Garand rear sight

mdj696 · 11-10-2009, 11:44 PM

New to Garand forum. My expertise is with Enfields. I have an M1D myself. My neighbor gave me his Garand to check out rear sight (small arms repairman-Viet Nam). I noticed the rear sight is stamped HRA. The rifle itself is Springfield 685XXX. I found it was made in May of 42. My question is were HRA rear sights manufactured else where to be assembled on the M1? He said his father carried it in WWII.

texnmidwest · 11-11-2009, 05:56 AM

Most of the M1's were rebuilt at some point or another. Almost all will be a mix of parts and manufacturers. Great thing is that if you are looking for wartime springfield parts to make the rifle more correct then there are a lot of parts out there to choose from!

What a special thing it is to have the exact rifle carried during the war! That is a rifle to truly treasure!

Dookiebutt · 11-11-2009, 06:17 AM

I am thinking he may have carried that rifle, but not with those sights. HRA didn't get a contract to build parts until WWII was over. Now, he may very well have replaced the lockbar sight with the more modern sight himself at any point after the war. What is the barrel date on the rifle?

Orlando · 11-11-2009, 08:31 AM

Most storys of "Dad carried this in WWII" end up being Dad telling a story that I carried one "just like this in WWII"
Are both the elevation, windage knobs marked HRA? Check the Barrel, OpRod, Trigger assembly markings
HRA is a Post War manufacture.
The sights were not correct for a WWII rifle

twinson · 11-11-2009, 12:01 PM

M1 Rifles can have any other manufactured part swapped out. That was the design. HRA sights are post 1950's. Jim

mdj696 · 11-11-2009, 01:22 PM

Tanks guys. I'll check further when I get home and advise. Its my neighbors M1

mdj696 · 11-19-2009, 05:49 PM

Disregard war story, found import marks on barrel.

Orlando · 11-19-2009, 06:01 PM

Unfortunatly 99% of the time thats all it is, a story

11-10-2009, 11:44 PM	#1
mdj696 Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 601	Garand rear sight New to Garand forum. My expertise is with Enfields. I have an M1D myself. My neighbor gave me his Garand to check out rear sight (small arms repairman-Viet Nam). I noticed the rear sight is stamped HRA. The rifle itself is Springfield 685XXX. I found it was made in May of 42. My question is were HRA rear sights manufactured else where to be assembled on the M1? He said his father carried it in WWII.

11-11-2009, 05:56 AM	#2
texnmidwest They wonder why I drink.. Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: South east Wisconsin Posts: 7,922	Most of the M1's were rebuilt at some point or another. Almost all will be a mix of parts and manufacturers. Great thing is that if you are looking for wartime springfield parts to make the rifle more correct then there are a lot of parts out there to choose from! What a special thing it is to have the exact rifle carried during the war! That is a rifle to truly treasure! __________________ The first rule of tinkering is to save all the parts.

11-11-2009, 06:17 AM	#3
Dookiebutt Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: America's North Coast Posts: 2,211	I am thinking he may have carried that rifle, but not with those sights. HRA didn't get a contract to build parts until WWII was over. Now, he may very well have replaced the lockbar sight with the more modern sight himself at any point after the war. What is the barrel date on the rifle? __________________ The nerds will never understand the awesomeness of it.

11-11-2009, 08:31 AM	#4
Orlando Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Ohio Posts: 1,328	Most storys of "Dad carried this in WWII" end up being Dad telling a story that I carried one "just like this in WWII" Are both the elevation, windage knobs marked HRA? Check the Barrel, OpRod, Trigger assembly markings HRA is a Post War manufacture. The sights were not correct for a WWII rifle Last edited by Orlando; 11-11-2009 at 08:48 AM.

11-11-2009, 12:01 PM	#5
twinson Member Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 21	Garand M1 Rifles can have any other manufactured part swapped out. That was the design. HRA sights are post 1950's. Jim

11-11-2009, 01:22 PM	#6
mdj696 Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 601	Tanks guys. I'll check further when I get home and advise. Its my neighbors M1

11-19-2009, 05:49 PM	#7
mdj696 Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 601	Garand rear sight Disregard war story, found import marks on barrel.

11-19-2009, 06:01 PM	#8
Orlando Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Ohio Posts: 1,328	Unfortunatly 99% of the time thats all it is, a story