SA 4.3 Barrel date

[Duster42]

Over the weekend I looked at a SA 4.361, with a SA barrel date of 6-53
http://www.fototime.com/2BA8AE7D9BB203C/standard.jpg

The P with punch mark is on top of the heat lot.
Another P is visible below the date.
Picture was taken in the gun show lighting but it is original finish.

The wear was consistent on all of the parts. Breach in the white.

Springfield stock has 1/2" DAS

Is it possible this is the original barrel?

[gwp]

I have SA 4220594 with a 2-53 barrel.

[dryheat]

Hard for me to figure out. I have seen a couple of 7-53's in the 4,36 area but most of the mid 53's seem to back clear back in the 4.2's.

[m1crazy]

I have 4.24 with a 2-53 barrel.
HTH
Barry In MO.

[Ed Byrns]

SA 4.361, with a SA barrel date of 6-53
Their are 999 rifles in that group.Their are 6 different heat lots all in the #43 revision.
Their are ,for the majority 8 common barrel dates.
Their also mixed SA/JLG and 1/2"DAS inspected stocks.
If possible more data would be needed to be more accurate.
i.e. serial number,and heat lot.Also note the barrel has the ORD Wheel Acceptance mark.
Respectfully
Ed Byrns

[Jay Johnson]

I have a CMP correct grade 4.3 million SA Garand w/a 6-53 barrel and a SA/JLG stock.

[2111]

I would think your 6 of 53 barrel is original to the build. Just that I believe Oct. would be the most common.

[jtj950]

4.32 with a 8 53 barrel

[Sniper001]

Well don't post much anymore? But with over 500 rifles in my database 4.2/4.3's yours would be about the latest I have seen, howerver, saying that you have the correct marks in the barrel or the rest expected marks that would be correct. Dependant on the other parts of the rifle it could be 100% correct. I pick up one of my 4.3 out of a shop collector grade at service grade price. Nice find

Hope that helps ya, have fun with this stuff.

Sniper...

[Jay Johnson]

I have a CMP correct grade 4.3 million SA Garand w/a 6-53 barrel and a SA/JLG stock.

It's an early 4.3 (4311555) and now that I'm back home I see I once had another 4.3 SA (4361720) with a 8-53 barrel and DAS cartouched stock, but this one did not have DCM/CMP papers.

[Duster42]

I haven't purchased this one yet.
It looked all original to me and was waiting for the responses about the barrel date before buying this one.
I have the sellers phone # and will give him a call this week and see if we can agree on price. He is asking just about service grade price.

I have two 4.2's and thought that this one would be a great addition to the stable !!!

[CPC]

I have a 4.24 with a 6-53 barrel .

[StockDoc]

I was told by the CMP that Receiver/barrel dates can vary 3 months and be correct. And have heard that a barrel date totally off is not unheard of, but not very *un*common. Just like other manufactures parts on a correct rifle. We must not forget the goal, to build a combat ready rifle.

[John Rippert]

My 4.29 SA has a 5/53 barrel.
I like the variance on dates. I can pictures bins with 5-53 barrels that someone tops up with 6-53 barrels. By the time you get back down to the 5-53 barrels again a while has passed.

[M1Riflenut]

I have a 4.28 I got from Scott Duff long ago, it has a 5-53 barrel.

[2111]

But with over 500 rifles in my database 4.2/4.3's yours would be about the latest I have seen,
Sniper...

Are you saying that a 6 of 53 barrel is about the highest date you have seen on a 4.36 SA ?? Duff, in his Post WW2 book, shows barrel dates running from 6 of 53 through 1 of 54 on 4.3 rifles and shows 4366476 as having a barrel dated 10 of 53.

[donb]

My 4319214 has a barrel date of 8-53

[Sniper001]

Are you saying that a 6 of 53 barrel is about the highest date you have seen on a 4.36 SA ?? Duff, in his Post WW2 book, shows barrel dates running from 6 of 53 through 1 of 54 on 4.3 rifles and shows 4366476 as having a barrel dated 10 of 53.

Opps lost that post lets try angain. I have all in the date base from 5/52 to 1954 barrel dates. The early 4.2 stuff is vary hard to find but I keep looking. When the data is sorted then yes barrels/receivers line up nicely. However there seems to be a receiver number that is outside the range of expected barrel dates. According to Scott Duff the rifles where assembled out of order. Anyway, the marks on the barrel are more important then the dates. If you look at enough barrels you wiill see what I mean. There are still many questions about the 52/53 era at Springfield, but I still keep working on it.

Enjoy this stuff... Sniper

[Ed Byrns]

Comment on the early SA#4.2s
SA# 4100001 thru SA#4204937 have 9 Heat lots and revisions #27 thru #42.
The Barrel dates group within Heat lots.Meaning, that serial numbers of receivers with the same
Heat lots run in numerical cadence with barrel installation.
"B43A' becomes a predominant heat lot by SA#4203146 in the #42 Revision,but not the only one.
Prior to this Heat lot Receivers have very mixed groupings.
SA#4.2 was nothing like WW2 production. Errors and backlogs forced some groups of SA#4.2 to be set aside
for later assemblage,much later assemblage.
It is an extremely interesting Serial number group that sometimes defies logic.
Respectfully submitted
Ed Byrns

[CPC]

Ed,
Thank you for commenting and adding additional clarification to the post. Without your help I would not have been able to possibly validate what I believe is a correct rifle. In my research in this SN range (very limited) I noticed some interesting anomalies in barrel/receivers combos that I thought were correct.
regards,
CC

[Mike in NC]

I have a 4374580 with a 10-53 barrel.

[blackhawk2]

I have 4269768 heat lot A36B -43....with 4/53 bbl, and a JGL stock...regards alex

[Ed Byrns]

Alex
"4269768 heat lot A36B -43"
A36B is a very uncommon Heat lot,very uncommon.
Looking over the data sheets,yours may be the only one.
Ed Byrns

[Ed Byrns]

Alex
SA# 4258238 Heat lot A36B-43 BBL. SA 3-53 is the only other one I could find.
Ed

[blackhawk2]

thank you Ed...regards alex

[raygee39]

I have SA 4339554; BBL - 9-53, Heat Lot - A 50 A 43.

[stefor]

I have an SA 4,263,XXX with this info on the barrel "SA D6535 448 12 52 A185A P", the P is toppled over and in line with the other info. Seems that 52 barrels are out there and must have been mixed in with 53's as some of you have earlier M1s with later barrels.