My favorite Winchester M1 Rifle

[Bob Seijas]

When you get the current GCA Journal, read my article on the first production lot of the M1... I consider it very much like WRA's Educational Order: it took SA almost a year to make the first 1500 guns as they learned how to do it along the way. I also estimate that serials for the first 1500 ran as high as 2100 for the reasons Robert listed. There were LOTS of machining mistakes that required reworking and even scrapping. Since the receiver serial was already applied when it got to actual assembly, they just reached for another. The contract simply called for a number of rifles. and, at least at SA, no thought whatsoever was given to serial numbers.

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[SRiverrat11]

When you get the current GCA Journal, read my article on the first production lot of the M1... I consider it very much like WRA's Educational Order: it took SA almost a year to make the first 1500 guns as they learned how to do it along the way. I also estimate that serials for the first 1500 ran as high as 2100 for the reasons Robert listed. There were LOTS of machining mistakes that required reworking and even scrapping. Since the receiver serial was already applied when it got to actual assembly, they just reached for another. The contract simply called for a number of rifles. and, at least at SA, no thought whatsoever was given to serial numbers.

That was an excellent and informative article Bob, thank you.