M1 Garand Question

joe n

joe n

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Hi, I really am at a loss with wartime garands, but was offered one on a trade a few days ago. It is a Springfield M1, ran the serial number on the database, and it appears to be 1939 manufactured. All components are SA, including stock/op rod ect. Overall very good unmolested condition.
On this one Gaand, on the front left side of the wood handguard, there is a "30" in red paint, obviously old and faded. I would suspect this was to represent a .30 calibre rifle, correct? Would this have been used by the Canadian or British forces? Anyone ever see anything like this before? Thanks very much,
Joe:)
 
Could be a rack number too. If it is a British lend-lease, should have Brit Proofs. As far as I've read, 30.06 was scarce, so the M1s sent to the Brits were used mostly for home guard types.
 
http://w w w.jouster.com/serial/Springfield.html Here is another serial number list.

The red paint and early numbers are dead giveaways that this is a so-called Lend Lease rifle. Worth more than an equivalent US service rifle, because of its provenance and the likelihood it missed the sequence of rebuild programs.

The asking price for Garands has taken a turn for the stupid lately. $500 to $600 is probably the limit of what I'd pay.
 
There was an article about the Lend Lease Garands by Bruce Canfield in American Rifleman a while back. These are just about the only sizable group of early, unaltered M-1s in existance. Better check the rifle very carefully; if it really is an unaltered, never rebuilt early M-1, it is worth serious coin.
About 95% of M-1s were rebuilt while in service.
 
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