Possible NM rifle? Any way to verify?

All, new member but not new to Garands.

Received from the CMP last week as a field grade. 2979807 is the serial number.

This is what I found and is summarized from a day of reading old posts. The barrel is marked with NM close to the breach, large P with punch mark, 5 point star, Large T, and an upside down drawing number SA-F6635448 (hard to read), but the date is not upside down and its 4-54. It is also marked NM on the left side by the gas cylinder. From what I read the star signifies a 1962 rifle, and the NM on the left was only applied after it was assembled into a rifle

I am trying to figure out if this barrel was put on after this time period or if it truly is one of the 1962 rifles that has been stripped of all its other NM parts over time. The receiver has quite a bit of pitting under the wood line and over all condition is pretty bad with the exception of the barrel. Pictures in the link below.

NM rifle ? - Google Photos


Thanks Greg

This might help. Type 2 NM stuff is about half way down.
American Rifleman | The National Match M1
So will this. Might be better too.
Evolution of National Match Rifles – Springfield Armory Production - Garand Collectors Association

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Originally Posted by Sunray

This might help. Type 2 NM stuff is about half way down.
American Rifleman | The National Match M1
So will this. Might be better too.
Evolution of National Match Rifles – Springfield Armory Production - Garand Collectors Association

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Sunray Thank You, I found much of this information in my searches.

Greg

Given the condition of the barrel versus the receiver my guess would be it acquired the NM barrel as part of a rebuild.

I bought a type one NM M1, #6095050, at the National Matches, Camp Perry, OH in 1958. I believe it has the 54 dated barrel and a large star on the left side of the barrel above the gas cyl.

FWIW

Per the serial #, it was built before October of 1945. I noticed it has the "post war" trigger guard/group. Can anyone advise when they got rid of the winter trigger hole? Despite its condition, still a very nice Garand!

Late WW2 they transitioned to the stamped guard with milled hook, then all post war were the stamped guards. Thanks for the info on your rifle.

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Originally Posted by 4ds4me

Late WW2 they transitioned to the stamped guard with milled hook, then all post war were the stamped guards. Thanks for the info on your rifle.

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Thanks!

Thanks for your input, that’s why I’m asking the question is there a way to verify it? The barrel has been on for a while has some minor pitting around the mating surface, It was obviously used as a service rifle at some point, and it is a cmp rifle so I’m not concerned about a home build.

Please forgive my ignorance and this is probably a stupid question but,how does a rifle become so pitted below the woodline? I have seen a lot of rifles that are pitted above the wood line, but I don't ever recall seeing one pitted below the wood. It seems like if any area of the rifle would be pitted, it would be above the wood line.

Could be a Greek return, they took the NM sights off the ones we gave them and used them as regular line rifles. Parts got scrambled just like all the Greek guns. There is no way I know of the prove it was a NM.

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Originally Posted by jond41403

pitted below the woodline

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Some that came back from the Philippine returns and RVN were like that as they were SO wet and the wood soaked and rotten...they had rusted from end to end. They would be stripped and refinished or scrapped. Parts would be added...see?

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Originally Posted by browningautorifle

Some that came back from the Philippine returns and RVN were like that as they were SO wet and the wood soaked and rotten...they had rusted from end to end. They would be stripped and refinished or scrapped. Parts would be added...see?

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Thanks BAR, that makes perfect sense. I could see how the wood would hold the moisture and leave the top drier above the line. Sorry for the newbie type question,I was not thinking of the countless number of countries that stored them in different various conditions.

The police sales guns that came back from Honduras and Guatemala in the 1980s were just the opposite: some outside rust but like new below the wood and inside.

There was a huge shipment of shotguns was found in RVN back then and it included everything you could name in US shotguns with everything from as new to complete junk... I wasn't quick enough to grab even one.

Thank You all for the responses, It is what it is at this point. I purchased this rifle as a project for Grand Son #2 due in Feb 2020. I will work it up into a nice reliable shooter, ditch the hackberry stock and he will get it when he is of age.

Greg

Will make a nice shooter...