Just Completed a Restoration....

B

Bigschuss

Well-known member
...of the greatest batle implement ever devised.

This began life 6 years ago as a mis-matched, ugly, mutt of a rifle I bought from the CMP for $295. I've slowly scoured guns shows and Ebay looking for all correct parts for the rifle's serial number.

Some parts were easy to find...the bolt, operating rod, hammer. Some were surprisingly expensive...the rear site cost me $300. Some were tough...it took me a year to find a properly marked WWII barrel that was correct for the receiver. The last piece, the stock, took me the longest to find....2 years. Properly marked WWII era stocks are TOUGH to find and EXPENSIVE when you do. I found this one at a gun show last month in a barrel of old stocks. At first it looked to be just a dime a dozen, unmarked, run of the mill WWII era walnut stock. Upon very close inspection I saw the very faint markings on the stock that I think the dealer missed. I was thrilled, and paid the guy $35 for it.

With the stock, my rifle is about a 95% restoration of a Springfield Armory M1 Garand that would have left the assembly line in February or March of 1945. And it's a shooter. I dont baby it. I enjoy it and clean it properly....but I also love to shoot it until it smokes!

Hope you gents enjoy the pics and video. It's much like restoring a tractor...except no paint, no busted knuckles, and this thing has a max. effective range of 440 yards.

Blair

A Link to a Video I Made this past Weekend

http://vimeo.com/37520817


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Stock Cartouche
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Blair:

ahhhhhh... a shooting bench :D

Very nice Garand, very nice indeedy. And to think it took a number of years before the military cottoned on to the Garand, seems they were in love with the Springfield 303 for some reason. The Garand was a significant improvement and I think one of the best items issued to US Infantry during WWII.

You did a very nice restoration :D
 
That looks great Blair a friend of mine has one, very fun gun to shoot. Yours looks as good as any of those lined up at the Springfield Armory Museum, I love to visit that place.
 
Very nice video Blair, lot of work but that makes it mean even more.
Congrats on a job well done. :{_}:
 
Thanks Rudi, Joe and Yogie. I restored an IHC Garand years ago. That was fun, as the rifle was built the same year my Cub was.

Joe, I have not been to the museum. Really should make a trip.

Blair
 
My age is showing. (71) I receiverd my Army classification as sharpshooter with an M1. And now it is a museum piece. Vern
 
v w":1cbkjj66 said:
My age is showing. (71) I receiverd my Army classification as sharpshooter with an M1. And now it is a museum piece. Vern
Click to expand...

:lol:

Vern, working backwards...if you are 71 that means you were born around 1940 or 41 or so? And I guess went through Army basic at age 17 or 18 in the mid to late 50's?
That was about the time the Garand was just starting to be phased out and the M14 was being introduced.

What was your MOS? I was 11C and did basic at Ft. Benning.

Blair
 
Nice Garand, and good job on the restoration! An acquaintance has a magnificent collection of Garands. He has every model and variation of every Garand ever made, with the exception of a type that IH built during WWII.
Fantastic rifles! Watch your thumb!
 
Bigschuss":2looive9 said:
v w":2looive9 said:
My age is showing. (71) I receiverd my Army classification as sharpshooter with an M1. And now it is a museum piece. Vern
Click to expand...

:lol:

Vern, working backwards...if you are 71 that means you were born around 1940 or 41 or so? And I guess went through Army basic at age 17 or 18 in the mid to late 50's?
That was about the time the Garand was just starting to be phased out and the M14 was being introduced.

What was your MOS? I was 11C and did basic at Ft. Benning.

Blair
Click to expand...
August 25th 1940. When we were in week eight at Fort leonard Wood the M14 was being used by those in their first few weeks. This would have been I believe June 1959. It took me better than three months to finish basic due to being hospitalized so I can't really count forward from entry. MOS was 711.10 (administrative specialist) Ending grade SP4. Vern
 
moredman":1icaz847 said:
Nice Garand, and good job on the restoration! An acquaintance has a magnificent collection of Garands. He has every model and variation of every Garand ever made, with the exception of a type that IH built during WWII.
Fantastic rifles! Watch your thumb!
Click to expand...
One of the rifles I had in basic was built by IH. It was not RED however. Vern :D
 
moredman":27qjyyrf said:
Nice Garand, and good job on the restoration! An acquaintance has a magnificent collection of Garands. He has every model and variation of every Garand ever made, with the exception of a type that IH built during WWII.
Fantastic rifles! Watch your thumb!
Click to expand...

Thanks moredman. Appreciate the kind words.

The reason your friend is missing a WWII ear IHC Garand is because they don't exist. Only SA and Winchester made Garands during the war. IHC made them after the war.

I have yet to get a Garand thumb.....knock on wood.
 
v w":1cywec5g said:
Bigschuss":1cywec5g said:
v w":1cywec5g said:
My age is showing. (71) I receiverd my Army classification as sharpshooter with an M1. And now it is a museum piece. Vern
Click to expand...

:lol:

Vern, working backwards...if you are 71 that means you were born around 1940 or 41 or so? And I guess went through Army basic at age 17 or 18 in the mid to late 50's?
That was about the time the Garand was just starting to be phased out and the M14 was being introduced.

What was your MOS? I was 11C and did basic at Ft. Benning.

Blair
Click to expand...
August 25th 1940. When we were in week eight at Fort leonard Wood the M14 was being used by those in their first few weeks. This would have been I believe June 1959. It took me better than three months to finish basic due to being hospitalized so I can't really count forward from entry. MOS was 711.10 (administrative specialist) Ending grade SP4. Vern
Click to expand...

Interesting Vern. When I went through basic the new troops in week 1 were being issued kevlar helmets, while we were graduating with the venerable M1 steel pot.

Going through basic once wasn't good enough though...the very next summer I went through Air Force basic because I switched branches when I went active duty.
 
Bigschuss":1qw96hcd said:
moredman":1qw96hcd said:
Nice Garand, and good job on the restoration! An acquaintance has a magnificent collection of Garands. He has every model and variation of every Garand ever made, with the exception of a type that IH built during WWII.
Fantastic rifles! Watch your thumb!
Click to expand...

Thanks moredman. Appreciate the kind words.

The reason your friend is missing a WWII ear IHC Garand is because they don't exist. Only SA and Winchester made Garands during the war. IHC made them after the war.

I have yet to get a Garand thumb.....knock on wood.
Click to expand...

That would explain that! Possibly he's not just concentrating on WWII. I know he mentioned the IH model, as he's looking for one. His display board at the MVCA show a few years ago was about 20 foot long. I'm mostly in the dark when it comes to Garands- but when it comes to k98k mausers, it's a bit different.
 
moredman":2173ghrv said:
Bigschuss":2173ghrv said:
moredman":2173ghrv said:
Nice Garand, and good job on the restoration! An acquaintance has a magnificent collection of Garands. He has every model and variation of every Garand ever made, with the exception of a type that IH built during WWII.
Fantastic rifles! Watch your thumb!
Click to expand...

Thanks moredman. Appreciate the kind words.

The reason your friend is missing a WWII ear IHC Garand is because they don't exist. Only SA and Winchester made Garands during the war. IHC made them after the war.

I have yet to get a Garand thumb.....knock on wood.
Click to expand...

That would explain that! Possibly he's not just concentrating on WWII. I know he mentioned the IH model, as he's looking for one. His display board at the MVCA show a few years ago was about 20 foot long. I'm mostly in the dark when it comes to Garands- but when it comes to k98k mausers, it's a bit different.
Click to expand...

Oh yeah...I'm with you about K98's. I've owned 5 or 6 over the years, from pre-war Weimar era K98's to late war byf's. All matching and a few from literally out of the closets of local veterans who brought them back. Fun to shoot....but they do kick like a mule! I currently do not own one.

Do you collect German WWII firearms in general? Or just K98's?
 
Lugers and the like are too high dollar for me- I'll stick to k98's. I enjoy restoring sportered 98's, and have done a few- '38 S147, '42 ar, '38 S243, '43 byf. I'm currently scrounging parts to rebuild a '45 byf code. The hunt for the parts is the best part!
 
Crane Mt LoBoy":3bl4v3vg said:
Those range pictures, is that the action pits at Harvard?
Click to expand...

Nope..it's the Westfield Sportsman's Club. The same place where that 7 year old boy shot himself with the Uzi a few years ago. Haven't been there since that happened.
 
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