https://www.forbes.com/sites/keithw...r-ii-is-likely-to-be-the-most-expensive-ever/
General George Patton called it “the greatest battle implement ever devised.” It was our nation’s first successful semi-automatic battle rifle, and it was used to defeat fascist forces from the frozen forests of Bastogne to the volcanic ridges of Iwo Jima. It is known as the M-1 Garand, thanks to its legendary designer John C. Garand. This week, the only M-1 owned by Garand himself will be offered for sale by the Rock Island Auction Company.
Garand was a Quebec native who moved to New England as a child. He submitted a plan for a light machine-gun project in 1917 and quickly established himself as an innovative and capable weapons designer. The War Department recognized Garand’s genius, and he soon found himself employed as an engineer at the famed Springfield Armory in Massachusetts. While at Springfield, Garand invented and perfected what would become the M-1 rifle.
The M-1 is a gas-operated semi-automatic rifle that feeds from an 8-round en bloc clip. The rifle could be fired and reloaded quickly which made it a groundbreaking design in its era. The version adopted by the U.S. military was chambered in the 30-06 Springfield cartridge and fired a 152-grain bullet at 2,800 feet per second using the issued M2 ammunition. Compared to the bolt-action rifles in service with the Allied and Axis armies, the Garand was a game changer. Over 5 million M-1 Garands were built by a variety of companies both in the U.S. and abroad including Winchester, International Harvester, Harrington & Richardson and, of course, Springfield Armory at a unit cost of less than $100.
The M-1 Garand was known for its accuracy and reliability and saw service in every theater of World War II. Its first documented use in combat was by the U.S. Army troops defending the Philippines during 1941-1942, and it served through the Korean War and into Vietnam where it saw limited use as a sniper rifle. To this day, the M-1 Garand is used for ceremonial duties by the United States Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon.
Garand was known not only for his genius as a designer but also for his patriotism. He could have become a very wealthy man thanks to his rifle design but, instead, donated his patent rights to the U.S. government as a token of appreciation to his adopted homeland. According to the GCA Journal, he lived in a modest home in a middle-class neighborhood on Wilton Street in Springfield, Massachusetts, where he was known to tend his garden wearing a suit and tie. He retired from Springfield Armory in 1953 and lived in that house until he died in 1974.
In November of 1942, the M-1 Garand with serial number 1000000 was built on the Springfield Armory assembly line. That millionth rifle, stocked in highly figured walnut, was presented to Garand at his retirement ceremony at the Kimball Hotel in Springfield on April 30,1953, by the Secretary of the Army. This rifle and its cased accessories are part of the collection of Alan Cors and will be auctioned on September 8, 2018, in Rock Island, Illinois. Eight gold-plated 30-06 cartridges and a silver-plated en bloc clip are included with this rifle along with some of Garand’s engineering tools and assorted other items related to the rifle and its provenance.
The plaque commemorating the gift of the millionth M-1 Garand to its designer on April 30, 1953.Rock Island Auction
Kevin Hogan, the president of Rock Island Auction Company, explained that this is one of the most historically-important rifles ever offered for sale: “It is as important as Henry Ford’s own Model T, if you think about the significance of the mechanism of the object and its influence on world history. Patton credited the Garand with winning the war and here you have the inventor who gifted the patent to the U.S. Government—the only thing he got in return was that rifle. This rifle was maintained by the family until about ten years ago. When the family sold the rifle, they auditioned collectors and they felt that Mr. Cors was the right place for this rifle to go.”
Garand’s personal rifle is listed as lot #1362 of the next Rock Island Auction Company Premiere Gun Auction, and its estimated value is between $225,000 and $375,000. “Unlike a museum, people have the opportunity to come here this weekend and hold that rifle. If you have the bank account and the desire to own a true national treasure piece, you can,” said Hogan. “I hate it when someone says that an item is priceless. I think it’s cliché and we’re obviously going to figure out what it’s worth. We sold John F. Kennedy’s M-1 for $150,000, which was a record. This should double that. It will definitely be a world record for an M-1. When you combine the condition, rarity and history, the sky is the limit.”
Pictures at the link.Garand was a Quebec native who moved to New England as a child. He submitted a plan for a light machine-gun project in 1917 and quickly established himself as an innovative and capable weapons designer. The War Department recognized Garand’s genius, and he soon found himself employed as an engineer at the famed Springfield Armory in Massachusetts. While at Springfield, Garand invented and perfected what would become the M-1 rifle.
The M-1 is a gas-operated semi-automatic rifle that feeds from an 8-round en bloc clip. The rifle could be fired and reloaded quickly which made it a groundbreaking design in its era. The version adopted by the U.S. military was chambered in the 30-06 Springfield cartridge and fired a 152-grain bullet at 2,800 feet per second using the issued M2 ammunition. Compared to the bolt-action rifles in service with the Allied and Axis armies, the Garand was a game changer. Over 5 million M-1 Garands were built by a variety of companies both in the U.S. and abroad including Winchester, International Harvester, Harrington & Richardson and, of course, Springfield Armory at a unit cost of less than $100.
The M-1 Garand was known for its accuracy and reliability and saw service in every theater of World War II. Its first documented use in combat was by the U.S. Army troops defending the Philippines during 1941-1942, and it served through the Korean War and into Vietnam where it saw limited use as a sniper rifle. To this day, the M-1 Garand is used for ceremonial duties by the United States Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon.
Garand was known not only for his genius as a designer but also for his patriotism. He could have become a very wealthy man thanks to his rifle design but, instead, donated his patent rights to the U.S. government as a token of appreciation to his adopted homeland. According to the GCA Journal, he lived in a modest home in a middle-class neighborhood on Wilton Street in Springfield, Massachusetts, where he was known to tend his garden wearing a suit and tie. He retired from Springfield Armory in 1953 and lived in that house until he died in 1974.
In November of 1942, the M-1 Garand with serial number 1000000 was built on the Springfield Armory assembly line. That millionth rifle, stocked in highly figured walnut, was presented to Garand at his retirement ceremony at the Kimball Hotel in Springfield on April 30,1953, by the Secretary of the Army. This rifle and its cased accessories are part of the collection of Alan Cors and will be auctioned on September 8, 2018, in Rock Island, Illinois. Eight gold-plated 30-06 cartridges and a silver-plated en bloc clip are included with this rifle along with some of Garand’s engineering tools and assorted other items related to the rifle and its provenance.
The plaque commemorating the gift of the millionth M-1 Garand to its designer on April 30, 1953.Rock Island Auction
Kevin Hogan, the president of Rock Island Auction Company, explained that this is one of the most historically-important rifles ever offered for sale: “It is as important as Henry Ford’s own Model T, if you think about the significance of the mechanism of the object and its influence on world history. Patton credited the Garand with winning the war and here you have the inventor who gifted the patent to the U.S. Government—the only thing he got in return was that rifle. This rifle was maintained by the family until about ten years ago. When the family sold the rifle, they auditioned collectors and they felt that Mr. Cors was the right place for this rifle to go.”
Garand’s personal rifle is listed as lot #1362 of the next Rock Island Auction Company Premiere Gun Auction, and its estimated value is between $225,000 and $375,000. “Unlike a museum, people have the opportunity to come here this weekend and hold that rifle. If you have the bank account and the desire to own a true national treasure piece, you can,” said Hogan. “I hate it when someone says that an item is priceless. I think it’s cliché and we’re obviously going to figure out what it’s worth. We sold John F. Kennedy’s M-1 for $150,000, which was a record. This should double that. It will definitely be a world record for an M-1. When you combine the condition, rarity and history, the sky is the limit.”
