Help with an M1 Garand history

[MaDuece]

Hi all!

I bought an M1 and would like to get some background history about it.

SN 1626680 I know it's a WRA WIN-13, made between January XX - June 30 1945, but that's where my info starts getting a bit thin.

Any suggestions to where I can recon some additional data? Sites? Databases? Any help would be appreciated!

Figured I'd ask this (Highroad) forum, was really impressed with what I've read so far!

Thanks a bunch for your time!

 

[1KPerDay]

CMP forum might be helpful. Otherwise read up on the correct era parts, op rod, lock bar sights, trigger guard, gas plug, barrel, gas cylinder, etc.

As far as how much the serial number can tell you, sounds like you already know about everything.

 

[CapnMac]

Yeah, those were produced in the millions, and once delivered to either the War Department or the Navy Department, so the paper trail from the manufacturer ends there.
Once in the Departments' hands it was down to how they distributed them. Typically the Services issues to Divisions or Brigades directly, and from there to Regiments. So, the smaller increment will be around 1000 to 500 rifles at a time.

One of the under-appreciated aspects of combat is that weapons get "lost." hit by rifle fire, blown up by bombs or artillery, or burned up in tamaged transport. Combat looses were made up out of Regimental stockpiles.

So, keeping track of an individual s/n is sore complicated.

 

[Navy87Guy]

As has been said, it’s not likely that you’ll be able to trace the weapon’s history by its serial number. I would focus on the parts, especially the stock. Check the serials and part numbers on the parts and see if/when they were replaced. That could match up to any Arsenal stamps on the stock.

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

Does it have a Blue Sky Imports stamp on the underside of the barrel?

Those guns were reimported from S.Korea in the '90s, after service with the ROKAF. They will often have locally produced aresenal bits and peices.

The barrel should have a manufacturer and date code visible on the side when the slide is locked open as well.

 

[AlexanderA]

Does it have a Blue Sky Imports stamp on the underside of the barrel?

Those guns were reimported from S.Korea in the '90s, after service with the ROKAF.

The difference between the South Korean reimports and the Greek reimports was that South Korea had paid for theirs, while Greece hadn't. That meant that the guns from S. Korea could be imported commercially (hence the "Blue Sky" stamp), while the Greek guns remained the property of the U.S. government and could only be reimported and sold by the government (with no import stamps).

In the 1967-74 time period, a large number of Garands were illegally sold by the Greek Junta (then in power) to Muammar Gaddafi's Libya. These guns were replaced by rocks, in the packing cases in the warehouses. This scandal was covered up, because at the time the U.S. was supporting the Greek Junta. It will be interesting to see what happens if these Libyan Garands ever turn up on the worldwide surplus market.

 

[Old Sandman 71]

CMP forum would be a good place to start but it’s gone up the spout this past week due to site update issues.
https://www.amazon.com/M1-Garand-Rifle-Bruce-Canfield/dp/1931464561 This book is the Garand bible if you want info.
The Garand Collectors Society is a resource that you’d have to join, and the website Milsurps is also a good source.
EO

 

[Chief TC]

Mine is an IHC 1953 and was sent to allies at some point after the Korean War because it has the British proof mark on it before being shipped back to the states. The receiver and barrel match as well as some other parts but has SA parts as well. I recommend you buy the M1 Garand book by Scott Duff. It has all the necessary info one needs to learn about the M1 and can point you in other directions to look for more info. I like mine because the barrel is eerily very good even though the muzzle is eroded.

 

[AlexanderA]

Mine is an IHC 1953 and was sent to allies at some point after the Korean War because it has the British proof mark on it before being shipped back to the states.

Interarms (Samuel Cummings' company) had a big warehouse in England through which it funneled its acquisitions of surplus arms from throughout the world. Therefore, the fact that the gun has British proof marks doesn't necessarily mean that it was used by the British government. Any gun that passed through that warehouse would have been given British proofs. On the other hand, we can deduce that a re-import by Cummings' firm meant that it came from a country that purchased it from the U.S. (such as, say, South Korea) and not from a country that borrowed it from the U.S. (such as Greece). Guns that were lent by the U.S., which still retained title, could not be sold to third parties.

Although the U.S. transferred Garands to Britain during WW2, by 1953 it was no longer doing so.

 

[Chief TC]

Interarms (Samuel Cummings' company) had a big warehouse in England through which it funneled its acquisitions of surplus arms from throughout the world. Therefore, the fact that the gun has British proof marks doesn't necessarily mean that it was used by the British government. Any gun that passed through that warehouse would have been given British proofs. On the other hand, we can deduce that a re-import by Cummings' firm meant that it came from a country that purchased it from the U.S. (such as, say, South Korea) and not from a country that borrowed it from the U.S. (such as Greece). Guns that were lent by the U.S., which still retained title, could not be sold to third parties.

Although the U.S. transferred Garands to Britain during WW2, by 1953 it was no longer doing so.

Yes, I have read that too. Does not necessarily mean the Brits used it. Could have come from anywhere. If Brits purchased it, it could have gone to any number of their commonwealths/territories. My assumption is after it came back to the US, it was a CMP rebuild but that is just me guessing. Stock looks great with no markings and has a variety of parts outside the receiver, bolt and barrel. Ir is an LMR barrel and can't believe it shoots as well as it does.

 

[AlexanderA]

My assumption is after it came back to the US, it was a CMP rebuild but that is just me guessing.

If it was an Interarms import (evidence for which is the British proof mark), it would have gone into commercial channels, not the DCM / CMP. The U.S. government was selling guns (through the DCM / CMP) that it had reclaimed directly from foreign governments, and that had not been brought in by commercial importers such as Interarms.

Interarms itself did a lot of rebuilding, both at the British warehouse and at its Alexandria, Virginia, facility.

 

[Chief TC]

If it was an Interarms import (evidence for which is the British proof mark), it would have gone into commercial channels, not the DCM / CMP. The U.S. government was selling guns (through the DCM / CMP) that it had reclaimed directly from foreign governments, and that had not been brought in by commercial importers such as Interarms.

Interarms itself did a lot of rebuilding, both at the British warehouse and at its Alexandria, Virginia, facility.

OK, so Interarms did have a variety of spare parts to do their own rebuilds. Interesting. I have a WRA milled trigger guard, SA trigger housing and assembly. Again, the original muzzle eroded LMR barrel still performs amazingly with factory ammo but us under 2 MOA with 168gr handloads.

 

[MaDuece]

I knew pinging off this forum would point my Garand history search in the right directions. Ball in my court to explore the leads given. I'll post what I've found.

Tango Mike to you guys