Pls re-check my post #17 on your barrel. All IHC rifles were originally fitted with LMR (Line Material Company) barrels at time of mfr. The date of your bbl fits the IHC/LMR barrel/serial # data in Scott Duff's tables. So, yes you have a "matching" bbl and receiver.
Refinishing an Garand
- Thread starter lorne19
- Start date
Pls re-check my post #17 on your barrel. All IHC rifles were originally fitted with LMR (Line Material Company) barrels at time of mfr. The date of your bbl fits the IHC/LMR barrel/serial # data in Scott Duff's tables. So, yes you have a "matching" bbl and receiver.
How wide is is wide? My sight is roughly 0.5 inches wide and the sight base is 0.585 wide. Dose this sound about right? I'm beginning to think along the same lines as you. All I need as far as I can tell right now is a op rod and bolt and she will be all IHC except for the furniture.
No.
Widest bases of SA and WRA make are in the .570-.580 range. IHC and HRA base widths are .575-.582. Some claim to be able to ID the various gas cyls by the type of staking used on the stacking swivel screw.
Some IHC internal parts can be definitely ID'd by a single letter code. There is a whole school of thought on other arcane topics such as front sight "ear width" used by the various manufacturers.
There are rules/patterns on this, but there are exceptions too. Until fairly recently folks clung to the belief that all IHC front sights were .875 wide. IHC did in fact make these and used them on most rifles, but there are exceptions, especially among the later rifles.Your rifle sounds like it may have come from the lot of middle east imports which were sold by PS Militaria during the past couple of years. There were mostly original receiver/bbl combos on these rifles and there were a lot of original parts on them too. Those that I have seen did have various non-original parts as well. One of the hardest IHC parts to find is a correctly Julian dated stock that matches the receiver production timeframe.
IHC rifles had a fascinating production history. They were made by a farm implement/tractor/truck manufacturer with no previous experience with firearms.
On several occasions Springfield Armory, and on one occasion HRA, produced receivers on contract for IHC. These appear in known s/n ranges with HRA made receivers being the rarest.I took a closer loo at my gas cylinder with my calipers. My sight base is 0.581 witch puts it in the correct range for a IHC also my front sight screw has the checkering pattern witch I've read was only on IHC sights. I've also noticed that my front sight is noticeable narrower than the sight base. So this should be an IHC gas cylinder, shouldn't it.
I can see that identifying all the parts on my Garand is going to be easy. Can anyone recommend any good books on the subject or some other source that can help me.
I can see that identifying all the parts on my Garand is going to be easy. Can anyone recommend any good books on the subject or some other source that can help me.
I took a closer loo at my gas cylinder with my calipers. My sight base is 0.581 witch puts it in the correct range for a IHC also my front sight screw has the checkering pattern witch I've read was only on IHC sights. I've also noticed that my front sight is noticeable narrower than the sight base. So this should be an IHC gas cylinder, shouldn't it. ( Most likely is)
I can see that identifying all the parts on my Garand is going to be easy. Can anyone recommend any good books on the subject or some other source that can help me.
"Google" search the following for additional info:
1. E-bay search for "garand" to see listings of Garand related books by Duff, Poyer, Thompson and Canfield. Some of these books are out of date and/or contain errors and omissions
, but all are useful.2. "Garand Collectors Association" . Join for $40/yr and receive their quarterly journal
3. "Scott Duff", who writes extensively on the Garand, and has books for sale.
4. Monitor various on-line forums like CGN, CSP Forums, MILSURPs.com
There is a lot of info out there on the Garand, some good
, some
The various books go into a lot of detail . Enough that even a beginner can ID many unmarked parts . Being able to detect fakes like WW2 stamps on an lighted sanded HRA stock can be a money saver as well. Or Springfield stamps on a lightly sanded Winchester stock. Some fakers are just pathetic , but others are just slick enough to be dangerous.
Either kind can be fun.
Either kind can be fun.
Edmonton, Alberta
This is the best picture I have right now. I decided not to reparkerize it after all, instead I am going to try and source the necessary parts to make it an all IHC Garand. I'm also going to upgrade the wood, ether get a set of Birch USGI hand guards or all new wood. I might also darken up the gas cylinder too.
Just so you know, the only fully original M1 Garands I've seen, are a few Danish Breda's or rifles that were matched with original parts later. If your rifle is well used as you say, the repair facilities wouldn't worry to much about which manufacturers parts went into them if any needed to be replace.
Being an IHC, it would have been manufactured post WWII. IIRC. Maybe even saw Korean War service. It may also have been sold or lend leased to one of several other nations around the world. Maybe even given to the ARVN in Viet Nam.
Whatever you decide to do with it in the end, is up to you. There don't seem to be a lot of them coming into the country anymore so no matter what you do, it will retain much of its value. JP, told you the truth. You will never regain the cost of restoration. I have a hunch though that the Korean M1 rifles will be parted out, rather than be sold. It may take a year or two though.
Your rifle, is fine the way it is by the way. If it shoots well, that means the bedding hasn't compressed. It also means the replacement pieces were fitted properly. There is a lot more to refurbishing a Garand than first meets the eye. You may want to go to American Gunsmith Institute website and purchase a copy of their DVD on rebuilding the Garand. It won't be all you need but it will give you an idea of what you're up against.
Now, I don't condone changeing anything on a perfectly funcioning milsurp. The scars may be battle scars or maybe scars from training purposes or even from some previous owner that just threw it into the pick up, behind the seat as a cheap truck gun. I doubt the latter though, Garands have always commanded a premium.
From your pic, that stock looks to be a replacement or refinished already. Other than that, it looks good as is. If it has been refinished, just stain it to match the after market hand guards. Don't put any more money into it than you have to. Don't darken the gas cylinder either. That is their normal appearance.
Being an IHC, it would have been manufactured post WWII. IIRC. Maybe even saw Korean War service. It may also have been sold or lend leased to one of several other nations around the world. Maybe even given to the ARVN in Viet Nam.
Whatever you decide to do with it in the end, is up to you. There don't seem to be a lot of them coming into the country anymore so no matter what you do, it will retain much of its value. JP, told you the truth. You will never regain the cost of restoration. I have a hunch though that the Korean M1 rifles will be parted out, rather than be sold. It may take a year or two though.
Your rifle, is fine the way it is by the way. If it shoots well, that means the bedding hasn't compressed. It also means the replacement pieces were fitted properly. There is a lot more to refurbishing a Garand than first meets the eye. You may want to go to American Gunsmith Institute website and purchase a copy of their DVD on rebuilding the Garand. It won't be all you need but it will give you an idea of what you're up against.
Now, I don't condone changeing anything on a perfectly funcioning milsurp. The scars may be battle scars or maybe scars from training purposes or even from some previous owner that just threw it into the pick up, behind the seat as a cheap truck gun. I doubt the latter though, Garands have always commanded a premium.
From your pic, that stock looks to be a replacement or refinished already. Other than that, it looks good as is. If it has been refinished, just stain it to match the after market hand guards. Don't put any more money into it than you have to. Don't darken the gas cylinder either. That is their normal appearance.
She's a beauty there lorne19 ... if you do re-stock her ... sell me the stock and handguards on her??? I have a synthetic M1 Garand I'm gonna restore/refinish and want to put her in a wood stock/handguards. Once again nice M1 ... cheers,
Otokiak
Rankin Inlet, NU
CANADA
