M1 ?

timgd · January 24, 2009, 02:09 PM

I just received my first M1 Garand from the cmp, where do I look for a date of manufacture.I have it striped down but I don't see anything obvious. Also the stock is not in to bad shape but has a lot of dings and divits I have heard about steaming the wood to raise the grain but I have never tried it. Am I better off buying A replacement stock or should I give it a try.

Calfed · January 24, 2009, 02:23 PM

M1 garands, and most other US military rifles are not dated by date of manufacture. You MAY be able to determine the month and year of the manufacture of your Garand receiver by checking the serial number of the receiver at several websites that have that information.

http://www.fulton-armory.com/tea/m1serial.htm

That one is as good as any of them.

You will also find that unlike many other nation's military rifles, US rifles do not have a myriad of parts marked with "matching serial numbers". Usually the best you can do with a US rifle is match the individual part's manufacturer's codes and/or "drawing numbers" to determine if your rifle is "correct".

Congrats on your new purchase and post some pics when you can

James K · January 24, 2009, 08:13 PM

The barrels are dated, under the op rod, but that is the date the barrel was made, not the date the rifle was made, and the barrel could be a replacement.

Jim

timgd · January 24, 2009, 09:26 PM

I have it all stripped down and these are the barrel markings. LMR D6535448 10 52 A4 P
This gun is going to be a shooter what are my options for optics.I would like to keep it looking semi original.I am not trying to make it look like a sniper rifle but my eye sight is not what not what it used to be. I will post some pictures after I finish cleaning and re assemble. Is the 10 52 the barrel manufacture date?

timgd · January 24, 2009, 09:37 PM

SN indicates April of 1944. I will post some pictures tomorrow but the gun is not pretty. It looks like it was road hard and put to bed wet.

Calfed · January 24, 2009, 10:30 PM

Ahh, Line Materials barrel. Very good--one of the best if it is still in good shape.

Limited on optics. S&K makes a no drill scope mount. I have no experience with it, so not sure how well it holds zero.

You can use a Griffen and Howe side mount, but it would require drilling your receiver and I understand that they are quite pricey. It would also affect the value of your Garand.

Might want to investigate NM sights instead.

Good luck

Chipperman · January 28, 2009, 04:31 PM

Pictures, or it gets the hose!

Quote:

SN indicates April of 1944. I will post some pictures tomorrow but the gun is not pretty. It looks like it was road hard and put to bed wet.

Just think of the History, though. You have a Gen-U-wine Wartime M1. Who knows what it saw and did?

FALPhil · January 28, 2009, 05:29 PM

For optics, you may want to try the AmegaRanges front hand guard which installs without alterations, and puts the optics forward of the receiver in a "scout" style configuration. But shoot it with the peep sights first. They are pretty darned good for an MBR.

Also, unless you paid 4 or 5 figures for your Garand from the CMP, then you can be 100% sure that your rifle has been rearsenaled at least once and that many of the parts are from a number of manufacturers and date ranges.

Here is a pic of my second CMP Garand that I purchased about 3 years ago.

timgd · January 28, 2009, 08:55 PM

Thanks for the info. I'll check out the Amegarange hand guard. As for the pictures I'll post them when I figure out how to get them from my desk top to this thread. I know how good the peep sights can be my 1st tour in R.V.N. we were still carrying the M-14 rifle. The problem with iron sights is I can see the front blade and the target but not the rear sight.

Beretta16 · January 28, 2009, 09:51 PM

Maybe I'm understanding your previous statement incorrectly, but you don't want to see the rear sight on a Garand. The purpose of a peep is that you can look through it and only focus on the front sight.

Congrats on the LMR barrel as well, one of the best barrels made for the Garand and somewhat rare.

To post pictures upload them to a photobucket account and post the links in the [img] brackets.

Cowart · January 29, 2009, 05:42 PM

Quote:

The problem with iron sights is I can see the front blade and the target but not the rear sight

You look through the rear sight, like you're looking through a hole in a fence.

P5 Guy · January 30, 2009, 09:01 PM

The LMR barrel was made in October of 1952 (10 52 A4P)
So, not only in the 2nd World War but this gun could have been in Korea too.
You've got a possible two war veteran there

kraigwy · January 31, 2009, 03:56 PM

Mined, according to that site, mine was made in Aug 1941. Sucker is in pretty good shape for such an old gal.

Those dark spots on the stock aren't wear, its firm grip spray from shooting highpower.

JWT · January 31, 2009, 04:51 PM

I've used steaming with reasonable success to raise dings in stocks and other wood (furniture). It's worth a try on your stock, especially if you're considering replacement anyhow. I use a moderately damp folded cloth and heat it over the ding with a clothes iron to steam as small an area as possible and only raise the area I want raised.

Walter · February 2, 2009, 10:53 PM

Quote:

Limited on optics. S&K makes a no drill scope mount. I have no experience with it, so not sure how well it holds zero.

I bought one of those scope mounts about 25 years ago to put on my
Winchester M1, and I would recommend you "pass" on it. The mount is
attached to the receiver via one shoulder bolt through the rear sight
mounting wings. It's just not a very stable mounting, and I could never
get mine to hold a zero.

Maybe others have had better luck.

Walter

January 24, 2009, 02:09 PM	#1
timgd Member Join Date: July 14, 2008 Location: SF bay area Posts: 85	M1 ? I just received my first M1 Garand from the cmp, where do I look for a date of manufacture.I have it striped down but I don't see anything obvious. Also the stock is not in to bad shape but has a lot of dings and divits I have heard about steaming the wood to raise the grain but I have never tried it. Am I better off buying A replacement stock or should I give it a try.

January 24, 2009, 09:26 PM	#4
timgd Member Join Date: July 14, 2008 Location: SF bay area Posts: 85	barrel markings I have it all stripped down and these are the barrel markings. LMR D6535448 10 52 A4 P This gun is going to be a shooter what are my options for optics.I would like to keep it looking semi original.I am not trying to make it look like a sniper rifle but my eye sight is not what not what it used to be. I will post some pictures after I finish cleaning and re assemble. Is the 10 52 the barrel manufacture date?

January 24, 2009, 09:37 PM	#5
timgd Member Join Date: July 14, 2008 Location: SF bay area Posts: 85	Date of manufacture SN indicates April of 1944. I will post some pictures tomorrow but the gun is not pretty. It looks like it was road hard and put to bed wet.

January 31, 2009, 03:56 PM	#13
kraigwy Senior Member Join Date: June 16, 2008 Location: Wyoming Posts: 11,061	Mined, according to that site, mine was made in Aug 1941. Sucker is in pretty good shape for such an old gal. Those dark spots on the stock aren't wear, its firm grip spray from shooting highpower. __________________ Kraig Stuart CPT USAR Ret USAMU Sniper School Distinguished Rifle Badge 1071

January 24, 2009, 02:23 PM	#2
Calfed Senior Member Join Date: December 20, 2007 Posts: 295	M1 garands, and most other US military rifles are not dated by date of manufacture. You MAY be able to determine the month and year of the manufacture of your Garand receiver by checking the serial number of the receiver at several websites that have that information. http://www.fulton-armory.com/tea/m1serial.htm That one is as good as any of them. You will also find that unlike many other nation's military rifles, US rifles do not have a myriad of parts marked with "matching serial numbers". Usually the best you can do with a US rifle is match the individual part's manufacturer's codes and/or "drawing numbers" to determine if your rifle is "correct". Congrats on your new purchase and post some pics when you can

January 24, 2009, 08:13 PM	#3
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	The barrels are dated, under the op rod, but that is the date the barrel was made, not the date the rifle was made, and the barrel could be a replacement. Jim

January 24, 2009, 10:30 PM	#6
Calfed Senior Member Join Date: December 20, 2007 Posts: 295	Ahh, Line Materials barrel. Very good--one of the best if it is still in good shape. Limited on optics. S&K makes a no drill scope mount. I have no experience with it, so not sure how well it holds zero. You can use a Griffen and Howe side mount, but it would require drilling your receiver and I understand that they are quite pricey. It would also affect the value of your Garand. Might want to investigate NM sights instead. Good luck

January 28, 2009, 05:29 PM	#8
FALPhil Senior Member Join Date: September 10, 2007 Location: Racoon City Posts: 934	For optics, you may want to try the AmegaRanges front hand guard which installs without alterations, and puts the optics forward of the receiver in a "scout" style configuration. But shoot it with the peep sights first. They are pretty darned good for an MBR. Also, unless you paid 4 or 5 figures for your Garand from the CMP, then you can be 100% sure that your rifle has been rearsenaled at least once and that many of the parts are from a number of manufacturers and date ranges. Here is a pic of my second CMP Garand that I purchased about 3 years ago.

January 28, 2009, 08:55 PM	#9
timgd Member Join Date: July 14, 2008 Location: SF bay area Posts: 85	Thanks for the info. I'll check out the Amegarange hand guard. As for the pictures I'll post them when I figure out how to get them from my desk top to this thread. I know how good the peep sights can be my 1st tour in R.V.N. we were still carrying the M-14 rifle. The problem with iron sights is I can see the front blade and the target but not the rear sight.

January 28, 2009, 09:51 PM	#10
Beretta16 Junior member Join Date: November 22, 2007 Location: MN Posts: 230	Maybe I'm understanding your previous statement incorrectly, but you don't want to see the rear sight on a Garand. The purpose of a peep is that you can look through it and only focus on the front sight. Congrats on the LMR barrel as well, one of the best barrels made for the Garand and somewhat rare. To post pictures upload them to a photobucket account and post the links in the [img] brackets.

January 30, 2009, 09:01 PM	#12
P5 Guy Senior Member Join Date: December 1, 2005 Location: Tampa Bay Posts: 1,804	The LMR barrel was made in October of 1952 (10 52 A4P) So, not only in the 2nd World War but this gun could have been in Korea too. You've got a possible two war veteran there

January 31, 2009, 04:51 PM	#14
JWT Senior Member Join Date: March 16, 2007 Location: Southern Arizona Posts: 3,888	I've used steaming with reasonable success to raise dings in stocks and other wood (furniture). It's worth a try on your stock, especially if you're considering replacement anyhow. I use a moderately damp folded cloth and heat it over the ding with a clothes iron to steam as small an area as possible and only raise the area I want raised.