWIW. These rifles came out of the armory pristine and most were rebuilt along the way, and if you truly can find one untouched with a change of parts, then WOW! I "get" why folks now try to rebuild these rifles to make them "correct" but am not sure anybody has done history any favors by doing so. It's your rifle, so do with it what feels right to you. Leaving it as is ain't a bad option.

Winchester M1s have always commanded a premium for several good reasons. One is the simple fact that they made far fewer than SA. Demand comes from people who collect examples of WWII guns or who want an M1 from each maker. Extra demand comes from the Winchester collectors -- they have to have one. Finally, there is the magic of the historic name and image.

for your reference:

Winchester WRA M1 Garand op rod slant cut unmod. : Other Rifle Accessories & Parts at GunBroker.com


Winchester WRA M1 Garand op straight cut modified : Other Rifle Accessories & Parts at GunBroker.com


Winchester M1 Garand Slant Op Rod UNCUT WRA : Collectible Gun Parts & Accessories at GunBroker.com

I would keep it as is. Look at it as a nice example of a post war rebuild with a Winchester receiver to boot. After all the time, effort and money it would take to restore, you would most likly find that it would have been alot cheaper to buy a Winchester that someone else has already restored.
The reason you see "$ 1200.00 to $ 1600.00 mixmaster Winchesters" at gun shows is because nobody has bought them. They will be on those tables for quite some time, I think.

Buy it & enjoy it! I have a field grade I got from CMP that has a couple of other Win parts in it.
It shoots great & I have used it in matches. The other I got at auction & appears to be a Danish return as it has the sighting label in the barrell chanell & a lot of Win parts. It also shoots great. You will have a good shooter, you can pick up parts here & there if a good price
& you can correct slowly. You may never get it correct, but you will learn & enjoy.:thup:

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Originally Posted by tom gray

Buy it & enjoy it! I have a field grade I got from CMP that has a couple of other Win parts in it.
It shoots great & I have used it in matches. The other I got at auction & appears to be a Danish return as it has the sighting label in the barrell chanell & a lot of Win parts. It also shoots great. You will have a good shooter, you can pick up parts here & there if a good price
& you can correct slowly. You may never get it correct, but you will learn & enjoy.:thup:

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I don't see any point in spending money to add correct Winchester parts to a receiver with rebuild marks. It will always be a rebuild, not a correct rifle. Nothing wrong with that, and a Winchester Garand is always a unique addition to any collection. I have several and they are my favorites. Enjoy it for what it is and spend the money on ammo.

I will leave it alone,everyone I show it to wants to buy it for up 2 hundred dollars more than I got into it. I,ll keep it and wish I could hear her story. She's a DCM rifle, fellow I got it from shot the M1 DCM clinic and got certified and they mailed to him 3-4 decades ago. He shot it 16 rds. and put it away.

Right on, Latigo! A restoration is meant to simulate the original, and it can't possibly be original with a rebuild mark.