What are old NRA service rifles worth?

[PhillipM]

Two friends of mine have come across IHC service rifles modified per NRA rules, bedded, unitized, NM2A sights (maybe), etc.

On one hand, if the buyer is a shooter, there's the purchase price and how much the mods cost.

On the other hand, there's the collector that wants an as issued IHC. Purchase price - what the can get for NM parts + original parts?

One is a 4.6 gap letter, probably does not have the ball and detent mod to the receiver because the pics still showed the four lobes on the windage knob. That plus a 384 round can of M2 in clip bandolliers for $2k. I told my bud jokingly that a gap letter isn't a pure IHC, it's an SA.

Where do these rifle fit in the pricing structure?

[2111]

For the collector, as long as non of the MODS are not permanent, such as the "ball and detent", not much of a problem. The problem would be with the stock being bedded if it was the original Overton, built for IHC, stock. With the 4.6 GAP, the ammo would reduce the cost of the rifle by about $ 300., so now it's $ 1700. Not a bad price for a GAP. I would guess the NM parts would cost about the same as the IHC parts ( front and rear sights). A correct stock for that rifle will cost about $ 400.00, give or take, which brings the cost up to $ 2100.00. Still in the ballpark for a GAP lettered rifle, if it is otherwise in nice condition.

I don't think a shooter would pay any premium for IHC, so I don't see a "shooter" with no collector interest, paying more than about $ 1200.00.
Just my thoughts, I may be way off base.

[BigMo]

If it were me and this is just my 2%......................

I would try to find out who did the NM upgrades. IE. I have an IHC that was match conditioned by Mc Coy. The premium is in that HE did the work.

Because after that you have a match conditioned M1 without a selling point, so to me it's just sum of parts, nothing more.
Someone wanting just an IHC isn't going to pay up for the mods. I wouldn't...............

[PhillipM]

If it were me and this is just my 2%......................

I would try to find out who did the NM upgrades. IE. I have an IHC that was match conditioned by Mc Coy. The premium is in that HE did the work.

Because after that you have a match conditioned M1 without a selling point, so to me it's just sum of parts, nothing more.
Someone wanting just an IHC isn't going to pay up for the mods. I wouldn't...............

I don't have a name, but the work was done by the chief armorer for the Alabama National Guard that built rifles and pistols for the state team.


For the collector, as long as non of the MODS are not permanent, such as the "ball and detent", not much of a problem. The problem would be with the stock being bedded if it was the original Overton, built for IHC, stock. With the 4.6 GAP, the ammo would reduce the cost of the rifle by about $ 300., so now it's $ 1700. Not a bad price for a GAP. I would guess the NM parts would cost about the same as the IHC parts ( front and rear sights). A correct stock for that rifle will cost about $ 400.00, give or take, which brings the cost up to $ 2100.00. Still in the ballpark for a GAP lettered rifle, if it is otherwise in nice condition.

I don't think a shooter would pay any premium for IHC, so I don't see a "shooter" with no collector interest, paying more than about $ 1200.00.
Just my thoughts, I may be way off base.

It's in very nice condition because the team transitioned to the M14 shortly after it was built. The only thing odd about it is the use of a milled guard, I thought they all used stamped guards to be able to adjust them for tight lockup. I can't tell from the pics if it has a detent or not, but obviously the stock has been sealed.

http://i39.servimg.com/u/f39/15/55/99/36/th/serial11.jpg (http://www.servimg.com/view/15559936/292)

http://i39.servimg.com/u/f39/15/55/99/36/th/full_r10.jpg (http://www.servimg.com/view/15559936/290)

[Griff Murphey]

M-1 collecting is a relatively new phenom. Certainly there was no "as issue" category for M-1s or any other service rifle. Doubtless there were a lot of people who just wanted an M-1. My dad bought me a DCM NM in 1965 because the man at the gun store told him those were the only ones that were any good and the purchase was made on the condition that I begin formal target shooting (at the time -sophomore in high school ROTC - I really just wanted a blank rifle to John Wayne around with out with the CG team).

Current rules in CMP allow shooting the NMs and NM style upgrades in CMP "Unlimited Garand" category. These guns may be sleepers now but eventually I think they will be recognized as collectibles in their own right. I would suggest shooting the rifles before tearing them apart. If the underside of the barrel you can see with the bolt jacked back is polished, it could be an Air Force Premium Grade.

[twh]

My guess would be that based on what you know about the rifles and who built them I would guess that they were built by James McCollum and if so he certainly knew M-1s and how to build them.

[2111]

I like the rifle just as it is and that is how I would keep it. It's really to bad it is on a GAP logo receiver, as this will cause some collectors to attempt to restore it, and to me, that would be a shame. Had it been built on a common post war SA receiver it would stand a better chance of remaining the rifle it now is.

[bd1]

There were so many super builders and tuners all across the country in the 60's and '70's. If you've got one that's consistently a super shooter with probably IMR 4895 under the SMK 168 it's worth quite a bit of $$$ as an 8-round self-loading shooter to most riflemen who know anything and don't already have their own favorite from the civilian Garand era. It's a shooting iron, might become important to you for more than punching paper.