M1 Garand Question

[Bob Womack]

Hey Bob
So they did replacement stocks without cartouches.

I don't actually know what parts were made for inventory. Journalist Ernie Pyle wrote of medium ordnance companies in Normandy spending their morning salvaging rusting, damaged rifles by stripping them down to the parts. They threw the usable parts in pans of gasoline then scrubbed and sandpapered them back into spec. In the afternoon the oiled and assembled the parts to create complete, usable rifles. There was no mention of the companies bringing a store of spare parts from the 'States but I can't imagine that the rifle stayed in inventory for over twenty-three years without the Army, Navy, Marines, et. al. keeping spares of just about everything.

Bob