I have this late 6.09 Garand...

[Akulahawk]

Dan,

Actually they started at serial number 1 in the 1970s. BATF told them they are duplicating US M1 serial numbers and suggested they continue numbering somewhere else which resulted in using the 7 million numbers. It's unknown how many they duplicated early but at one time SA Inc. was actively trying to get them back and have them exchanged.

Makes sense to me... I find it a stretch, though, that they'd get to 6.9 million before the BATFE told them to renumber. So... realistically, the SA, Inc. would have been either a fairly low number or over 7 million.

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[Joe W]

Makes sense to me... I find it a stretch, though, that they'd get to 6.9 million before the BATFE told them to renumber. So... realistically, the SA, Inc. would have been either a fairly low number or over 7 million.

I know you are correct regarding SA Inc. starting at 7 mil. Off hand I didn't recall, but I am sure Ramboueille was not implying that SA Inc. produced over 6 million rifles and reached the 6.9 mil. range. before being directed to renumber. My take is that he is just offering some historical information in regards to SA Inc.

[Ramboueille]

I know you are correct regarding SA Inc. starting at 7 mil. Off hand I didn't recall, but I am sure Ramboueille was not implying that SA Inc. produced over 6 million rifles and reached the 6.9 mil. range. before being directed to renumber. My take is that he is just offering some historical information in regards to SA Inc.

Makes sense to me... I find it a stretch, though, that they'd get to 6.9 million before the BATFE told them to renumber. So... realistically, the SA, Inc. would have been either a fairly low number or over 7 million.

You both are correct. The SA. Inc. new numbering started at 7,000,000 after BATF instructions. I don't know how many were built starting with serial number 1 before that. It wasn't many.