Unsafe M1 Garand

[hub]

I have a M1 garand in great shape that I got pretty cheap a few years ago. I actually didn't buy it first hand my step dad did and I traded him some things for it. It was a functional rifle and the guy who sold it said his dad was in a color guard and had died. He also had five others for sale too. It was set up to fire blanks when I got it but after some cleaning it is totally functional and I put twenty rounds through it with out a hiccup but the accuracy was pretty bad. I figured the barrel must have been shot out so I cleaned the bore again and put it in the safe.

Well here it is two years later and I was thinking of re barreling it to shoot in some garand matches this spring so I totally disassembled it and noticed the barrel is welded to the receiver. I can't believe I didn't see it before. *** It's really a disappointment but still the price was still not bad I think he bought it for $250 and gave it to me for installing my used car stereo and some speakers into his hot rod.

This rifle was is in great shape, with a tight fitting nice looking stock. I guess this is why it makes me mad that they would weld it up. Well I did some research and found out that CMP did this for some reason to sell as parade, drill, ceremonial rifles. The rifle is in great shape and functions fine and the only weld is on the barrel but from what I have read is not safe to fire or re barrel as is. I am actually kind of glad I got it because I did tell my step dad it was worth it and he should buy it not knowing before hand that any had been welded up for this purpose.

So I guess when life gives you lemons you should make lemonade so what are my options here. I am not into this rifle for much anyway and it looks good but I'm not into wall hangers. I would like to get a new barelled receiver but I can't believe what some people are asking for them on gunbroker. For the prices they are asking I could almost buy a rack grade from cmp.

What could this welded barrel receiver alone be worth if sold, $50-$100 or more? Boat anchor? I have no idea.

Ideally I would like to get a new receiver with a new criterion barrel installed and put this rifle back together and totally reparked but for that price I could just buy a service grade from CMP. How much would this be worth in resale terms, new barrel, receiver, wood, rest out of usgi parts in good shape, all reparked. I guessing it would be like the CMP special grade or better with a match barrel without cmp's seal of approval. I would hate to put $700-$800 in this rifle if it's only going to be worth that or less.

I see that cmp has a rack grade less wood and sights for $375 but whats the point if it is going to have to be re barreled soon anyway and the parts may have some pitting. I guess I would have some leftover parts I could sell or keep as backups but other that that I don't see the point if I'm looking for a good shooter.

I would like to have but don't need a nice looking accurate Garand. Money is an object and I plan on building a AR 15 service match rifle for high power in the near future so I could put any money I make toward that too.

So any idea's? Should I try to sell it as is? I would have to sell full disclosure about the welds I'm not the type to rip someone off.

Should I rebuild, either with new or used parts?

Or do you think I should just part it out and get the most I can.

 

[Andrew Wyatt]

we're gonna need pics.

 

[hub]

Ahh almost forgot thank you Andrew. One other thing, like I said before I am planning on building an ar15 for high power service rifle matches and I actually started a thread in competitions about it. With the garand out of commision was wondering if I should reconsider and go all out and make the Garand a NRA service match rifle. Would it be hard to make it a competitive shooter around 1 moa. I don't think the cost would really go up that much more but it would be illegal for JCG matches.

Anyway just looking for some suggestions, here are some pics.

 

[61chalk]

It must of been welded for some reason, an that may of made it a drill...rifle.
I would contact CMP an ask them if it could be reworked with a new barrel...an
would not fire it anymore until you find out...I have found some CMP Field Grades
can have little wear an can shoot excellent....you are right, by the time you buy an rebarrel, maybe even put a new wood on, which can improve accuracy, you might be just as well off with a Service, or Service Special Grade,....

 

[Brimic]

I got hosed on an 03A3 like that a few years ago. I bought it from a gun show at a decent price even with the barrel rough and pitted. I bought another new-in-arsenal-wrapper 03a3 barrel and gave it to a smith friend of mine to rebarrel. He noticed that the receiver had discoloration on the bottom where a barrel had been tack welded on, and another bit of roughness/discoloration around the mag cutoff lever and told me the rifle had been a drill rifle that someone had ground the welds off, reparkerized and rebarreled. He fired a proof load through the rebarreled rifle and declared it ok. I've shot a fe hundred full power 30-06 rounds through it and haven't found any visible evidence of fatigue or cracking or the barrel coming loose. Now I reserve the rifle for just firing low pressure cast bullets which it does very well.

If nothing else, the good parts on your rifle are worth several hundred dollars. I wouldn't spend a lot of money on fixing the rifle, and if you want to shoot NRA/CMP highpower, definately put the money into the AR-15 instead.

 

[Orlando]

CMP did not weld these, they had nothing to do with that.
They did sell some of these Veteran Ceramonial returned Garands and did not recommend anyone shooting them.
That weld looks fairly big, I would not continue to shoot it
Best thing to do is break it down and sell the parts

 

[hub]

Agreed Orlando, I will not shoot it, I didn't notice the welds before when I took the three major groups apart or I never would have shot it in the first place. I guess this is why you should always have one checked by a gunsmith beforehand. I did look it over and almost all parts looked in good condition and I figured it was safe since it came with some blanks, a BFA, and a 20rd box of greek surplus.

So any idea what I could part it out for?
Or what it would be worth if I got it back in shootable condition with a rack grade barreled receiver?

 

[Orlando]

It would be worth the price of a Rack Grade.
The way to get the most money out of it is to part it out.
Without seeing the parts these are some average price for parts
Complete trigger assembly$65.00
Gas cylinder with sights $50.00
Rear sights $60.00
Op Rod $75.00 - $85.00
Bolt $85.00
Stock set $175.00- $200.00
clip latch $20.00
Receiver and barrel sell to a reinactor $150.00- $200.00 ???
These are average prices for common parts

 

[hub]

CMP did not weld these, they had nothing to do with that.

So who did and why? I can't see the VFW, American Legion, or anyone else doing that on purpose unless they had too for some reason. Someone apparently restocked the rifle but I still don't understand why they would do it. The receiver is a Springfield from 44 and barrel a Springfield from 53 so it had been rebarreled before.

 

[hub]

Thanks Orlando, I did look at some of the parts to sell on gunbroker but some of those people put ridiculous prices on things and I wanted to get a good idea on a fair price to ask for them.

 

[Orlando]

CMP recieves their rifles from the Army that are returned from various sources. The barrels were welded to the receivers then given to Veterans Organizations, when they were done with them they were turned in, then CMP aquired them.
Why were they welded? I dont know
Who welded them? I dont know