Welded Receivers

[limpetmine]

Yes, didn't know about those. I was still playing with BB guns and homemade napalm in the 60's. Of course M-1 imports would have ended in 1968 with the GCA of 1968, and that provision being lifted in 1986 at the cost of no more giggle switches. Not a good trade IMO. The rifles that you mentioned had to have been sucked up and socked away. From 1972 to 1986, I can count on one hand the number of M-1's I saw for sale at gun stores and the few gun shows I could attend in my teens.

You skipped a couple: the first was the Interarms import of LL guns with British Proofs. They were everywhere in the 1960s. Then came the Police Sales by firms like SEA selling M1s from Honduras and Guatemala. Cops bought them cheap and resold them for a fat profit. I helped several local officers do it until ATF declared that they had to buy them with checks from the town.

[Bob Seijas]

count on one hand the number of M-1's I saw for sale at gun stores and the few gun shows

It was so strange, you couldn't find a decent M1, then all these mint LL guns appeared... and collectors shunned them because of the British proofs. A ratty DCM gun would bring $200 but the LLs sat on tables at $125.

[HOOKED ON HISTORY]

ROSS — Mr. Michael Lem Gross, aged 61, of Coopersville, formerly of Wyoming, passed away of accidental injuries on Thursday, May 8, 2003. Sergeant First Class Gross retired as a 31 year veteran in the Marine Corps and Army National Guard

Looks as though he set a pretty good example given the service members down stream.

[Redleg]

I welded up a receiver, well over 40 years ago when i was taking a machine shop course as part of my hobibes.

Using the proper size steel alignment bars in the bolt channel and op rod channel, and put into a stock with the trigger guard snapped into place helped a great deal.
Keeping the firing pin safety slot aligned required careful placement. Needless to say this was before the admonitions in the Kuhnhausen Garand Book, and of course I used parts that had conflicting front receiver mod number and serial number.

Darn thing worked well and gave me lots of practice on a Bridgeport mill.....the came in the blue skys' and flood of guns.
I cut mine up afterwards. Plenty of M14's were also welded up, but not by me.

[enbloc8]

I think I've seen only one reweld in all the years I was going to shows. Makes me wonder what happened to them.

[Bob Seijas]

Many are like zombies and surface periodically at shows or on line. Some, like mine, were turned in when the DCM offered a receiver exchange for worn out receivers. For something like $21 (IIRC) you sent an old receiver and you got back a refurbished, new-condition barreled receiver... what a deal! They said no welds but they took whatever you sent. Billy Pyle told me he bought a pair of demil halves, glued them together with Bondo and spray painted it black. They took it and sent him a 1940 receiver with the original 1940 barrel.

[browningautorifle]

They took it and sent him a 1940 receiver with the original 1940 barrel.

Nice catch...

[Frank46]

Buddy who owned a gun shop had bought 100 of the Blue Sky Garands. Walked in the shop one Saturday and it looked like a bunch of demented beavers were at work. Everyone was tearing open the boxes looking for their Garand. I got a nice one, excellent barrel, sights and finish. $250 and out the door. Still have it 35 years later. Shoots very well, stock was nothing to write home about. Midway had complete sets of wood for $120 at the time. Swapped it out and saved the old wood. Frank

[browningautorifle]

Still have it 35 years later.

Love to see that rifle Frank...