Rare Early WW2 Springfield M1 Garand Follower with non angled follower | eBay
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The slide is way earlier than the late body, they don't go together.
Good catch Bob!
I can see that the early top hat is not there - never knew about a straight back slide - when was this used - model shop rifle ? Earlier
Here are two recent photos from the owner of Winchester s/n 100,001. Winchester also used the early follower and 20 degree rear and 45 degree front slide.
Winchester soon replaced the early slide with a 45 X 45 slide which was unique only to Winchester production, this lasted to around mid 1941Attachment 119088Attachment 119089Attachment 119090
Over the years I have seen three or four later followers with the early slide. Always loose in parts bins, never on a rifle. Other than that, I know nothing else about these anomalies.
I always assumed these followers were put together after the fact.
Thought about purchasing one for curiosity sake but never did. And the days of the voluminous parts bins at shows are long gone around here.
I remember at least one follower had a straight back slide as seen in the ebay offering and at least one had a 45 degree slide as shown by RCS.
These observations were years ago and the asking prices were nowhere near the amount the follower on ebay sold for.
still wondering where the straight back was used or just an unfinished part
Roger that. A couple years ago there were a couple of long nose slides mounted on -8 followers listed on gunbroker . The followers were a little long and did not fit correctly. They lasted a couple months at $135 or so. I should have purchased them based upon the price of early followers. The follower in the OP looks to have been together for a long time and the follower is an early unmarked type 4 with the coffin cut out.Quote:
Originally Posted by EdG
It was SOP to just toss obsolete parts during lower level rebuilds, one facility scrapped a couple of gas trap cylinders :( These early slides could have resulted from that and been acquired and mounted on available late bodies by a surplus dealer.
It was and still is. We had a local scrap dealer bid on the scrap from Camp Gagetown, called me at home one night to come identify some odds and ends. He took me into a sprung shelter and it was a tour like the last scene in "Raiders of the Lost Ark" where there were boxes stacked on each other. He had parts from all out weapons and broken bayonets and such. I expect all the gas trap parts taken off during rebuilds went this way, except then they probably went right to the dump not through a system of channels. I think we're lucky any survived through some foresight of others.Quote:
Originally Posted by bob seijas
Information like this always help me put things in perspective reference how many of "anything" is left? They manufactured 6+ million Garands....how many survived WW2? How many survived Korea? How many survived the various conflicts involving countries we loaned them too? How many survived the US military refurbishment program? How many survived Bubba? How many survived the previous 65 years since they stopped manufacturing them? My guess would be a third to a half of them? It just helps me to realize how special each one is, including the beat-up pieces.Quote:
Originally Posted by browningautorifle
Thanks Singer B. Exactly how I feel.Quote:
Originally Posted by Singer B