Let's do some thinking!

[Bodyman]

There is some of the experimental stuff, like I got to see a legit experimental box magazine Winchester (flat mint and gorgeous). There is also an early experimental coating called 'pentrate', but there might only be one of those left though ...

It is hard to collect stuff like that, though. But then some of the experimental stuff is rare but a bit more available, like the teflon coated Garands? I got to see one for sale here at a very high end gunshow years ago (and of course they wanted a very high end price ...). Then when I got to go down to Quantico I saw a whole rack of about a dozen of these funny greenish looking Garands - sure enough; teflon coated. Very neat and they even feel a little slippery. USMC tested the coating somewhere in the 50's, IIRC. I don't know how many were ever made but some of them managed to find their way out into the world.

There are also the ones that you just don't really think of. I think it might have been Dick Culver who spoke of a rack of HRA M1D's (or was it Bob Seccombe) while he was in the service. I have seen plenty of SA's and WRA's and know of one IHC that was sent out of the CMP, but I have never seen a papered HRA. That would be a neat rack of rifles - all 4 makers in M1D's.

Information

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[Ramboueille]

Legitimate M1C USMC MC 1952 rifles might be good candidates too Rick.

Some of those 5,000,000 - 5,000,499 SA's showed up in the imports some years ago plus what CMP found. Some were destroyed.

[Rick B]

Legitimate M1C USMC MC 1952 rifles might be good candidates too Rick.

Some of those 5,000,000 - 5,000,499 SA's showed up in the imports some years ago plus what CMP found. Some were destroyed.

I did forget about those. Many who get a M1C drilled receivers with the SA-52 on the heal do not know the real story to those having been readied for mounts but not used, correct? Rick B

[bphealey]

Many who get a M1C drilled receivers with the SA-52 on the heal do not know the real story to those having been readied for mounts but not used, correct? Rick B

Please tell me more. I have seen 2 of these stripped recievers.

[Ramboueille]

Please tell me more. I have seen 2 of these stripped recievers.

Those receivers were plugged and returned to standard issue status originally by SA when the need for M1C's was no longer needed.
Some owners remove the plugs and restore them to M1C status and some owners leave them alone as a variation in themselves.

[bphealey]

I did forget about those. Many who get a M1C drilled receivers with the SA-52 on the heal do not know the real story to those having been readied for mounts but not used, correct? Rick B

Those receivers were plugged and returned to standard issue status originally by SA when the need for M1C's was no longer needed.
Some owners remove the plugs and restore them to M1C status and some owners leave them alone as a variation in themselves.

In the collecting circle which is the preferance on those receivers? It was the first time I had seen a stamp on the heel. I would one day like to add an M1C to my collection so any knowledge is power (so they say)

[GPlourde]

I'll throw out the 3.88mil and above WWII SA's, since there is so little information, I wonder what is the last SN stamped on a receiver.

[MD220]

How about a M1 that hit the beaches at Normandy and was carried across Europe.I saw one in my life and I can 't think of any rarer M1! Anything else would be miniscule in my opinion.Although very young at the time,I'm very glad to have had the chance to see it!!!

[Bob Seijas]

My candidate for rarest production guns would be the Model Shop First 80, but Bodyman's Pentrate finished guns are right up there. Rarest part is the welded seam op rod.