cut down m1 garand

[hydrogmiller]

I'll have to e mail the armory as they won't talk to ya. Site says 8-10 wks for a reply.

I finally got the Nikon to take some half way pics. Haven't figgered out how to post them yet. I guess even though there's probably no way to prove it, I'm 99.99% sure this was done in the Pacific During the war. Probably not one of the 150 or so.

 

[highorder]

Aside from the story, what reason do you have to believe this rifle was NOT made in the 50's or 60's with scrap parts?

 

[hydrogmiller]

cause my father bought in 46, I have used it for deer hunting for 48 yrs. Sure am dating myself. I tried posting the pics didn't seem to work, can ya give me any help how to?

 

[Rio Laxas]

When you hit submit reply you can press the manage attachments button down below the text box or you can post them on photobucket.com and link them over. Join photobucket, upload them, then copy the IMG code below the picture and past it into a reply.

 

[hydrogmiller]

pics

 

[lipadj46]

Like the last poster said upload the pics to photobucket. Then photobucket will provide you the code to get your message in a post. Select the IMG code to copy and past in your message.

 

[Trebor]

Instead of waiting to hear from Springfield Armory, contact Scott Duff. All SA is going to tell you is what you already know - That some rifles might have been converted in the field, but that there is no way to confirm that yours is one of them.

But, without some sort of proof that this was converted "in theater", you have no way of proving that it was done in the combat zone. Even if it was converted 50 + years ago, it could have just as easily been converted after the rifle was brought back to the states as in the combat zone.

Still, contact Scott Duff. Provide him with good pics and details on the serial number, barrel number, and your description of the history of the rifle. He might be able to help you out.

 

[highorder]

I am still waiting for pics so we may evaluate this rifle.

 

[hydrogmiller]

highorder

send me and e mail address and I will mail them as I still am not having luck with this site

 

[highorder]

pics below.

 

[hydrogmiller]

M1 pics

 

[highorder]

Here are the pics.

What do you guys think?

 

[hydrogmiller]

pics

 

[highorder]

accidentally posted without removing the serial #.

this is a 7 digit 1478XXX receiver from SA.

 

[Buckskinner]

barrel numbers/markings please?

 

[hydrogmiller]

Ya know them barrel #'s arn't there. Looks to me like the operating rod wasn't working right so the boys in the pacific got out a file. There are some #'s on the top of the barrel don't know it they mean anything. Gota snap off the top wood to get to them.

 

[highorder]

Gota snap off the top wood to get to them.

STOP.

You may have a priceless historical artifact; I dont recommend "snapping the top wood off" anything.

There are some #'s on the top of the barrel don't know it they mean anything. Gota snap off the top wood to get to them.

If you can't see them, how do you know they are there? If you can see them, what are the numbers/letters?

When you lock the op-rod to the rear, are you saying there is nothing visible on the barrel?

Contact Scott Duff immediately.
[email protected]

Send him the document (with pics) you sent me, as well as any/all recollections you have regarding this rifle.

Also, don't disassemble the rifle any further. Do you have any pictures of the stock? trigger group?

Thanks.

 

[hydrogmiller]

I lost a lot of deer because of this rifle jamming. It would run fmj all day long, but put a soft point in it would jam. After 30+ yrs, I decided to put a plug on the end of the follower spring. walla. Hasn't missed a round since. I saw someother post bout sombody having a problem with the clip ejecting, after the plug job I had the same. Put a stronger spring in the clip holder lever.

 

[hydrogmiller]

hiorder

just file and wear marks. probably was hanging because of misalignment of gas rod

 

[highorder]

Respectfully, You need to educate yourself about the M1 rifle.

They don't have gas rods, clip holder levers or follower springs.

You seem awfully casual for a someone that came here looking for value information on what (might) be an item of great value and historical importance.

You modified it?

I'm starting to lean back to my original appraisal.

$400

 

[Sunray]

"...Lt. had it made..." If the Lt. said he brought back any M1 issued to him, he stole it. The troopies, officers or not, were not allowed to keep their issue firearms. Relax. Nobody is looking for it.

 

[hydrogmiller]

ya know highorder I been around for just short of 62 yrs. Own a small Hydro Electric plant been in the family for 3 Gens. Put 3yrs in Uncles Army 67-70 Machine shop Inst MOS 44E20. Got 1600 hrs in a 560 Commander flying the US Mail, bout 3500 total in aircraft. Been fixing or building equipment since forever. I've had this rifle apart so many times for cleaning I can't remember.

This rifle has only been a kill the meat rifle until I started digging yesterday.

I'm not a collector this was a hunting gun. Ya I know this is my rifle this is my gun one is for killing one is for fun.

After yesterday I think I got the real deal maybe insure it and put it in a safe place.

If it turns out to be worth big time it's probably gona go to auction. I can hunt with a 25 06.

I do have this rifle and think it was really mod in the Pacific\\

Ya I think you owe the apology, not the nothing

 

[dfariswheel]

The key is: "Is it possible this is a WWII theater cut-down M1"????

Yes.
Anything is possible. However without any real evidence (providence) PROVING this, the rifle is nothing more than a cut-down M1 "Tanker".

Collectors and smart gun buyers "buy the gun, not the story". Without hard documentation (like a letter from the original GI who brought it home listing the serial number) along with some other verifiable evidence, the rifle has no value beyond what it is, which is a cut-down M1.

The M1 "Tanker" has been around since at least the 1950's when a gun distributor (Golden State Arms??) had a batch of M1 rifles that weren't selling.
On a trip to the Springfield Arsenal he saw the original T26 M1 and had the idea that that might help sell his rifles.
He had the idea of suggesting that the carbine version was ordered by General MacArthur for use by tankers in the Pacific.
Truth is, the short M1 was requested by European Paratrooper commander General Gavin, who hated the M1 Carbine, and wanted shorter M1 rifles for use in jumps.

Springfield Arsenal made up about two or three T26 rifles before the war ended and the need expired.
Their final verdict on the carbine M1 rifle was that it wasn't practical due to excess muzzle blast and recoil. One rifle was destroyed in testing and at least one other is in the museum at Springfield.

A number of rifles were converted in the field, but AS FAR AS IS KNOWN, all of them were converted back to rifles.
So, it's at least "possible" this is one of those few rifles from the Pacific, but as above, without HARD documentation, it has no value beyond being a cut-down.
Just because the rifle's receiver is NOT a welded scrapped receiver is no indication of where or who altered it. A good many have been built from intact receivers and most were not welded.

So, what you have is a family heirloom, and not much else without provenance.

 

[hydrogmiller]

Modified it ya cut the stock shorter, a 13 Yr. old can't reach the trigger other than that made a missing windage lock.

 

[hydrogmiller]

dfariswheel

You probably hit it on the head. It was but there is no verivacation.
There had to be hundreds of rifles without soldiers to hold them in the pacific, called casulities. These boys didn't care about documention they just wanted to stay alive.