Neal Goddard built M1a

[xarmor]

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Recently a good friend of mine passed away and left some very nice firearms behind. One of these rifles is a SA M1a. The receiver is SN 007742. According to the original paperwork is was bought as a receiver and sent to a gentleman named Neal Goddard in Nov of 1979. The rifle was delivered back from Mr. Goddard in May of 1980.

I have only been able to find out a small amount of information on Mr. Goddard so I was hoping someone here could help. From the info gathered so far I have found that Neal was in charge of the USMC weapons shop in Quantico. He was heavily involved with the transformation and building of the USMC M40A1 rifle and the rifle team weapons. He later went on to build precision rifles for the FBI. That is all I know, if any of this is incorrect please let me know.

The Receiver SN is 007742. This receiver has a rear lug welded on. Looks to have been done by the builder. Heel markings:
U.S RIFLE
7.62-MM M1A
SPRINGFIELD
ARMORY
007742

The stock is a normal weight military stock with a proof P and the SN of rifle stamped into the bottom of the pistol grip. The stock is fully bedded, looks much different than SAI bedding.

Rear sight : NM 13455. Also a NM-21 on the ears.
Trigger Grp: 7267030-HR-N SN 7742 stenciled over PN.
Hammer: SA 5546008.
Operating Rod: 7267064 66118
Bolt: 66118-KK (Winchester I think)
Barrel: SAK-7791362-8-72-8068808. NM on top of barrel. The barrel has some numbers written on the bottom side below the PN in a yellowish green color. There are two sets of these numbers but they are hard to read. One looks like 33 - 23 - 28. The second set of numbers is right above the gas system at the end of the operating rod. Again hard to read but looks like 111 -11- 11. Any clue as to what these mean?
Handguard: Epoxied
Pics added on page 2


Overall the rifle is beautiful and has not been fired much. Any ideas as to what value to put on this rifle?

I do not have the rifle in my hands but it will be here on 25 October. I can get any other info if needed. I am not trying to sell this rifle as it does not belong to me (yet), I just don't want her to get taken by the firearms consigner.


Thanks in advance for any information provided.

[gulliver62]

I have not heard of Neal Goddard but there were a number of excellent builders in that era. The low serial number and SAK barrel with very low round count will bring a premium. I am not sure those markings indicate a NM SAK. The market for M1A's seems soft right now. I recently purchased a 18k, GI parts build by an unknown armorer (initials and date on the custom barrel) for $1600. Later SAI rifles with GI parts have gone for less on GB lately. Impossible to give an accurate value without the rifle in hand but I would think that your gun would be worth in the $1.8k-$2k region. I'm not sure you can get that right now.

[Jay Johnson]

I agree with gulliver, my theory is that SA Inc.'s market saturation of M1A short barrel SOCOM and bush rifles has flattened the market for all their M1A rifles and others, although early Devine and even early SA Inc. factory built M1A's with USGI parts still command a premium. That's just my observation from watching the online auction sites...

[k arga]

bought my nm springfield new about 1979, ser no 7024

[xarmor]

Thanks for the info, really appreciate it. I agree that the market has kind of dried up. I would actually like to purchase this rifle from the widow if possible but I want her to get a fair price for it.

Wow k arga, that's pretty darn close in SN range!!

[bd1]

A few guys at Austin Rifle Club still shoot the M1A in Highpower competition sometimes. Matches are first Sunday a.m. 0800 each month. Take your rifle out there and let some good shooters check it out. Shoot a match with it. You might decide to keep it.

[da gimp]

I'm betting retired USMC master guns gus fisher either knew the man , or knew of him........... gus was the senior noncom at the RTE shop at Quantico & helped on most of the M1 Garand NM rifles, M14 NM rifles , 1911A1 NM pistols & I believe the bolt action snipers too that came from the USMC programs............ he goes on the other M14 board (another site) & lemzoid that still posts here is a friend of his, you might see if gus knew the guy.

[xarmor]

Thank you all for the info, I really appreciate it. I will try and find Gus and lemzoid to see if they knew him. Thanks again.

[Richard Turner/Turner Saddlery]

The only info I have on CWO4 Neil Goddard is that he was MTU Shop Chief at Quantico, VA in 1977 when Major Dick Culver first began building the USMC Scout Sniper School. Prior to Quantico, there is reference in LtCol Chandler's "Death From Afar" Vol #1, that Gunner Goddard was assigned to MCLB Albany, Ga, at the Match Rebuild Shop during the 1960s.

CWO4 Goddard is also mentioned on page 32 of the April 2009 Leatherneck Magazine story titled "Corps Gunsmiths: Making the Worlds Best Rifles and Pistols".

http://shirokov.mcrf.ru/pub/USMC/Leatherneck/leatherneck_2009_04.pdf

RT

[xarmor]

Ok, I finally got my hands on this rifle this weekend. I cross posted this over on the M14 forum also to try and find as much info as I can. Here are some pics. Not sure where my friend originally got his pn's from but here is what I pulled off the rifle.

The Receiver SN is 007742. This receiver has a rear lug welded on. Looks to have been done by the builder. Heel markings:
U.S RIFLE
7.62-MM M1A
SPRINGFIELD
ARMORY
007742

The stock is a normal weight military stock with a proof P and the SN of rifle stamped into the bottom of the pistol grip. The stock is fully bedded, looks much different than SAI bedding.

Rear sight : NM 13455. Also a NM-21 on the ears.
Trigger Grp: 7267030-HR-N SN 7742 stenciled over PN.
Hammer: SA 5546008.
Operating Rod: 7267064 66118
Bolt: 66118-KK (Winchester I think)
Barrel: SAK-7791362-8-72-8068808. NM on top of barrel. The barrel has some numbers written on the bottom side below the PN in a yellowish green color. There are two sets of these numbers but they are hard to read. One looks like 33 - 23 - 28. The second set uo numbers is right above the gas system at the end of the operating rod. Again hard to read but looks like 111 -11- 11. Any clue s to what these mean?

Here is link to other thread with lots of pics of the rifle. Any info would be much appreciated.

http://m14forum.com/m14/168869-usmc-built-m1a-pics-added.html

[xarmor]

A few pics:


[URL=http://s160.photobucket.com/user/xarmor/media/20141102_185628_resized.jpg.html][IMG]http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t163/xarmor/













[URL=http://s160.photobucket.com/user/xarmor/media/20141026_172527_resized.jpg.html

[xarmor]

These are the docs and correspondence that came with the rifle.

[da gimp]

X,............ by chance did the late owner keep track of the round count through that barrel? A heck of a lot of serious match shooters keep track of every round fired through a rifle.. both in practice & in matches.......... along with temp, wind, humidity, skies and at which rifle range it was fired............along with his primers, powder charge in weight, type of powder, his bullet selection, his trimmed length of his cases before he loaded them & his OAL for each bullet selection with each type of case........ i.e. Lake City cases, with a Sierra 150 gr .... or a Federal commercial case with same on bullets, if his round count is 2000 to 3000 fired...... I'd say that the rifle's bore has some wear.......... but that you could avoid re-barreling the rifle for a year...... if it has had 6000 rounds plus fired thru it, the value would be less..................

hoping it helps you sir.

[gulliver62]

Very nice example of the earlier builders. I have seen very few where the builder professionally added the rear lug to the receiver. Not sure if your barrel is an NM or not. If it does not have the chrome lining, I believe it is NM. It should have NM marked on it somewhere also. Looks like a really nice pick-up.

[da gimp]

to the best of my knowledge....... the sole thing denoting the NM status of an original USGI M14 barrel is the federal stock number at the rear of the barrel... I do not have the numbers handy for that right now............. It clearly appears to be the work of a 1st class smith......good luck & if I was you..... I'd sure look for his match book for that rifle & either way....... I'd have the throat erosion measured with a Stone Axe gauge or another 1st class gauge.......that can tell you if there's any life left in the barrel.