sept 1941 garand

[blackhawkkid308]

i have a garand circa sept 1941 with locking bar rear sight, refinished stock, unitized gas system, nm trigger work, wilson 308 barrel with insert so you can't put a enbloc of 30-06 in it. shoots very well. whats it worth? i guess i should have said it is set up for service rifle competition. i bought it this way.
bhk308

[The Rifleman]

Well since you changed the caliber of the weapon - it now is not a origional.

So now all it is, is a Garand that was rechambered to 308 Winchester.

You are looking in the ballpark of about $300 - $500

A very nice gun, that I wouldn't mind owning myself.

If you wanted to sell it - leave a pm or send me a e mail.

But if you really wanted it to be worth something you would have left the origional military finish on the gun and the '06 barrel.

Just for the sake of asking, how did you change the clip from '06 to 308 and how do you load the gun? Do you use a '06 stripper clip?

[blackhawkkid308]

Originally Posted by The Rifleman

Well since you changed the caliber of the weapon - it now is not a origional.

So now all it is, is a Garand that was rechambered to 308 Winchester.

You are looking in the ballpark of about $300 - $500

A very nice gun, that I wouldn't mind owning myself.

If you wanted to sell it - leave a pm or send me a e mail.

But if you really wanted it to be worth something you would have left the origional military finish on the gun and the '06 barrel.

Just for the sake of asking, how did you change the clip from '06 to 308 and how do you load the gun? Do you use a '06 stripper clip?

first off the rifle itself still has the patina finish from years of use, there is a block or insert that goes in the enbloc well in the front so you can't use an enbloc with 30-06. you use an enbloc with 308. you still use and load just like a 30-06 but you use 308. as far as 300-500 dollar price i'll buy everyone at that price i can scrape up the cash to buy. the 308 barrel was in the vacinity of 400 by itself. the only thing between this garand and a beautiful collectors piece is a stock and barrel which is relatively easy to acquire. i have been offered a grand for it as is and wouldn't part with it for 1500.00 thats how nice it is. i didn't modify this rifle. i bought it this way.
bhk308

[Xracer]

With those changes, it's no longer a collector's piece, just a shooter.

The only .308/7.62 NATO collector rebuilt M1s were those done for the Navy by the USN Crane Depot, AMF, H&R, and the Springfield Armory.

If you can get $1,000 for it, more power to you.

[LDBennett]

blackhawkkid308:

You have run headlong into the collector's world. If it ain't original they don't want it. Personally I like to tailor all my guns to my personal tastes and do. My Garand has a 30-06 Heavy barrel, refinished stock, totally bedded, and has a scope on it! The collectors cringe, but that's alright. They wouldn't shoot it if they owned it, just pack it away from the light of day in their huge collector safe. That is not what guns are about for me.

The problem with doing what we do (modifiy original guns) is that ony the collectors will pay big money for guns. When we decide to value or sell our guns we quickly find out no one will pay what they cost us to build. So, if you must change historic guns like the Garand you will suffer in the pocket book if you sell. The trick is don't sell them.......keep and shoot them.

I once gave a collector of Winchester Commemorative Model 94's a heart attack when I bought a rifle off him at a gun show. I needed that particular model as Winchester was not, at the time, selling any rifles, only carbines. It is a know fact that Winchester rifles are more accurate than carbines due to the forearm loop that holds the forearm to the barrel on the carbines. I'm a shooter so to get a rifle I had to buy a Commemorative or try to find an older (also collectable) original. The Commemorative was actual less of an investment. Anyway I got to talking to the guy and divulged I was going to shoot it and he about fainted, quickly trying to tell me that I'd ruin the value. I told him too bad, I wanted to shoot it, period.

Nice gun! Keep it, shoot it, and forget trying to value it. It is priceless to you so let it stand at that.

LDBennett

[The Rifleman]

So Blackhawkkid,

You come on here asking how much it is worth, because you want to brag that you have this gun. Then when we tell you how much it is worth. You get mad because you think that it is still collectable even after you changed the finish on the stock and the barrel and the caliber of the gun from origional to what you think is the ultimate.

Why did you even bother to waste our time then?

Like other forum members said, it is only worth something to you.
Keep it, shoot it and enjoy it!

The priest at our church brought up a interesting point a few weeks back in one of his sermons.

He said that he liked to watch a Antique's Road Show program on tv. I guess it has something to do with antique's and at the end of the show they go to a antique's show someplace and allow people to show up with their valueables and they appraise them for free over the tv.

Now if all the antique's that were brought on the show that people claimed were owned by King Louis 14th were owned by Louie the 14th. France would have sank into the ocean from all the weight.

So people come on this show with their prize possessions and the host's of the shows which are probably experts - and know more about antiques that anyone else comes along and bust's their balloon.

Then they get the feelings of being dejected and insulted and embarrased.

But before they leave, the expert see's something else in their box. It might be a old poker for a fireplace or a spoon or a picture of something that looks old.

Then they come to find out that the picture was painted by a famous painter or the spoon was made by a company that went out of buisness 300 years ago or the poker was made by a company in Valley Forge PA in the early 1700's.

The people get a big smile on their face that even thought they got took on what they thought was of value, when in fact the possession that they thought wasn't of any value - actually was....

You just need to learn how to collect the valueable stuff and quit trying to make valueable stuff out of junk!

[blackhawkkid308]

Originally Posted by The Rifleman

So Blackhawkkid,

You come on here asking how much it is worth, because you want to brag that you have this gun. Then when we tell you how much it is worth. You get mad because you think that it is still collectable even after you changed the finish on the stock and the barrel and the caliber of the gun from origional to what you think is the ultimate.

Why did you even bother to waste our time then?

Like other forum members said, it is only worth something to you.
Keep it, shoot it and enjoy it!

The priest at our church brought up a interesting point a few weeks back in one of his sermons.

He said that he liked to watch a Antique's Road Show program on tv. I guess it has something to do with antique's and at the end of the show they go to a antique's show someplace and allow people to show up with their valueables and they appraise them for free over the tv.

Now if all the antique's that were brought on the show that people claimed were owned by King Louis 14th were owned by Louie the 14th. France would have sank into the ocean from all the weight.

So people come on this show with their prize possessions and the host's of the shows which are probably experts - and know more about antiques that anyone else comes along and bust's their balloon.

Then they get the feelings of being dejected and insulted and embarrased.

But before they leave, the expert see's something else in their box. It might be a old poker for a fireplace or a spoon or a picture of something that looks old.

Then they come to find out that the picture was painted by a famous painter or the spoon was made by a company that went out of buisness 300 years ago or the poker was made by a company in Valley Forge PA in the early 1700's.

The people get a big smile on their face that even thought they got took on what they thought was of value, when in fact the possession that they thought wasn't of any value - actually was....

You just need to learn how to collect the valueable stuff and quit trying to make valueable stuff out of junk!

well to start with i didn't change it. was like that when i picked it up. i leave them as an original when i get them that way. the rifle as described came to me as it is. i was thinking about putting it back as it should be. that will only take a barrel, stock, and gas port. guns like this one sell pretty high around here. lot of service and match shooters. didn't mean to ruffle any feathers but i'll buy them at the price you are describing all day long. a run of the mill garand around here goes for over 700 in crappy shape. thanks for the replies and i won't ask again because i don't own any junk and never will. i guess i should have said the rifle is set up for service rifle competition. the original owner had the barrel changed because it shot minute of pie plate at 50 yards because the barrel was completely shot out. i like everybodies honesty , thanks.
bhk308
bhk308