Texas M1A

[Bob Seijas]

Need some help on pricing an early M1A that I have a chance to buy. It's a Texas gun but not Devine, serial in the 2000 range, maybe a bit earlier. Evidently made from leftover receivers bought after they moved. Can anybody give me a value? Thanks!

Information

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[GUTS]

Bob, what are the barrel markings and what is the rest of the rifle made up from? There is a nice Devine on GB right now for $3600 but I don't see the Texas or the Devine rifles coming up for sale much. You can still buy standard Springfield M1As for $1500 so that would be the low M1A price range and I saw a Devine on one of the other gun auction sites with a Leatherwood scope and he wanted $6000. I wish I could help more.

[Bob Seijas]

Thanks, GUTS. Two friends and I bought them from a Texas smith who had purchased receivers from SA when they moved. I can't recall who it was. When the guns arrived, one was gorgeous, one was average, one was a rat, so we drew straws for them. Although it was my idea in the first place, I got the rat Unfortunately, the guy who got the beauty has passed, and his son is selling the collection.

[GUTS]

This doesn't help with value so much but maybe you can fit the number in here somewhere.
Record of Texas M1A Rifles - M14 Forum

[Cass]

Need some help on pricing an early M1A that I have a chance to buy. It's a Texas gun but not Devine, serial in the 2000 range, maybe a bit earlier. Evidently made from leftover receivers bought after they moved. Can anybody give me a value? Thanks!

Hi Bob:

I was going to connect you to the same forum that GUTS gave you for more reading material. That forum does not allow discussion of values, so it is just for general info.

Devine M1A - M14 Forum

The true Devine rifles seem to run in the $2500 to $3500 range or higher. Some were originally sold with NM parts while others were standard rifles. A lot of the value comes from the Devine barrel markings and Texas background. Barrel condition is naturally a factor since once the barrel is replaced it loses one of its key features. A few have shown up with the original Devine Texas box and paperwork that add a lot to the value.

Some of the 2000 range receivers were completed in Illinois. Those tend to have a lower value (if they can be confirmed by SAI customer service as being sold by them), yet the value on an early Illinois rifle is not bad either, say $2000 and up.

It sounds like the rifle you have may fall in between those bookends. Was it Elmer Ballance that sold it originally, he was the original owner? He is still around in Devine Texas and might be able to offer some insight. There were also some assembled by LH Gun Co and some with Radium Texas barrels as you have probably seen from the link Guts provided.

Hope this helps.

Cass

[jeep]

Bob I just sold one last month a correct Devine NM 4-digit near new for close to $4000 made in 1973. All G.I. with Canadian Arsenal contract barrel that gauged new. A rec. that was not made as a whole stamped Devine would not value any more than $1500-2000 for a shooter.

[mikebaker1129]

I would say $2500,unless the barrel is marked.
I sold a legit Devine marked USGI SA made Barrel that gauged 1 over 8 years ago for $400 cash. It was one of only a few Legit loose Devine barrels known to exist.I did not have a Devine rifle , so I passed it on to someone that did.

[noelekal]

Supposedly, this is a tail-end Devine component receiver that was probably assembled in Geneseo. Has a 1-68 SAK barrel and no Devine markings. The stock that was on it when it was acquired used at the Dallas Market Hall gun show years ago was dark birch.

It was purchased to supplement an M1 in high-power competition and for general shooting fun. No premium was paid for it at the time and I was unaware of any significance of the receiver's serial number. It's just a shooter. Shown here doing what it does best, shooting down a canyon off the rim, turning rocks into gravel from 350 yards to infinity.