28 Feb 2023 Garand Picture of the Day

[Bob Seijas]

In the early days before the Garand Collectors Association, a reader would periodically write to the American Rifleman magazine and ask about the last M1 Garand. Their answer was always that the last M1 rifle, serial number 6,084,405, was completed on May 17, 1957 and was accompanied by an elaborate ceremony that was attended by John C. Garand. This was universally accepted until another reader wrote to say, “You said the last Garand was 6084405 but I have one numbered 6090234.” The NRA would respond with the information that they were not assembled in serial number order and that it is likely that higher numbers were made before the last one on May 17th. They then stated that the highest serial number used was 6099905. We all took that as gospel for years… until Chuck Clawson turned up 6100212 at the Ohio Gun Show! Examination showed to be a perfect National Match M1 that was obviously original. Now what?

It inspired me to wangle an invitation from Joe Casadei, head of the DCM Sales and Donations Section at Rock Island to research their records. These were typed 3x5 paper slips in file cabinets and were arranged in drawers in serial number order… LOTS of them. However, I learned a great deal from examining these records over three days. Directly on point here was the discovery that a block of 500 receivers were numbered from 6100000 to 6100499 and most of them were used to build National Match rifles. The highest was sold to Robert Miner in October 1958.