Bear with me, this will be lengthy, I thought I would share my experiences in correcting an October 1940 reciever to as original as I can get it. These early rifles are very expensive to do and require lots of patience and hunting for parts. This came to me as a CMP service grade, with basically nothing correct on it. It had a nice RIA FK rebuild marked stock, which has its original SA NFR and ordnance wheel cartouches still ghostly lingering beneath. The barrel is a nice 8-43 SA.
So far, I have the following correct parts. A completely correct trigger group, correct bolt with round firing pin, correct gas cylinder assembly, still need a front sight seal and screw that allows one. I replaced the T105 rear sight with a Type 2 lockbar, which is what the original flush nut sight would have been replaced by, though I will get a flush nut short pinion assembly for it one day. The elevation cap is checkered, as it should be, and the cover is an unmarked and blued one with no support ribs. It has an early op rod catch, early milled and marked bullet guide, and milled type 2 follower rod. It has a correct single bevel follower arm, but I believe it to be a Winchester made part, based on the rough machining marks on it. The stock is an unmarked GHS long channel with very nice figure. I got that and about half of my parts from Paul Goedde, who has about everything early Garand you could think of.
I still need an operating rod, I have a correct D35382-1-SA marked one, however, it is out of spec and relief cut, I would love to find an uncut one. I need some correct stock metal pieces and the correct follower assembly, as well as a rounded clip latch. I will probably never find an early, unmodified rear handguard without the op rod relief notch in it, but maybe some that better match the stock. The other huge piece will be a September or October 1940 barrel, which will be extremely difficult to source and be extremely expensive.
I have other Garands to shoot, this was for fun and to have a nice example of a pre war rifle. If I'm going to restore an early rifle, better this than a former gas trap reciever!
http://imgur.com/a/RD4DOYC
So far, I have the following correct parts. A completely correct trigger group, correct bolt with round firing pin, correct gas cylinder assembly, still need a front sight seal and screw that allows one. I replaced the T105 rear sight with a Type 2 lockbar, which is what the original flush nut sight would have been replaced by, though I will get a flush nut short pinion assembly for it one day. The elevation cap is checkered, as it should be, and the cover is an unmarked and blued one with no support ribs. It has an early op rod catch, early milled and marked bullet guide, and milled type 2 follower rod. It has a correct single bevel follower arm, but I believe it to be a Winchester made part, based on the rough machining marks on it. The stock is an unmarked GHS long channel with very nice figure. I got that and about half of my parts from Paul Goedde, who has about everything early Garand you could think of.
I still need an operating rod, I have a correct D35382-1-SA marked one, however, it is out of spec and relief cut, I would love to find an uncut one. I need some correct stock metal pieces and the correct follower assembly, as well as a rounded clip latch. I will probably never find an early, unmodified rear handguard without the op rod relief notch in it, but maybe some that better match the stock. The other huge piece will be a September or October 1940 barrel, which will be extremely difficult to source and be extremely expensive.
I have other Garands to shoot, this was for fun and to have a nice example of a pre war rifle. If I'm going to restore an early rifle, better this than a former gas trap reciever!
http://imgur.com/a/RD4DOYC