Purchasing LE No. 4 and M1 Garand

[albertacowboy]

I am putting an ad in the equipment exchange about this, but also wanted to ask advice on this forum.

I am in Edmonton and am actively looking for top condition full military shooter versions (1 each) of an M1 Garand and a LE No. 4. I don't need matched collector pieces, but want clean bores and wood with good shooter potential and no rust. I expect the search to be long and interesting.

My question here is whether posting on this forum is the best way to locate the desired articles. All info and PM's welcome.

Albertacowboy

 

[points]

Register on the equipment exchange on this site. The milsurp forum has everything you need. I find the prices vary but are usually as good as any gun show. #4s come up evry other day and Garands quite often.

 

[sunray]

Got lots of money? Asking on the EE won't hurt but may not help. Likely won't be quick either. Personally, I wouldn't buy any rifle sight unseen. As with any milsurp, you need to know something about 'em first.
An M1 Rifle, in decent condition, will run around a grand with no clips. If you can find one in decent condition. I've seen junkers at gun shows, 9ish years ago, that the guy was asking $775 for 'em. He lugged 'em back and forth a lot. Same guy was asking $4 each for clips in poor condition. They got lugged a lot too.
There's no such thing as a matching numbered M1 Rifle either. The numbers on the parts are drawing numbers and have nothing to do with the S/N. There are bone heads who will alter the numbers to match and lie through their teeth about it.
No. 4's in decent condition are getting pricey too. Probably looking at around $500 or so these days. Remember to get proof of good headspace with any Lee-Enfield purchased. Thousands of 'em have been assembled out of parts bins with zero QC and just as many Bubba'd rifles "restored" without checking the headspace.

 

[H Wally]

Take your time buying - being in a rush to buy means you're going to pay as much as double.

No4's are great guns as everyone knows - headspace is the major issue on them. If your No4 has good bore/muzzle and is inaccurate then it's a good chance that it's bedding - while you're looking for one you can read up on the specifics of properly bedding an enfield action. I'm personally a fan of the No4 Mk2, but that's just me.

Garands are also phenomenal. I held off buying them for years thinking they'd be heavy and unwieldly like most semi autos of the era, but not at all. Easy to hold/point, smooooooooooth shooting They're a little more complex to inspect for faults but still pretty straight forward guns.

 

[flying pig]

Garands are a beautiful thing. So are No4s. What is your intended purpose in Garand collecting? Do you have to have a USGI rifle? If not a Danish issued Italian built Breda or Baretta rifle may be cheaper, and may very well shoot better or even be built better as they were built during peace time. I have a '55 Breda, I love it. It is one of my favorite rifles, probably my favorite aperture sighted rifle. Any Garand is still a John Garand design, and so any of them are a piece if Canadian history.

For No4, do you need a Canadian rifle? If so expect to pay a bit more. The Brit No4 MkI rifle has a bit better bolt release. The Savage and Canadian built No4 MkI* rifles have a cut out of the bolt track for a bolt release and some have been found to catch during cycling. The Brit rifles don't have that problem but many were built during wartime and under immense pressure so the signs of that are there in their finish, if you look close.