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Heip with M1 Garand

lightning2923
HEY Again! Just picked up a new (for me) M1 Garand and need help in decoding what I have. It is a springfield ser. #2210177. Barrel marked EXEL/GARDNER, MA. dated S-A-3-51. Bolt top D28287-19SA under that A-8. This gun to me is in excelant condition with very few dings in the stock Very good parkerizing on both barrel and receiver. Bolt looks blued but super nice. Very tight gun. With out a bore guage (used dial caliper) the muzzle measures 0.309". I dont know if this is good or bad. I got this gun for a steal and plan on cleaning it up and shooting it. I have a M1 carbine (Inland) that my father brought home from WW11 and wanted one to go with it. I will keep and shoot both for fun. Also how do you work the safety on these guns. I have tryed everything but can not get it to work. It may be bad. Any help on the time of manufacture and if it is all original or the barrel is from another gun is helpfull.
Thanks
Tommy
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Comments

11 comments

Date Votes
  • mark christian
    It is an imported M1 (which is the meaning of the EXCEL marking, they were the importer) with mixed parts produced in December, 1943 and rebuilt at least once, which is why it has the replacement barrel dated 3-51. Dial caliper numbers mean nothing to me because I am not a machinist, but there are specific gauges to check the barrel and any good gunsmith should have a set on hand. To apply the safety: Are you sure that the hammer is cocked and the bolt in battery? An M1 safety won't work with the hammer uncocked or the bolt open unless the safety itself has been physically damaged, usually meaning a broken tip.
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  • lightning2923
    HEY! Yes sir. I am cocking the bolt fully then releasing it. The safety moves rearward into the trigger housing but will not stay and if you hold it it does no good. I have not had it apart and it may be dirty I dont know yet as I have never owned one or shot one.
    Thanks
    Tommy
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  • mark christian
    You may have a broken clip ejector spring which has popped up and is blocking the safety from going to the rear and forcing it forward. The safety itself has no spring but it does ride over the top of the clip ejector spring.

    [img][/img]100_2555.jpg
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  • nmyers
    You can make a "poor man's" Muzzle Wear gauge out of a single round of USGI M2 ball .30-06 ammo stuck point first into the muzzle. Just measure how much copper jacket shows when you do this: 5/16"=new, 1/4"=excellent, 1/8"=adequate for plinking, 0=consider a new barrel.

    Neal
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  • Blairweescot
    Nothing that I can think of should be blued on an M1. Some things on your M1 should not be "tight" at all. Can you post some photos of it? Your caliper readings can't be trusted unfortunately; you need to be square and at the largest diameter which will be luck not skill, and I can measure 10 things with your calipers and get 10 different numbers than you get doing the same thing with the same calipers [:)]

    Are there any stampings on the stock? look on the left side above the trigger, and under the pistol grip area

    Breaking the rifle down into it's main groups is child's play

    Pull the trigger guard back slightly and down
    M1eight.jpg

    Pull trigger group out, and lift barreled receiver out of stock
    M1nine.jpg
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  • Don McManus
    You definitely need to get a manual.

    This is an on-line manual that includes good and clear links to the figures referenced.

    www.biggerhammer.net/manuals/garand/m1.htm

    Here is one for sale on the auction side. Many of these reprints have fairly dark figures, but they are good to have in the gun room.

    http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=137793510

    May not help you with the specifics of your current problem, but will certainly put you in a position to figure it out.
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  • lightning2923
    Thanks to every one for your help. The previous owner told me that the gun on the last shell would eject the unfired shell with the clip. So I may have a broke spring. I plan on taking it down and looking it over and cleaning it as it is very dry and has according to him not been shot in 10 or 15 years. I was already planning on finding a dated barrel closer to the mfg. date I just did not know when that was until now. I do plan to buy as many accessories for it (sling, cleaning kit) to place it in my cabinet to be beside my fathers M1 Carbine and 1911 he brought back from WW11. I looked for any number on the stock but have not found any yet.
    Thanks Again
    Tommy
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  • Blairweescot
    Some accesory options:

    The collector source has nickle oilers and some other USGI accessories:

    http://www.thecollectorsource.com/page/1228463

    For slings, WWII correct slings could be the M1907 leather sling, or it can be the web sling. Web slings are no just PTO-only slings; I've seen photos of the remains of web slings dug up in Normandy, and photos of webs lings in use during Overlord

    I prefer the M1907; my web sling always slips and I don;t want to drop my rifle.

    El Paso saddlery has the M1907 sling (and it looks tops to me)
    http://www.epsaddlery.com/c-78-slings.aspx

    Turner makes one that's not quite as much money and looks good too:
    http://turnersling.com/miva/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=TS&Category_Code=MG

    Check out Northridge, too

    http://www.northridgeinc.com/m1_garand.htm
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  • mark christian
    quote:Originally posted by lightning2923
    Thanks to every one for your help. The previous owner told me that the gun on the last shell would eject the unfired shell with the clip.


    That is a sign of a weak clip latch spring, which is under the "button" on the left side of the receiver. The quality of these imported M1s was spotty at best and poor at worst and your rifle sounds like it has enough issues to warrant a trip to the gun smith to have him check it out before firing even a single round.
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  • lightning2923
    Well that was easy. Took her down and the hammer is not fully cocking. Safety works when she is fully cocked. Everything is dry am cleaning an will retry. It works out of the gun after working it a little. No lub at all on parts for so long. But I want know about the last round ejecting with the clip instead of feeding until I can cycle her at the range.
    Thanks Again, Again.
    Tommy

    P.S. What goes in the butt stock? A cleaning kit and what else?
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  • mark christian
    quote:Originally posted by lightning2923
    Well that was easy. Took her down and the hammer is not fully cocking. Safety works when she is fully cocked. Everything is dry am cleaning an will retry. It works out of the gun after working it a little. No lub at all on parts for so long. But I want know about the last round ejecting with the clip instead of feeding until I can cycle her at the range.
    Thanks Again, Again.
    Tommy

    P.S. What goes in the butt stock? A cleaning kit and what else?


    WWII era rifles had a combination tool (usually with a chamber brush attached), a long plastic oiler tube with one compartment set aside for a string type pull-through to clean the bore, and a little "grease pot". Post war rifles did away with the combo tool and used it's space for a four section cleaning rod. The oiler remained the same but the compartment that once held the pull through now held a smaller tool that also doubled as the handle for the cleaning rod. The chamber brush was moved from the butt stock to simply being carried as part of the gear but the "grease pot" remained in the stock.
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