Greek Return Garand Collectability ?

[22mike]

Do you think the CMP Greek Return M1 Garands with the black park will have any collector value ???

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[Bodyman]

While all Garands have a component of collectability regardless, it almost goes without saying that collectors want the most original items they can find - original finishes and condition are paramount with them.

As long as there are a pretty good supply of the excellent condition, original finish rifles coming to market, the Greek reparked wifles will be a bit stagnant below them. Once these really crispy ones dry up again, these good solid rifles will be free to flow with market demand. Reenactors really don't want to haul a mint original rifle around with them so they are looking more for a profile and they will always have a value there. Shooters would rather have excellent finish, freshly done or otherwise, than a partial original finish.

If current tastes persist, which no one can predict, the reparked or rebuilt rifles will always remain below the original rifles. It doesn't mean they are worthless, it means they will not attain the highest level of collectability and will simply trade at a lower price. But if the emphasis of owners down the road becomes more of a shooting use then the gone over, new from rebuild rifles may (likely) rise to levels we cannot anticipate today. For example, when the Danish rifles returned, folks were rather down on the VAR barreled rifles until they realized that they were some of the better shooting Garands they had encountered. The result is that now a nice VAR barreled rifle can sell for top buck (and quite honestly, I don't see them sell very often ...).

To answer the question a little bit better; collectability? Not really, at least not today. Value, especially for shooters? Lots of great bargains in that group.

AMHO.

[Bob Womack]

Agreeing with Bodyman, when I was looking for my first Garand, I was torn between an excellent shooter with wood and finish in excellent condition and an historical rifle. Budget was a factor, so the two mindsets competing within me were
1. desiring to see what a young enlistee drew from the armory in WWII (which were often brand new rifles), and
2. wanting a rifle that actually fought some of those battles (these days they are often worn, rebuilt, re-parked, with mixed parts).

What does that mean? There are folks out there who want good-looking, reasonably inexpensive rifles and are willing to pay a little premium to get one and there are the more hard-core collectors. The future of collectability, aka resale value, rides in the market of potential buyers at any given moment.

Bob

[Bodyman]

does that make me an elf?

[DTC]

Has my Greek return got what's considered the "black" parkerizing?

It doesn't appear especially black (as in the photos posted above)- and it doesn't appear especially greeen, either.



Personally, I bought my Greek because it was in such fine shape compared to the beaters I was seeing- and because I could afford it, and wanted to shoot it.

Do I still want an original, period-correct USGI Garand, you betcha!

-Mike

[hammonje]

Personally, I don't like the look of the light park....I prefer the dark park. I also am much more interested in the condition of the rifle than the correctness. I never got caught up in trying to make my rifles original, I was more worried about trying to shoot X's and 10's with them at Garand matches. I am a shooter and so look more for quality in the metal, barrel, and USGI wood. I am big on the wood being at least USGI though.

All Garands have collectability, Greek returns just have additional history beyond serving in WWII and/or Korea. Another chapter of use and even more history behind them. I am not trying to get rich from my lot of 6 CMP Garands. I know for a fact that none of them will have original barrels in five or so years, b/c I will have shot them out. They will be passed to my children or family anyway.

[Bob Womack]

does that make me an elf?

You and me both.

[Kirk]

There are many kinds of collectors!

There are the Purists who want a rifle in pristine condition just as it left the maker with every part "original" to that rifle.

There are those who want their rifle to be Correct, every part identical to a part that was originally on the rifle (even if they had to swap parts off of 10 other rifles to get them.)

There are Historical Era collectors who want a M1841 rifle as it was used in 1862 (but not 1863) and accepts modifications and added parts as long as it is part their Era.

There are Historical Place collectors who want a rifle used on Utah Beach and doesn't care how correct or original the parts are.

There are collectors who are shooters who prize function & accuracy above all else.

There are collectors in between and part of these categories (& others).

Each evaluates a particular rifle in light of their own preferences.

The Greek return Garand will always have it's niche; as Bodyman and others point out, their value will be lower that a pristine rifle (Condition is everything, someone once said) but they will always be an Authentic Greek return Garand as their ancestry can be traced through the CMP. That adds a bit of uniqueness to them.

When the Greek Garands & 1903s were being sold by the CMP, there were lots of Want to Buy ads such as "WTB good Garand wood to replace ugly Greek take off" and "WTS: Ugly Greek Garand stock set, $5 with metal; seller will split shipping".

By 2020, I expect to see the following WTB add: "WTB original Greek Garand stock set. Must be original garish orange color; no restained or sanded stocks considered. Will pay $350 for a good set; will pay a premium for oversize wood.

[tazaroo]

For the record can we stop calling the black Greek enamel "Greek Park". One would thing based on most of the US martial arms most of us have owned/inspected some could tell the difference between paint and parkerizing.

[Bodyman]

"Has my Greek return got what's considered the "black" parkerizing?

It doesn't appear especially black (as in the photos posted above)- and it doesn't appear especially greeen, either."

Some of the late parkerizing is quite black and if in good shape it can be mistaken for a black repark - they are often original finishes. Some of the Greek returns came back in such nice condition that they are sometimes confused with reparked rifles (I guess we aren't use to such super nice quality...). Greek 'whatever you want to call it' tends to be extremely black and often it is quite 'shiny'. It is best seen in side by side comparisons and of course a hands on would be helpful, but from the pic yours does not appear to be a repark but much more like an original finish.