Wtb ww2 m1 garand

[GUNHEEP]

Looking to purchase a 100% ORIGINAL World War II M1 Garand. Not a put back together gun. Original barrel and original stock. Matching the barrel date and stock to the serial number of the gun. Stock cannot be cracked, sanded or duffle cut. . Stock must have a clear, visible cartouche. All parts must be correct for the serial range of the rifle. NO IMPORT MARKS. Lend-lease is just fine. No junk. ORIGINAL FINISH.
Send pictures and price
Thank you
Andy
440-525-4689

[dave]

I think you are looking for the impossible dream. How can you tell the difference between a 'made correct' or an 'original'. Does a 'original' in the condition you demand even exist at this late date? Lots of luck with your quest but be careful before you depart with hard earned money!

[togor]

Good point, Dave. Seems like there are more "all original" M1 rifles in existence than there was 15 years ago. Without provenance it gets tougher all the time.

[Sandpebble]

18 years ago right here on Culvers there was an endless search for parts to put M1s back to their "original " configuration. You could buy an M1 from the CMP for $500 and imediately part it out for $1400 because the demand for "original" parts was that high.

Many Many people put together rifles that a museum couldn't prove wasn't the real deal.... including yours truly.

The most original rifle I have seen personally was in a CMP affiliated club that loaned M1s out to wannabe competitors. It was a 1942 Springfield given to the club long ago... and they sold it to me.

[Ernie]

How about a CMP certified WWII collector grade rifle with papers. That should be totally original right?

[togor]

CMP doesn't know what happened to it while in US Army possession. If the CMP datasheet says "original" that's good enough, but it's still just an educated guess.

[dave]

M1's were used long after the war was over, many were rebuilt right after the war, many sent to or left for allied countries. We are now coming up on 74 years after the war. Many have been in use continually for this time. While it was a good dependable rifle, nothing made by man lasts forever. Any MI still in circulation to day has been rebuilt, had parts changed, etc. at least once. One exception could be a manufactures reference collection. Another exception could be a 50's manufactured rifle. I got a INH from CMP back in the $500 days, before collector grading, that was all original except for the trigger group. It now is "correct", but not original. It is the only MI I own that I 'corrected'. But how could I prove any of that? No way I could, the CMP certificate makes no mention of any of that!
Finding a "genuine" WW11 M1 rifle, with "original manufactured" parts, especially with the condition poster demands, is an impossible task! No matter the story you get from the seller, you can take that to the bank!

I might add that the same is happening now with 03 Springfield's. Perhaps to a lesser extent.

[dave]

How about a CMP certified WWII collector grade rifle with papers. That should be totally original right?

No, CMP started "correcting" them when they discovered they could get xtra bucks for them. As I stated above I received an "almost" original INH MI before they started grading the rifles. It was 500 bucks, same as all being sold at that time. But it is not a WW11 rifle. The 50's makes got very light use compared to WW11 rifles. Most never went to Korea.
I understand CMP is assembling most M1's they are currently selling, any truth to that?

[Ernie]

Where did you ever hear CMP was correcting papered Collector Grade rifles? I have certainly never seen that anywhere.

[togor]

I think he meant Corrects. I got a Greek return Collector grade in '05 with a CMP data sheet in the stock. They marked it as original which means if nothing else that they didn't mess with it.

[Merc]

I saw an M1 Garand that appeared to be an "untouched" WW2 rifle at the Ohio Civil War Show in Mansfield, OH. They call it the Civil War Show but you can buy relics from all US wars. It's held the first weekend in May every year at the Richland County Fairgrounds which isn't far from Cleveland. The seller was asking $2400. I believe it was dated 1944. I don't know what the market price for an original M1 Garand is but $2400 is about double what the average one sells for around here.

[dave]

Where did you ever hear CMP was correcting papered Collector Grade rifles? I have certainly never seen that anywhere.

Was just what I had been told or read. I seem remember they were also selling rifles that were almost, but for a few minor parts, collector grade. Or was that also not true?

[edpm3]

The CMP South Store has been selling Correct Grade WWII M1s for a while for $3000. You can check their web site for the definition of Correct Grade. Unfortunately, the only way to get one is to show up to the South Store in person, which is too bad since the North Store is so close to the OP.

[gunny]

Dave,

What is a "INH" ? Must be really rare because I don't have one!

Gunny

PS: Great post and so true.

[dave]

International Harvester, did I use wrong abbreviation? Maybe IHC? I'm sure you knew, after all dummies do not get to be 'gunnys' in the Marine Corp., do they? By the way I own a Sec, Navy trophy rifle won by a Gunny by the name of Moore in '79.