late 43 garand

[Bodyman]

Hard to get too specific - the pics are pretty fuzzy (does your camera have a macro setting?). It looks VERY clean. Is the barrel breach parked or in the white - should be in the white if original finish/assy. On the oprod, if the modification is still bare metal then it could well be original finish, but if the mod is parked then it is obviously refinished (though it could be almost contemporary). On those pics I am not seeing anything flagrantly wrong with the cartouch. Serial range seems early for a type 3 lockbar and it even looks out of place.

Overall I would say that it looks like it has been helped a little at the least, but if it is a put-together then they sure seemed to have some nice parts from which to draw, and short fork rods and single slot lock screws are just tough enough that those are usually the parts skipped. It sounds like you did OK on the price, do you have any Garand guys like Gus Fisher nearby that can give it a going over before you take it the range?

Congrats - looks very nice.

(I was trying to find a good GAW to post for you so you can compare it yourself, but I can't seem to find a nice strong one - maybe someone else can post a good pic of an original GAW).

[rice 123]

The best guy I know in Omaha on Garands is the guy that works in the store that sold it to me. He said that the Lock bar was wrong for that serial number. He would not say either way on the cartouch and he felt that the barrel and receiver were original finish. I was not going to buy it at 1100 but when I was able to work a trade for my Greek rack grade garand and 400 I jumped. I got the Rack Garand when the greeks first came out and they were really cheap so I do not have that much $ in it. It just seems to clean for something not to be wrong with it I do not know how much of it is original. Years ago when I bought what I was told was a all correct IHC. I then found out that It had a fake stock and a RAD 65 rebuild inscribed on the receiver leg ( I was knew to the hobby) after that I try to be careful of garands or carbines that are to nice or to correct

[Devil Dog]

"the only thing I could see wrong was a modified curve side 9 op rod and the trigger group was all correct but did not match for color with the barrel and receiver."

I believe the accelator pin should be bright and I know the trigger guard should be forged not stamped.

[Bodyman]

but it sounds like even if it is a put-together you did very well on the price.

Hopefully someone else has a bit of time to post a good GAW for you to compare yours to.

[drshame]

CMP Fall '43 Service Grade Springfield with Nov. '43 Springfield Barrel, got to be close to yours.

209XXX, late '43 Build I believe.
I restored the stock with Tung Oil Finish and knocked it down some after this pix. When I first got it the stock was sticky and dull.

[Joe W]

"the only thing I could see wrong was a modified curve side 9 op rod and the trigger group was all correct but did not match for color with the barrel and receiver."

I believe the accelator pin should be bright and I know the trigger guard should be forged not stamped.

Trigger guard is forged.