Inbound 5.4M Springfield

[DeWayne Hayes]

Hi guys,

I just purchased a 5.4M Springfield that is inbound - I won't have it for a few days. But judging from what appears to be cosmoline in the internals, and the late serial number, I'm wondering if this might be one of those Greek returns from several years ago?

DeWayne

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Interestingly, the DAS is on its side. I'll provide better pics when the rifle is in hand.

[XLF30]

I was in the CMP warehouse in Anniston about 3 years ago. They had just got in about 180,000 rifles from Philippines and Turkey. It's most likely one of those.

I never got any rifle with more than just a trace of cosmoline. How do you know it will have cosmo in it?

Greek rifles came back like 20 years ago. Pretty sure they're long gone. I don't think you can tell anything from the SN. Some of my Greeks were early and some were H&Rs. Every one of my Greeks had the word "Greek" on the accompanying certificate. I don't think they'll send you a Greek without identifying it as such.

[DeWayne Hayes]

This isn't coming from the CMP - it's from an internet gun seller, so the rifle has probably been in private hands for some time.

I saw lots of pictures - the trigger group appeared to have some cosmoline on it as did the receiver legs.

[dryheat]

The interesting thing about 5.4's is that at 5,488,246 SA markings stopped and HRA began right at 5,488,247. I don't have any records of rifles real close to that transition.

[DeWayne Hayes]

A few more pics. This is why I'm wondering if it's one of those pretty much unissued Greek returns, as there is lots of cosmoline and the butt plate's only wear looks like rack wear.

Receiver.jpg

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Butt.jpg

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Sideways DAS.jpg

[bruce]

You have a very nice SA 5.4 coming into your possession. Of course, pictures and data sheet are obligatory!!! Range report for vicarious enjoyment would be a real treat. Enjoy! Sincerely. bruce.

[dryheat]

Very crisp. The closest rifle I see is 5,443,711 Im empty. CMP handle. No other imformation.

[DeWayne Hayes]

Sorry, I'm not following you: "Im empty. CMP handle." ???

[dryheat]

I have collected lots of serial numbers. I'm empty- is the individuals user name on the CMP website. There used to be sites that kept records of many hundreds of Garands. Probably thousands.
Of course some of the rifles that were on lists could have changed hands numerous times over the years. There's a rifle two digits away from yours floating around out there somewhere.
I ran across a consecutive of my early HRA. Me and the owner exchanges photos and descriptions of condition. A few years later I sold my rifle to him.

[DeWayne Hayes]

Ah, I see. Thanks for the information. Just two digits before mine. Interesting.

Thanks,
DeWayne

[DeWayne Hayes]

Guys, I received the rifle today, and spent hours cleaning all the cosmoline out of it. I completely stripped the rifle to the smallest part and used boiling water to remove all the cosmoline - I did that to a rifle once many years ago, and it was just as painstaking and dirty a process as I remember!

BUT - I am well pleased. I really think I have gotten ahold of a 5.4M Springfield that went somewhere and sat in storage for years, never fired outside of Springfield proof firing. There was cosmoline everywhere, including saturating the operating rod and spring. Moreover, the breech looks pristine, as do the bolt face and op rod piston. I tend to believe this rifle probably went to Greece and was never used. Whatever the story, the lockup pressure from the trigger guard is good, and I have every hope she will be a good shooter. I do, indeed, plan to shoot her. She's got enough minor stock scrapes and dings to not be a museum piece, so I figure she will be a great "one gun Garand collection" for me. I've had several over the years, but this is the only one I own currently, and don't plan on buying any more.

Anyway, here are the pics I took during the cleaning ordeal!

DeWayne


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[DeWayne Hayes]

Guys, I find myself in a curious predicament. As I am now more certain than ever this rifle was never fired after leaving Springfield Armory, I now have a hard time bringing myself to shoot it! My rationale is this - I only want one Garand to represent the breed, and this is something of a rare bird being in minty condition. So, if I start putting rounds through it and find it's not a very good shooter - what have I done? I'm certainly not going to do anything to accurize it, and I will have stripped it of its "unfired condition" and have a poor shooting rifle that is worth much less than I paid for it. So, kind of a gamble. Just as an example, the rear hand guard presses right up against the receiver, and it's commonly accepted that the best accuracy is obtained when the rear hand guard is released a bit to not fit tightly against the receiver. I'm certainly not taking a file or sandpaper to this wood!

All this is to say, I'm considering selling it. If any of you are interested in it, PM me and I'll tell you what I paid and what I'd let it go for.

Thanks,
DeWayne

[Mike in NC]

Hi guys,

I just purchased a 5.4M Springfield that is inbound - I won't have it for a few days. But judging from what appears to be cosmoline in the internals, and the late serial number, I'm wondering if this might be one of those Greek returns from several years ago?

DeWayne

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Interestingly, the DAS is on its side. I'll provide better pics when the rifle is in hand.

The pristine Greek rifles were slathered in a pink / red grease, not cosmoline. I not sure if anyone other than the Greeks used that pink grease.

[TSimonetti]

Guys, I find myself in a curious predicament. As I am now more certain than ever this rifle was never fired after leaving Springfield Armory, I now have a hard time bringing myself to shoot it! My rationale is this - I only want one Garand to represent the breed, and this is something of a rare bird being in minty condition. So, if I start putting rounds through it and find it's not a very good shooter - what have I done? I'm certainly not going to do anything to accurize it, and I will have stripped it of its "unfired condition" and have a poor shooting rifle that is worth much less than I paid for it. So, kind of a gamble. Just as an example, the rear hand guard presses right up against the receiver, and it's commonly accepted that the best accuracy is obtained when the rear hand guard is released a bit to not fit tightly against the receiver. I'm certainly not taking a file or sandpaper to this wood!

All this is to say, I'm considering selling it. If any of you are interested in it, PM me and I'll tell you what I paid and what I'd let it go for.

Thanks,
DeWayne

To summarize, you viewed this gorgeous rifle on the internet, purchased it, and spent hours cleaning it up, now it seems you have lost your passion for this rifle, which was supposed to be your one and only, and want to sell it thinking that you will
either devalue it by shooting, or that it will not live up to your expectations as a shooter. This predicament of yours is indeed curious and in fact bizarre from where I'm sitting.

First of all, your rifle in that condition is not an extremely rare bird. They can be found regularly, albeit at a high price. Secondly, yes it's in very minty condition, but that should not be a negative. It's what you should want as your one Garand, and lastly, you should not need to worry yourself about accuracy issues. Given the tight lockup and minty barrel it should do just fine, in fact more than just fine.

If this is not going to be your one and only because it's too minty, what are you going to do? Go looking for a more used example that may not shoot as well? I don't think that will turn out very well for you.

If you would have left it alone in it's grease packed condition, you might be able to get more for it and it would have kept more of that "unfired condition" look to it. Now that you've cleaned it, you've probably already devalued it to where casually shooting it would not devalue it much more if at all.

[JOHN COOK]

TSimonetti, very well expressed.. Thanks! I was thinking the same thing but I couldn’t come up with the correct wording… I don’t understand his thinking or motives…
John in SC