Garand Serial Numbers

otter6412

I have a 1942 Springfield Garrand according to the serial number. The major interior parts are stamped SA. I just picked up a 1955 Harrington and Richards Garand. I was surprised to see that major interior parts are stamped H&R and also with a serial number. None of the serial numbers match, but they are all in the same range. So I assume that when the gun came out of the factory it all matched and that I have an ansenal rebuild or someone put this together. Any comments? Thanks

perry shooter

Many military rifles and pistols have drawing numbers for small and large parts they change these drawings for parts from time to time they are not serial numbers The receiver will have the serial number some parts will also have date or date code You need someone that can look at all the numbers from your in focus detail pictures of all parts posted here. See the STICKY on how to post pictures.

mark christian

Large M1 parts like bolts and trigger groups are stamped with what is called a drawing number which is a sort of manufacturers code that deals with parts revisions and which can be roughly traced to production dates. These numbers ahve nothing to do with the serial number of the receiver and in fact the ONLY M1 part which bears a serial number is the receiver itself. M1 parts from all four primary manufacturers as well as all sub contractors were guaranteed to be fully interchangeable and Uncle Sam made periodic inspections to ensure that all M1 pars would fit all M1 rifles. The exception are the early production M1s which were of a slightly different design than the later rifles. Parts were freely switched from rifle to rifle during rebuilding with no regard to matching specific manufacturer parts to a specific make of rifle. Keep in mind that just because parts are stamped SA does not mean that they are from the same time period of the rifle's manufacturer because many parts from WWII were replaced by post war parts that came off the line 20 years later.

These are some of the hammers used in Springfield M1s ranging from serial number 65,000 (top) all the way to beyond 6 million (bottom). Any of these hammers will fit any M1 Rifle ever made and the revisions are so slight and make so little difference that the -2 hammer made in 1940 was still being saved and reused two decades later. Versions include -2,-3,-5,-7,-8,-9 and C and D, which are post war production. (These are all form my personal collection):

Mobuck

The nuances of Garand variations is the subject of volumes. I belong to the Garand Collectors and find it amazing that there are so many slight adaptations/modifications within the overall design. It is a subject I don't have the time or brain cells to become fully involved in but I enjoy reading about the investigative research some of these guys(like Mark) are willing to put into these icons of American history.

otter6412

Thanks for the all the info. I will post some photo's.

Otter

Ambrose

I've always felt that no two Garands are exactly alike!

KEVD18

quote:Originally posted by Ambrose
I've always felt that no two Garands are exactly alike!


and the evidence supports that idea.

while the revisions to individual parts along the way are slight, they do make them different(or they wouldnt have been revised).

the odds of finding two garands(war time issue, not post war commercials) that have all the same parts has to be astronomical. with each part having several different revisions and the haphazard manner with which they were put together by the armorers, each weapon is in small ways truly unique.

andrewsw16

Looking at pictures of some of the field armory units in WWII in action would make Eli Whitney proud. You see rows of buckets and barrels with disassembled parts from dozens of guns all soaking in solvent. According to those who worked there, reassembly was simple. 1. Grab one part from each bucket (or a new part out of a box), 2. put them together, 3. test fire, 4. reissue. The chance of a rifle ending up at the end of the war still having its original parts is so low as to just about be zero. [:D] And yet, the rifles worked. Like I said, old Eli would be proud of the success of parts inter changeability. [:D] The M1 Garand is one first class weapon.