So a guy calls and says he found this gun in an attic...........

[rickf]

A guy who I have dealt with in the past calls me and tells me he found a gun in the attic of an estate he is cleaning out. He said he was not sure what it was but as he was describing the rear sight I heard it ratcheting up and I said it is an M1 Garand. Silence, He said you can tell what it is by hearing the sight adjust? I said I can with a Garand. I described a few other things and verified it was a International Harvester Corporation Garand made in 1953. I told him I wanted the gun if he decided to sell it. He aksed the worth on it and I said it will start at 850.00 and go up from there depending on condition and a lot of other variables. So he sent me some pics and it looked to me like a CMP Special. Just like the one I just purchased not too long ago. He said he would let me know if he was going to sell it. Well, It is in my safe. It is actually an original International and not a CMP special so that makes it worth a little more but it was rebuilt in Feb. 1965 at Letterkenny using mostly Springfield parts, So it is not a parts matching unit. After stripping it down it looks like it was never fired, ever. I know they test fire them after rebuild but this thing is spotless! The bolt face, op rod face and piston, barrel are all absolutely clean with no carbon. Another detractor from original is they apparently put a new stock on it at the rebuild. It did come with the full tool kit i the stock and a perfect like new bayonet.

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[rickf]

The stock is oozing some sort of resin, it is hard, not sticky. Anyone have any ideas on how to deal with that without destroying the stock? Wood is not my thing,I work with steel.

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[m3a1]

I'm not an expert but in the past I've just wiped that sort of thing off with denatured alcohol and followed up with boiled linseed oil which I believe is the stuff the military (of the time) used. Others may have a more expert opinion on the matter.

[Mutt Hunter]

Rick--

You, my friend, are one lucky son of a gun. Pun intended. Stuff like that NEVER happens to me. I'm still waiting on Santa to bring me a Springfield M1A or a M1 carbine like the old paratroopers carried.

My wife always says, "forget it, you'll put your eye out."

dee

[rickf]

I also have a Springfield M1

[acudanut]

Those bayonets should be illegal....Too many people are killed everyday from them, lol.
Remember in the Bill Clinton era, they had to shave all the bayonet studs off every AR-10 and AR-15 they sold new. EERR.
I still own one from that era.

[FrankUSMC]

Acudanut, I remember those days.....but in all fairness to Bill Clinton, the number of drive by bayonetings did go down...
Also, to this day, Springfield armory sells their M1A (M14 copy) with out the bayonet lug. I got one years ago, as it was the rifle I carried in the Marines. Had to buy the flash hider with the bayonet lug and the special wrench to mount it. Call Springfield armory and asked why they still made the rifle with out the lug and was told...there was still 3 states that will not let the rifle be sold with the bayonet lug on it. It was easier for them not to put it on and let the customer ad it if they wanted.
One of the few, Frank USMC RET
PS on this thread, that is a BEAUTIFUL rifle!!!!! I have had a few military rifles given to me, from families that did not want their kids to have them as they would just sell them.

[rickf]

NJ is one of those states! Thankfuly they do not regulate the antiques like that M1. Probably because of magazine capacity of only 8.

[acudanut]

Acudanut, I remember those days.....but in all fairness to Bill Clinton, the number of drive by bayonetings did go down...
Also, to this day, Springfield armory sells their M1A (M14 copy) with out the bayonet lug. I got one years ago, as it was the rifle I carried in the Marines. Had to buy the flash hider with the bayonet lug and the special wrench to mount it. Call Springfield armory and asked why they still made the rifle with out the lug and was told...there was still 3 states that will not let the rifle be sold with the bayonet lug on it. It was easier for them not to put it on and let the customer ad it if they wanted.
One of the few, Frank USMC RET
PS on this thread, that is a BEAUTIFUL rifle!!!!! I have had a few military rifles given to me, from families that did not want their kids to have them as they would just sell them.

Now that is funny stuff !! Rick I think you mean Clip, not magazine. Cheers and thank the Lord for A/C. !!

[rickf]

The law states a "magazine" capacity of more than 10 rounds. To them any form of removable ammunition is a magazine. This is NJ, They do not have a clue. Either way as long as they allow the bayonet lug to stay I am not going to complain! I had to grind the one off of my Ar to make it compliant. Along with removing the factory flash hider. BUT, an aftermarket muzzle brake IS legal. Also had to disable the adjustable stock, you know how lethal those adjustable stocks are!!!

[m3a1]

If find yourself in a situation where you have to use the bayonet, you're doing it wrong....

[rickf]

If I find a situation where I am using the bayonet I will be taking it off of the gun! I had bayonet training in the military and thank the lord I never had to use it in real life. We did mount bayonets one night on a perimeter defense where there was a good chance of a charge but nothing ever happened. I think in a close quarters situation I would be much more effective with knife in hand then out on the end of a 15 lb. rifle. At least in one on one anyway.

[raymond]

The correct term would be magazine. The magazine of the M1 Garand is internal and is fed by an 8 round en-bloc clip.

NICE RIFLE. If that is the original Line Materials Company barrel that would have come from the factory on a new International Harvester M1 Garand, that makes it more valuable. The Military found that the Line Materials Company barrel was the most accurate and often used them on their match conditioned rifles that they built for competition.

[raymond]

P.S. When I got my M1 from the old DCM, it was caked in cosmoline. I scrubbed and scrubbed it with simple green, parts cleaning solvent, and even acetone. Would not stop oozing, especially the handguard. I finally took the stock to work and hit it with a pressure washer we used to have that had a kerosene fired hot water heater. I set it for almost straight steam and it really cleaned it up. Lightly sanded it and finished it with Tung oil. Tung oil leaves a nicer finish in my opinion.

Once again, NICE RIFLE.