Deleted

[CJ5&G23]

...

[sb_pete]

Might be better to post this over in the C&R section. D*mn nice rifle though man!

[Seesm]

Nice I like it... If that 53 is a year my guess would be a 1953 was a 54 and a 1954 a 55 and the military having them all crated up and ready to go overseas... I want it when your ready to sell!!

But I am not sure this is JUST a guess on the date dealiomabob...

[BP88]

Yeah, $100 well-spent!

Definitely post this up in the C&R forum; you'll receive much better responses.

[Pvt. Cowboy]

Here's my answer: You have an very nice Garand rifle, one of millions just like it.

If it's not a Gas Trap Garand, a specialized M1D, or a NM Garand, or has authentic and verifiable special history of interest to collectors, all you have is a common example of the best rifle ever put into a US GI's hands.

The one you have there is about as nice a Garand as you could ever hope to acquire.

[m1match]

you've got a great CMP rifle there! I'm not an expert, but from what I do know, I'm not sure who made the MD barrel but it's not a Springfield barrel, I stand corrected on the bolt being correct, and the stock is correct for a post war Garand with the right cartouches. That stock alone is worth a lot more than you paid for the rifle. A Garand expert would be able to look at every part and tell you if it's correct. I'd also look at the markings on the trigger housing, hammer, and any other small part with markings. Maybe the Moderators could move this thread to the C&R section.
Other websites dedicated to the Garand are:

Dick Culvers page: www.jouster.com (go to M1 section- the forum is not very user friendly, but has some real Garand experts on it)

Scott Duff Martial Arms- Scott is a dealer in US Military arms- http://www.scott-duff.com/

Garand Collectors Association- http://www.theGCA.org/

Civilian Marksmanship Program- http://odcmp.com/

Fulton Armory- http://www.fulton-armory.com/

If you want to find out more, I'd get Bruce Canfield's complete Guide to the M1

[ocabj]

you've got a great CMP rifle there! I'm not an expert, but from what I do know, I'm not sure who made the MD barrel but it's not a Springfield barrel, the bolt is correct, and the stock is correct with the right cartouches. That stock alone is worth a lot more than you paid for the rifle. A Garand expert would be able to look at every part and tell you if it's correct. ...

Actually, the bolt is NOT correct. That drawing number is for a WWII era bolt. Probably 1944-1945. The rifle serial is a post-WWII era serial.

The stock appears to be post war. It has some value, but no where near as much as an original WWII era stock.

Odds are, anything bought from the DCM is a mixed parts rifle. Almost everything from the CMP is mixed, unless it was indicated to be a 'correct' or 'collectors' grade by the CMP according to the CMP grading scale.

If you wanted to put some sort of price on it, I'd say you could sell it in CA for $800. If you were to sell it online to the other 49 states, it would probably go for $700.

[Trench Broom]

Take it to the range and enjoy it. The Garand is one of my all-time favorites - I can mow the lawn with mine ( one blade at a time! ). You've got yourself a great-looking rifle and a piece of history. And trust me, you've got it easy having to only worry about two different calibers - I wish I had that problem.

[kcmiller]

beautiful

[FluorideInMyWater]

i'll buy it for $102!!!

[Seesm]

I was thinking the same thing but I want to be fair to him...

$125 plus I will pay the shipping!!

Yeah M1 for me!!

Let's get it on!!!

[M1A Rifleman]

[QUOTE=CJ5&G23;1845647]Thanks for the replys. I have no plans to sell it - just trying to get a better understanding of what I have and to decide what to do with it.

I'm now trying to decide whether to leave it as a safe queen as is, buy parts to make it "correct", buy another to use as a shooter, or just use it as-is as a shooter.

If it was all correct, I'd make it a safe queen. If it is a typical "variety-o-parts" DCM, then maybe I should just shoot it with care.
QUOTE]


Take it out and have fun as its a nice rifle and parts are still available. Minor dings on the stock can be steamed or carfully sanded and it will really be nice - just be carefull of the stock cartouches. Most all the rack M1's were mixed parts after various overhauls - this is normal. I bought a DCM M1 in the early 90's. Mine is a Winchester with SA barrel, bolt, and trigger group. The value on M1's like yours is high, in the $800-$1000 range. Trying to make it parts correct is an expensive proposition and may not really be worth the amount of time and expense in locating and purchasing parts. Leave it alone and shoot it.