Garand 19SA bolt - when was it introduced?

[Ms15710]

Hi all,

This is my first post, and I'm not expecting to garner much attraction here. That being said, I do have a question.

I have an M1 Garand that I purchased a while back with the serial number 2769xxx with a barrel date of 5-44. The original owner had it for about forty years or so as part of a much larger collection of various firearms, and upon his passing, much of the collection went to another collector whom I purchased the Garand from. I was told that there was cosmoline in the chamber, but the collector I purchased it from cleaned out most of it.

The rifle's breech is "in the white" and the bore is bright, measuring 1+ TE and 1+ ME. The rifle has all drawing numbers appropriate for an early/mid-44-era rifle except for the bolt which is 19SA A-4<>. As I've read, this is supposed to be -12SA.

I have both Scott Duff and Bruce Canfield's books, and according to both, the -19SA bolt was not introduced until January 1945. However, in Chapter 6 or 7 of Scott Duff's book, a chart reveals that the drawing number -19SA was introduced around the middle of April 1944. All of the mid-'44 rifles I've come across have had -12SA bolts. Is this an error?

The finish across the rifle has a uniform, olive green-gray finish, but the bolt has me slightly perplexed. I am hoping experts could clear this up for a burgeoning M1 collector.

Thank you to any and all who reply!

[Bob Seijas]

Start out by dropping the dash in M1.

[RCS]

They always say buy the gun not the story, in this case, i bought the story. My friend who helps his brother-in-law with estate sales in Wisconsin, found a single shot 22 rim fire, a shotgun and a well used M1 rifle in a remote area while doing a house sale. He called and said nobody was interested in the M1 as the condition was not that nice, the man who owned it was a WW2 veteran. I told him to buy it for me. This rifle is original, every part is correct for April 1944 and the bore is bright but has a TE of 5.0.

Barrel is 1SA 4 44 dated no chrome, bolt is -12SA S-A1<>, op rod un cut -9 SA, trigger guard is milled, hammer -5 SA housing -12 SA safety SA_11. also follower 12, follower rod long fork,
gas cylinder lock screw single slot. stock very, very faint SA GAW.

Not much finish on the receiver and wood has chips and dents, but it shoots, I tried eight different clips from ball to AP - everything shoots !

[Singer B]

They always say buy the gun not the story, in this case, i bought the story. My friend who helps his brother-in-law with estate sales in Wisconsin, found a single shot 22 rim fire, a shotgun and a well used M1 rifle in a remote area while doing a house sale. He called and said nobody was interested in the M1 as the condition was not that nice, the man who owned it was a WW2 veteran. I told him to buy it for me. This rifle is original, every part is correct for April 1944 and the bore is bright but has a TE of 5.0.

Barrel is 1SA 4 44 dated no chrome, bolt is -12SA S-A1<>, op rod un cut -9 SA, trigger guard is milled, hammer -5 SA housing -12 SA safety SA_11. also follower 12, follower rod long fork,
gas cylinder lock screw single slot. stock very, very faint SA GAW.

Not much finish on the receiver and wood has chips and dents, but it shoots, I tried eight different clips from ball to AP - everything shoots ! Attachment 122973Attachment 122974Attachment 122975Attachment 122976

That is a beautiful gun...looks exactly as it should for its history....

[Ms15710]

That is a beautiful gun...looks exactly as it should for its history....

Wow, that’s an incredible find. It’s my dream to end up with a rifle like that. I don’t have any connections so I have to rely on your typical auction sites, but a rifle like that is more special than any unissued collector’s piece or gas trap. Beautiful!

---------- Post added at 04:17 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:15 PM ----------

Start out by dropping the dash in M1.

Sorry, fixed it for you.

[Bob Seijas]

Sorry, didn't mean to sound snarky but as an editor I can't resist those things

[Ms15710]

Oh, it is no worries at all, I completely understand. The first book I ever read on World War II was Stephen Ambrose's Citizen Soldiers, followed by his book about D-Day, and he routinely referred to the Garand as an "M-1". I read the books in the fourth grade, and ever since it's typically how I've written it out. I'll make sure to cut out that habit though.

[Milwroad]

Back to your original question, in the Fall 2008 Garand Collector Journal I believe there is an original M1, serial 2742717, with a -19 bolt.

[Ms15710]

Back to your original question, in the Fall 2008 Garand Collector Journal I believe there is an original M1, serial 2742717, with a -19 bolt.

Thank you for the reply!

Does anyone have a link or available source to this journal entry?

It is just very confusing. I’ve only ever seen the -19SA bolt on verified original that were manufactured in late ‘44, typically January ‘45 onward, while -12SA is almost always on mid ‘44 rifles.

Scott Duff and Bruce Canfield both state as such in their books, although a chart in Duff’s red book says -19SA started in April ‘44. Very confusing indeed.

[Bob Seijas]

Springfield M1 serial 2742717 was recovered by Jo (Joseph) Gentil from the body of an American GI who had been killed on the morning of August 27, 1944 during the capture of the village of Plousané in western France. He also took the cartridge belt and left his German Mauser rifle next to the fallen GI. The American soldier was a member of the 29th Infantry Division, 2nd Battalion, 175th Infantry Regiment, and had been killed in combat in the cemetery around the church in Plousané. Gentil was from the village and was part of the Free French resistance group of Saint Renan about five miles to the north. These partisans fought alongside the US 29th Infantry Division for the liberation of Le Conquet peninsula that includes the city of Brest.