Lend Lease Garands - What is the history/process of their arrival back to the States?

[Bob Seijas]

RCS is right on the money. Many collectors call any M1 with British Proofs "Lend Lease" -- they are not. In my considered opinion, only the first lot imported by Interarmco can be guaranteed as rifles supplied to England under the Lend Lease Act of March 1941 and suspended about April 1942. They are proofed under the op rod. Later rifles proofed on top of the barrel MAY be LL but usually are not, like the IHCs so marked. That just means they went through the Interarms facility in England as part of the export process. Most were acquired elsewhere in the world.

Information

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[browningautorifle]

In my considered opinion, only the first lot imported by Interarmco can be guaranteed as rifles supplied to England under the Lend Lease Act of March 1941 and suspended about April 1942. They are proofed under the op rod.

Right, there IS a serial range involved. There were so many countries supplied through the decades, but those that went to UK during the beginning are the ones meant when we speak of LL...not Greek, Danish, Honduras, and so on...

[jesse_]

M1s were even sent out in the 80s...

Here is a reply to a mans FOIA request on his CMP.

[RCS]

You can also find the London Proof on M1 rifles before, within and after the original group of 38,000 Lend Lease rifle serial number range.

Like the BNP these London Proofs can be located in the rear of the barrel near the date or between the gas cylinder rings on the barrel

My photo shows an excellent condition S-A 8-40 barrel with London proofs on a mid 1940 Springfield rifle. Also received a data sheet from a friend at GCA showing a direct conversion serial number 7860 with a S-A 8-40 dated barrel also with London proofs. Both these rifles are not Lend Lease rifles

[jesse_]

I'm happy to provide the contact info of the woman who is doing the M1 FOIA requests via DM.

[Bob Seijas]

The program called for rebuilt M1s to be sent, including WRA and rebuilt former Gas Traps, with only a small percentage of new SA production (3% IIRC). In practice, it turned out to be easier to just ship new guns from SA and so most LLs were new. A verifiable LL rebuild is scarce.

The problem we have is that it's hard to tell an LL rebuild from a regular rebuild unless it is marked in the barrel date area as IMO Sam Cummings specified on the original lot. Of course, it is much harder to mark there than simply on top of the barrel, but he knew collectors would hate the proofs and wanted them in as inconspicuous location as possible.

Interarms was unwilling to provide any information on the imports, despite what I thought was heavy pressure from my end about 1979. I got a response from John Ring, the Sales Manager saying, "You know as much about the arms business as I know about the stock market." LOL

[Bob Seijas]

The key questions we still want to know are:
(a) How many did Interarms import?
(b) Did they get them all in that first lot or were there subsequent buys of Lend Lease M1s?
(c) How many were SA new production?

Our records say we sent 38,001 M1s (unconfirmed lore always said another 50,000 were sent but the ship was torpedoed on the way over). Most were stored unused, but not all of them. Unconfirmed reports say some were issued to airfield guards. There are records that say the Commandos loved them and took 1,000. We assume the rest were warehoused in new condition and these are what Cummings bought. Were there other lots after that first one?