So I've got a 566###x serial range Harrington and Richardson Garand with a bit of an odd barrel. The barrel is marked HRA-3-52 it's also got P and a flaming bomb. None of my books show an HRA Barrel this old. The muzzle looks like hell and needs a recrown . I've never fired it so I have no idea how it performs. Anyway has anyone seen an HRA barrel this old? I got this rifle of another CGNr back in about 07 and I can't see the benefit of faking these markings. I bought it as a mixer for $700. Could this barrel be a fake. Did they even have flaming bombs on them?.
HRA M1 Garand barrel question
- Thread starter WW2GURU
- Start date
Question on very-very early HRA barrel???????????????
http://forums.gunboards.com/showthread.php?192924-Question-on-very-very-early-HRA-barrel
All I had to do was Google "HRA barrel dates"
http://forums.gunboards.com/showthread.php?192924-Question-on-very-very-early-HRA-barrel
All I had to do was Google "HRA barrel dates"
Yes, HRA did make spare barrels before they started producing complete rifles. I have a spare HRA dated 10-52. There are 2 possibilities for your barrel:
1. It could have been a replacement barrel for the original, or
2. It could have been an original installation. HRA hung onto some of its early spare barrels which were rejected for cosmetic reasons only-spotty parkerizing. Apparently standards were relaxed during later HRA production which enabled HRA to use these early barrels as original installations on late production HRA rifles. Your rifle dates from late 1955, which was towards the end of HRA production.
Small gouges and puckers at the muzzle can often be cleaned up/polished out by loading a round headed BRASS bolt with valve grinding compound and polishing at a low speed in a drill. The round headed machine bolt will self-center in the muzzle and can do an OK job short of a full re-crowning. When re-crowning these rifles it is important that the barrel not be shortened as the shorter distance from gas port to the muzzle can affect the pressure pulse which is necessary to cycle the action.
1. It could have been a replacement barrel for the original, or
2. It could have been an original installation. HRA hung onto some of its early spare barrels which were rejected for cosmetic reasons only-spotty parkerizing. Apparently standards were relaxed during later HRA production which enabled HRA to use these early barrels as original installations on late production HRA rifles. Your rifle dates from late 1955, which was towards the end of HRA production.
Small gouges and puckers at the muzzle can often be cleaned up/polished out by loading a round headed BRASS bolt with valve grinding compound and polishing at a low speed in a drill. The round headed machine bolt will self-center in the muzzle and can do an OK job short of a full re-crowning. When re-crowning these rifles it is important that the barrel not be shortened as the shorter distance from gas port to the muzzle can affect the pressure pulse which is necessary to cycle the action.
Daryl, mine is in fairly deep storage. I'll need to dig it out and check. You do see the "crossed cannons" Ordnance mark on Garand barrels, later replaced by the Defense Acceptance Stamp (eagle above 3 stars) starting about 1953.
Back to the recrowning issue. It's pretty beat. I'm wondering if this rifle had a few grenade launcher experiences in its day. It's odd wear. The metal is almost mushroomed. I really never gave this rifle much attention when I bought it. It's only now I'm seeing this stuff. I should post some pics
A good idea to post some pics of the barrel showing the markings. My HRA 10-52 doesn't have a flaming bomb stamp. It has the expected "crossed cannon" stamp (very small) which was used during WW2 and up to approx mid/late 1953 when it was replaced by the DAS stamp (eagle over 3 stars).
I'd say your 3-52 barrel is an in service replacement, not an original HRA factory installation. I base this on the absence of a punchmark in the loop of the "P" barrel proofmark. I've examined 5 other HRA barrels with mid 1954-mid 1955 dates and note that HRA was very diligent about stamping a punchmark in the "P" barrel proofmark to indicate an after assembly proof firing. My 10-52 HRA barrel does not have this mark, so I believe that it was installed on another rifle at some point in service. HRA did use LMR barrels as original installations at various times in their production. I have a HRA 475###X receiver with a 11-53 LMR barrel, which I believe to be an original installation. It doesn`t have the punchmark in the `P` either which goes to show that there are rules, but also exceptions to them.
I can`t explain the flaming bomb, rather than the Ordnance crossed cannons stamp. The flaming bomb isn`t normal on Garand components. The Ordnance crossed cannons were used on all WW2 vintage stocks and also on WW2 and later barrels until supplanted by the DAS stamp (eagle over 3 stars). During WW2 production the flaming bomb was stamped on all M1903 Springfield barrels behind the front sight and also on many M1 Carbine barrels depending on the maker, but I`ve never seen it an any Garand barrel that I`ve examined. BTW, the flaming bomb stamp is very indistinct. I`d like to have a closer look at it with a magnifying glass.
I can`t explain the flaming bomb, rather than the Ordnance crossed cannons stamp. The flaming bomb isn`t normal on Garand components. The Ordnance crossed cannons were used on all WW2 vintage stocks and also on WW2 and later barrels until supplanted by the DAS stamp (eagle over 3 stars). During WW2 production the flaming bomb was stamped on all M1903 Springfield barrels behind the front sight and also on many M1 Carbine barrels depending on the maker, but I`ve never seen it an any Garand barrel that I`ve examined. BTW, the flaming bomb stamp is very indistinct. I`d like to have a closer look at it with a magnifying glass.
mcpherson284
Regular
- Location
- Vancouver Island
Mine is a 478###x receiver with a 7-54 HRA barrel. The only theing that stands out on my barrel is a "Clover Leaf" stamp under "HRA".
