[polishshooter]

My CMP Garand is a March 1945 SA with an original 3-45 barrel that must’ve been a “Rack Queen” because the original barrel is virtually unifired. 0+ ME is what it measured.

But my bolt is a -12SA which is 1943, “correct” would be -19SA... “Late war...” it must’ve got put back together with wrong parts and a different stock when it was back in to get the new T105 sights and the relief cut in the op rod immediately after the war at Red River Arsenal. I got that from the RRA on the stock that has no original SA cartouches, plus the subcontractor marks on the elevation screw on the New Haven Clock elevation knob that only did them for NHC rear sights immediately post war...

Don’t worry, I’m not about to completely “restore” and try to sell as “original...” ( it has an earlier milled trigger guard that I actually prefer even though it SHOULD have had a stamped, and it has a WRA hammer which is as close as I’ll probably get to a Winchester😎).,.

But if I happen to “stumble” onto a -19SA bolt...do I need to worry about anything technical like headspace if I swap them out?

 

[CCHolderinMaine]

My CMP Garand is a March 1945 SA with an original 3-45 barrel that must’ve been a “Rack Queen” because the original barrel is virtually unifired. 0+ ME is what it measured.

But my bolt is a -12SA which is 1943, “correct” would be -19SA... “Late war...” it must’ve got put back together with wrong parts and a different stock when it was back in to get the new T105 sights and the relief cut in the op rod immediately after the war at Red River Arsenal. I got that from the RRA on the stock that has no original SA cartouches, plus the subcontractor marks on the elevation screw on the New Haven Clock elevation knob that only did them for NHC rear sights immediately post war...

Don’t worry, I’m not about to completely “restore” and try to sell as “original...” ( it has an earlier milled trigger guard that I actually prefer even though it SHOULD have had a stamped, and it has a WRA hammer which is as close as I’ll probably get to a Winchester😎).,.

But if I happen to “stumble” onto a -19SA bolt...do I need to worry about anything technical like headspace if I swap them out?

"No"......theoretically. You can swap any M1 bolt into any other M1. That being said, a set of go, no-go field gauges are a cheap way to make sure something wonky hasn't happened in 80ish years.
That's why it didn't have the "correct" parts in the first place. In an arsenal rebuild, 1 gun isn't rebuilt and then onto the next. They're done in batches where in-spec parts are pulled as needed to assemble each rifle.

 

[soonerfan66]

Happy shooting !! Is this your 1st Garand if so your going to love it !!!

 

[CCHolderinMaine]

Happy shooting !! Is this your 1st Garand if so your going to love it !!!

Garands are addictive.

 

[soonerfan66]

YES THEY ARE !! The history of them , the coolness factor everything about them is addictive .

 

[g_ktexas]

I agree- there is "something about a Garand". It just "feels" like a man's rifle. Solid and powerful, it just feels good in the hands.

 

[polishshooter]

No it’s actually my second. My first I bought from DCM in the 1980s for $165. Good shooter, typical hodgepodge, all SA except a Winchester trigger assembly and an IHC rear sight, came with a crappy looking birch stock that I replaced with a decent used walnut. Shot with it in maybe a half dozen DCM matches, it shot better than I could.😉Didn’t have all the resources available then so I didn’t research it. Thought I got a good deal when I sold it for $475 in 1991with a bunch of accessories, chamber tool, 10 pocket belt, M1 bayonet and a couple of bandoliers of M2 ball😳. Kicked myself since then, but I’m back in business now. 😎