M1 Garand / M1A / M-14 Thread

[HiredHand]

That CMP stock really does look nice. Coolhandluke, did you refinish that stock yourself?

 

[ripnbst]

I love these old guns that people put new wood on. They give me wood.

 

[Perplexed]

Yep Todd, it's as delivered from the CMP. I don't have the paperwork in hand on it yet but will be getting it in a few days (I'll be back over there Christmas day). He's also going to round up whatever ammo he has and give it to me. It's that Match stuff I told you about but I don't plan to fire it. I'll pick up some of the Greek stuff from CMP. BTW, the War Baby book and the M1 Garand 1936-1957 book will be here any day now. I'll keep you posted!

I just heard back from a friend who's dealt with the CMP a long time now. He recalls that up till a few years ago, the CMP had a good number of M1's with lockbar sights, especially in the Field Grade category. The theory went that whenever the CMP found a FG rifle that needed the rear sight replaced, they'd use a lockbar sight for that, saving the T105E1 sights for the "better quality" M1's. Once they caught on to how desirable the lockbars were, they started keeping those back. So your M1 probably was one of those rifles which needed a new rear sight when the CMP got it, and they slapped a lockbar on it. Lucky you!

Now, for those better pics and a breakdown of the parts content

 

[flatwins]

Traded off my spare stock set (FG quality post war SA) for a CMP walnut stock to use as a shooter stock. The CMP stock came off of a SG Special HRA. Here's a photo of my 5.8 SA in her new dress...

Do you mind posting some more pics of your Garand? That is really beautiful and I'd like to see some different photos of the CMP stock. Thanks!

 

[flatwins]

I just heard back from a friend who's dealt with the CMP a long time now. He recalls that up till a few years ago, the CMP had a good number of M1's with lockbar sights, especially in the Field Grade category. The theory went that whenever the CMP found a FG rifle that needed the rear sight replaced, they'd use a lockbar sight for that, saving the T105E1 sights for the "better quality" M1's. Once they caught on to how desirable the lockbars were, they started keeping those back. So your M1 probably was one of those rifles which needed a new rear sight when the CMP got it, and they slapped a lockbar on it. Lucky you!


Now, for those better pics and a breakdown of the parts content

I haven't dug into it too far yet but here's a few things:

Stock: stamped AAK on the left side and P in the pistol grip area
Bolt: 6528287 - SA B-2-0
Barrel: SA F6535448 8 54 MD 42

 

[Sniper John]

I have a small collection of Garands including an M1D. One of them I do hunt with from time to time. They make great hog guns.

 

[Perplexed]

I haven't dug into it too far yet but here's a few things:

Stock: stamped AAK on the left side and P in the pistol grip area
Bolt: 6528287 - SA B-2-0
Barrel: SA F6535448 8 54 MD 42

The stock sounds to have been through the rebuild program at the Augusta Arsenal, Georgia; the "K" was one of a number of code letters used by the arsenal. Is there no DOD "chicken and stars" cartouche on the left side, below the receiver? It'd be interesting to know if there's a letter code and date electro-penciled into the receiver leg on the right-hand side, but that would be visible only if you field-stripped the M1 and removed the barreled receiver from the stock.

The bolt is the typical post-war "65" series production; the B-2-0 is the heat lot code. The barrel again is a "65" series issue, and the date seems to indicate it could well be the original one. If you need a gauge to measure the muzzle erosion and throat wear, I have one.

So far, so good

 

[Perplexed]

I have a small collection of Garands including an M1D. One of them I do hunt with from time to time. They make great hog guns.

Ha, it's good to see a M1 being put to use for other than punching paper or dinging steel It's going to be rather heavy to lug through the woods, though! Did you get your M1D in the last year or so from the CMP? Any pics of that one forthcoming??

 

[coolhandluke]

Do you mind posting some more pics of your Garand? That is really beautiful and I'd like to see some different photos of the CMP stock. Thanks!

I don't really have any other decent photos currently. I need to get the rifle outdoors...my flash is really washing out the grain pattern. Here's a couple photos that give you a little better idea of the color and grain pattern. The previous owner applied 10 coats of BLO directly over the stained oil based finish that the CMP puts on their stocks. The stock looked nice but was a drab chocolate brown color when I received it and the lower handguard was lighter than the rest of the wood. I used a light application of Fiebing's medium brown dye to "tone" all of the wood to match. It also gives the stock a nicer looking red undertone. After dying the wood I followed it up with 2 more BLO coats. At some point I will add some Tom's 1/3 wax mix.

 

[HackerF15E]

No Navy Garands here, but this weekend I finished up a project that I'd been doing for almost a year - putting together an all-correct M1 Garand made by Winchester. Well, I still have to find a couple correct screws, but the rifle is probably 95% correct, and I'm satisfied with it.

Planning on any restoration to the stock? It's a little...homely.