Travesty Committed to a 539XXX (6 Digit) Garand

All - As posted in the "Mini G" forum, I bought a Garand based on pictures, thinking I was paying a low price for a receiver (that I could use for a build), and the rest of the parts were free. I guess that is still the plan (but it may have to be a Mini G rather than a regular Garand), but as I stripped the rifle (while I should have been working . . .) I almost felt violated by the travesty done to this rifle!

First, If this rifle was cleaned in the last 40 years I would be surprised. However, the parts are not severely warn so I assume it received little use or was re-arsenaled and used for deer hunting after that (more on that in a minute).

Second, a "tanker", (by some definition of "Tanker" I guess), was made from the rifle). The barrel is 21"; the gas cylinder looks like it was painted with black Krylon; the op rod will make Tim and the rest of ya'll probably cringe; the bolt has been either chrome plated or nickel plated; the stock has been modified to do away with the front hand guard completely (not even the 1"-2" hand guard found on most "Tankers"); a reddish recoil pad installed; the stock looks like it is coated in shiny plastic; some kind of orange material placed over the receiver heel; the op rod spring cut down; . . . .. And as per my my thread in the Mini G sub-forum, the receiver has been drilled and tapped on the left for the mounting of a Pachmyar Low Swing Scope Mount made for the M1.

The mount is interesting. It is a Pachmyar Low Swing mount for the M!. It is affixed to the left side of the receiver by four screws. The rings hold the scope directly over the axis of the bore. If you do not want the scope in the way (using iron sights or loading / unloading), then you can "swing" the scope to the left. It takes some force to "unlock" the mount for it to "swing" over to the left (hence my hope that it will maintain zero). The mount is also for a 1" scope tube, rather than the 7/8" tube I was worried that it might be for. The 1" tube of course opens up a large range of scopes for my middle aged eyes.

I am going to have to do a lot to this rifle to be seen with it in public! The stock has to be replaced; the bolt de-chromed / de-nickeled (is that possible? how?); new op rod and op rod spring; new gas cylinder; etc.

Or, if I confirm the swing out mount will hold zero, I send this to Tim to build a Mini G (including with this rifle the stock I already have for my Mini G; a good gas cylinder; a good op rod; either a de-chromed / de-nickled bolt or a replacement bolt; etc.).

The "story" with the rifle is that it was the seller's grandfather's deer rifle. Looking at the "gun smithing" on the rifle I can believe that.

I'd love to post some pictures, but I'm having trouble. I took pics with my Android based phone, then emailed them to myself and saved them to my C drive. But when I try to attach them nothing attaches. Any help on this?

JGW

EMail me the pics and I'll post them.

OK, let's give it a try

Attachment 2418Attachment 2419Attachment 2420Attachment 2421Attachment 2422

And the rest

Attachment 2423Attachment 2424

I can't tell from the photo's, is the oprod a straight one? If you didn't want to use that scope mount I'd get them TIG'd.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by timshufflin

I can't tell from the photo's, is the oprod a straight one? If you didn't want to use that scope mount I'd get them TIG'd.

---

I may not have included the picture with the Op Rod. But . . . it is certainly not straight.

When you recommend that "I'd get them TIG'd", what does that mean? I assume it means a new Op Rod???

JGW

And Punch, thank you.

JGW

TIG weld the scope mount holes.

That's most unusual! If it was good on cost, it's a good base for any sort of project!

Eli

Thanks. It was good on cost I think. About the cost of a stripped receiver . . . a year ago. If the mount is solid and maintains zero, then this may be the base for a Mini G. Have to get rid of that gosh darn horrible stock!

That stock ain't bad looking. Just get rid of the gloss finish.

have a picture of the windage knob up close?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Orlando

have a picture of the windage knob up close?

---

I have one picture of the windage on my phone. If you can pm me your cell, I can text it to you.

I would upload it from my phone, but I don't remember my username and password (it automatically appears on my laptop when I go to this forum, but I don't have it written down to use on my phone).

JGW

Not pictures of the windage, but some pictures of this Pachmyar Swing Low scope mount. These pictures are not mine.

Here is a shout out to Orlando - He has been a huge help today in identifying types of the parts in the M1 referenced in this thread. Thank You!!!

JGW

Back in the 1960's with is how M1 Garands were modified for hunting. The American Rifleman even did an article describing in detail on how to do the modifications.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by RDS

Back in the 1960's with is how M1 Garands were modified for hunting. The American Rifleman even did an article describing in detail on how to do the modifications.

---

I expect that is when this M1 was modified. The person I bought it from seemed to be in his mid-30's, and he told me his grandfather gave it to him and that it had been his grandfather's deer rifle for years. It seems this rifle could have easily been a DCM rifle or .....? (Were M1's sold to the public post-WW2 other than through the DCM / CMP?

JGW

i would think that the scope would be in the way of the clip ejecting after the last shot. I must ask, after the very first post describing this rifle....Did you KNOW what kind of condition this was in or even see the rifle BEFORE you committed to buying it? Trying to fill those holes (if you want to) seems like it would be more expense than if you had
just bought a good stripped receiver (Which I know are getting expensive.....but so is having extra work done to fix stuff). Trash the stock and get a decent proper one.....or just try to sell or trade off whatever parts you don;t want. Cut your losses as much as you can.

Can;t say that i am perfect about project stuff. Am in the process of trying to assemble a certain revolver, which the route I've chosen is more expansive than other routes I could have taken. Also piecing together an all Beretta Danish M1 and a Tipo-2. Projects are getting expensive.

Anyway......We can all sympathize with your situation but support your project. Make it YOUR project. Am sure all with give assistance along the way. Oh....and please let us all see what you've done during at at the completing of your project.

That's why you use a Holbrook device.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by jason60chev

i would think that the scope would be in the way of the clip ejecting after the last shot. I must ask, after the very first post describing this rifle....Did you KNOW what kind of condition this was in or even see the rifle BEFORE you committed to buying it? Trying to fill those holes (if you want to) seems like it would be more expense than if you had
just bought a good stripped receiver (Which I know are getting expensive.....but so is having extra work done to fix stuff). Trash the stock and get a decent proper one.....or just try to sell or trade off whatever parts you don;t want. Cut your losses as much as you can.

Can;t say that i am perfect about project stuff. Am in the process of trying to assemble a certain revolver, which the route I've chosen is more expansive than other routes I could have taken. Also piecing together an all Beretta Danish M1 and a Tipo-2. Projects are getting expensive.

Anyway......We can all sympathize with your situation but support your project. Make it YOUR project. Am sure all with give assistance along the way. Oh....and please let us all see what you've done during at at the completing of your project.

---

Thank you for your comments. One particular couple of days, I sent inquiries on local and state gun forums, and national gun forums, as to probably 7 or 8 different M1s. The guy with this M1 provided pics, description, etc., and when I saw those I ruled out that rifle. And I didn't particularly want (at the prices required) the others I inquired about. A couple of weeks later I got a text message if I was still interested in the rifle, he had lowered his price by about 40% (then about 50%). I didn't recall the exact rifle (real busy at work; lots of late nights); and I responded I was still interested. We set up a time to meet.

When we met I had the $ to buy at his price. I saw the condition, realized it was a rifle I previously decided to not buy, but with his drop in price and him clearing needing the cash, and me not rejecting the rifle to him (like I had done with myself the week before), I felt bad about not buying it. So I bought it. Don't ever look to me for investment advice!

I didn't feel too bad buying it, even after I realized it was the drilled / tapped receiver with the (what I think is terrible) stock, because I figured at worst it was a parts rifle and I would only lose $200 - $300.

Now, money isn't cheap to me, but the guy needed it, I felt like I had unfairly led him on, and decided it was the right thing to do to go forward with the sale.

And if in the future any of you take advantage of this stupidity of mine, then a pox upon you and your house!!!! :) :) :)

Bottom line, I'm not hurt too badly; I may even have some desirable parts that I didn't realize I had. He got some cash to take care of some immediate needs. This is a hobby; both of us are ok~!

JGW

You have a serviceable receiver with a scope mount, a trigger group, stock metal, a handguard, internal parts, op-rod, lockbar sights and I think a stock that would look fine with that tru-oil or urethane or whatever it is on it. Make it into a .308 Mini G with a Holbrook and you will have a nice hunting rifle.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Punch The Clown

You have a serviceable receiver with a scope mount, a trigger group, stock metal, a handguard, internal parts, op-rod, lockbar sights and I think a stock that would look fine with that tru-oil or urethane or whatever it is on it. Make it into a .308 Mini G with a Holbrook and you will have a nice hunting rifle.

---

This will in fact become my first Mini G. I've waited so long, trying to decide among multiple, really really nice Service Grades, and couldn't make myself send one of those for a Mini G. This base rifle will be my first Mini G. I bought a Dupage "Winter" laminate stock about 6 months ago, which I am going to use for this rifle. One thing for sure: that chrome bolt isn't going into this Mini G! No offense to anyone who likes the look of chromed rifles, it's just not my cup of tea. I agree I will put in a Holbrook device, and from what I've read about the Pachmyar Swing Low mount, it does not interfere with loading since it "swings" far enough to the left to clear the action. I hope to shoot the rifle as is (with a scope installed) this weekend to see if the mount holds zero. If so, I'll keep it for the G, and use the Ultimak I bought I while back on my second G (walnut stock? Dupage "spice" (brownish) laminate? First I need to get this off to Tim.

For best accuracy, I will probably have the .308 barrel installed, since I'll know then the muzzle and throat are as good as new can be. With that, any accuracy problems I should be able to blame on me!

JGW