M1 Garand questions (about where to sell & how much this one is worth)

[gua742]

Hello everyone and thanks for reading my post.

So my best friends grandpa (who is a WWII vet) has an M1 Garand SN:19020XX. He has a lot of medical issues and to be blunt he does not have a lot of time left. He is VERY with it still and wants to sell his M1 Garand while he is still mentally with it. He wants to remember selling it, he has found memories of this rifle after all.

My friend asked me to find out how they would go about selling it so that is what I am asking here today.

Here is some info about the rifle...

He bought it from the Civilian Marksmanship Program in 2009
It is in perfect shape

The SN is: 19020XX and was made sometime between October 1940- November 1940 (I think, that is all I could find out online)

It comes with the rifle, 5 mags, ammo belt, bayonet and paper work (users manuel and certificate of authenticity)


Thank you everyone for help! We need it!

 

[loadedround]

Ask your friend what CMP grade that the rifle is, if he can remember. Or the paperwork may list the grade. There is close to a 500.00 difference between rack grade and correct grade. Need the grade to estimate value w/o seeing the rifle in person.

 

[Tim the student]

A lot depends on smaller things with these rifles (more rare parts = more $ someone is willing to pay, or if the parts that are on it are very close to what it would have left the factory with), but generally speaking, I would guess between $5-750. What is the cartouche on the stock? Is it USGI, or a CMP stock?

What is the date on the barrel?

First, what grade is it? The CMP paperwork should say, and that will help. For example, a field grade will generally command less than a correct grade (which will also need to be verified by lots and lots of pics). What do the muzzle and throat gauge at?

If you post pics, that would help tremendously.

 

[HankB]

Sorry to hear about your best friend's grandpa.

About his rifle - it's good that he has the CMP paperwork. A 1940 rifle probably saw service in WWII and maybe Korea, and was almost certainly rebuilt at least once.

CMP rifles were, and are, sold in a variety of grades; currently, "Field" Grade rifles are $495, H&R "Service" grade rifles $895 (Springfields a bit less, but currently sold out), "Special" grade $995, and "Correct" grade $1100. They may have been a bit less in 2009.

So it's a bit difficult to appraise without additional information. Since he got it from the CMP within the last two years, check out the paperwork for an indication of the grade; typical gun show price from a dealer that's selling one is going to be at least $100 above the CMP price, maybe $300. (A few dealers mark it up even more, and patiently wait for a dumb fish to swim by.) quite a few small dealers buy several CMP rifles per year, add a modest mark-up, and sell at their tables or in their stores.

A dealer probably won't even give CMP price to a private seller.

The mags (actually, they're en-bloc clips) won't be more than a buck apiece, the ammo belt, maybe $10, and the bayonet . . . anywhere from $20 to $200, but you'd need to run it by bayonet cogniscenti.

Some info:

http://www.odcmp.com/Sales/rifles.htm

http://www.garandgear.com/

Here's a thought - once you figure out what a fair price is, why don't YOU buy it from him? Most states, it's just pay him the money and leave with the rifle. (Assuming you're not a prohibited person, under 18, or living in some Commie state like CA or NJ . . . ) I own a couple myself - USGI Garands are a great piece of history, fun to shoot, and they're not making them like that any more.

 

[gua742]

pics can be seen here...

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=256465050

 

[gua742]

I will figure out the grade ASAP and get back to you guys, thanks for the replies thus far!

 

[Tim the student]

GUA, I think you may need to do some tweaking to that auction - especially to justify a 1k opening bid. If you can sell it over that, more power to you, but I doubt you will get any bids.

 

[gua742]

I will tweak the auction for sure, thanks for the heads up!

 

[Tim the student]

If you want a good feel for what they are selling at, search the gunbroker completed auctions.

Notice both what they sold at, as well as what they didn't sell at (as far as the highest bids when the reserve wasn't met.) That will give you a good feel for what buyers feel they are worth.

Pics of the CMP certificate, an M2 bullet in the bore to show roughly what the erosion is at, the barrel date, the oprod, a close up of the bayonet, the stock, all that stuff (and more than what I mentioned) will help IMO.

Is that sling included, but you just didn't list it in the auction?

More pics are better than less IMO.

 

[towboat_er]

MORE PICS. Take pictures of all markings.

 

[Tim the student]

Hey, congrats on the sale. I sure didn't think it would go that high.