M1 Garand Receivers-Demilled and Rewelded-Beware!

It's likely not much of an issue, up here. We've never had a history of not being able to import M-1's like they have Stateside. Mind you, we've never had anything like the CMP either. Still worth reading though.
 
But a demilled M1 receiver is a paper weight, and doesn't need to be registered. Having said that, I wonder how many paper weights made it across the border...

Similar to the demilled Bren Guns with 2 or 3 torch cuts across the receiver.
 
Some U.S. site was selling torch cut M-14 two piece receivers. Called them 'Clinton' actions, I think.
I suppose it's possible that some twit imported a welded receiver, but why bother? The GCA of 1968 doesn't apply here.
Bought mine for $175 at Nick's Gun shop on Yonge St., in TO, about 30 years ago. Paid $20 for the 10" bayonet and about the same for the late M5. Have well over 100 clips(some that are still in the packing paper. Paid $7 each for 3 packages), the grenade launcher(great fun with regular blanks) and 3 ammo belts. Still want an M1C/D flash hider for no apparent reason. I want a 1905 bayonet too, but they were scarce 30 years ago. Could have bought the sniper rifle for $250, not so very long ago, but I shoot left. I'm still kicking myself.
 
Greed and making a fast buck would be the only reason to do it, as the person remanufacturing it obviously doesn't give a #### if the receiver explodes in the users face.

Many demilled receivers were reclaimed at several garbage dumps in the US, IIRC. However, nothing to say they couldn't end up here, still in there demilled state.
 
There was a member here who ended up with one. I do not recall his handle but the marks were minimal where the welding was done. The reparkerizing didn't take too well to it. It is very possible.
 
"some guys got busted for smuggling Garands into the USA from Canada."

Actually it was truck parts.
 
Coyote Ugly said:
Greed and making a fast buck would be the only reason to do it, as the person remanufacturing it obviously doesn't give a s**t if the receiver explodes in the users face.

Many demilled receivers were reclaimed at several garbage dumps in the US, IIRC. However, nothing to say they couldn't end up here, still in there demilled state.
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I can't imagine the receiver blowing up.......the cuts/welds are through the middle of the receiver, the locking lugs are on the front half and would be fine. Lockup shouldn't be affected at all with a welded receiver.
 
I think that this is more commom in the USA mainly with M14 receivers since they were for the most part destroyed by cutting the receivers in two rather than being sold to the public. Not really a problem here in Canada.
 
Hitzy said:
I can't imagine the receiver blowing up.......the cuts/welds are through the middle of the receiver, the locking lugs are on the front half and would be fine. Lockup shouldn't be affected at all with a welded receiver.
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The problems with this action are manifold. First, the M1 and M14 actions were designed to be manufactured to fairly tight tolerances. When a re-weld is assembled, there are six degrees of freedom that have to be matched perfectly between the two halves. Second, the original receivers were heat treated and case hardened, the latter operation making re-welding a technically difficult action resulting in cracks if done wrong (and generally even if done right! --ed.). Finally, assuming the welder overcame the preceding two hurdles, he'd have to re-heat treat the receiver, and re-case harden it, non-trivial operations not likely to be done well by your average shade-tree welder.



Update from Jim Keenan:
Have just been looking at the Fulton webpage. Thank goodness someone agrees with me on the M1 rewelds! I have tried to tell dozens of "proud" owners that they have junk - the result usually is the same as calling the guy's wife names.

In two cases, the owners insisted on having receivers magnafluxed to prove me wrong; in both cases, I was right - they were rewelds.

There is one more point on the rewelds other than the ones you mention. If the receiver is shortened in the cut/weld process, the firing pin may be able to reach the primer before the bolt is locked, that is when it is not yet in the safety cutout in the receiver. The result could be nasty.
 
Coyote Ugly said:
The problems with this action are manifold. First, the M1 and M14 actions were designed to be manufactured to fairly tight tolerances. When a re-weld is assembled, there are six degrees of freedom that have to be matched perfectly between the two halves. Second, the original receivers were heat treated and case hardened, the latter operation making re-welding a technically difficult action resulting in cracks if done wrong (and generally even if done right! --ed.). Finally, assuming the welder overcame the preceding two hurdles, he'd have to re-heat treat the receiver, and re-case harden it, non-trivial operations not likely to be done well by your average shade-tree welder.



Update from Jim Keenan:
Have just been looking at the Fulton webpage. Thank goodness someone agrees with me on the M1 rewelds! I have tried to tell dozens of "proud" owners that they have junk - the result usually is the same as calling the guy's wife names.

In two cases, the owners insisted on having receivers magnafluxed to prove me wrong; in both cases, I was right - they were rewelds.

There is one more point on the rewelds other than the ones you mention. If the receiver is shortened in the cut/weld process, the firing pin may be able to reach the primer before the bolt is locked, that is when it is not yet in the safety cutout in the receiver. The result could be nasty.
Click to expand...

If heat sinks are used during the welding there shouldn't be any concern of the heat treating being affected. I'm not saying they would be a fantastic piece of kit, just that they would not "blow up" as some people would have you beleive. Rewelds are nothing new, there was a company in the US that sold hundreds of welded M14 receivers (and ended up in court defending this) and about the worst thing that happened was op-rod's jumping track. No KB's, no failed welds, nobody was ever hurt.
Shortening the receiver would definatly create a slam fire concern, but I can't imagine anyone but a gunsmith that would attempt to re-activate a demilled receiver.....
Take everything you read on Fulton's sight with a grain of salt, there is alot of crap on there as well.
 
The second half of the receiver story is even better. In words I could not have emoted myself, here is a clip from a 2003 posting on another forum:

"The surplus gun business is all about money and NOTHING else! All of the receivers from all the 'kits' were laying around in warehouses in Montreal gathering rust etc so an enterprising Antipodean gun dealer bought all he could and had them shipped to Oz"the Land down under" where he cleaned them all up and added the word AUSTRALIA to the right leg.

PRESTO the receivers are now PC! ATF issue a form 6(import permit)and off they go to the US of A and get sold to the likes of Springsteen Armory who were having teething problems with their newest run of investment cast Garand Receivers. That is why you saw a lot of SA Garands with Italian receivers floating around for a while there."
 
I think I would pass on a rewelded Garand Receiver, just like I would pass on the Rewelded wrecked Toyota's and Honda's coming out west from Ontario Bodyshops and showing up on car dealers lots. (one car made from 2 wrecked car bodies and welded in the middle!!!).
 
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ok this reminds me of the exploding krag in 308 cal, and exploding nagant in 308 cal threads..............who has seen or can shown the goods on this?
either photo/ an article from a proper source, 1st hand experiance ( ouch!)
i remember reading 10 or so yrs ago about m1 garand/m-14 re-welds actions in the usa, due to the import laws as mentioned. nothing mentioned about ka-booms!
ok/ bring it on.
 
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