swingset wrote:
FWIW, the Dane VAR barrels were in everything from decent to brand new condition - some of them literally unfired, so there's nothing to the theory that the Dane guns were used more. The one I have has a 0+ muzzle and throat, literally new.
Practically ALL of the M1's the Danes received were used US rifles that came out of WWII and were then re-furbed before being sent back over. A very small percentage of them were actual post WWII production, but from board reports it seems less than 5%. The rest were all WWII re-furbs.
The Danes used the s**t out of these rifles... ALL of them..... but fortunately for us, they then were very diligent about maintaining them with new Italian and Dane parts, even to the extent of doing complete re-parks of all the metal. They also used Euro beech to replace the wood parts (not a pretty wood, but very solid and functional).
Any Dane returned M1 that appears "unfired" is one of these well used by the US and then well used some more by the Danes rifles that then got a full overhaul and new Dane VAR barrel before being stored for future use.
The Danish made VAR barrels were primo. Tight tolerances and many went right to storage after the re-barrel. Swingset, you evidently received one of these. I was lucky enough to receive 4 of them among the rifles I've bought from the CMP, all apparently unfired since the rebuild and full re-park of the metal. Other Dane M1's I've received have been well used, even AFTER the Danes did their rebuilds..... with well worn VAR barrels.
BTW... herein lies a MAJOR difference between the Danes and the Greeks.... maintenance.
In all the reports I've seen-read coming out of Anniston by guys who've gone there, I've seen nothing that leads me to believe that the Greek returns have been refinished. All have the same US finish that they had when we sent them over. The only additions I've read that the Greeks did to the M1's was to put on some freaky blond Euro wood to replace the US made stocks they broke while bouncing them around the rocks of their islands.
Also..... VAR replacement barrels were uniquely Dane. The Greek returns will have the same barrels that they had when we sent them over there... however worn and abused they might be.
I've read nothing regarding any replacement parts added on by the Greeks (other than the freaky blond wood). This, combined with the lack of any kind of metal re-finishing by the Greeks, concerns me about the total accumulated wear on most of these rifles. Remember, many of these rifles were sent to the Greeks IMMEDIATELY at the end of WWII, when Communist insurgents were sneaking down from the North to try & subvert the Greek King's government. The Greek Army and their "home guard" have had almost 60 years of use out of these weapons, and with no apparent armory level maintenance..... Hmmm... makes me think.
As stated by somebody else already, the really nice Greeks that escaped the use by their new owners will most likely be auctioned. The rest of them will be well used, NOT rebuilt like the Danes, and to all reports, will be as much or more abused than the Dane Rack Grades the CMP now has.
Actual results still to be seen when these are finally released for sale.
Anyway...... this just my thoughts based on all I've read about them.
Best to all,
Swampy
Garands forever
