International Harvester Garands

[ACP230]

Wandering around a gun sale site earlier today I noticed two IH
M1 Garands for sale. Both were, "too rich for my blood," expensive.
One had a dark stock and one was reddish in color.

Lots of other, cheaper, M1s around but the one I learned to take apart
blindfolded, the one that gave me "M1 Thumb" and the one I learned to
do rifle drill with, was an IH Garand with a red stock like one of the two
I saw.

I was not in the service, just JROTC, but seeing those rifles still
brought back memories.

Anyone else use IHs in service, ROTC, or as a match rifle?

 

[jlrhiner]

Many years ago, when Midway Arms had an actual gun store, I came home with an IH M-1. I gave it to my dad. He had carried an M-1 in that little dust-up in the early 40's. He tore it completely down, striped the stock, boiled his own linseed oil, and spent many days hand rubbing the stock.

Dad's gone, but that old M-1 is in the safe.

 

[suckersrus]

Lookee! Lookee!
Not an IH but you never know until you go look. Or at this price...?

Field Grade M1 Garand

Luck of the draw for Springfield or Harrington & Richardson manufacturer. Orders will be filled with next available field grade rifle. See above for Field Grade description. Rifle shipped in CMP hard rifle case.

$630
Delivery time –3-9 months from placing order

Free S&H - continental U.S.
Contact CMP for additional S&H - Alaska, Hawaii & Puerto Rico


M1 Garand | Civilian Marksmanship Program

 

[Charlie Foxtrott]

I have four of the International Harvestor Garands.

Additionally, I have three of the Springfields. The IH guns are a step up in quality from the Springfields. At least insofar as machining is concerned.

 

[brucev]

Back when my daughters were in college, I saw an ad offering a M-1 Garand for sale. Turned out to be a 4.47 IHC... original receiver/barrel, etc. Needed only a stock and trigger group to make it correct. Swapping with a fellow match shooter took care of the trigger group. The stock I was able to find. I used it in matches and did well. It was beautiful. Then about two years later... things changed. So, I picked up the phone and called a friend who had been wanting that rifle. He came... he paid... and it went home with him. And I... I took the money and paid a semester of college for my two daughters. I missed that rifle for maybe... five minutes! The look on the girl's faces when I told them I had the money for school ... that I will never forget. Very cool! Sincerely. brucev.

 

[Wyo]

I have an IHC "gap letter" rifle that I use in Garand matches - won the local club shoot with it this year. I have examples of each of the other three manufacturers too but that IHC is the most accurate of the bunch.

 

[ACP230]

I bought a Springfield from Woolworths back in the 1980s and used it
for NRA High Power Rifle matches. It was made in 1943 and looked like it went through three wars. Since it came out of Korea it probably went
through two.

It looked rough but shot, and still shoots, well. The more I shot it
the less I wanted to change it by adding a new stock and handguards.
Still looks rough. I still don't care.

I wish I'd run across a "tractor" M1 before they got so expensive.
Just because of the one I used in JROTC. I hope it didn't end up
being fed into "Captain Crunch" during the Clinton years.

 

[Mack]

Additionally, I have three of the Springfields. The IH guns are a step up in quality from the Springfields. At least insofar as machining is concerned.

Not necessarily true, depends on when the SA rifles were made, during the 40's unpleasantness function was more important than finish. However the 50's produced SA M1's are arguably the best ever produced, nothing wrong with a good tractor gun though. It's funny the Winchester's are the roughest M1 ever produced but command some of the highest prices.

 

[KEN L]

Two short stories:

When I was a senior in high school, it was the 1st year the ROTC program was instituted in my school. I remember the rifles in the armory were M1 Rifles, they also had some 1911A1's that were still in their Kraft boxes. We never did anything with those, but I would always take one out and look at it and dream. I was 16 at the time and all I could do is dream about owning a real .45 automatic. We did drill/march with the Garands and they got cleaned every Friday. We learned how to field strip and clean them. It was awesome! The firing pins and other bolt internals had been removed. One day the Colonel announced they were going to activate one of the rifles and anyone who was interested could go to the range and fire it, if they provided their own ammunition. Somehow, one of the guys game up with an ammo can full of loaded 8rd clips and was selling them, but only one clip each. Man, what a rush! I still have a Pepsi can that I shot with it with the first round. I was hooked for the rest of my life! Unfortunately, I can't remember the different makes of the M1's, but know for certain I had a Springfield that was issued to me. We were each issued an arms card and always drew the same weapon. Guns in school! Those were the days!

Back in the early 70's I can remember a lot of Garands coming back into the country through various importers and police supply companies. (The ones we could get through the department were $99 and the carbines were $79. I remember just about everyone on the department bought one or the other.) I saw a lot International Harvesters & H&R Garands available on the market, most were in so so condition. I can remember nobody wanted those, because they weren't real Garands, since they weren't of WWII vintage, so consequently they sold for much less than the Springfields or Winchesters and Winchesters were always the high dollar Garands. They always sold for a premium. I guess they still do for that matter. But, I'm always amazed at the prices the IH's and H&R's bring these days. Back about 1970 I picked up a 43 dated Springfield in a pawn shop for the princely sum of $185. By the way, I still have it. I was never interested in collecting them, but unfortunately the carbine bug bit me. I don't really collect them, but I do have 11 of them. Does that make me a collector??

 

[Bat Guano]

Back a few years I was ordering CMP M1s when I could afford them. I would request a particular manufacturer on the order form if it was available and convenient. Darned if they didn't come through every time.

Wound up getting "the whole set", just like gas station china sets in the 1950s--only better.

 

[Bat Guano]

Back a few years I was ordering CMP M1s when I could afford them. I would request a particular manufacturer on the order form "if it was available and convenient". Darned if they didn't come through every time.

Wound up getting "the whole set", just like gas station china sets in the 1950s--only better.

 

[S&W SS Revolvers]

That is a super cool pair of stories! Thank you for sharing. I learn so many things here...WOW.

Sir , yes Sir you are a collector...with really good taste so it's all GOOD.

Two short stories:

When I was a senior in high school, it was the 1st year the ROTC program was instituted in my school. I remember the rifles in the armory were M1 Rifles, they also had some 1911A1's that were still in their Kraft boxes. We never did anything with those, but I would always take one out and look at it and dream. I was 16 at the time and all I could do is dream about owning a real .45 automatic. We did drill/march with the Garands and they got cleaned every Friday. We learned how to field strip and clean them. It was awesome! The firing pins and other bolt internals had been removed. One day the Colonel announced they were going to activate one of the rifles and anyone who was interested could go to the range and fire it, if they provided their own ammunition. Somehow, one of the guys game up with an ammo can full of loaded 8rd clips and was selling them, but only one clip each. Man, what a rush! I still have a Pepsi can that I shot with it with the first round. I was hooked for the rest of my life! Unfortunately, I can't remember the different makes of the M1's, but know for certain I had a Springfield that was issued to me. We were each issued an arms card and always drew the same weapon. Guns in school! Those were the days!

Back in the early 70's I can remember a lot of Garands coming back into the country through various importers and police supply companies. (The ones we could get through the department were $99 and the carbines were $79. I remember just about everyone on the department bought one or the other.) I saw a lot International Harvesters & H&R Garands available on the market, most were in so so condition. I can remember nobody wanted those, because they weren't real Garands, since they weren't of WWII vintage, so consequently they sold for much less than the Springfields or Winchesters and Winchesters were always the high dollar Garands. They always sold for a premium. I guess they still do for that matter. But, I'm always amazed at the prices the IH's and H&R's bring these days. Back about 1970 I picked up a 43 dated Springfield in a pawn shop for the princely sum of $185. By the way, I still have it. I was never interested in collecting them, but unfortunately the carbine bug bit me. I don't really collect them, but I do have 11 of them. Does that make me a collector??

 

[rwsmith]

I have found....

Back when my daughters were in college, I saw an ad offering a M-1 Garand for sale. Turned out to be a 4.47 IHC... original receiver/barrel, etc. Needed only a stock and trigger group to make it correct. Swapping with a fellow match shooter took care of the trigger group. The stock I was able to find. I used it in matches and did well. It was beautiful. Then about two years later... things changed. So, I picked up the phone and called a friend who had been wanting that rifle. He came... he paid... and it went home with him. And I... I took the money and paid a semester of college for my two daughters. I missed that rifle for maybe... five minutes! The look on the girl's faces when I told them I had the money for school ... that I will never forget. Very cool! Sincerely. brucev.

I've said I'd never do some things but when you find one day you have a very good reason, those things aren't as important anymore and you wonder why they were ever important.

 

[brucev]

I've said I'd never do some things but when you find one day you have a very good reason, those things aren't as important anymore and you wonder why they were ever important.

Agree 100%. The girls were just as good as gold. As a pastor I got moved as is common from one appointment to another. They had to start over at school w/ friends, etc. We always promised them that somehow they would get to go to college. When that time came, we did alright for the first year. Then we were moved to a new appointment which resulted in a raise for me, but my wife lost her job. Our oldest daughter was going to drop out of college and work a year so our youngest daughter could stay in school. I was sure that would be a mistake so, to use the phrase my brother used, we put on our war face! The five years that followed were tough. There was another move in the fifth year... with a small drop in pay. The youngest graduated w/ honors in 2007 and in February of 2008, we were able to pay off all but one of the loans. The only one remaining is very small and will be done hopefully by the end of this year.

I've had a few nice rifles. I guess I always did love nice rifles... 03, 03-A3 and M-1 Garands. I've got a couple of very nice arsenal rebuilt M-1's... LEAD, RRAD... a SA 03 1918 rebuilt during WWII, a Rem. 03 (ca. 1942) that was rebuilt w/ a High Standard 1944 barrel... it is my favorite rifle for vintage military rifle matches.. astoundingly accurate. I have my identical-twin brother's rifle... a Rem. 03-A3 w/ a gorgeous C stock. And I have a nice Smith-Corona 03-A3... which went through rebuild where it got a Rem. 1944 barrel, a very excellent shooting rifle. And... I have a Rem. 03-A3 that I had converted into a 03-A4 replica. I used it this year as my deer rifle taking a nice doe at 130 long steps. She was jumping over a fence when I shot her. I'd probably not pulled the trigger except that I knew what the rifle would do and the shot just didn't seem that hard. Sincerely. brucev.

 

[RoninPhx]

garands

interest in garands comes in periods. There is a lot of interest in WWII production for obvious reasons. Of those, the winchesters while having the name were among the most crudely finished. Keep in mind there were continual part revisions during their production and usage. And they were meant to be interchangable in that area. A lot were rebuilt after WWII and put in storage including the "white bag" garands a couple of which i have seen in the white bag. Production started again during/after the korean war, and the "tractor" garands, a lot of them were shipped to iran at the time, which accounts for a certain amount of their scarcity today. Everything being equal those springfields that are high numbered made toward the end of production around 1954, were probably the finest ones made. From a shooting standpoint, some of the reimports through the cmp/dcm from denmark with the V.A.R. barrels were really good deals. As is common with these rifles and the carbines, yeah, it's a garand, or it's a carbine, but condition is everything. Most were used hard and put away wet. But it is still possible to find pristine examples if one develops the knowlege to know what they are looking at. One of my big finds a few years ago was watching a stack of carbines for sale at the western cmp shoot here in phoenix. There glaring at me was a m1carbine reconditioned at ogden utah with elmer keith's cartouche stamped on the wood. Couldn't get the wallet out quick enough.

 

[RoninPhx]

few years ago i tripped across a first year, first month production 1903 springfield. At least the receiver was, it had been arsonel rebarreled circa around 1918. If it could talk.

 

[RoninPhx]

the interesting thing to me is on the 03-a4 rifles is the absolutely piece of crud optic they put on them. I think one of the 20 dollar 60's vintage .22lf scopes were better. It isn't like they didn't have better choices, the german optics were better in many cases, the exception being the mauser scout rifle with that zf41 toy scope they put on it.

 

[RoninPhx]

Back a few years I was ordering CMP M1s when I could afford them. I would request a particular manufacturer on the order form "if it was available and convenient". Darned if they didn't come through every time.

Wound up getting "the whole set", just like gas station china sets in the 1950s--only better.

that was a better investment than the stock market. I snicker every time i walk into a cabella's and look at the current prices on carbines, garands, and the 1903 and 1903A1 rifles. I just about completed the set on carbines, did not get a irwin, and some of the line outs.

 

[RoninPhx]

Two short stories:

When I was a senior in high school, it was the 1st year the ROTC program was instituted in my school. I remember the rifles in the armory were M1 Rifles, they also had some 1911A1's that were still in their Kraft boxes. We never did anything with those, but I would always take one out and look at it and dream. I was 16 at the time and all I could do is dream about owning a real .45 automatic. We did drill/march with the Garands and they got cleaned every Friday. We learned how to field strip and clean them. It was awesome! The firing pins and other bolt internals had been removed. One day the Colonel announced they were going to activate one of the rifles and anyone who was interested could go to the range and fire it, if they provided their own ammunition. Somehow, one of the guys game up with an ammo can full of loaded 8rd clips and was selling them, but only one clip each. Man, what a rush! I still have a Pepsi can that I shot with it with the first round. I was hooked for the rest of my life! Unfortunately, I can't remember the different makes of the M1's, but know for certain I had a Springfield that was issued to me. We were each issued an arms card and always drew the same weapon. Guns in school! Those were the days!

Back in the early 70's I can remember a lot of Garands coming back into the country through various importers and police supply companies. (The ones we could get through the department were $99 and the carbines were $79. I remember just about everyone on the department bought one or the other.) I saw a lot International Harvesters & H&R Garands available on the market, most were in so so condition. I can remember nobody wanted those, because they weren't real Garands, since they weren't of WWII vintage, so consequently they sold for much less than the Springfields or Winchesters and Winchesters were always the high dollar Garands. They always sold for a premium. I guess they still do for that matter. But, I'm always amazed at the prices the IH's and H&R's bring these days. Back about 1970 I picked up a 43 dated Springfield in a pawn shop for the princely sum of $185. By the way, I still have it. I was never interested in collecting them, but unfortunately the carbine bug bit me. I don't really collect them, but I do have 11 of them. Does that make me a collector??

you may not be a collector, yet, but you are on the road. Wait till you start collecting the unissued small parts for them.

 

[RoninPhx]

there is still a lot of stuff out there, like 30.06 repak from the pacific, repak'd in HA in the early 50's in aluminum spam cans.