I just picked up a M1 Garand and I know very little about them. I know it was made by Springfield and that the stock looks to be original. I do not know what all the other numbers and proof marks mean though. Any info on the rifle and its value would be appreciated. I tried to take pictures of all the markings I could see.

September 1941 receiver, Danish barrel.

Mix of rebuild parts common on CMP rifles. Look on the barrel behind the front sight for any import company stamps on the barrel.

It's a safe bet that nothing, or next to nothing on the rifle is "original" to the receiver, which is very common for GI rebuilds.

With the Danish barrel, it's "probably" a CMP return sale from about 6-8 years ago.

Without the throat erosion and barrel wear gauges to get the readings, it's a shooter if the bore is decent.

Value: I'd expect to start selling around $600 - 650, about what a Rack Grade CMP rifle would probably bring in my area.

JMHO

Lots of ww II rifles were left in Europe and given to different countries. Yours was given to the Danes and barreled by them. VAR are known for accuracy. The cut out in the pistol grip area is a Danish thing too.

Thanks! So basically it's a shooter and not a collector at all, correct?

I'm far from an expert, but if you really want to learn about your M1 go here.
http://forums.thecmp.org/forumdisplay.php?f=7

From what I see you have a somewhat typical mixmaster M1.... WWII Springfield receiver (September 1941), stock, op rod, bolt and hammer in a Winchester trigger housing. Not sure of the barrel but maybe a post-war (1957) Danish rebarrel?

*Man, ya gotta be fast here, ya got several good replies before I could type it out! Nice rifle, shoot and enjoy it.

Hard to say without trying to sell it, I know guys that would buy it for the serial number, if the over all metal to metal wear isn't too much.

As pointed out, the Danish barrels have a good rep for accuracy, but the bore has to be evaluated for wear.

Yep and the barrel I believe was made in 1957.

Most of you parts are Springfield from the SA stamp, I like the Danish barrel marks. Part of your trigger assembly is Winchester WPA marking. Your stock and receiver are marked with your receivers serial. It is a Springfield stock I do not know if they stamped serials on the stock originally or if that was done later.

Most were arsenal refinished at some time, very hard to find an all matching M1. If you ever saw a military armorer work they could care less about markings, they just want a good functioning rifle.

They are just so much fun to shoot, a collector rifle would just collect dust anyway.

The Winchester trigger group is one of the better ones.

These Garands come into CMP and they get torn down.First thing stocks go in one pile, metal in another.. Each part is inspected for wear and if it is within specs it goes into a bin.Then they are re-assembled without regard to S?N's.

The one you have is better than average for a field grade CMP Garand.It could even maybe be a select.

Not sure who told you this but your info is incorrect .Also a Field grade and a Select grade are not even in the same ballpark

Just from appearances, and not knowing the throat erosion or muzzle wear, it looks like a high end "field grade" or a "service grade" to me.

As someone mentioned go to ODCMP.com and check out the Garand forum and also check out the "sales" page for the Garand grading criteria.

When you can, let a youngster shoot it and wait for their "did I break it?" look on their face when the clip ejects

I saw an M1 recently and it was stamped AUSTRALIA

What you have is what often refered to, as others have said, a "danish" garand. End of WWII, danes didn't have any guns so uncle sam provided them to them, some were lend lease, some were purchased by the danes. The lend lease guns came back through c.m.p., the purchased guns could not be sold here intact, so parts kits were sold here, the recievers ended up in canada.
At the end of the war the winchester equipment to make garands ended up in italy, and beretta made them, so there is a beretta garand. They also made parts stuff for the danes.
A V.A.R. barrel is considered a very good barrel. I doubt very much if it is shot out. They are valued because the danes took good care of them, and were in use in some ceremonial units into the 90's as i remember.
The serial number was put on there by the danes to keep the wood with the reciever. There was a little round medallion in the pistol grip. They also sold bayonets for them here that had the crown symbol.
You have a mixture of parts, but what i saw would indicate it was pretty complete. The low serial number gives it cache cause it for sure saw service in WWII. A lot of people, like me, puts a value on that.
CMP as far as i know did not tear them apart and mic the various parts for wear etc.
But the military armorers in the field sure did.
I would buy one of the reference books by ruth or canfield if you wanted to go further, to see if the parts by production match the serial number.
Nice find. It is NOT a 600dollar rifle. Even tho the wood has the serial number on it, and the round hole, it still has a cartouche meaning probably unsanded.
I saw a couple of junk garands at cabella last week, over 2000 for each of them, silly but there it is. They ain't making them any more. I haven't priced them lately but that reciever along could easily be in the 600plus range.
google garand collectors association, membership is reasonable, and the quarterly magazine is first rate. Plus you get acess to some well known people for questions etc.

I might add at the time the danish garands were hitting, they were also selling danish m2ball ammo, in the bandoliers in the clip by the case. Match grade ammo. I have a supply of it but really hate to shoot it up. And the wood, like the reciever but bearing a cartouche has a real value too. That rear sight looks like original to the time frame of the reciever, later ones were lockbar. I did not look up the serial on the op rod for date, but the low serial would have had a uncut op rod, they later started making them with the cut, and went back and ground the cut on the earlier ones. It just isn't right for the age of the reciever as it is now.

That sight appears to be the T105E1 replacement. It would have came with the spanner adjustable when issued in '41.

From Mike Venturino:
"Almost all M1 Garands that saw combat in WWII wore a sight which collectors now call the “locking bar” type. It came into use late in 1942. Prior to that sight’s adoption, M1s carried rear sights adjusted by means of a spanner wrench. Towards the end of WWII an improved rear sight designated T105E1 was developed but according to Bruce N. Canfield’s book Complete Guide To The M1 Garand And M1 Carbine, it is unlikely if any Garands issued during WWII wore them. However, after the war, M1s turned in for refurbishing were retro-fitted with T105E1 sights."

Thank you guys very much for the info! Have a Merry Christmas everyone!

I have collected and built Garands for years so have a very good grasp on value. If the barrel measurements are good its easily a $750-$800 rifle on te secondary market. If barrel is worn its more in the $650-$700 range

The op rod by part number is a post war rebuild rod and the stock is also a post war Springfield Armory rebuild with it's open bottom box SA over N. The original cartouche was below the elevation pinion. SA over GHS in a box with the ordnance flaming bomb next to it. There would have been a small flaming bomb on the bottom of the pistol grip. The Danish cut out removed this. The op rod catch is of the very early type without the acceleration bump. Those VAR barrels are some of the best and with that late date it is probably in very good condition. By the parts mix it appears this rifle has been rebuilt with spare parts furnished by the US long after the war. Those D35382 SA op-rods didn't go into production until 1946. HTH

The CMP pricing sets prices on the secondary market. With Field grades priced at $630 and Service grades at $730, you have your base price. The WWII receiver will easily add $100 to those prices. The VAR barrel would add another $50. Stick a Danish coin on the pistol grip and you will have a $800-$900 rifle, depending on barrel wear.

The Danes are famous for cleaning their rifles. The finish is thin on almost all of their returns. I think they considered steel wool a proper item to have in a cleaning kit.

I consider all M1s to be collectible and the fact that they are a mix of parts is just evidence of their history.

Enjoy looking at it and enjoy shooting it once in a while.

Make sure you get a sling for it and shoot it the way it was meant to be shot - slung up. You might be surprised to see those groups shrink into knots!

Ron, I have an all-original 6/42 SA Garand in pretty nice shape (non arsenal refinished that I can see or tell). Any idea as to what it's worth? not looking to sell, just curious. jorge

Jorge, do you mean that it's all original with the correct parts for 6/42 and has the original finish? If so, you are getting into some pretty good money.

Does it have Type I rear sights?

I believe so, guys, all the parts say SA and the barrel date stamp (6/42) corresponds with the serial number and manufacture date. By the way, 6/42 was the battle of Midway. Affirm on the rear sight.

Type one lock bar sight. Also is the barrel date upside down when viewed with the op-rod locked open and rifle right side up?

the question is the part "all original". It's not enough, although a good sign if all the parts are marked springfield, but the parts went through numerous revisions as they were made.
One would have to look at the part and number and as how it relates to the serial/reciever date. Also that coloration matched, wood, and so on. Translated the cmp is getting around 1000bucks for a rebuild reciever with a criterion barrel and a boyd stock, they are now parting them together for sale. The reciever isn't rebuilt but the rest is.

Yours just on the face of it would be something a collector would like to tear apart to see if it all matches up. Prices could be up or down, but certainly to someone that knows what they are looking at, put some zero's on it.
I just had a springfield high number garand offered to me for 2000bucks. If the gooberment would not wanted some money out of my hide i probably would have bought it. A friend owns it he says it hasn't been fired, and knowing where and how he got it thats probably a steal.
I have seen some unfired ones go in the 10k to 14k.
Your date makes it even more interesting cause it went to war.
I would really recommend getting a copy of ruth's book or canfield, join the garand association and look into its worth.
I hate to assign an exact price not knowing or seeing the specifics of the rifle. But it too is not a cheap one. You have to be careful with garands, they breed in a safe.
somebody mentioned winchester as to quality. Some would debate that, yeah popular by name, but they were not as finely finished as some of the others.
It's pretty rare to find one that is "as issued" but they are out there. There is a guy in prescott valley i know, he has one. Being personal friends with the director of the D.C.M. in the 50's might have something to do with it. He did let me hold it once. I had to give it back.

Page 21 of the above mentioned book "there were three variants of rear sights used with the m1rifle. As originally adopted, the rear sight utilized a SPANNER nut (aka flush nut) that held the adjustment of the sight. These sights were found not to always hold this adjusstment well, and the spanner nut was replaced by a "locking bar," which could be securely tightened by hand. This modification came into use circa ver late 1942. After a short period, the rear sight's pinion was lengthened. a slightly modified locking bar remained in use with the longer pinion. Winchester used the early sights with the spanner nut into early 1943.. Near the end of WWII, the T105E1 rear sight was introduced To skip a few lines few, if any, of these sights were used before the end of WWII on production m1s, although the rifles subsequently overhauled were fitted with T105E1sights.

There were several rear sights. I can't tell from the picture early prior to lockbar or post war T105.
Venturino isn't always right. Witness winchester continuing to use the pre lock bar sight until 1943.

If you develop an interest in garands, there still is a bunch of stuff out there other than the rifles, bayonets, slings scabbards you name it.
Couple of my prize pieces are three spam cans of ammo from the pacific repacked in hawaii in the early 50's, plus some marine web belts. Keep in mind the marines hit the canal with springfield rifles, the garands didn't come in until the army followed.
I should add one of mine is close to the production date of Jorge's, but it was rebarreled in 43 or 44, have to check to be acurate.
I also have another pre WWII garand, ended up in the italian army after the war, then got back here some how. I had the devils own time identifying it. Until i went to a guy whose rifles appear in the books on the garand. The springfield serial number did not match any of the sprinfield run and it was marked M88 on the butt of the reciever. Remarked when it italy but ALL pre war parts. He wanted to buy it on sight for the parts. Ah, no.

Very nice Danish rebuild. I would leave it alone. Finding "as returned" danish rifles with matching numbered stocks is getting relatively hard. One of these days people will start collecting returned rifles and yours is a great example. It even has a mismatched numbered bolt which is "correct" for danish returns.

Nice, if interested in selling let me know. A 42 is one that is missing in my collection

Thanks very much. I'm not interested in selling it, and I do shoot it a bit. It's just one of the nicer ones I've seen and the price was right. The icing on the cake was the 6/42 date and Midway. j

Slightly off topic, towards the end of WWII Japan built a few semi auto rifles in 7.7MM caliber, to see a photo of one they were copying the M1 Garand design. Wonder how much one of those is worth?

the japanese also built post war m1carbines. A few eventually wound their way here, minus the late style bayonet lugs. Made by howa for thailand. They have the royal crest on them.

people are already collecting them, like me.

The Jap version of the M1 was called Type 5 and closely resembled the real one. CAI sold a Type 5 some years ago for an enormous amount. It was out of my price range. I don't remember the figure.

I earned this 50 years ago shooting one of them:

DistRiflemanBadge by Rick Mulhern, on Flickr

Mine turns out to be a rebuild lads, but it's still in good shape and a hell of a shooter. The barrel is indeed a 6/42 but the receiver dates from May of 44. Not bad for 600 bucks. j

Serial number on the OP's rifle puts it in September 1941 production, pre-war, pretty neat.

I have one of the very rare IHC arrowhead receivers, one of about 1100.

When I bought it, the rifle was basically non-functional, it had been treated and stored so bad, and everything was in a Ramline stock.

I rejuvenated it with a Criterion barrel, new Op-rod, new Gas cylinder, all the innards, new DGR stock, and new sights. Once I got started, I wanted all-new, and just the receiver and trigger group (with new springs) are all that's left from the original rifle.

Part of the incentive for all-new parts was I had a continual "11 O-clock" stoppage on the seventh round. I found the issue one day when shooting my HRA, which has proven itself to be reliable, and had the same number and the same type of stoppages.

The freaking clips were causing it, a silly one-dollar item. AEC-3s. Look out for them, if you get some and they seem to be too close together on the open end, bend them open until the look right, that's all I did. My IHC has been 100% reliable since.

I learned a lot about Garands doing that rebuild.

I got one of those Howa Japanese M1 Carbines with the Siam crest and odd rear sight. I am trying to find more info on it. Mel

google foo it.
as i remember about 5000 of them were brought into the U.S. minus the type four barrel band with the bayonet lug. Sugar didn't like the bayonet lug.
as i remember, the company importing them was getting around 500bucks for them, certainly i would think worth more today.

These things breed in a safe. Or at least my wife thinks so.
I do have a couple of "white bag" garands and a couple of carbines.
Arsonal rebuilds in the early 50's and put in what i call seal a meal bags.
Haven't been fired since then and are in as new condition, except for the stock being dried out, which is easy to correct.
The IHC tractor guns are relatively harder to find. Most of them went to iran.
as to the danes and steel wool, i don't know about them, but i can for sure tell you what the swiss did with schmidt rubins having a number of their cleaning kits. That black junk you often see on their stocks is from a kind of lube grease also used for cleaning the rifles. They had little wire mesh patches look like window screen for cleaning. The dents in the stocks are from hobnail boots and stacking the rifles often in snow.
Some of the danish garands had the beretta stamp, also the navy insignia, which are kind of a find. One poster mentioned A DGR rebuilt. He passed away not too long ago, was a master at rebuilds. He turned a greek return for me that had a gerbiled stock, the greek liked to play with his knife, into a work of art. He used imported french bastogne wood and i had it converted to .308 with a douglas barrel. Mighty purty.
the garand association publishes a rather slick magazine on garands, filled with info and sometimes good stories.
Like a garand stored in a closet for years had belonged to a vet who had been on iwo jima. The rifle was sent in for evaluation to one of the known experts in garands. Hard to prove it was on Iwo, but it was felt it was. When the buttplate was taken off the stock, salt water corrosion on the buttplate screws and sand.
The sand on those beaches was all different from beach to beach.
over a few years i collected little bottles of beach sand from various islands that were hit, collected partially to pour over a navy vet who participated in those landings gravesite. But i always keep that in mind when tearing apart one of these rifles.
There were quite a few manufacturers of the clips too, and they can be collectible in that a few didn't make too many of them. But I have clips for most of the manufacturers.
People don't realize how many industries were envolved in making these guns. I do have some carbine parts in the original container made by singer sewing machine. Parts supplier in addition to making a few 1911's. I think there were over 1200 different companies supplying parts during the production.
A few years ago cmp sold surplus barreled recievers for the carbines. One of those sold were universals. They supposedly came back from south america. Now these were lend lease and returned to the army then to the cmp. The interesting part is universal was NOT a maker of carbines during WWII, but was a aftermarket after WWII assembler. Which makes me think these barreled recievers were part of some C.I.A. clandestine operation. The muzzles could suck a golf ball through them.

i couldn't find the website anymore for mel bishop's warehouse full of garands. But as i posted, the ones the danes bought couldn't come back through dcm/cmp. so the parts kits were sold here, and the recievers went to canada.
Mel was a nice guy and a avid garand collector. When i say warehouse, i mean warehouse.
He was busted for trying to smuggle the recievers back into the country from canada. This link talks about that boo boo.
https://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=26572

One of the other interesting variations is the Win-13. These were built by winchester in the early part of 1945. Knowing the war was drawing to a close, they were stamped in the reciever Win-13, but assembled with left over parts in the winchester pipeline.
Thus, could be a mixture of winchester parts with different production numbers out of sequence with the reciever, but still correct.