I bought my M1 back in 1980 in of all places an F W WOOLWORTH store. It's a Springfield Armory # 519274 reciever so I know it was made in March 1942..The op rod and bolt are also SA,but the trigger housing is WRA with a Springfield hammer.The barrel is marked EXEL/Gardner MA. The stock was all mismatched wood so I soon after painted it flat black. Just yesterday I replaced the stock with a new one from Boyds.It has always been a good shooter,and now it's a good looker too.If any of you gentlemen have any information to share about this rifle I would greatly appreciate it.
I hope this will help , when i was sealing the stock parts today .
I found some more numbers on the barrel HRA D6535448 6-52 RS12 P m
the 6-52 could this mean it was rebarreled in June 1952
If this is a rifle that spans 2 wars that would realy be interesting.
Last edited by FLNT4EVR; 11-08-2007 at 07:25 PM.
Reason: more information
Not yet but i will have. I should have mentioned that when I bought it,they were advertized in our local paper as Woolworths "Gun of the month ". It was in a rack with Winchesters and IH's , but I wanted a Springfield.. There must have been 50 rifles there . The cost was less than $200 and my wife got an employee discount of 10% besides.If I could have seen the future I would have gotten a loan and bought them all . LOL
There was a time when you could get all kinds of milsurp rifles at Woolworths. That's probably what got me started - mom leaving me and my cousin to play with those cosmo covered rifles while she and my sister shopped.
Yep, you could buy guns, caps and fireworks anywhere. Now you cant and the people abuse it since it is not the norm. You could bring a gun to school up into the 70's for rifle teams.
Glad to hear you are bringing the old War Horse some new life. Rick B
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If I cant fix it,, It must REALLY be broken!
Yesterday, being Veterans Day,I took my restocked and beautified M1 to the range, to, in my own way ,remember and honor all those who gave so much that we could enjoy such freedoms. There were a few others there sighting in thier hunting rifles and they stopped what they were doing just to watch. After getting the rifle zeroed at 100 yds I let anyone who wanted fire off a clip.No one declined the offer. I was amazed at the awe that came over these men who had never thought they would get to hold one of these rifles,much less fire one. They treated it gently as tho it were made of glass instead of steel and wood.Each fired their 8 rounds and when the clip pinged out , they would grin and look at the rifle , heft it ,then place it gently back on the bench,before expressing their thanks for being allowed to fire it. Some of the younger ones asked if it was real.And if this realy was the rifle that their grandfathers had carried off to war.I assured them that it was ,and answered their questions as best I could .A lot of the information I had I had learned here in the few days since I became a member here. I realy think that each of them left the range a little prouder to be Americans . It was a day well worth the price of a few clips of ammo.
It is sad to see that not a lot of people even know what a M1 Garand. Take my to the range people ask what the heck it is. Tell then what it is and they say what is that. I have to ask them have you seen Saving Private Ryan. well it is that long rifle that wood and makes a loud ping. then they go oohhh! Sad!
Funny! When I take my old war hogs to the range I receive looks of disbelief that anyone would want to fire such a relic. Usually I get the old 'got myself an AR-15' with all the bells and whistles; I simply look at that old war hog and grin...if they only knew what great rifles these were. I've offered to let a couple shoot it but they refused...things too heavy.
wow i would never turn down the opportunity to shoot a Garand, ive always wanted too but i dont have one or the money to get one and i don't know anyonwe who has one either, i have shot an AR before but would have traded that for being able to shoot an M1
I know how you guys feel. I would never give up my Garand for anything. It is the classiest, most proven , and greatest battle rifle in our history. I am keeping mine as perfect as I can ,in order to hand it down to my son. As soon as I am unable to shoot it anymore , that is .
Get your arsh down to Texas. FM, another year and you'll be that Marine?
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Originally Posted by FutureMarine9
wow i would never turn down the opportunity to shoot a Garand, ive always wanted too but i dont have one or the money to get one and i don't know anyonwe who has one either, i have shot an AR before but would have traded that for being able to shoot an M1
Once again myself and another scout leader will be conducting firearm safety awareness and handling in the boy scout troop. Two meetings. One meeting with special guest (the boys tend to listen to a new face). All of the special guest so far, all have had a story or two of mishap or carnage. Emphesizing Safey Safey Safety. Then on a Saturday morning it's over to a commercial range with block shooting times and range officers.
We bring the Garands, M1 Carbine, Turk mausers, SKS, SVT Russian, ARs and couple of Springfields for the boys to shoot. Some dads bring the 22 for the smaller boys and 30-30s. (1 Adult per 2 boys)
The scouts refer to this day as "shootsfest". One year myself and Phil, the other leader, went through 800 rounds of all types of ammo.
We do ask for donation$. Yes we do!
Each year several boys develop Garanditis. Dads? Nah! (They live in a $300,000 home and squak at the price of a Garand. Go figure?)
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Guns and cameras don't mix
Last edited by Full MeTal Jack; 11-20-2007 at 11:56 PM.
I've bought guns from TG&Y,(out of Bussuness)... Walgreens Drugs (they no longer sell guns)... Otasco ( long gone from here). But I never bought one from Woolworths or Woolco...A.H
