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Value of GARAND WWII issue 90% condition

JustCJustC Member Posts: 16,056 ✭✭✭
edited October 2002 in Ask the Experts
I don't know the manufacturer yet, but the guy sais it is in GREAT condition. Any range of value would be appreciated. He wants $800

A great rifle with a junk scope,....is junk.

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    njretcopnjretcop Member Posts: 7,975
    edited November -1
    JustC...........nobody can give you a value on the information that you supplied. For example, a complete Winchester in the condition you describe is worth much more than a Springfield Garand.

    When you see the rifle and get all the info, contact Neal Myers (nmyers) for an expert opinion.

    Hope this helps.

    Charlie

    "It's the stuff dreams are made of Angel"NRA Certified Firearms InstructorMember: GOA, RKBA, NJSPBA, NJ area rep for the 2ndAMPD. njretcop@copmail.com
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    JustCJustC Member Posts: 16,056 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Thanks Charlie.

    A great rifle with a junk scope,....is junk.
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    nmyersnmyers Member Posts: 16,880 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Well Charlie, he DID ask for a range. So, here it is:
    $100 (for a CAI) - $50,000 (for an all original Springfield Armory gas trap)

    Neal
    nmyers@comcast.net
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    JustCJustC Member Posts: 16,056 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    nmeyers, what is a CAI?

    how about I try it this way, what would 90% w/matching numbers bring for these:

    Remington-rand
    Singer
    Springfield
    Winchester
    International Harvester

    A great rifle with a junk scope,....is junk.
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    njretcopnjretcop Member Posts: 7,975
    edited November -1
    Neal..........that certainly narrowed it down, haha.

    Charlie

    "It's the stuff dreams are made of Angel"NRA Certified Firearms InstructorMember: GOA, RKBA, NJSPBA, NJ area rep for the 2ndAMPD. njretcop@copmail.com
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    mark christianmark christian Forums Admins, Member, Moderator Posts: 24,456 ******
    edited November -1
    JustC, as always Neal Myers gives the most direct and clear answer to the question asked...but now you've got me on the post! A CAI receiver is a commercial made item which is cast and of, shall we say, less than high quality. You are going to want to ask some serious questions because an as issued WWII Garand in 90% condition is going to involve some investigation. This rifle should already be in some collectors vault...I still have some room in mine!

    You need to find out if it is a Springfield Armory or a Winchester. Get the FULL serial number. You need to know this in order to check
    if the rifle has the correctly marked parts- bolt, STOCK, operating rod, trigger housing, and a LOT more. If the guy won't give you the serial number I say run away now, he's hidding something. Frankly
    $800 for a straight WWII M1 seems pretty low to me in todays market. I can tell you that you'd never get one of my WWII M1's, even a restoration (I sold one on Saturday) for less than $1,000. An as issued rifle will bring a big premium over that amount. BE SURE TO ASK UP FRONT IF THIS IS AN IMPORT OR RESTORATION! As I say the price seems too low, but there are always deals to be had...if you are lucky (I never am). Get that serial number and let us know, we can tell you what this rifle should look like. It is too easy to be taken advantage of on these rifles if you are not familiar with them.

    Mark T. Christian
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    nmyersnmyers Member Posts: 16,880 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    It's never that simple.

    The only US govt contractors for the M1 rifle were Springfield Armory, Winchester, International Harvester, & Harrington & Richardson (Remington-Rand & Singer contracted to make the M1911A1 .45 automatic). Clones of the M1 have been made by Breda, Springfield Armory Inc, Lithgow, CAI, & a couple of others. CAI's have been sold in the last couple of years for $400-500, but the receivers are not made to milspec & the parts are worn-out USGI; they are not worth owning at any price.

    On USGI rifles, the receiver is only part with a serial #, so the term "matching numbers" doesn't apply. Many parts have a drawing # which can help determine is it is original to the rifle. The most valuable M1's have all original parts & finish. The more parts that have been replaced, the more parts that have been refinished, and the more wear that the gun has received, the lower the value becomes. I have several reference books that help determine how original an M1 is, but I also have the experience that comes from seeing many rifles in person or in detailed photos. I also have gauges to evaluate the condition of the barrel.

    It's difficult for an inexperienced person to evaluate an M1. Photos would be a big help, but you need to describe the color & texture of all parts, & all markings, especially those stamped on the barrel & stock. One way you can evaluate barrel wear is to stick an M2 ball cartridge (standard USGI .30-06) point first in the muzzle; if > 3/16" of copper shows, it is a tight muzzle that will probably be accurate, but if none of the copper shows, the barrel needs to be replaced.

    You're going to have to supply more info before I can tell you if it is worth $800.

    Neal
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    XracerXracer Member Posts: 1,990
    edited November -1
    As nmyers said, Singer and Remington-Rand made M1911A1s during WWII. Springfield made M1911s during WWI.

    If you have a Singer M1911A1, you're lucky indeed....they only made 500 of 'em.
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    JustCJustC Member Posts: 16,056 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Thanks mark christain and nmeyers.

    Here is what I have so far:

    He "says" he looked up the number and it is a 1941 rifle. It is a Springfield Armory manufacture. The original stock was cut for some sort of recoil pad, therefore, he contacted Boyds and had it replaced with an original unissued stock. He also said that he has had it for years and has never put a bullet through it, as he has 4 more. He also stated that the gentlemen who owned it before him, had one of our local gunshops order it for him, say, 20yrs ago. To the best of the current (2nd owners's) knowledge, the original owner never really shot it all that much either. I hope this will give you guys some clues as to it's worth.

    Also, I will be attempting to go and see it this week. PLEASE give me a detailed list of things to look for so that I can give you an accurate idea of any numbers and markings. I don't have experience with military rifles, so I could use a quick lesson on markings and where to look for any "funny business". Thank you guys in advance, I appreciate all your help thus far.

    A great rifle with a junk scope,....is junk.
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    nmyersnmyers Member Posts: 16,880 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Now we're getting somewhere.

    Boyds makes nice commercial replacement stocks, but they have never made original military stocks for the M1. So, any chance that this is "all original" is gone.

    If a gun shop ordered it 20 years ago, that suggests that it is a Korean "import"; these were lend-lease M1's that were used, abused, & poorly rebuilt by the Koreans, then returned to the US for sale. Look for the importers name (often Blue Sky) & city & state stamped somewhere on the barrel or receiver, possibly below the wood line. They often have a chalky finish. These are worth $300-400, although occasionally a newbie will pay as much as $700-800 for one.

    Most rebuilt M1's have SA WWII receivers, so that's no big deal. Arsenal rebuilt M1's are available from the Civilian Marksmanship Program (www.odcmp.com) for $520; they resell in the $500-700 range. If the one you are looking at is one of those, subtract $100 for the replacement stock, and it is still not worth $800.

    Neal
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    JustCJustC Member Posts: 16,056 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    OK, I have something to go on. Now, if the gun were an original, (other than the stock) what would I see? What would the finish look like? Greyish dull color? Also, if there are import marks below the woodline, where/how might I go about finding them without taking the guys rifle apart? Can I see them somehow? If there are no import marks, what would that suggest? He said the original owner had it for 20-30yrs, so I just said 20 yrs in the earlier post. If it was really 30yrs would that suggest something else? Also if I get the serial number, is there a site or book I could use to determine any history such as any arsenal rebuilds or issue to korea etc? Thanks again Neal.

    I only have some black tip 30-06 military rounds that I took off a belt, will they work to test the bore? If not, would my reloading calipers be of any help?

    A great rifle with a junk scope,....is junk.

    Edited by - JustC on 10/01/2002 11:51:30
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