Garand question.

[steelrain82]

Ok I've seen many garands on here, but none of them have the locking bar on the sights. Even in real life the only one that has a lock bar is mine. Why don't many of these have them? Also I know you should only shoot surplus or reloads. But on the new springfields can you shoot factory loads.

[Mssr. Eleganté]

The lock-bar rear sights are just more rare. The Ordnance Department wasn't happy with the way they worked so they had the design changed. Most M1 Rifles built before the change had their lock-bar sights replaced during refurbishment. The only rifle I have with lock-bar sights is a Danish return. It has a WWII manufacture date and the original barrel, so I guess the Danes didn't do as much refurbishment on old rifles as we did.

The new Springfield Armory Inc. M1 Garand replicas also need to use M2 Ball or M2 Ball equivalent. It isn't a matter of the age of the rifle, but rather the design of the gas system.

[steelrain82]

Ok thanks. I was also looking at all the parts and realized some are he proper numbers for the manufacture date. But some of them are a little off. For example a part say for 1944 the sear should be d123456sa and for 1945 it should be d123458sa where mine is ad123457sa. The other than a part or two marked like that everything else matches up if I remember correctly. Also I've notice everybodies gas plug is a flat slit like a flathead screwdriver. While mine looks like a Phillips head is that aftermarket or did some come that way.

[Mssr. Eleganté]

Also I've notice everybodies gas plug is a flat slit like a flathead screwdriver. While mine looks like a Phillips head is that aftermarket or did some come that way.

I think the phillips head type of gas plug came out toward the end of WWII. It has a valve in it to prevent over pressure in the gas system when firing rifle grenades.

[NRAhighpowershooter]

someone mention lock-bars???