Here's a few photos of SA 929232 I purchased 9 years ago...

[kfields]

This is my first rambling post to this great site and thought I would start with showing you the Garand I have.
I always wanted a nice looking wartime manufactured Garand and so I ended up buying this from a guy in 2001 who had purchased it throught the CMP. As I recall, I paid $660 for it.
the serial number I believe puts it at October-ish 1942. I suspect it may have been reparked sometime in its' early life however the exposed areas of the finish appear to be thinning now. It also has an October 1942 dated barrel and what I've been told are some other period parts. Although probably not "Oct'42 correct", I added a set of wartime lockbar sights that I purchased from a reliable vendor at the Ohio Gun Collector Show sometime back.
I don't shoot it a lot (up to several dozen rounds per year) and there were some years where I didn't shoot it at all. I've had a love-hate relationship with it ever since I bought it as the first 8 years I had it, I was unable to run through a complete 8 rounds consecutively successfully. Either it would prematurely eject the enbloc and remaining rounds or the bolt wouldn't pick up the next round after firing or some other problem I've successfully squirreled away in my brain and no longer remember. I think there were several problems that existed.
I would experiment, try different things, replace a few inexpensive parts and finally solved the final problem! The lockup! I inserted two pieces of those garbage bag ties under the flats of the trigger group that locks against the wood and suddenly I'm in business! That old rifle now bangs away enbloc after enbloc without a hitch!
Anyway, here's some pics. Not the most beautiful rifle for sure but I appreciate it all the more having spent so much time trying to figure it out. The wood is not the prettiest but it looks like it has a long history. Lots of dimpling on the right side where GI's on the firing line in years past must have tapped the points of their rounds to ensure they were properly seated. I've also showed a photo of the cartouche (S.A. EMcF) with the impression of the large partial crossed cannons immediately to the right.
Do you think the cartouche is period original?
Thanks for reading my first post!
Kim

Information

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[Joe W]

I have often wondered about the "dimpling" found on some stocks, which is obviously caused by banging tips of the rounds of loaded clips on the stock to seat the rounds. Seems to be really prevalent on the Greek returns. I don't think many in the U.S. military used this practice, at least not on the "firing line". I could see it being done in a combat situation but in the peacetime military I can see this practice causing you a major problem during an inspection.
Anyone have any thoughts or knowledge of this practice ?

[RCS]

Banging the loaded clips was not allowed ! nor was it needed as the cartridges were already seated into the clips. The blanks were often loaded into clips but I never saw them banged on the stock. Special purpose such as tracer would be delinked from the belts and loaded into clips - but never banged on the stock to seat them.

Could also just be a nervous habit like the banging of a full pack of cigarettes
before you open the pack

[Bob Seijas]

We did it, but on our helmets. All it took to make you a believer was one clip with the top round not fully seated so you couldn't get it in. After that, you tapped.

[kfields]

I served in the Army sometime after the last of the wood stocked rifles went out of general issue so I can't attest to this personally. However like Bob mentioned above, some of the veterans I talked to who were issued an M1 rifle said tapping to fully seat rounds was done on occasion. Kim

[Bob Seijas]

GCA published a review of the best combat memoir I have ever read (Visions From a Foxhole) that contained this quote:

"Normally, I tapped a clip of eight rounds against the stock of my rifle to ensure that they were evenly spaced before shoving the clip into the rifle. But in my nervous haste, I performed a bad clip tap and they separated."

[22mike]

I was wondering why my Winchester had those dimples...........Ahhhhhh.......Thanks............ .

[ASAMP]

Another nice Garand....