1941 garand questions

[Veloce]

Thank you, again for all of your input.
Having looked at this rifle one more time, I decided to pass on it on the account of redone stock and price that did not reflect the stock alterations.
Thank you, all!

[oneshot onekill]

I guess I should clarify Bill... EVERY Garand that was returned to the US by the Military after WWII was stripped down and and then rebuilt using whatever parts were serviceable, no matter the original brand. That's simply a documented fact. I guess a few may have been smuggled back by troops or were battlefield pick-ups that made it back here somehow. But rest assured, if it came back in the Military's hands it was rebuilt. Even if it was a brand new rifle that just arrived overseas as the War ended. That's just what they did.

[NRA]

the only exception is the ones made after the Korean war, they are all correct?

[oneshot onekill]

Yes, it's my understanding there are some 50's Garands that are unmolested. I like to think mine is one of them but who knows. I would never presume so. I know it's at least not in it's original stock. It's in a Type 2 national match stock. But all of the metal is correct for a 1955 Springfield Garand. But again... I'd never presume it to be unmolested.

[Joe W]

I guess I should clarify Bill... EVERY Garand that was returned to the US by the Military after WWII was stripped down and and then rebuilt using whatever parts were serviceable, no matter the original brand. That's simply a documented fact. I guess a few may have been smuggled back by troops or were battlefield pick-ups that made it back here somehow. But rest assured, if it came back in the Military's hands it was rebuilt. Even if it was a brand new rifle that just arrived overseas as the War ended. That's just what they did.

How about the rifles that came back with the troops after the war ended ?? I am not sure about Army procedure but I am pretty sure that Marines returning to the states would have taken there rifles back with them. Those Marines stationed at Camp LeJeune or Camp Pendleton when the war ended would have kept there rifles until they were discharged. I am sure as the Marine Corps downsized following the war a number of M1 rifles did go to overhaul, but they still had to keep quite a number on hand for the post war troops. I know from first hand experience that there were still rifles in the armories at Camp Lejeune, in WW2 configuration, in the mid 1950's. Quite a few rifles with lock bar sights and single slot gas cylinder lock screws. As very few marines fired granades it really didn't become necessary to change out the lock screws until the introduction of the M5 bayonet. Had these rifles went through an overhaul / rebuild after WW2 they would no longer have had those lock bar sights or lock screws.

[Bill Hollinger]

Joe, Oneshot, there are more than a few Korea era photographs that show lock bar sights. National guard units may have taken their rifles back to their respective armories and after a good thorough cleaning and perhaps a re-barrel they would have been stashed back in their racks and may have stayed that way for many years.

[ABPOS]

Wouldn't this one have lock bar sights if it was all original?

[Bill Hollinger]

No, as I stated in my first post, the flush nut is correct for this rifle.

[Joe W]

Wouldn't this one have lock bar sights if it was all original?

The short pinion w/ lock bar didn't show up until about Mar. 1942, as Bill said, the Flush Nut is correct for this rifle.

[Bill Hollinger]

A clarification is required here fellas:

The re-barreling of any weapon would not have taken place at such a low level as a NG armory. It would have been at a much higher level. If such upgrades would have been applied, updated sights, relieved op-rods just to name two would have been appropriate. This does not change my belief that more than a few M1 rifles made it back without going through arsenal rebuilds and adding all the latest updates and upgraded accoutrements.