OT - Another Diversion !

[6pt-sika]

Of all the firearms I have owned over the years a M1 Garand has never been in my accumulation !

And every so often I find myself intrested although I have yet to pull the trigger so to speak and get one !

So in preperation for the day I do I have been reading and researching what I can about the rifles !

Found the "Garand Collectors Association" website and have looked at the CMP website .

Any other pertinent sites I can check out , at no cost of course ?

Also been reading the Flayderman Gun Collectors Guide and a couple other collector type publications with values and some details of the rifles .

Thanks in advance !

[JerryB]

Get one!! you will never regret having one to shoot.

[6pt-sika]

I'm kinda thinking I'd like one of the Winchester made ones that seriel numbers to WWII and possibly bring it back/restore it to total Winchester parts etc !

I also REALLY like the M1C and M1D !

[pwl44m]

DO the DCM thing. Wish I had done when they were $199, what r they now around $800. I have an H&R import that I payed $249 for in early 90s. A Garand is like a Winchester, how can U live without one.

[wolfdog]

I love the Garand, my eyes just are not good enough to use them to thier potential, and the Cs and Ds are out of my price range. You should see my buddy Bob and his son knocking down the pigs and chicken at 7 and 8 hundred yards with thiers. I can't even see the berm that far away without optics.
Check this one out Mark is a good guy to deal with and every body I know that has bought from him has been tickled.
http://www.mausercentral.com/forum/view ... =6&t=38633

[missionary5155]

Good morning
Not having a Garand almost sounds sad in my thinking. One of the first US Military rifles I bought was a Garand. Now there are several. And if I was to come across any good deal with the money in my pocket I would quickly but another.
They are accurate, easy to maintain, and if you have to sell or trade for something you have a great item lots of people are looking for.
Prices are only going up do they will never be any cheaper.
Mike in Peru

[olyinaz]

They're drying up! Service grade is SOLD OUT at the CMP so you'll have to pick from Field Grade or "Correct Grade". I strongly suggest that you spring for a "Correct Grade" and they're $1100 from the CMP right now. That is expensive and no longer a deal like they used to be, but it's still less than market value for a 100% correct (all numbers and parts checked for correct manufacture for that model) M1 Garand in my opinion. It wont be a war model however - it'll be a late model. The good news is it'll likely be in fantastic shape and and a great shooter!

If that is too rich for you then a field grade CMP rifle is the way to go. They're still fully serviceable but nowadays it'll be a mixmaster. At $495 you cannot beat the deal.

If you want a 100% correct WWII vintage Garand you will have to pay dearly for it in today's market, especially if you have some sort of irrational desire for it to be Winchester (I never did understand that - I prefer Springfields).

Best,
Oly

[2ndovc]

I bought one of the Korean re-imports @ '92 or so. The $250 cleaned out my bank account (i was just graduating from college) and bought this Winchester. One of those rifles I'll never part with.
It's all mis-matched but I don't care. I'm going to leave it that way. I like the history of a rifle that's
been there done that twice, and then some!
Still hits what it's aimed at.



jb

[Sixgun]

It kinda depends if you want a collector gun or a shooter. (good shooter that is ) As most of us know, collecting Garands is like collecting other classics----the earlier, the better---the less (in numbers) variations--the better. Condition and originality is paramount.

While most Garands that have the import marks are the most easily affordable, they are also usually the worst shooters. You might luck out but of the several hundred I laid my hands on had worn crowns and sloppy actions.----spelled--j-u-n-k----not all, but most.


A good Springfield Armory that is decent & original can be had for a grand or less. Winchesters can be 50% more.

I have found the best shooters are 1950's guns. It does pay to get an all original gun with a nice bore because its a joke to get your money back. Here in Pa., about every third person walking a gunshow (who is selling) is carrying a Garand. The market is full of them with a large turn-around. You can be choosey.

I've had several import ones and all were worn out junk that shot 1 foot groups at 100 meters. The latest one I have came from my son who snagged it off a co-worker. It belonged to his dad and never saw the light of day since 1960--its a 1953 national match that was arsenal rebuilt in '59------------Sixgun

[6pt-sika]

It kinda depends if you want a collector gun or a shooter. (good shooter that is ) As most of us know, collecting Garands is like collecting other classics----the earlier, the better---the less (in numbers) variations--the better. Condition and originality is paramount.


A good Springfield Armory that is decent & original can be had for a grand or less. Winchesters can be 50% more.

I have found the best shooters are 1950's guns. It does pay to get an all original gun with a nice bore because its a joke to get your money back.

I'd be very very happy with a 1943 to 1945 WInchester , that is all original or atleast restored with the correct original parts . Also want good TE and ME numbers . I would "assume" if one were to get one as I mentioned it'll knock the heck outta 2 G's . I also "assume" one as I stated will shoot decent (inside 3" at 100 yards).

I suspect if I am able to get one of those a WWII original/restored Springfield from the WWII era will follow .

And of course if one goes that far nice H&R and IHC Korean War guns will be needed in the same condition .

In a post earlier I said I liked the M1C and M1D quite a bit and thats quite true . We actually had a M1D I think it was come thru the shop earlier this year . I kinda think that one might be kinda neat to knock over a deer with at some point in time !

About all I've learned about the National Match M1's was what I read in the latest American Rifleman and a little in Flayderman's reference book . But give me time I'll learn a bit about them as well . Maybe not a walking encyclopedia but enough to have an idea atleast !

I do think before I ever buy the first rifle I need to invest in a set of gauges for TE and ME . Also perhaps a couple of the manuals pretaining to markings and seriel numbers !

[fordwannabe]

Don't know exactly where you are in Va but there is a guy I did business with a few years ago, outside of Richmond, Gus's Garands he knew his stuff and pricing was right there, also had gauges ect ect. Have also done some business with William Ricca for gauges ect. Good luck. Tom

[madman4570]

http://www.northcapepubs.com/m1gar.htm


First gun ever hunted deer with(Overton Mountains,Pa)at the age of 12 (my dads M1 he brought home from WWII (had it plugged then for me)became unplugged again after that first hunting year. (got a 9 point with it too)
The gun that went to school about every first/third Monday of the months during the school year while in grades 8-12(Rifle Club at school)back in the 70's (M1 Garand) Had a 200yd outdoor range close by just off site and a 50ft indoor range on site.(.22 for that one)
The gun about every darn time I pick it up (kinda makes me feel like somethings in my eye) M1 Garand.



Get one and you will treasure that weapon beyond belief. Good Luck!

[wolfdog]

Finding a true "original" Garand other then some of the NM or C and D's is not very likely. Pretty much so all ,import or not, have been rearsenaled or have been through barrel cleaning. Barrel clean was when they companies that were issued them would break them all down and toss all the metal parts in a barrel of solvent, after they sat for a while they would pull them all out dry them off and put them back together. This makes the odds of getting one that has all its original parts a lot greater then winning the lottery.If you find one that has all "matching" parts its because some went through a bunch of rifles/part and found all the pieces from the same factory.

[Sixgun]

Finding a true "original" Garand other then some of the NM or C and D's is not very likely. Pretty much so all ,import or not, have been rearsenaled or have been through barrel cleaning. Barrel clean was when they companies that were issued them would break them all down and toss all the metal parts in a barrel of solvent, after they sat for a while they would pull them all out dry them off and put them back together. This makes the odds of getting one that has all its original parts a lot greater then winning the lottery.If you find one that has all "matching" parts its because some went through a bunch of rifles/part and found all the pieces from the same factory.

Very true and well written. Most Garands that are advertised as "all original" are really just guns that guys put together with the same manufacturers marks.

Some that I have seen that are 100% known to be original have come out of estates from WW2 vets. And only then knowing the family on a personal basis telling us "He brought that home in 1944". But try to convince a future buyer of that.---------Sixgun

[6pt-sika]

If you find one that has all "matching" parts its because some went through a bunch of rifles/part and found all the pieces from the same factory.

That would be fine for me as long as the ME and TE are not bad .

[Cimarron]

My nephew has two of them. One is a DCM he got years ago (very nice), the other looks like it went ashore at Normandy. Suprisingly they both shoot very well. He lets me borrow them any time and long as I feed them. Expect to pay a LOT of money for a WW II Winchester with all matching numbers.

[6pt-sika]

Don't know exactly where you are in Va but there is a guy I did business with a few years ago, outside of Richmond, Gus's Garands he knew his stuff and pricing was right there, also had gauges ect ect. Have also done some business with William Ricca for gauges ect. Good luck. Tom

In my search for "Gus's Garands" , I found this link and a story he told about Carlos Hathcock !

http://appleseedinfo.org/smf/index.php?topic=21263.0

[6pt-sika]

Well once again I am over the urge to buy a Garand !

I usually get this feeling once or twice a year !

This time after seeing how much trouble it would be to get EXACTLY what would satisfy me and the $$$ required to acquire it I kinda cooled my intrest a bit !

[6pt-sika]

Still think I'll get a set of gauges and some reference books .

One can never have to many reference books