Show us your Guns!

[V.C. Brunswick]

that looks so cool! and sturdy! is it semi-atuomatic or no?

Yes the Garand is semi-auto. It takes an eight-round clip. I've also been partial to the Ruger Mini-14. I believe there's also a variant in Russian 7.62 x 39.

 

[Kirk H.]

Yes the Garand is semi-auto. It takes an eight-round clip. I've also been partial to the Ruger Mini-14. I believe there's also a variant in Russian 7.62 x 39.

The 7.62X39 is the Mini Thirty.

 

[therizyflapper]

The 7.62X39 is the Mini Thirty.

ummmm im going to look into those! those are such nice guns!! isnt the 7.62x39 the same round thats in a AK-47? and what is the gun in the 1st picture?

 

[DeaconKC]

A big +1 on the Ruger Mini series. The AKs can be excellent rifles if a good builder made them. Good luck finding a decent Garand now for under 700 on the street, if you do, grab it. If these are still in stock at CMP get the Service Grade or Field Grade. Make sure it is built on a Winchester, Springfield Armory, H&R or IHC, do not buy a Blue Sky build.
http://www.odcmp.com/Sales/m1garand.htm

 

[DeaconKC]

flapper, the first gun is also a mini, just tricked out. They are great little rifles and unbelievably rugged.

 

[MattieA65]

Fox ce grade: Before and after restoration

I bought this several months ago at a gun show in Richmond, VA, then sent it to the Gun Works of Central NY for a complete restoration. Man, am I glad I took the gamble!

 

[therizyflapper]

flapper, the first gun is also a mini, just tricked out. They are great little rifles and unbelievably rugged.

thank you so much for the suggestions, they are extremely helpful!

 

[BigFitz]

I bought this several months ago at a gun show in Richmond, VA, then sent it to the Gun Works of Central NY for a complete restoration. Man, am I glad I took the gamble!

Man, that sure is pretty! Congrats!

 

[gtdean48]

Man, that sure is pretty! Congrats!

+1!

 

[DeaconKC]

I hate having to wipe drool off my keyboard. WOW

 

[The Inspector]

I can see what my man can do. Hopefully I might find a shoulder holster.

 

[rjb1]

As a Garand collector I strongly recommend that you *not* buy one unless it is directly from the CMP or from a person who bought one from them and has the paperwork to go with it.
There are a lot of things that can be "wrong" on a Garand that you can't detect without proper tools and gauges. I never go to a gunshow without a fairly complete set of those.
The CMP checks everything prior to sale so it is within GI specs and is safe.

(Note: "Blue Sky" was an importer, not a manufacturer, of M1's but the advice holds that you don't want one. Most of them were total disasters in terms of being within specifications.)

 

[therizyflapper]

As a Garand collector I strongly recommend that you *not* buy one unless it is directly from the CMP or from a person who bought one from them and has the paperwork to go with it.
There are a lot of things that can be "wrong" on a Garand that you can't detect without proper tools and gauges. I never go to a gunshow without a fairly complete set of those.
The CMP checks everything prior to sale so it is within GI specs and is safe.

(Note: "Blue Sky" was an importer, not a manufacturer, of M1's but the advice holds that you don't want one. Most of them were total disasters in terms of being within specifications.)

oh ok ill definitely remember that thank you so so much!

 

[jkingrph]

Pretty Fox. I love those doubles.

About 10 years ago I picked up a nice Parker GH, not mint, but extremely nice. I did nothing to detract from any collector value, just cleaned it very good, carefully removed the stock and cleaned and relubed the action works. Cleaned the wood, and steamed a couple of minor dents out. Cleaned out the checkering with a fine riffler file, then without removing any of the original finish, rubbed it out with a mixture of linseed and carnuba wax. It looks old but great, not new, but used and well cared for. This one by serial number was made either in late 1910 or sometimes in 1911, it's one of the ones where the serial number book is missing, so just have to go on before and after dating.

A couple of years later I found a mint little Darne, in 28 ga, sliding breech French shotgun, then about 18 months later a Charlin in 16 ga, also a sliding breech action, but a different lock up mechanism, although they look similar. Got a nice little 20 ga Spanish sidelock to pass on to the grandson and a nice 16 Ga Husqvarna sidelock that has the lines and feel of some of the British best or at least better guns at a fraction of the cost.

On the newer side I have one of the Ithaca SKB mod 200 with exceptional wood, and a Win 101 in 20 ga.

 

[1961MJS]

Wow, Foxy...

 

[Kirk H.]

I can see what my man can do. Hopefully I might find a shoulder holster.

Another place that I have had luck in finding leather holsters is Ebay. I have seen some old Safariland ones for revolvers under 50.00.

Good luck

 

[KilroyCD]

It didn't take long...

Well, this isn't a complete gun yet, but just the start. This is a December 1942 M1 Garand receiver that I bought at the CMP North Store at Camp Perry, Ohio last week. I'm in the midst of amassing parts, as I also have a barrel and bolt for it and I just ordered a stock and rear lockbar sight for the rifle. Here's the receiver:

I'll post status reports as the project continues.

What I thought might be a four to six month project turned out to take much less time to complete. I just finished it last evening. Here is the completed M1 Garand, built up entirely from parts.

 

[DeaconKC]

Great job Kilroy, that looks superb! Did you use a Boyd's stock on that?

 

[rjb1]

Very nice Garand...
It's not mine, so I can say without bragging that the stock is better than a Boyd's - it's real military. Note the small arsenal repair to the stock toe. (gives it "character"...)
How did the headspace check out? What is the barrel date? Did you get a good trigger-guard to stock lockup? Any other Garand facts about this one?

 

[KilroyCD]

Very nice Garand...
It's not mine, so I can say without bragging that the stock is better than a Boyd's - it's real military. Note the small arsenal repair to the stock toe. (gives it "character"...)
How did the headspace check out? What is the barrel date? Did you get a good trigger-guard to stock lockup? Any other Garand facts about this one?

You're right about it being a USGI stock with a toe repair. It was actually a "handyman" stock that was being sold by a CMP Forum member. He was selling them at two for $25, so I thought I'd take a chance. The second stock wasn't too bad either, but the lock up wasn't good with that one. It's a nice tight lock up with this stock.
The headspace checked out perfectly, and it's a Springfield Armory barrel dated 7/53. Throat erosion measures 4, and muzzle erosion measures 2, well within Army specs. Not bad for a $20 "junk" barrel from the CMP North Store. Of course I sat there with a set of gauges and checked every single barrel in that bin when I was there. It was the best one there at that time.
The receiver is lead dipped, hence the two-tone look to the heel. Receivers were lead-dipped at that time to anneal the steel, as they were sometimes splitting due to bolt strikes. Later in the war improvements in metallurgy negated the need to dip the receiver heels in lead. It has a type 3 Lockbar rear sight, plus a single slot gas cylinder lock plug. The sling is USGI, but post-war. It was fun gathering all the pieces to build this rifle, and I ended up spending a little more than if I had simply bought a Service Grade Garand at CMP ($625 plus shipping). But the experience of searching for good parts and building the rifle from those parts was well worth it. It was a lot of fun, and there is a certain amount of pride in having done it.
It is a bit of a mixmaster as a result, but most of the rifle parts are Springfield Armory parts. The only non-Springfield part I'm aware of is the Operating Rod, which is HRA (Harrington & Richardson).