first m1...was it a good buy?

[yamaha22243]

I have wanted an m1 for a while,have done some minor research on them. I picked up a sprng m1 with a nov 1942 receiver. has a 1943 original barrell that gauges a 2-3.. original stock in above aver. shape. trigger group is a w.r.a... has the lock-bar rear sight... I picked it up at a local gun show for 960.. The big seller for me was the lock-bar sight and 1943 barrell.. Was it a decent buy?

[bd1]

I have wanted an m1 for a while,have done some minor research on them. I picked up a sprng m1 with a nov 1942 receiver. has a 1943 original barrell that gauges a 2-3.. original stock in above aver. shape. trigger group is a w.r.a... has the lock-bar rear sight... I picked it up at a local gun show for 960.. The big seller for me was the lock-bar sight and 1943 barrell.. Was it a decent buy?

We gotta see pics or it didn't happen! Congratulations.

[joem]

My first one was a gun show buy for $275.00. Lots of miles on it but I shot it for two years at club matches and finished off the barrel. I bought a new barrel and a bunch of spare parts, enough that finally I bought another reciever and built another Garand.

[Bill E]

iI think you did very well. Garand's of that vintage with the original barrel and stock are hard to come by.

[Major Tom]

My first garand is a Winchester I bought online for $800. Very nice rifle being a WW2 serial #1348695. Everything correct except barrel which is SA 52.

[yamaha22243]

Here r a few pics

[Jay Johnson]

I believe you did well for the same reasons Bill E wrote of, if you haven't checked it's headspace I will suggest you do so before shooting it. Also, don't shoot commercial ammo through it unless said ammo is loaded for the Garand, Federal's American Eagle brand and Hornady both have loaded ammo specifically for the Garand, or buy surplus ammo.

My first Garand was a '43 SA mixmaster that I inherited after my Grandfather passed away in 1985, I still have it and I put it back to original configuration.

[Jkibler2]

Original barrel is a big plus. What type of op. Rod does it have? Nice looking rifle.

[Finestkind]

looks like a -2 bolt also.


Finestkind

[Latigo 1]

How do you know the barrel and stock are original? The WRA trigger group shows it has been through a rebuild, which makes it unlikely that the barrel (since it is dated 11 months after the receiver) is original. During rebuilds, the stocks were not kept with the receiver so there is very little chance it got put back on the same rifle it started with. That said, $960 is not bad for a decent Garand on the open market.

[2111]

The trigger group, stock or any other parts that do not fit the expected time frame, IMHO does not, in itself, indicate a arsenal rebuild. It could simply be parts changed out by a company armorer during the rifles service life or even by a former owner. Who can say.
Now if the barrel is not original, and I would agree with Latigo 1, that it is suspect, then one would be lead to think arsenal rebuild or at least a 5th echelon military repair facility. But then again, a former owner could also have switched out a barrel. Why, maybe a shot out barrel, a barrel with import markings, just a WW2 barrel that was better than the one on it. Again, who really knows. Was it a "good buy", if it was not a "good buy" now, it will be down the road a bit, so don't be to concerned about the cost. Just enjoy it and shoot it.

[yamaha22243]

I'm sure it was a rebuild as some point, it has an un-notched op-rod. Bolt dates back to '41, trigger guard dates back to 1940-july '41. everything is SPRG except trigger group and safety. Probably will try to find a SPRG trigger group to make it full SPRG. But so far i'm pleased with what its got. I can get some more pics if anyone wants more specific ones.

[bd1]

Thanks for the photos. Oughtta be a good shooter.

[2111]

A 1942 receiver with a 1943 barrel. Sure wish rifles like that one could talk. I would bet it would have quite the story to tell.