Can ANYONE tell me about my Garand?

[Wrong Way]

I just got back an Old Garand. I bought this several years ago from a dealer, still packed in the factory grease. I cleaned it, put a box of ammo through it, and never touched it since. Unfortunately, it spent the last few years at a friends house, and the cocking handle has some surface rust, but the rest is green parkerizing in good shape. Anyway, there are SO many apparent variables with these things....how do I know if I have a "good" one?

The reciever is marked Springfield armory, ser# is 3052### if that helps.

Sorry for the noob questions....I'm just not a milsurp guy.

Cheers,

Ryan

 

[The Wizard]

Go here to get your U. S., Rifle, Caliber .30, M1 (Garand) questions answered.
http://www.jouster.com/cgi-bin/garand/garand.pl

 

[sunray]

Green parkerizing is the result of long term storage in cosmoline. The rust will come off with a bit of gun oil and 0000 steel wool, then completely clean and re-lube and oil.
There are tools that you can buy to test the muzzle weare and throat erosion, but a poor man's field expedient is 'the bullet test'. Gently put a jacketed bullet, preferably a bullet from an M2 round, and see how far into the barrel it goes. The farther in, the more the muzzle is worn. However, the proof of the pudding is how well it shoots and functions with good ammo. Any 150 to 180 grain ammo will do(no 'Light Magnums), but 165 grain bullets seem to give the best accuracy. One inch groups at 100 is outstanding, 2 to 3 inches is more likely.
Reloading is the best way to have a steady supply of good ammo. There is no surplus ball, so save yourself the grief and reload. IMR4895 or IMR4064 with the 4064 having an edge for accuracy.

 

[maple_leaf_eh]

Aug '44. What dealer, when and do you know anything more? There are too many variables to answer in one place for a Garand.

The one that matters is what markings are on the barrel when you pull back the handle? There are other questions that relate to drawing numbers, initials stamped here and there on little parts, cartouche stamps on the stock, is there a little seal in the front sight screw hole, etc? Guys with big books and no social lives worry about these details. Not my bag, but I know enough about Garands to know these things matter.