M1 questions
First, I will readily admit no knowledge of the M1's. I only acquire "non-military" firearms. I have noticed a lot of difference in prices on the M1's on the auction and am wondering, other than condition, what makes such a wide range of value? Are there variations? What is difference between a M1 and a M1 Garand? Are the M1 Garand's the more modern gun? It appears that the M1 Garand is less valuable. What are the most sought after calibers? How can you tell if one has been "re-arsenaled"? Did the re-arsenals occur only after WWII? Is the date of manufacture stamped on all the M1's? Is the guns from a certain time frame worth more than others? What would one look for to make sure it is one of the higher value M1's? I know this is a lot of questions, but there is a guy bringing three guns by my office tomorrow for me to look at and one of these is an M1 (the others being a Remington 1148 410 gauge and a S&W Chief Special revolver). And thus, I have no time to go buy a military book and study the M1's. I live in a small town some 30 miles away from anywhere that would have such books. I know about the 1148 and the Chief Special but no clue about the M1. The man is an older gentleman I know with no children. The gun was his issue during WWII and he said he has several clips (he didn't know how many) and the other accessories. The guy wants to sell all three or none. ANY HELP IS GREATLY APPRECIATED.
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I am a history nut, it is my passion after playing basketball, especially WWII and the Civil War. I also like to pheasant hunt but do not care for Midwestern Deer Hunting (just going out and sitting under a tree - I usually just fall asleep). I have several shotguns and two 22.LR rifles. With all my kids on their own it is time for dad to get some of the things he wants. It is about time I bought a centerfire rifle for my collection.
Since I want a rifle, I do not deer hunt, and love history I think I would like a M1 Garand. My dad and uncles carried one in WWII and Korea and my mom shot one in Basic Training (she was a WAC). So it makes sense. My brother-in law has one and it was fun to shoot. There seems to be several sources. I am looking at CMP as the best option. Maybe I can get one and have a new hobby and fix "her up". I am leaning towards and "06" but a .308 is not out of the question.
Becuase of a medical condition reccently I have had to learn to shoot a shotgun right handed using both eyes. Using an Easy-Hit sight I am up to 18 on the trap range. However iron sights on a rifle are almost impossible for me so far. I can shoot fairly well with a scope. The clip ejects upward on a M1 does it not? So that is my question, can a scope be placed on an M1? I would think drilling would lower the value, but I only buy guns never sell them. Any other tips on buying and M1 you could share with a novice I would appreciate.
THANKS!!!!0 -
Go to this site and learn a lot about the M1.
www.odcmp.com
"The Greatest Battle Implement Ever Devised!"
-- Gen. George S. Patton
referring to the M1 Garand0 -
The answers to your questions are just too long to cover in a forum posting. You could write a book about the subject. (Actually, there have been dozens of books written about the subject.) Your question is sort of like saying, "I'm considering buying this guy's old Chevy; what should I look for?"
But, for the basics, the War Dept designated a model number to hundreds of items adopted; they started with M1, M2, maybe M1A1, maybe M7011, etc, or sometimes the year of adoption (M1911). There was an M1 rifle, an M1 carbine, an M1 tank, & probably an M1 soup kettle. During WWII, Korean War, & maybe Viet Nam they used an M1 rifle (design by John Garand, a Springfield Armory employee), and an M1 carbine (designed by Winchester). These are completely different firearms.
The M1 rifle was made from the late 1930's until 1957; the M1 carbine was made only during WWII. Most have had parts replaced during their use, & most have been through extensive arsenal refurbishing. There are some rare variations, & value often drops significantly once a gun has been rebuilt. Without seeing the guns, or at least photos, there's no way we can prepare you for evaluating one.
The gun may be valuable, or it may be worthless. Since no US soldier was allowed to bring home his issue rifle, you can be certain that he is, at a minimum, a thief; he may also be a liar. So, be careful. While there is no danger of arrest by the FBI, some folks (like me) have a problem with receiving stolen US property.
Neal0 -
About what I figured. Way too much info to absorb in short amount of time. Rebel, thanks for the link. Good information on it. And Neal, thanks for the heads up. I think I'll just stick to my Winchesters, Ithacas, Brownings and Remington's for awhile. Military firearms just do not do anything for me, but would like to have the Rem 1148 410. Will see what I can do. Again, thanks!! 0 -
not trying to argue with any one but a good 'shooter grade' m-1 is still worth $300/400. so go fron there. the clips arn't worth much (maybe $.25 ea.). 0
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