My search for the Holy Grail is over.

[Harry Paget Flashman]

I have been on pins and needles the past 3 months while a good friend of mine was working a deal for two M1 Garands from a guy he does business with. He called me earlier this morning and said he was going to look at one of them. He picked it up and brought it over after lunch.

It is an H&R Arms Co. manufacture with a serial number of 479XXXX made in 1954. It has 3 cartouches on the stock...a "circle P" on the bottom grip, and a "box SA" and "box RIA/EB" on the left hand side.

The bore is pit-free and bright. No rust. 85% bluing. Minor dings in the dark walnut stock but nothing that stands out. It came with an original leather sling, 3 en bloc clips, 40 rds of Korean ammo and 8 rds of blanks.

My friend told me he was very sure he could get another one for me.

I couldn't stand it! I told him I had to have it, that I'd give him an SKS if I could have this one for what he paid for it with a proviso that if he couldn't get another I'd sell it back for cost and if he did get another he could pick between the two....no hassle. With some reluctance and because he hated to see me beg and grovel he said okay. So I have my first Garand!

This is the part you're going to hate:

1). $250.
2). I don't have a camera yet.
3). He's got a line on 2 WWII .30cal Carbines.

 

[Cosmoline]

What sort of "business" I wonder. Does it involve concrete shoes and deals you can't refuse?

 

[ScottsGT]

Sir, you have a GREAT friend. Guys like that don't come along too often. So you need to do the same for someone else someday.


You can start now by selling ME that Garand for $250. Oh, don't worry about the photos. I know what a Garand looks like.

Almost forgot, welcome to the Garand club!

 

[chrisslamar]

so where is this magic place that sells garands for $250? I'm sure everyone on the board would contribute to a giant video of us begging that you could show your friend if it would help sway his opinion ; ) But seriously great rifle, GREAT price, and have fun

 

[Hoppy590]

oh man. i hate you for that price! congrats anyway though

 

[jagdpanzer347]

HPG, you must have been building up some serious positive Karma to come into a deal like that. Congrats!

-jagpanzer

 

[Harry Paget Flashman]

I hope my karma stays good and my friend gets his Garand so I won't have to give this one back. I am optimistic. He called to say the guy who got it for him paid $170 for it from a guy who inherited several of them from his dad and wants to sell them off.

I don't think I could buy them off the owner who inherited them without telling him he was "sure selling them pretty cheap." My friends friend who got the one I have now got it for $180 was happy to turn at least a $70 profit. But, since it came to me via an owner I don't know -> to my friends friend -> to my GOOD friend -> and then to me, I can do deals like this all day with a fairly clear conscience.

My Good friend has already called his middleman back and told him we're ready to buy all the remaining Garands. Hope to find out this weekend how many more that guy's got.

Originally, several months ago, when I first got wind of this deal I heard that they were old beaters from a VFW drill team painted red, white and blue. That didn't turn out to be the case. But it wouldn't have mattered. Things turned out nice and may even turn out better.

 

[Hoppy590]

so theres none left? cause i mean i would pay atleast twice the "cost" that the middle man paid

 

[Harry Paget Flashman]

I took the M1 to the range today. I have a lot of self confidence when it comes to doing things without instructions or a tech manual. I had some Korean surplus 30-06 an two clips (yes, clips!). You'd think they would be easier to load. I figured it out after awhile that they all have to be even for the clip to load. I had a few people watching me who were very appreciative of the quality of the rifle and the price I paid for it. That's always nice. But, having never shot a Garand before, and having done more research on the provenance of the gun than on the manual of arms, when I got ready to lock and load I got the infamous "Garand Thumb" before the first round went down range. I acted like it was no big deal and whilst slowly delivering 8 rounds on target I bled like a stuck pig.

It was no consolation to hear the older guys (I'm 58) say, "That used to happen a lot in basic...never happened to me though."

Well, I'm glad I got that out of the way. I'm enjoyed the range time, particularly my first "PING!". I plan on reading up and practicing before shooting the M1 again. Garand Thumb is not something you want to do twice.

 

[BoySetsTheFire]

Like the manual says about M1 thumb: "No one ever died from it, but it did lead to a deplorable expansion of vocabulary in many languages".

Keep the knife edge of your right hand in front of the rod handle, or load with your left and hold the rod lever with your right.

 

[Rosstradamus]

Watch out for that Korean ammo. It's often corrosive. Water washes away the salts. Windex is a waste. Just use water.

Hell of a deal otherwise. My '54 HRA Garand shoots great (2 MOA). Join the club.

Garand thumb = black & blue (not red usually) badge of courage. I got one in June. The mangled nail has almost grown out.

 

[ScottsGT]

You guys must have pi$$ed off your Garands, or either mine just loves the way I treat it. I slap in a loaded clip, and the bolt won't close until I give the op-rod a little nudge, then she closes tight.