Breda M1 Garand Age

[literally]

Hi everyone,

I'm having trouble figuring out how old my M1 Garand is...

It's a Breda BMR 7878
On the slide is D28287-1SSA, 011B(Diamond shape)
On the bottom of the stock are the numbers 3228

Anyone got a clue?

Photolink

 

[can14]

Made after WW2
The US moved the Winchester M1 Garand
manufacturing machinery to Beretta to make
parts to refurbish US guns, then they started
making their own and under contract.

 

[literally]

For sure I understand it was made post WW2 and likely in the 50s, but I'm wondering if there was any resource to identify it to a certain year.

 

[purple]

Original barrels for the Danish contract Breda and Beretta rifles are dated 1954 and 1955. Check the right side of the barrel. There is a chance that a replacement barrel was subsequently installed. The drawing numbers on the side of the barrel can ID this.

 

[Pblatzz]

Agree with Purple, the side of the barrel will tell you more. An original BMR barrel = likely date (because some people built these from parts in the last 8 years) or the Danish VAR barrel (these barrels are very near match quality).

 

[maple_leaf_eh]

Original barrels for the Danish contract Breda and Beretta rifles are dated 1954 and 1955. Check the right side of the barrel. There is a chance that a replacement barrel was subsequently installed. The drawing numbers on the side of the barrel can ID this.

Yes. The Danish called their Garands a Gevaer M/50 (https://www.forgottenweapons.com/danish-gevaer-m-50-an-american-gun-made-in-italy/) . Their first batches were USGI wartime production, and when they decided to buy more, the US didn't have any available. Enter Breda and Beretta who know how to make very good rifles, including contracts for many countries Italy and Denmark included.

The earliest date I've seen is a 1954 barrel made in Italy, marked BSid. VAR barrels were made in Denmark and date from the 1960s.

 

[literally]

Thanks for this because I neglected to check the barrel with the OP rod charged. Looks like its a Criterion barrel 6535448 1-10 11/17 5J, which I'm assuming is November 2017. Not sure what the 5J is?

 

[maple_leaf_eh]

Thanks for this because I neglected to check the barrel with the OP rod charged. Looks like its a Criterion barrel 6535448 1-10 11/17 5J, which I'm assuming is November 2017. Not sure what the 5J is?

Criterion is a going concern. Send them a note and ask for an explanation. It seems like you have a collection of parts which someone, probably here on CGN, has built on a loose receiver.

 

[FlightRN]

For sure I understand it was made post WW2 and likely in the 50s, but I'm wondering if there was any resource to identify it to a certain year.

Good Day All,

Il garand in Italia 1951-1996by Ruggero Pettinelli, is a comprehensive book for collectors and those wanting to understand the developmental history of the Italian M1 Garand rifles and sub variations including the TIPO1 and 2 rifles and accessories.
His hardcover book is full of both color and some B/W detailed photographs and drawings. The narrative is in Italian, but its 143 pages provide insight into the various Italian M1 rifles designs (including the M1D's), ammunition, accessories, and more. Modern translating programs are a great help.

 

[maple_leaf_eh]

Good Day All,

Il garand in Italia 1951-1996by Ruggero Pettinelli, is a comprehensive book for collectors and those wanting to understand the developmental history of the Italian M1 Garand rifles and sub variations including the TIPO1 and 2 rifles and accessories.
His hardcover book is full of both color and some B/W detailed photograph and drawings. The narrative is in Italian but its 143 pages provide insight into the various Italian M1 rifles designs (including the M1D's), ammunition, accessories, and more. Modern translating programs are a great help.

If you have a link to the text or can look at your copy, I'd like to know what is reported on Danish Garands with welded night vision device bases. In the early 1960s Denmark bought some German active IR scopes that weighed about 15-lbs and was so big there was no way the shooter got his face touching anywhere on the rifle. The Garand Collector Association did not know about this variation until quite recently!

 

[purple]

Pic of Beretta receiver with the Danish IR sight brackets. I subsequently built a rifle on this receiver, but sans IR sight.

 

[Snider shooter]

Every receiver I see with those mounts always has big gobs of weld.

 

[maple_leaf_eh]

Every receiver I see with those mounts always has big gobs of weld.

I'm less interested in the outcomes as I am in the inspiration and documentation. Is there anything in the Italian Garand book?

 

[maple_leaf_eh]

Il garand in Italia 1951-1996by Ruggero Pettinelli, is a comprehensive book for collectors and those wanting to understand the developmental history of the Italian M1 Garand rifles and sub variations including the TIPO1 and 2 rifles and accessories.
His hardcover book is full of both color and some B/W detailed photograph and drawings. The narrative is in Italian but its 143 pages provide insight into the various Italian M1 rifles designs (including the M1D's), ammunition, accessories, and more. Modern translating programs are a great help.

65 Euros, and out of print

Internet page translated:

The garand in Italy 1951-1996
by Ruggero F. Pettinelli
Publisher: Edisport Editoriale
Publication date: January 2010
EAN: 9788888593210
ISBN: 8888593217
Pages: 148
Format: hardcover
Topics: Weapons and war equipment

Book description

All the Italian versions of the most famous military rifle of modern times, told by Ruggero Pettinelli, leading expert on ancient and modern weapons, author of the work "1891 the rifle of the Italians". Serial numbers, variants, functioning and accessories of the Italian Garand, all documented by detailed large format color images.

 

[FlightRN]

While the mounts appear to be slightly different, the below Danish IR scope setup likely used the one pictured by Purple as well.

Regards,
Michael