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Value on M1 Garand?
3/3/2012 12:51:43 PM
Its a pre-war (1939 by my research 20X,XXX) M1. It's in good condition, rebuilt in 1946 going off the barrel, and has a lead dipped heel. I'm told collectors dig that sort of thing. Also, its a post war stock in good condition. Aside from dings/dents, its good. The circle P is very evident as is the eagle with arrows. Barrel gauges a shade under 2.0... Bore is good.
Any idea on its worth?
EDIT: Also, is there a way to track down what unit my rifle belonged to?
Any idea on its worth?
EDIT: Also, is there a way to track down what unit my rifle belonged to?
3/3/2012 1:05:02 PM
Worthless! 
Send it to me for proper disposal. 
Without pics its hard to say. 850 or so sounds good to me.
NEVER SELL GUNS!
Send it to me for proper disposal.
Without pics its hard to say. 850 or so sounds good to me.
NEVER SELL GUNS!
3/3/2012 1:32:37 PM
The value really depends upon condition and parts used. The CMP sells M1s of different grades for significantly different prices such as:
FIELD GRADE: (Fair to Good) Currently sell for $525
Field Grade Rifles. Most of these rifles have been refinished or rebuilt at least once while in military service and will likely have some parts from other manufacturers. Fair to good condition. Rifle wear will be exhibited by worn and mixed colors of the finish; there may be some minor pitting on the metal parts; wood will be basically sound but may be well used with minor hairline cracks, and many dings, scratches and gouges; wood may not match in color, type of wood or condition. These rifles may have some foreign parts and wood may be Walnut, Birch, Beech or other variety. Rifles do not have import marks. Bores will be generally good with only minor imperfections; the barrel crown may be nicked, and the muzzle may gauge more than "3” on muzzle gauge. The Throat Erosion will gauge less than 5 – well within US Army standards. Do not expect rifles in mint condition in this grade.
SERVICE GRADE: (Good to Very Good) Currently sell for $625
Service Grade Rifles show less wear and better appearance than Field or Rack Grades. Good to very good condition. Rifle wear will be exhibited by worn and mixed colors of the parkerized finish. There may be some minor pitting on the metal parts. Wood will be either Walnut, Birch, Beech or other variety and will be basically sound but may have minor hairline cracks, dings, scratches and gouges. Wood may not match in color or type of wood. Wood may be of new production on Service Grade Garands. Bores will be generally good with only minor imperfections. The barrel crown may be nicked, but the muzzle will gauge "3 or less" and the throat erosion will gauge less than 5.
CORRECT GRADE: (Very Good to Excellent) Currently sell for $1150
Correct Grade Rifles are similar to the Service Grade (above), but will show less wear and use. Correct Grade rifles will have all correct parts for the date of manufacture with 80% or better overall original metal finish. The stock and handguards will be of walnut and correct for the rifle but will have some dings, dents, scratches and marring of the wood finish. Stocks will have the appropriate original inspector's cartouche. The rifle bore will be very good with no significant defects and with a throat erosion of less than 4 and a muzzle wear of 2 or less. Very good to excellent condition.
FIELD GRADE: (Fair to Good) Currently sell for $525
Field Grade Rifles. Most of these rifles have been refinished or rebuilt at least once while in military service and will likely have some parts from other manufacturers. Fair to good condition. Rifle wear will be exhibited by worn and mixed colors of the finish; there may be some minor pitting on the metal parts; wood will be basically sound but may be well used with minor hairline cracks, and many dings, scratches and gouges; wood may not match in color, type of wood or condition. These rifles may have some foreign parts and wood may be Walnut, Birch, Beech or other variety. Rifles do not have import marks. Bores will be generally good with only minor imperfections; the barrel crown may be nicked, and the muzzle may gauge more than "3” on muzzle gauge. The Throat Erosion will gauge less than 5 – well within US Army standards. Do not expect rifles in mint condition in this grade.
SERVICE GRADE: (Good to Very Good) Currently sell for $625
Service Grade Rifles show less wear and better appearance than Field or Rack Grades. Good to very good condition. Rifle wear will be exhibited by worn and mixed colors of the parkerized finish. There may be some minor pitting on the metal parts. Wood will be either Walnut, Birch, Beech or other variety and will be basically sound but may have minor hairline cracks, dings, scratches and gouges. Wood may not match in color or type of wood. Wood may be of new production on Service Grade Garands. Bores will be generally good with only minor imperfections. The barrel crown may be nicked, but the muzzle will gauge "3 or less" and the throat erosion will gauge less than 5.
CORRECT GRADE: (Very Good to Excellent) Currently sell for $1150
Correct Grade Rifles are similar to the Service Grade (above), but will show less wear and use. Correct Grade rifles will have all correct parts for the date of manufacture with 80% or better overall original metal finish. The stock and handguards will be of walnut and correct for the rifle but will have some dings, dents, scratches and marring of the wood finish. Stocks will have the appropriate original inspector's cartouche. The rifle bore will be very good with no significant defects and with a throat erosion of less than 4 and a muzzle wear of 2 or less. Very good to excellent condition.
3/3/2012 3:27:24 PM
Impossible to tell rebuild year by the barrel date, unfortunately. All it does it tell you the barrel was installed that year or sometime after. US military equipment is like that. For example, I have an M1 helmet that has a heat treat date that indicates it was heat treated years before it was made into a helmet. Impossible? A mystery? Secret codes? No. They just didn't form that steel blank for a couple years. Maybe it rolled under a heavy bench. Maybe they kept on filling up the bin on top of that blank. Maybe the foreman used it as a paperweight for a while.
Anyway, with that barrel, it's completely possible that the rifle was rebuilt in any year after 1946, or was rebuilt more than once, maybe even before 1946 but at that time it never was re-barreled. Uncle Sam simply didn't care about keeping records, and no rule existed that read "only use parts made in the current year to rebuild firearms". It makes pinning down the rebuild year a little difficult.
Regarding what unit it served with, that's almost certainly a negative. Uncle Sam didn't really keep those records. While it's true that in some instances, M1 rifles have even been re-united with the soldiers that they were issued to, that's because the serial numbers were known to have been issued to that soldier, because the soldier remembered it or wrote it down. When the rifles were turned in, it was a 'one for one' basis'. They expected you to turn in a weapon. They didn't check the s/n to see if it was the one your were issued, and they probably didn't record the s/n you were issued to begin with. If they did and you saw combat, you probably turned in your old weapon for a new one at some time anyway, breaking the paper trail if in fact one ever existed
Anyway, with that barrel, it's completely possible that the rifle was rebuilt in any year after 1946, or was rebuilt more than once, maybe even before 1946 but at that time it never was re-barreled. Uncle Sam simply didn't care about keeping records, and no rule existed that read "only use parts made in the current year to rebuild firearms". It makes pinning down the rebuild year a little difficult.
Regarding what unit it served with, that's almost certainly a negative. Uncle Sam didn't really keep those records. While it's true that in some instances, M1 rifles have even been re-united with the soldiers that they were issued to, that's because the serial numbers were known to have been issued to that soldier, because the soldier remembered it or wrote it down. When the rifles were turned in, it was a 'one for one' basis'. They expected you to turn in a weapon. They didn't check the s/n to see if it was the one your were issued, and they probably didn't record the s/n you were issued to begin with. If they did and you saw combat, you probably turned in your old weapon for a new one at some time anyway, breaking the paper trail if in fact one ever existed
3/3/2012 6:02:58 PM
No real collector value unless it has any other early parts. To me its a $650.00 rifle "if" the barrel measures good and there is little finish wear and not Import marked. To someone else it might be worth up to $700-$750
