1944 Garand for Sale Question

[Mike Josephic]

I have an opportunity to purchase a 1944 M1 that is supposedly all original, correct and looks to be fired very little. This is not a rework or arsenal refinish. It is from a very well known dealer. I've seen it and it looks "cherry". TE and ME are 1.5 or less.

We haven't talked price yet -- what would you guys estimate this would be worth? I'm
thinking he wants big bucks as in $8K or more. What say you?

[Orlando]

I have an opportunity to purchase a 1944 M1 that is supposedly all original, correct and looks to be fired very little. This is not a rework or arsenal refinish. It is from a very well known dealer. I've seen it and it looks "cherry". TE and ME are 1.5 or less.

We haven't talked price yet -- what would you guys estimate this would be worth? I'm
thinking he wants big bucks as in $8K or more. What say you?

Who is this so called well known dealer? Many dont know what a correct Garand is let alone a Original

[psteinmayer]

Any chance of posting pictures? I'm not saying the well known dealer would be dishonest, but there are many out there who would... and would say or do anything to drive up a price to the point of ridiculous (such as faking an 1898 Krag Carbine and selling it for an astronomical amount to an unsuspecting person who doesn't know what to look for).

[Major Tom]

Eight big ones is too high in my book unless there is absolute providence in writing. It would have to be a really special rifle other than just pristine. Alot of folks can put together a rifle that mirrors factory new. I recently sold my 1944 Winchester garand that looked like it just left the assembly line, but, was put together with matching/correct parts. Got $1000 for it.

[cplnorton]

Yeah walk away from that one. The last original 1944 SA I sold, I got I think $2500 or $3000 out of it. And it was not a pieced together rifle and it looked like it rolled off the assembly line yesterday.

And I think the market is a little softer now than even when I sold it at that price above. I sort of imagine I would get $2000-2500 for it now.

[Col. Colt]

With the economy in decline, ALL collectibles are going to drop in price. Keep that in mind when purchasing, and if you really want to sell something, I would not wait much longer. CC

[bd1]

Some dealer's about to have a great summer cruise.

[Mike Josephic]

Thanks guys for your opinions. I much appreciate it.

[tmark]

All original parts??? Depends on your definition of original, original SA parts or original parts specific to that rifle when it left the factory? The latter is not likely.

I've read that during cleaning, many Garands were taken apart and the parts of many Garands put into a common container of solvent. No efforts were made to put back original parts to the original rifle.

99.9% of Garands after WWII underwent some sort of refurbishment. This means that the likelyhood of that rifle being original is 1 out of a thousand. Math experts, correct me if my numbers are wrong.

[psteinmayer]

Correct me if I'm wrong here, but aren't numbers on Garand parts assembly numbers, not serial numbers? If that's correct, then there can not be a Garand with all matching numbers which would make it impossible to determine if a Garand were all original.

[dave]

Those numbers (they are 'drawing numbers') changed over time, from what I understand. A number was used until some part was change slightly and a new drawing and number was assigned to that part. So there are thousands of correct numbered parts out there for a given rifle made in June of 1944, for instance. I have a friend who used to assemble 'correct' rifles. He once bought a CMP rifle from me and threw in a safety for a INH, I needed to make a trigger group correct. It was a particular hard part to find. I had a early Win. with original barrel he was going to build up. I could not be bothered except when I got that INH which was all correct except for the TG. I got it from the CMP before they sorted and priced such rifles, and I paid the original 450 or so price for it. So I own one "correct" rifle, but not original.
If they were assembly numbers they would match each other but not serial. The japs are the only ones I know of who used assembly numbers, only early on in 99 production, at certain arsenals.
There is a fine line between 'correct' and 'original', one that can not be proven and anyone who claims a 60-80 year old rifle, in the hands of troops, which most likely went thru at least one rebuild is dreaming. It just cannot be proven so why claim it?

[bd1]

If you want the rifle just get it to shoot it or else you'll find yourself in the weeds all the time arguing with other shooters and collectors about whether some part or assembly is correct for the serial number.