M1D???

[engineerbrian]

Hey guys i could use a little help here. A while back a bought an M1 Garand with a bunch of "accessories" for $800. From what i can tell the gun has never been shot and is excellent shape. The accessories that came with the gun were the flash hider and scope to make it an M1D, amongst other items. I've always wondered if this is a real M1D or if it's a regular old Garand with some extra parts thrown in. I'm posting some pictures of the gun and i can say for sure that the side of the barrell is marked S-A-6-52 when the bolt is pulled back.

If anyone can help i really appreciate it, and if you need more info i'll get it to you.

Thanks
Brian

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[rondog]

No idear, but I'd say you didn't get hurt on the deal! If you want lots of opinions from the serious garand collectors, sign up here http://www.thecmp.org/forums/

 

[1KPerDay]

If it's real, you stole it. If it's fake but the parts are in good shape and it runs, you still got a reasonable deal. I agree about asking at the CMP forums. They'll be able to tell you for sure.

 

[engineerbrian]

ok thanks guys. i'll check out teh cmp forum too

Brian

 

[hso]

Are there screw holes on the underside of the stock in the area the cheekpad is supposed to go? The first hole will be right in front of the sling attachment.
See #56 http://www.kmike.com/M1/TM9-1005-222-12Frame.htm

 

[Jim K]

M1D rifles were made up from existing M1 rifles, so there is no specific serial number range.

The M1D barrel had a special drawing number, D7312555, with an integral base. Most fakes have an after-market base added to a standard M1 barrel. But some of the correct barrels were sold on the market, so if the barrel is correct, there is no absolute way to tell if an M1D was put together by the Army or by a civilian gunsmith, although many rifles made up by depots/arsenals were so-marked on the receiver leg.

Jim

 

[engineerbrian]

Are there screw holes on the underside of the stock in the area the cheekpad is supposed to go?

I checked and there are no holes. The 2 brass screws are still in the butt stock compartment, as you can barely see in one of the pics. i'm 99% sure the gun has never been shot, so maybe they were never installed.

The M1D barrel had a special drawing number, D7312555, with an integral base.

I'll take a look for the number. i'm embarressed to say, but i have no idea how to break this gun down, so bear with me while i figure it out and look for the number. I dont have a book for it, any web site suggestions?

thanks for all of the help
Brian

 

[Jim K]

Initial breakdown is simple. Pull back and down on the rear of the trigger guard. If there is a hole, you can use a cleaning rod section or a the bullet end of a live round to help.

Swing the trigger guard down and forward like the lever of a lever-action rifle. Pull the trigger group down and out of the stock.

Then hold the stock at the handguard and tap down on the buttstock; the buttstock will separate from the receiver and barrel.

That is it for initial takedown.

Jim

 

[engineerbrian]

Thanks Jim, that was easy! I didnt see a number anywhere on the bottom of the barrell after i pulled it apart. Do i need to pull the hand guards to find the number, or are they usually on the bottom?

 

[Jim K]

Early M1D barrels had the drawing number on the top, but most have it on the right side. The latter should be visible with the op rod retracted or removed. The date of manufacture should also be there.

Jim

 

[engineerbrian]

Man, I'm like a kid Christmas!!!! I took the hand guard off of the gun an sure enough there it was....D7312555. I'm pretty stoked knowing the number is in place and i can say for sure the gun has never been shot.

Thanks for all of the help guys
Brian

 

[1KPerDay]

How can you say for sure it's never been shot?

 

[engineerbrian]

How can you say for sure it's never been shot

First off, let me say i'm no gun smith or even close to one, but after taking the gun apart to find the numbers on the barrel i found zero signs of wear or dirt. other sporting rifles that i own that have minimal usage even show a little wear.

Maybe i'm wrong, and if i and thats fine too, but if so then someone did a hell of a job cleaning/re finishing the entire gun.

i really appreciate all of the comments on this.
Brian

 

[Jim K]

Unlike the M1C rifles, which were new, most of the rifles that were converted to M1D's by the army were issue rifles that were rebuilt and re-finished (re-Parkerized) as part of the rebuild. And they were proved. So while a given M1D may have been fired little or not at all (other than proving) after being rebuilt, there is no way of knowing how much the original rifle had been fired. So saying the rifle has "never been shot" could be true only with qualifiers and only in regard to its M1D configuration.

Jim

 

[engineerbrian]

could be true only with qualifiers and only in regard to its M1D configuration.

Jim

Thats some good info, thanks. But can you break that down for me in lay mans terms? what do you mean qualifiers?

Thanks
Brian