Garand pics and more questions

[Guest abailey362]

Before I ask for more help I know I have to put up pics. They are below, but first another request for info. I've looked around and know what the numbers mean, but not sure how to date the receiver plans. I think one of the rifles might have original receiver and bolt.

SN 1607664 has a drawing # of D28287-19SA A-8 and 1648172 has 6528287-SA A15.

Neither trigger group is original (one is HRA and other is unmarked), and both barrels are later manuf - one SA5 52 and one SA2 51

one has the number 37 marked in it twice, as seen in pics below and some sort of mark next to the 37 right behind the receiver.

The wood isn't in the best shape,but will make a nice refinishing project.

[Guest gcrookston]

Bolt D28287-19SA july 1944 to oct 1945

Serial# 3,500,000 to end of WW2 production

O-15 Unk

O-14A Jul 1944

O-15

O-16 removed from service bad heat treatment (see below)

O-17 oct 1944 to Dec 1944

B-13

B-14

B-16-B

B-17 Oct 1944 to Dec 1944

B-18

B-19

A-4

A-5 Jan 1945

A-6

A-7 Jan 1945

A-8 Mar 1945

A-9 Jun 1945 to Oct 1945

A-10

A-14

A-18

D-17

<> indicates 8620 steel

Heat lot codes production (various undocumented sources)

M1 Garand Known Heat Lot Codes Post War

Bolt 6528287-SA

US1 4,20X,XXX to 4,22X,XXX

J1B 4,20X,XXX to 4,22X,XXX

US2 4,24X,XXX to 4,28X,XXX

A-10 4,24X,XXX to 5,32X,XXX

A11 4,24X,XXX to 5,32X,XXX

A13 5,29X,XXX to 5,43X,XXX

A14 5,33X,XXX to 5,86X,XXX

A15 5,42X,XXX to 5,96X,XXX

B-2-O

Z1 5,8XX,XXX to 5,900,000

Z2 5,8XX,XXX to 5,900,000

Z3 5,8XX,XXX to 5,899,000

A16 5,9XX,XXX to 5,999,000

Z4B 6,08X,XXX to 6,090,000

Y01 5,79X,XXX to 6,09X,XXX

Y02 6,08X,XXX to 6,09X,XXX

J-1-A

-- From "Know your M1 Garand"

There is a desire by many to restore Garands to "original" by swapping out parts for "original" parts based on the serial number of the receiver. I am against this. I believe "authentic-correct" condition to be more valuable to me than "restored-original".

Several years ago Bruce Canfield published a picture along with an article in American Rifleman that showed an armorer in France immediately following D-Day. The soldier was stripping down rifles that had been picked up after the battle... Trigger assemblies in one can, bolts in another, op rods in another... in preparation for cleaning, repair and reassembly. Every time I see one of these mix master Garands I think back to the picture. Every time I see a "restored correct" rifle I think "what a shame".

[Mike.357]

Mine is a mix master and I truly love, It is mine and there is no other one like it.

I would never refinish the stock to the point of losing patina or the characteristics that it has. I love the dark spots and dents. Kind of looks like it went to war.

[oldogy]

Kind of looks like it went to war.

Yep, that is what makes these old guns interesting, speculation as to where all those scars might have come from.

oldogy

[Guest 70below]

Not to mention chunks of bloody hair in the cleaning kit area of the stock......

[Mike.357]

Not to mention chunks of bloody hair in the cleaning kit area of the stock......

I certainly was not going to mention that bloody mess.

[Moped]

Never clean that area!

[roverboy]

OOH. I'm afraid to look in mine now.

[DaveTN]

Unless you have a pristine collector grade; not many care about “numbers matchingâ€. That won’t generally happen with rifles that saw combat.

I put my original stock away and purchased an unfinished new walnut stock from Wenig. CMP and Boyds also sells them.

Wenig Custom Gunstocks, Inc.

Stock Sets

Replacement Stocks for M1 Garands