M1 garand price

[Bill50]

A neighbor just got a 1942 Springfield M1 garand from his dad. He's a former Marine but had no clue how to clean it.

He gave it to me for disassembly and cleaning because I like to collect old guns. The outside of the barrel is rusty and it's been collecting cobwebs for at least a decade.

Everything looks original and correct. The op rod is straight. I told him it should go for $1,000+. I told him he should keep it regardless of price because it was his dad's.

How much is an origal worth?

 

[1KPerDay]

Depends on a lot of things. Take pics of every part with a number on it. Get muzzle and throat readings if you can. If it's all original as issued and correct it is probably worth quite a bit more than $1000. Don't scrub the stock.

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

There's almost no such thing as an "all original" Garand (or Carbine, or 03), as nearly all these were reconditioned at the arsenal, sometimes several times by several different countries. The only way to check for op- rod dimensional correctness is to do a tilt test....garandgear.com has directions for this and all things Garand. I highly recommend picking up one of their gas cylinder plugs if your going to shoot modern ammo out of it. In any event, values are fluid and relative...see what people are asking on gunbroker and armslist currently. Personally I think 650-750 is reasonable for a mechanically sound, arsenal rebuilt, cosmetically challenged Springfield made Garand. Add a little for one of the other manufacturers.

 

[Bill50]

The neighbor is about 45.He said he shot it as a kid. It's full of sand and cobwebs and looks like hasn't been taken apart in decades.

I cleaned the stock to get rid of the sand, but I left all of the wax pencil marks on it.

 

[FNGinCO]

You are correct that he should never sell it because it was his father's.

But it's worth is probably less than $1000. Currently, CMP is selling rack grade Garands for $630 and service grades for $730. http://thecmp.org/cmp_sales/rifle_sales/m1-garand/

 

[DaisyCutter]

The CMP Garands are a steal. Street value is typically a bit more than CMP prices. I'm probably biased, but I'd turn down a $1500 offer on my $730 Garand, and it's a SA 5.8 mil from 1955.

He should never sell it.

 

[Orlando]

Kinda like asking whats a old Chevy worth
Need to know detailed info of parts along with the serial number. Pictures of unmarked parts would also help.

 

[Reloadron]

Discounting the CMP guns. Right now around me in NE Ohio the shooter quality everyday M1 Garands are going for about $1,000 depending. There are plenty of good rifles still to be had through the CMP for a much lower price. These are shooters and not that perfect 1941 Garand with th correct stock and all cartouches in perfect order.

I would field strip the rifle you have and hit it with some WD 40 and 0000 Steel wool. The WD 40 is to lift light rust and corrosion. Look over the wood and see how much oil has soaked into the wood over the years. Pictures of the wood would help as there are ways to "draw" the oil and grease out. You can check the serial number and get to when the rifle was made and what would be correct parts but good luck on that note or a cartouch on the wood.

Again, the rifles I am talking about and priced at shows are what we call "shooters" they are not stellar collectible specimens.

Ron

 

[agtman]

Again, the rifles I am talking about and priced at shows are what we call "shooters" they are not stellar collectible specimens.

Agree. The "stellar" collector-grade M1s are going for what now? Like $3K?

 

[FNGinCO]

The CMP Garands are a steal. Street value is typically a bit more than CMP prices. I'm probably biased, but I'd turn down a $1500 offer on my $730 Garand, and it's a SA 5.8 mil from 1955.

He should never sell it.

Agreed. But if someone offered me $1500 for my $730 service grade, I'd do it every time. And get back in line for another $730 service grade. Except that one would be free.

 

[ford8nr]

There's almost no such thing as an "all original" Garand

I ordered a HRA Garand from the CMP when they were first offered. ALL parts match, wood cartouches were visible and clean. Upon tare down and initial cleaning I could find no visible wear on any internal part. Barrel gauged in the new range.

As far as your rifle, I'd guess south of $1000 unless you find a motivated buyer.

 

[Bill50]

Just finished the full disassembly. There's enough rust under the rear handgaurd that it might not be shootable.

He's coming to take a look, but my recommendation was to take it to a gunsmith to check it for a rebarrel.

 

[Hikingman]

Cobwebs, sad!

Let us know more, later.

 

[ApacheCoTodd]

Being a "42"...

If it's internals are 1942 series numbers adn it's anything but crappy condition, it's worth significantly more than $1,000.

Fella's got to know stock cartouches and grading and be able to identify the internals as SA and date them by series numbers.

I often wonder how many people here who give "low ball" buying advice are among the one's who cry foul when they go to sell and label dealers and shops as crooks for their offers.

Gotta be something wrong with it for $1,000 to not be fair to both parties.

I however, go with the folks advising you to advise him to keep it. I've certainly bought enough from people who could not be persuaded otherwise, so there's that. You tell them what it is and why it should be important but sometimes you just can't get past suspicion, an anti gun sentiment or familial pasts.

Todd.

 

[Bill50]

He and a neighbor looked at it and agreed it's shootable but needs to see a gunsmith. He's going to take it in disassembled for a price quote on a new barrel.

It's a shame it was kept like that because the gas port is still clean, and I was able to get the bore mirror bright without much effort.

 

[ApacheCoTodd]

He and a neighbor looked at it and agreed it's shootable but needs to see a gunsmith. He's going to take it in disassembled for a price quote on a new barrel.

It's a shame it was kept like that because the gas port is still clean, and I was able to get the bore mirror bright without much effort.

Man, I'd sure hate to see him have a 42 barrel taken off if it has one. Comes down to bore issues, I'd line a 42 barrel before taking it off.


Todd.

 

[Bill50]

The rust is on the outside of the barrel and it looks like it started pitting 20 years ago. Chrome lining won't help.

 

[Onmilo]

An ALL original 1942 war issue M1 Garand is worth more in RELIC condition that an M1 rebuilt mixmaster in excellent condition.
Just saying, if it is all original, leave it alone.

 

[agtman]

An ALL original 1942 war issue M1 Garand is worth more in RELIC condition that an M1 rebuilt mixmaster in excellent condition. * * * if it is all original, leave it alone.

Absolutely - especially if you've got a local Garand "expert" who can look over all the part numbers, cartouches, etc., and vet it for correctness.

And if it turns out to be an "all-correct" 1942 M1, don't re-barrel it. But if you want to have some real fun, list it up on GunJoker with nice pictures and a Big Reserve of $$$, then sit back and watch as the M1 Collectards come hoarding out of the on-line woodwork to bid on it.

 

[Reloadron]

A neighbor just got a 1942 Springfield M1 garand from his dad. He's a former Marine but had no clue how to clean it.

He gave it to me for disassembly and cleaning because I like to collect old guns. The outside of the barrel is rusty and it's been collecting cobwebs for at least a decade.

Everything looks original and correct. The op rod is straight. I told him it should go for $1,000+. I told him he should keep it regardless of price because it was his dad's.

How much is an origal worth?

Without the serial number there is no way to say this rifle is original and correct. The year 1942 saw several changes throughout the year. For example what is the dash number on the Trigger Housing? The year 1942 began with D28290-5-SA (February 1942), however, a June 1942 rifle would bear a D28290-7-SA Trigger Housing. Rear sight units went from Type I Lock Bar to the flush nut design. Stock cartouches changed from SA/GHS, small ordinance emblem to SA/EMcF, small ordinance emblem (Ju8ne 1942). By December 1942 the Trigger Housing was a D28290-12-SA, so 1942 saw at least three trigger housing drawing revisions. The operating rod drawing numbers also changed during 1942 production of the rifles. This is just for the SA guns, Winchester had their own drawing numbers and parts marked accordingly.

A correct 1942 gun would be an extremely rare find. Anyway, without a serial number very little can be said as to what the rifle should be.

Ron

 

[tark]

Amen to just about everything above. Garand collecting might not be as big a snakes nest as Lugers or Colt SAAs, but it isn't far from it!

An original, untouched and never re-conditioned 1942 SA Garand is a rare bird indeed. Any WW2 manufactured Garand, Springfield of Winchester, can almost be classified as a non-existent item!

I see lots of Garands in the RIA auction catalog, every auction. In all the years I can only remember seeing one that was un-touched and 100% original. It sold for several thousand dollars. (But it was also a lend-lease gun that went to England. It was virtually brand new.)

There is a quick and easy way to tell if the gun was in for an arsenal overhaul. The uncut op rod will either be cut or replaced with another that is. This was about the first thing addressed in an arsenal re-build. The op rod in the pic is a WW-2 Winchester that has been modified during a re-build. The circular cut solved the problem of cracking. An un-cut rod will have a square corner in this area. If you rod looks like the one in the pic, your rifle was re-built. If it doesn't it might be worth getting excited about.....

I would strongly advise having the gun appraised. By someone who really KNOWS Garands. The Garand Collectors ASSn, or a Garand Forum should give you a place to go. Do not touch it until it is appraised. Not if you want to preserve it's value. Apply oil to the rusted areas but please do not go further without an appraisal.

 

[agtman]

Amen to just about everything above. Garand collecting might not be as big a snakes nest as Lugers or Colt SAAs, but it isn't far from it!

Good advice in your post, Tark. Just wanted to add that my meager collection of M1s has been the "fun-est" thing gun-related that I've done over the years. Met a lot of interesting folk and learned a lot of U.S. military history.

 

[Orlando]

As I suggested before all the OP has to do is take detailed pictures and list drawing numbers here.
I can help him with what he has

 

[Nuclear]

There were some un-issued M1s sold by the CMP a few years back that came back from Greece, where they had been stored since the end of WWII. They went for thousands back then. If truly an original as issued, even with surface rust, it would be worth thousands now, just not quite as much. Think of it as the equivalent of an automobile "barn find".

But yeah, we need more info.

 

[rondog]

The only way I'd rebarrel it is if the bore is wasted, shot out, or the barrel is bent. Rust is a non-issue unless it's just eating big pits in the metal. There's safe ways to get rid of rust. I had all the metal parts of my M1 reparkerized and reblued for $170, but the PO had already put a new barrel on it. The wood was nfg, so I replaced it with a Dupage WWII profile stock. Mine is a '43 Springfield and a really sweet shooter.