Help me date my Garand and its parts

[Amsdorf]

Brought my "new" M1 Garand home today.

So far, I know the following:

The receiver is a Springfield Armory M1 Garand receiver, manufactured in Sept. 1944, according to the serial number on the receiver.

I've got two sets of numbers on the trigger assembly

On the bottom it has C-46025 W.R.A.
On the side of the trigger housing it has D28290 WRA

The right edge of the receiver, on the flat surface toward the front, there are the following letters/numbers. On top are stamped: B3 then a 5 and an 8 toward the very front, the letter H.

Then below these stamps is are the following D 28291 35

On the barrel is some kind of symbol, kind of a little half moon with a conical shape, then about 1.5 inch down are stamped: 3-SA 944

The top of the bolt is stamped with D6528287 HRA and the letter U is under this series of numbers and letters.

The butt stock and lower hand gard are a lighter wood, brown, with nice wood grain, showing dings and "dents" with the number 36 hand painted on the bottom of the butt stock in front of the bottom of the butt plate.

The upper stock and forward part of the upper stock is a darker wood, a reddish cherry color. It seems to me the upper furniture is older, perhaps original?

OK, I would appreciate any thoughts on this.

Information

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[GUTS]

The trigger guard is is Winchester, the trigger housing is also Winchester. On the reciever the B3 5 8 H is the heat lot code and the D 28291 35 is the drawing number. The 3 SA 9 44 is the barrel date. The bolt is post war Harrington and Richardson(approx. 1953-1956).

[browningautorifle]

It's common for the wood to be changed as it gets beat up. That's why it doesn't match. You can get replacement wood or even new wood if you like. There's more drawing numbers than that(they're everywhere)and they will help you date the parts and their relation to the rifle's date of manufacture. If you list them we can have a "look" at your rifle that way. Also Pics would be nice.

[Amsdorf]

Here you go....photos!

OK, I've just finished shooting photos of the field stripped M1.

I think anyone can access the photo set I've created in Flickr, so give this link a whirl and let me know what you think.


Lots of photos.

[Bill Hollinger]

It has be re-parkerized and looks like most any other post war rebuild. Congratulations on your Garand.

[browningautorifle]

Agreed nothing unusual and this one will serve you well. I personally would seek out a matching lower stock group. These guys will have something lying around.

[Amsdorf]

I wondered about that. My son asked me if I was going to try to match up the lower stock with the upper furniture. I'm kind of concerned about trying to that over the Internet, since I can't really do a color match, but I certainly think it would be cool for it all to match.

Do you have any suggestions where I could look to do that online that is reliable?

[Bill Hollinger]

You could really doll it up by buying a slim line CMP stock set. It would make the whole rifle look new and everything would match.

With metal, stock #082M $149.95 + $8.95 shipping and no metal, stock #082 $118.95 + $8.95 shipping.

[Orlando]

Just dye the stock to match handguards, simple and cheap

[browningautorifle]

Sometimes that doesn't work.