My First Garand

[Danny]

Why would a beat up looking Garand which has been defaced, and is possibly well worn, be good "match gun potential"? It doesn't make sense.

Danny

I owned two ww2 Chinese loan lease CAI import 1903's. Never knew why but they had all markings except serials ground, and I mean all including the flaming bomb and dates on barrels and the safe/fire on the safety lever. They were then electro-penciled and stamped rifle 1903 3006 USA/CAI. as I remember. It was sad.
That Garand looks like good match gun potential! Congrats!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !

[Curt]

Why would a beat up looking Garand which has been defaced, and is possibly well worn, be good "match gun potential"? It doesn't make sense.

Danny

It has a good barrel even though we don't know condition. If it didn't gauge well I would put on a new barrel, replace all worn out parts, fit some new wood to it, replace all springs,get a trigger job and be on my way. It may not have been too expensive, it will never be a collectors piece and may be hard to sell with the handywork on the markings.
I don't see a point in building a match rifle out of a expensive Garand mine end up sitting in the sun,rain snow and getting bounced to hell and back in a range cart.

[Dan Wilson]

Well the D28291-3 means its a revision 3 receiver (the other numbers/letter above the drawing number just ID the steel lot and inspectors).

Rev 3 receivers were made from Sept 40 to May or June of 41.

Dan

[Danny]

I don't see a point in spending time and money on making a "match rifle" out of something that will only look terrible and yield no pride in ownership. The receiver may well be worn, or even worn out. Springfield Armory didn't search for the worst receivers to build their NM Rifles on. Springfield Armory searched out the best of the receivers to build the NM Rifles on, probably mostly new ones.

Danny

It has a good barrel even though we don't know condition. If it didn't gauge well I would put on a new barrel, replace all worn out parts, fit some new wood to it, replace all springs,get a trigger job and be on my way. It may not have been too expensive, it will never be a collectors piece and may be hard to sell with the handywork on the markings.
I don't see a point in building a match rifle out of a expensive Garand mine end up sitting in the sun,rain snow and getting bounced to hell and back in a range cart.

[Curt]

Pride in ownership? not what I look for in a working gun. It is about shooting. My current match garand was a blue sky that looked like it had been pulled from a burning tank. It brings home medals every season. It was a $250 clunker I dropped $800 into and gave a it a new life. It is ugly as sin but shoots like a dream.I understand your pride of ownership idea if I had one Garand I would want it to be nice.

BTW I do own a 1967 Type 2 NM,IHC's,HRAs, a 1963 1911A1 NM, 1903A4, a collection of original bring back carbines.I have never fired a round thru any of them. I shoot 18 matches a year and teach 4 more clinics. No reason to subject a nice gun to any of that.

[DaveN]

I would try to find a way to find out the serial #. Does anyone know, maybe some sort of chemical that can bring out a pattern of damage when the serial # was struck. It looks to be a 5 digit # from here. Also, there has to be some way to polish that stencil on the side of the receiver. I type out of concern for what looks to be a veteran ( the rifle ) that in my twisted opinion or not, deserves touching up if nothing else. once again just my opinion.

[DaveN]

actually I may be full of !@# the spacing in the photo may suggest a 6 digit serial # ?

[browningautorifle]

That's what I said in the beginning. The lot number agrees.

[Peter Costas]

I saw an import Russian Nagant a few months back with the same type of engraving. The guy selling it said that was now the required legal method of marking import rifles. No more barrel stamping. It is a shame. They could do it in a less obvious spot. However it is giving chimps a legit line of work.
Peter

[Bob Womack]

So, all the Garad and Carbine re-imports from South Korea are going to be defaced?

Bob