1943 Springfield M1 Garand (my first Garand)

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Reloadjunkie

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Greetings All!

My collection of milsurps grows larger by the year, but I recently purchased my first M1 Garand last week at a gunshow.

The serial numbers on the receiver and stock are matching. I’ve yet to take it apart and check the barrel.

Outside from a few light character knicks here and there, the stock is in great condition. Solid rifling and bore. original finish on all metal parts - looks like it was barely fired.

Serial number places it being mfg’d between June & July of 1943.

Hard to tell by the condition but you can only imagine where it went and what (if anything) it saw along the way.

Im new to CGN and I’m probably not posting photo links correctly. I promise I’ll learn but please be patient. I’m an aging dog with limited capacity for new tricks.

Curious to hear your thoughts and insights on the its condition and likely service given the mfg date.

http://s36.photobucket.com/user/ReloadJunkie/slideshow/
 
I have one with a march 1941 reciver with a danish barel dated 03 66. Stock looks like it went through the war. I've asked it to tell me stories but nothing yet. Whatever you do dont mod it. I belive there best left alone. Cant belive i paid 149$ for it. Should have bought a case.
 
lol. Im sure you paid $149 for it YEARS ago, but Thats a far cry from what I paid for mind.

I’m sure anyone who paid that little would howl at the price they are going for now, but the prices have only gone up over the years so its a matter of pay today, pay more in the future or miss out and when I saw the condition of this one I had to jump on it
 
I put a link to photos in my original post, but if Springfield M1s didnt have sn’s on the stock unless it would have to be a previous owner who added the serial number on the stock or it was added duringnone of the refirbishment periods?

I know of the CMP in the U.S, but I thought the CMP always removed the original stocks and put a new one on. I know the CMP has been around for a while, but I assumed the stock was original.

Anyone else out there with Springfield production M1s with serial number on the stock?
 
I have a danish return rifle and the stock on it was stamped the reciever serial number so maybe you have a danish m1 like mine
 
Deathrawt said:
I have a danish return rifle and the stock on it was stamped the reciever serial number so maybe you have a danish m1 like mine
Click to expand...

Interesting! So if it was Danish Issued it might have seen a little bit of WW2 action. I’ll have to do more reading on their involvement in the war...Perhaps it saw action against the German occupation in the resistance and their freedom council. I’ve read that they used beachwoodbfor their stock rebuilds...any wood buffs out there able to confirm from the photos if thats what my stock is? The Danes used the M1 in to the 90’s I believe so who knows where it went along the way. If you could only piece the whole story together.
 
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You rifle was used by the Danes post WWII. As did most garands, it was rebuilt using post WWII parts such as your rear sight, gas plug, and probably others. If you field strip your garand, you will be able to see other major components such as the Op Rod (which will either have a post war "cut" or a replacement) and your barrel (which will be stamped by the manufacturer and dated).

SA and WRA used "cartouche" stamps on their rifles but never a serial number. Since your stock is walnut (and not the usual danish beech), it could be WWII dated but it is very unlikely that a 1943 stock saw that much service. It is probably a post WWII replacememt; either US or Italian. Look for faint stamps (original cartouche on the left side or a P on the grip). It may also have a rebuild stamp such as RIA or AA.

No WWII parts from a garand were ever stamped with a serial number. Since these were made to be assembled in mass, they only used drawing numbers and heat lots. The drawing numbers allowed them to keep track of changes on some parts and heat lots allowed them to issolate "bad batches". Very early garands had most parts marked and later garands only had the major components stamped (barrel, trigger housing, op rod, bolt, etc). Marking like those sometimes found on trigger are simply marks from the forging process. These drawing numbers and heat lots may help you identify parts that could of been original to the rifle. Most early rifles underwent one or more rebuilds in their life.

Despite any urges you may have to bring back this fine lady to her "original" form, please resist. Even if the parts are not "correct" for a WWII rifle, they are correct for your rifle's service history.

Enjoy the "ping"!
 
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Wow! Thank you so much for the time it took to provide all that info. I really appreciate it.

I do see a faint P stamped on the side of the stock, along with a faint SAR or SA and then R slightly offset. (I'm assuming Spring Arm and Refurbished?

I just got it last weekend and haven't had time to strip it down but hopefully will have time this weekend.

I'm not at all disappointed of its travels, or the fact that it didn't necessarily fire the very round that ended the war, but its just makes you appreciate it all that more by having some additional info on where it ended up along the way.

The mishmash of parts doesn't phase me either. I know the odds of getting an unmolested, all original, matching sn's etc is like hitting 3 simultaneous jackpots...

As the saying goes, "This is my rifle, there are many like it, but this one is mine" :)

Thanks again!

domus.don said:
You rifle was used by the Danes post WWII. As did most garands, it was rebuilt using post WWII parts such as your rear sight, gas plug, and probably others. If you field strip your garand, you will be able to see other major components such as the Op Rod (which will either have a post war "cut" or a replacement) and your barrel (which will be stamped by the manufacturer and dated).

SA and WRA used "cartouche" stamps on their rifles but never a serial number. Since your stock is walnut (and not the usual danish beech), it could be WWII dated but it is very unlikely that a 1943 stock saw that much service. It is probably a post WWII replacememt; either US or Italian. Look for faint stamps (original cartouche on the left side or a P on the grip). It may also have a rebuild stamp such as RIA or AA.

No WWII parts from a garand were ever stamped with a serial number. Since these were made to be assembled in mass, they only used drawing numbers and heat lots. The drawing numbers allowed them to keep track of changes on some parts and heat lots allowed them to issolate "bad batches". Very early garands had most parts marked and later garands only had the major components stamped (barrel, trigger housing, op rod, bolt, etc). Marking like those sometimes found on trigger are simply marks from the forging process. These drawing numbers and heat lots may help you identify parts that could of been original to the rifle. Most early rifles underwent one or more rebuilds in their life.

Despite any urges you may have to bring back this fine lady to her "original" form, please resist. Even if the parts are not "correct" for a WWII rifle, they are correct for your rifle's service history.

Enjoy the "ping"!
Click to expand...
 
I bought a garand off the ee. Turned out the chamber was pitted beyond clean up. Had to order a new barrel. I am kinda jumping on this thread. But it has a new stock and new barrel and the history is already ruined and I might cerakote the gun just to try save the metal as best i can. As no one around me does parkerizing and those that do are far away and want like 500 to do it. I feel bad cause the rifle history but I need to do something for it.
 
Chrono8 said:
I bought a garand off the ee. Turned out the chamber was pitted beyond clean up. Had to order a new barrel. I am kinda jumping on this thread. But it has a new stock and new barrel and the history is already ruined and I might cerakote the gun just to try save the metal as best i can. As no one around me does parkerizing and those that do are far away and want like 500 to do it. I feel bad cause the rifle history but I need to do something for it.
Click to expand...

Send it to Nick at Vulcan. He can do all that and more.
 
UPDATE: After stripping the rifle down, I found the date code on the barrel, showing S-A-4-49 with a P offset in another direction.

I’m not familiar enough with the other features tht may show as being Italian or Danish manufactured, but the rifle does have its original stock from Springfield Armoury, as well as the barrel.

I’m reading that a lot of the barrels were replaced during the refurb program, so would it simply be a matter of condition that mine wasn’t replaced?

With there being a 6 yr difference between the receiver and barrel being mfg’d I’m assuming this isn’t the first barrel the rifle has seen as well or was the refeiver made and then sat on a shelf in a the factory for six yrs before being married to the barrel and being issed?
 
if 43 production most likely very involved in the war and was sent to lend lease to the danish where the stock that was on it was ser # marked this was common for the danes, and then sold off to canada in the 1990's

g

Reloadjunkie said:
Wow! Thank you so much for the time it took to provide all that info. I really appreciate it.

I do see a faint P stamped on the side of the stock, along with a faint SAR or SA and then R slightly offset. (I'm assuming Spring Arm and Refurbished?

I just got it last weekend and haven't had time to strip it down but hopefully will have time this weekend.

I'm not at all disappointed of its travels, or the fact that it didn't necessarily fire the very round that ended the war, but its just makes you appreciate it all that more by having some additional info on where it ended up along the way.

The mishmash of parts doesn't phase me either. I know the odds of getting an unmolested, all original, matching sn's etc is like hitting 3 simultaneous jackpots...

As the saying goes, "This is my rifle, there are many like it, but this one is mine" :)

Thanks again!
Click to expand...
 
Mine is a Danish return that I bought from SIR in Winnipeg in the 90's for $200. I shot it quite a lot for some years but haven't fired it for several years now. What are they selling for now?
Gerry 303ca
 
gerry303ca said:
Mine is a Danish return that I bought from SIR in Winnipeg in the 90's for $200. I shot it quite a lot for some years but haven't fired it for several years now. What are they selling for now?
Gerry 303ca
Click to expand...

i picked up a 44 SA with a danish barrel. trying to figure out the same. i paid 1k for mine granted that was a month ago not 1990 haha.
 
OP gun is a post war arsenal rebuild, barrel, stock and probably much more then sent to Denmark. Only original WW2 parts are the receiver and maybe some internals, this is the norm for most War Garands.
 
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