QUESTION ABOUT CORRECT BOLT FOR SA GARAND

[GBEAR1]

WHAT IS THE CORRECT BOLT LOT NUMBER FOR AN SA GARAND MADE 5/44? ALSO SHOULD THE FINISH OF THE BOLT MATCH THE FINISH OF THE RECEIVER OR SHOULD IT BE A DIFFERENT SHADE OF FINISH? THANKS IN ADVANCE.

Information

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[RCS]

I have an original April 1944 rifle with a S-A 4-44 barrel the bolt is rev 12 heat lot code S-A1<> and almost the same color as the receiver (which is lighter than say 1941 or 1942 receiver colors. You can not pinpoint a certain heat lot code to these rifles as there are about four or five heat lot codes used during this time period. I will say that maybe 50% of the rifles where you can find good data sheets will show S-A1<> or S-B7<> heat lot codesAttachment 81627Attachment 81628Attachment 81629Attachment 81630

[Bob Seijas]

D28287-12SA with a variety of heat lots.

[Orlando]

A rifle with all exact matching color parkerizing is often a sign that it has been refinished.

[Bob Seijas]

It kinda varies with time periods... some eras are characterized by uniform Park (like early and late SA), while others show variation, especially in bolts and op rods. A darker bolt in a 1944 SA is probably OK.

[GBEAR1]

ARE THE GARAND BOLTS LIKE THE BARRELS AS FAR AS POSSIBLY BEING OFF DATE BY UP TO 3 MONTHS? MORE SPECIFICALY CAN A BOLT WITH A LOT NUMBER THAT DATES 2 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE RECIEVER BE ORIGINAL AS ISSUED?

[Bob Seijas]

not to pass it off as "original"

Yep... but the next owner says "might have some parts restored" and the guy after him says "totally original, I got it from a Vet who landed on D-Day." That's just the way it is and has always been.

[Jason60chev]

Well, as long as we do our duty. Can't control what happens beyond that. Also, buy the gun, not the story. But some people base a price off of a "story" knowing that they don;t have documentation,
yet will not come off of their price. Kinda like the the old farmer with a rare car sitting under a tree in the back 40, having several people wanted to buy it, but he won't budge. So, it'll sit there and rust away and the farmer with have a worthless hunk of rust that he could have received decent money for. Folks are that way.

[Bob Seijas]

The other one that cracks me up is, "I can't sell it for that, I have more than that in it." You learn in the stock market that what you paid is totally irrelevant to value.

[Milwroad]

I built up a Winchester Garand for an older vet several years back who said he always wanted a Garand since he used one in WW2. Two days later I get a call from a friend who had a table at a gun show. He said "get over he quick, I just bought an M1 from an old Marine who used it on Iwo and brought it home in his duffle. Got it for $1200." So I went to the show and he handed me the rifle. I began to laugh. He said "what's so funny?" I said I "built" that rifle two days ago in my basement...but I bet all the parts were used by Marines in the Pacific in WW2!