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
