September 1941 - Lend Lease M1 Rifle

[Bob Seijas]

There is strong evidence that at least the first lot of Garands in 1959 were those provided to GB under the LL program. The dates and specifications of the Lend Lease Act narrow the serial range to late 1941-early 1942 and rebuilds from earlier production. The story of how and when Cummings acquired Garands from the British government is well known (by buying Cogswell & Harrison as you state). There were almost no M1s in the US collector market prior to IA imports in 1958-59 except a few from DCM sales and vet bring-backs. The imports were in the right serial range and had the red paint on them, so we can be pretty confident they were the Lend Lease guns. After that first lot proofed under the op rod, we can suppose that M1s in the right range and with BPs could be LL, but we can't be absolutely sure.

[browningautorifle]

Here's something I didn't initially notice until I started photographing the rifle.

Yes, it took years before I knew what those impressions were. It took until I came to this forum and started investigating...the bolt and barrel ring are so hard that it destroyed the dies and flattened them out so after a time of stamping they barely showed. As Bob was saying they moved the stamps forward later and then discontinued this practice as it was so destructive and barely serviceable. I was always glad this rifle didn't have the markings between the rings on the gas cylinder.

By the way, it should still have the full round firing pin in it...the half round came later. I made sure the full round was in it because I didn't fire it like that...

[RCS]

It is not common to find any 1940 dated barrel with British proofs. The barrel in my photo is in excellent condition and S-A 8-40 dated and with London proofs. Also found a data sheet among the GCA data sheets that shows SA s/n 7860 stated to be a direct conversion from gas trap to gas port and also with a S-A 8-40 barrel with London proofs.

[Bob Seijas]

Yes, any London proofs are scarce, most are Birmingham. Although the bulk of the LL guns were meant to be rebuilt early rifles, including Gas Traps, it evidently didn't turn out that way because the vast bulk of those seen in the 1959 imports were from new 41-42 production at SA. There were supposed to be WRAs sent, too, but I've never actually seen one with BPs under the op rod.

[Bob Seijas]

There has always been an unsubstantiated story that a ship with 50,000 Garands was torpedoed and sunk in the North Atlantic. Maybe that's where all the rebuilt LL M1s went.

[browningautorifle]

a ship with 50,000 Garands was torpedoed and sunk in the North Atlantic.

We better get out there and find her then...

[Bob Seijas]

If they had as much cosmoline on them as I think they had, they could still be there

[browningautorifle]

If they had as much cosmoline on them as I think

Sort of what I was thinking, love to find out.