7.62 NATO barrels

[Publius]

About 10 years ago when CMP started selling the Danish M1s I got a WW2 era rifle with an excellent VAR barrel. It was pure luck of the draw at that time. I took it to my local military gun shop and the armorer there talked me into converting it to 7.62 NATO. He swapped it out for a USGI barrel (SA 1965 IIRC) and reparked the receiver. Turned out perfectly IMO and shot well. I paid $300 plus the VAR barrel for the job. How rare are these barrels and what are they going for now? In retrospect I guess I got a good deal.

Information

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[John R.]

I have seen brand new US GI 1965 and 1966(mine is a 3-66 SA) dated 7.62 barrels go for upwards of $500.Mind you they were new in the tubes.I was offered $300 plus for my last,still in the wrap VAR barrel but breeched it up to a mint/new BMR receiver.I still have to ream the chamber as it is WAY short.

So figure at least $200 for that used VAR takeoff,PLUS $300 cash(and you got a repark on the receiver and installation/headspacing etc) so I figure that you came out ahead of the game.
PLUS,you say it shoots well so I'd say you won.
Regards,

John R.

[Publius]

I just remembered he gave me a box of match grade M852 ammo to go with it. I don't remember seeing the barrel new in the wrap but I'm sure it was never used. I put a new Boyd's stock on it and shot it in a couple of highpower matches.

[beachmaster73]

The 7.62mm NATO Navy M1 barrels still command an exceptional premium. I'd guess that unless you had put a few thousand round through it in match shooting the SA 7.62 Natos built in 65 and 66 will always command a pricetag in excess of $500. They are certainly far more rare than any VAR and most of them...especially those air gauged by Don McCoy at NWS Crane Indidana will out shoot any other military M1 barrel. Beach

[Bill Ricca]

The SA barrels are quite common. The Rock Island from 1969 are much harder to find and were designed for NM ammunition.


Here is a new, never installed H&R.

[32-20 guy]

The 7.62mm NATO Navy M1 barrels still command an exceptional premium. I'd guess that unless you had put a few thousand round through it in match shooting the SA 7.62 Natos built in 65 and 66 will always command a pricetag in excess of $500. They are certainly far more rare than any VAR and most of them...especially those air gauged by Don McCoy at NWS Crane Indidana will out shoot any other military M1 barrel. Beach

I just introduced myself on the new first timers with comments about Don McCoy.

[Publius]

The SA barrels are quite common. The Rock Island from 1969 are much harder to find and were designed for NM ammunition.

Here is a new, never installed H&R.

I may be wrong, but it looks like that barrel was made at Springfield Armory. It has SA before the drawing number. Did H&R buy them from SA and stamp them for their receivers?

[Calif-Steve]

The H&R contract ended around 1955. The 7.62mm barrels were made 1965/66. I think the 7.62mm barrel contract was for the US Navy. Very nice barrels, for sure. But understand they were unchambered (.30-'06) barrel blanks that Springfield chambered into 7.62mm. They were standard blanks, not NM blanks. But very nice!

[Bill Ricca]

SA made barrels for both H&R and AMC.

SA had two runs of barrels, one in 1965, and a second one in 1966.

The 65 run was from standard blanks, due to the initial gas port size. The 66 run all had the larger gas port.

Bill Ricca's 7.62mm Gas Port Information

[HRA466]

I think SA made the barrels for the Navy. The Navy let contracts to American Machine & Foundry as well as H&R to assemble MK2 MOD1, 7.62MM Garands. AMC and H&R added a larger "7.62" as well as their own markings, "AMC," or "H&R" to show that they did the work.

Both AMC and H&R also built MK2 MOD0 rifles for the Navy. These were Garands that had a spacer placed in the chamber to accomodate 7.62MM ammo.

The Navy used the SA barrels for NM rifles. They were selected by air gauging them as I recall.

For additional info see articles in The Garand Stand Report and The GCA Journal.