Lend Lease Garand.more pics

DON'T SHOOT THAT UNCUT OP ROD OR YOUR #### WILL FALL OFF!!

People are ridiculous. Several MILLION M1's were shot to hell and back with uncut op rods and the only ones that ever failed from it were the ones used for launching rifle grenades. The op rod mod was done to coincide with the humped gas lock to facilitate grenade launching from any rifle - a consideration that means diddley-squat to collectors and/or shooters.

There is no safety concern, only a concern that you might wear out a collectible part... after several thousand rounds that is.
 
sunray said:
M1 sight apertures aren't terribly hard to find or install. Gunparts lists 'em for $10.45US. Marstar wants $24. They say to call for the front and rear handguards, but they list 'em as in stock.
What is the different colour on the receiver? I'm hoping it isn't a rewelded receiver. Not likely, given the colour of the right side. Bubba took the parkerizing off the back too. The putz. Pity you can't just take it to a metal finishing shop any more. One of the home parkerizing kits will do though.
I recall seeing something, somewhere(another forum likely), about the RAF Regm't using M1's when guarding USAAF operated airfields. 38,000 M1's were sent to Britain, but weren't used much and were returned via Interarmco in the 1960's. The proof marks(BNP etc) don't indicate Lend/Lease rifles though. Just that the rifle was sold out of England.
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These home parkerizing kits you speak of can you tell me more? As far as use goes I've heard all kinds of stories ranging from never issued,Home Guard use and one great one about being used in a special op where the brits had to pretend to be yanks. :rolleyes:
 
There is a possibility that this might have been a LL rifle,but this cannot be determined from what we have seen.As pointed out, the Brit export/sale proofs do not confirm that this was an LL rifle,only that it was exported from the UK as were a wide array of surplus firearms.

Things that suggest the possibility of an LL rifle are the s/n and the presence of a number of original date matching components incl the barrel,trigger group,bolt,un-modified op rod,and the early "flush nut" type rear sight.Rifles of this vintage which remained in US service will seldom retain one or more such correct components due to the frequency of repair and overhaul which was done w/o regard to date or manufacturer's components.One of the features of the Garand was that it was engineered for total parts interchangeability from start to finish of production.The presence of the original stock with original cartouche and evidence of the red painted bands applied by the Brits would be a very definite indicator of the rifle's LL provenance.

Unfortunately the buggered receiver has reduced the collectable value of the rifle to zero,leaving it as a shooter and a curiosity.There is value in some of the components of this rifle if they remain within specs,especially the rear sight elevation pinion,the windage knob,the uncut op rod,and the barrel-if sound and unpitted.Re-parking does not enhance either collectability or value.
 
Just so my #### doesn't fall off does anyone have a pic showing an uncut op rod and a cut one so I can see the difference. I was told my M1 was uncut.
 
Pocketfisherman said:
I have purchased this garand. It is a true correct lend lease that Bubba got to. Anyway, I took it last week to my partner Nick @ Vulcan, and he is about to do his magic on it! :D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psIsYxyeNCY
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This makes me very happy indeed! I had hoped to restore the old girl myself but it became apparent that I do not have the means nor the ability to carry out a restoration of this level.
I am very happy to see that she is in good hands, well done mate!
 
Well boys it's been a long road with this one so far. This Garand should be back together and finished in three weeks or so. Here is a teaser pic:

shawnll-2.jpg


shawnll-2.jpg


I will have a full report on Nick at Vulcan's work once it is all together.
 
Almost finished, this one was a real #####! Bubba had a real hardon for this poor lend lease M1. Just looking at reference pics before I paint the red stripe back on her.

Here are some before and after pics for your viewing pleasure.

IMG_1188.jpg

IMG_1186.jpg

IMG_0020.jpg

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Here is what she will look like with the red brit stripe.

SAC11-K-F2-L.jpg
 
Amazing, very well done.

Pocketfisherman said:
Almost finished, this one was a real #####! Bubba had a real hardon for this poor lend lease M1. Just looking at reference pics before I paint the red stripe back on her.

Here are some before and after pics for your viewing pleasure.

IMG_1188.jpg

IMG_1186.jpg

IMG_0020.jpg

IMG_0014.jpg


Here is what she will look like with the red brit stripe.

SAC11-K-F2-L.jpg
Click to expand...
 
A beautiful job has been done on a piece well-worth the cost and effort.

Actually, British proof marks are required here in UK by the 1834 Proof Act on ANY firearm that is sold to the public as a commercial item. In other words, a dealer may acquire a bunch of milsurp rifles - unproofed for civilian purposes - for sale in his business. Each and every one has to go through either London of Birmingham Proof house at HIS expense, and be stamped up accordingly with the BNP [B'ham PH] or LC [London PH, as well as the calibre in inches and the chamber/cartridge case length. Also marked is the proof pressure - say 19 tons per Sq In. The crown over NP is also marked on ALL pressure-bearing items - bolt, receiver, and so on.

Currently, only fireams made by countries that are signaturees to the CIP have proof that is accceptable interchangeably within the member nations. Although the USA makers DO actually proof-shoot their products, the level of Proof is not acceptable within the CIP nations, and every US-made firearm of any kind has to be subject to the proof of the country in which it it to be sold. In the case of a revolver, this means EVERY chamber of the cylinder has to be separately proofed and stamped accordingly...

So this M1 may have been a LL gun, or it may simply have been acquired post-war during the time that British shooters were allowed to have self-loading centre-fire rilfes. The good times came to an abrupt and bloody halt instantly after the Hungerford Massacre of 1988, and we lost all our centre-fire semi-autos because of the actions of one douche-bag.

tac
 
Vulcan did a great job of repairing that receiver.

Co-incidentally there is an article on a verified lend lease Garand in this month's Garand Collectors Journal. The s/n on this one is 406782 with a SA 11-41 barrel. Other major parts on this one include a -2SA RE4D bolt, a -5SA trigger housing, -2SA hammer, -6SA safety, a "8" follower and a -3SA op rod. Stock has the SA/GHS cartouche. The gas cyl/lock/single slot screw are in the white(no finish), which has been seen before in this s/n range.

Your rifle pretty much matches up with this one, so it is about 98% sure that this is also a lend lease return. The Brit export proofs are even applied in the same way in the same spot on the barrel. I have a later dated Brit proofed rifle which has the stampings on the barrel above the gas cyl. The icing on the cake would have been the front HG with the tell-tale red paint.
 
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