Is this M1D Authentic?

[bearhunter]

I would like some opinions on its authenticity.

The only M1D rifles I've seen with serial numbers of the scope and receiver stamped on the stock were from Taiwan.

Another fellow mentioned that the Hong Kong Police did the same thing.

I've never seen it on a Dane M1D or the other US M1D I owned previously.

The rifle was originally built in 1943 and has the had the molten lead dip treatment.

All parts, including the barrel are SA, which is S-A 53. The only parts not SA are the trigger group. The bore is pristine.

I have no provenance or story to go with the rifle.

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[Mark in Rochester]

Have never seen a staking on the attachment knob like that

Hinge pin on the mount - the ends should be rounded - can not tell

If the T37 has a casting ridge around the clearance for the cylinder lock screw then it is a fake T-37

a D barrel will have a 555 in the drawing number

the 6-53 on the pad looks odd - like it was hand drawn

Are there any marks on the receiver leg?

Many will not value a undocumented M1D

[Calif-Steve]

Just has the look of a modern re-creation. My M1D came out of Canada 20 years ago. It looks nothing like the one in question.

[bearhunter]

This M1D is in Canada. M1Ds are very scarce in Canada
.
The stamps on the cheek pad are definitely stamped, not drawn.

No casting ridge around the clearance for the lock screw

There is no 555 in the drawing number. I'm a little surprised at this one, I was under the impression that M1Ds were assembled from regular run of the mill rifles that had proven to be extraordinarily accurate, much like the British No4 T.

I will take a few more pics and see if I can impose on Badger to post more.

[bearhunter]

More pics .....

[mollydodger]

The barrel drawing number ending in 555 should be UNDER the rear handguard on top of the barrel. It appears your scope mount does have rounded ends on the hinge pin so I would say it is genuine USGI. Without paperwork to substantiate the rifle you will always be told it is worth the value of the parts. It could be a genuine USGI M1D but without definitive paperwork to prove it you have what must be assumed to be a parts rifle.

[GUTS]

The barrel drawing number ending in 555 should be UNDER the rear handguard on top of the barrel. It appears your scope mount does have rounded ends on the hinge pin so I would say it is genuine USGI. Without paperwork to substantiate the rifle you will always be told it is worth the value of the parts. It could be a genuine USGI M1D but without definitive paperwork to prove it you have what must be assumed to be a parts rifle.

The earlier M1C and some very early M1D's(SA) had the drawing number on the top of the barrel under the handguard, Most of the M1D's had the number on the side of the barrel, you could see it when you locked the bolt back. The correct number is: D7312555 MD 34 SA month year. This is the barrel on my M1D.



And the stock. A correct stock is normally marked like this.

Cheeck pad holes.



I also feel that there is a few different types of M1D. Original, Authentic, and just plain fake.

[JGaynor]

My M1D's Barrel is marked as follows:
Barrel – Under rear hand guard app. 3.5 inches in front of receiver ring (12 o’clock)
Drawing Number D7312555 A178B

Symbol - Ordnance Escutcheon (crossed cannons encircled by belt) M M


Barrel Date: at 3 o’clock viewed from chamber (viewable with bolt retracted)

S-A – 10-52

Letter “P” lying on its side

My understanding is that the M1D Barrel Assembly (D7312555 bbl w/ scope base) was marked in the majority of cases at 12 O'clock under the rear handguard.

Regards,

Jim

[GUTS]

My M1D's Barrel is marked as follows:
Barrel – Under rear hand guard app. 3.5 inches in front of receiver ring (12 o’clock)
Drawing Number D7312555 A178B

Symbol - Ordnance Escutcheon (crossed cannons encircled by belt) M M


Barrel Date: at 3 o’clock viewed from chamber (viewable with bolt retracted)

S-A – 10-52

Letter “P” lying on its side

My understanding is that the M1D Barrel Assembly (D7312555 bbl w/ scope base) was marked in the majority of cases at 12 O'clock under the rear handguard.

Regards,

Jim

Thanks Jim, I appologize for presenting information that wasn't 100% correct. I thought most of the M1D's were marked on the side.
Here is a picture from Mr. Canfields book of a late Fall, early Winter dated barrel marked at 3:00 like mine.

[bearhunter]

I can understand where your coming from mollydodger but in Canada we don't have the benefit of CMP. I'm very surprised that there isn't a lot more interest or knowledge about M1D rifles than seems to be available on the web.
To rely on CMP provenance is OK but it certainly leaves a lot to be desired. The US either loaned, leased or sold M1D rifles all over the world, including Canada, Denmark, England, Hong Kong, Korea, Viet Nam, Thailand, Taiwan, Norway, etc. Some of these nations, like Canada, just kept them in storage and other than to play with a few of them, never used them. Most went to Denmark in the mid fifties in a large sale. To nullify their existence by only accepting CMP provenance is like cutting off you nose to spite your face.

I guess you have a lot of rifles made up from parts in the US and it makes sense that it happens, given the availability of parts and the "mystique" of owning a sniper. It's to bad that the practise is so wide spread as to have an entire country rejecting the other rifles, just because they don't have CMP provenance. In other countries, the parts availability to make up these fakes is almost, if not nil.