This is an extremely rare example of an early "Gas Trap" M1 Garand manufactured circa June 1938. Developed in 1936-38, they were the first attempts by the US Army to develop and field a semi-automatic rifle prior to WWII. The gas cylinder assembly is the first type commonly known as the "Gas Trap". The barrel is marked with only a "P" proof on the right side towards the front. It has an early production gas cylinder that is marked on the top of the rear barrel ring "D 28289" and the right side of the front sight is marked "B882" with grooves on top of the sight protectors. The operating rod is marked "D 35382-0" on the top and does have the modified cutout, the recoil spring is an original style square edge "Keystone" spring, and it has a correct style square comp spring with the early long type operating rod guide with serrations on the side, without rivets. The bolt is marked "D 28287-1/J 3 B". The trigger housing is numbered "D 28290" without pad, small hole, hammer number "C 46008" (on the side) with hole, safety "C-46015", blue hammer spring housing, trigger guard "C 46025" with rings. The rear sight assembly is marked "B-8868-1" on the rear sight aperture, "B-8872" on the sight cover, and the windage knob is an early checkered pattern (unnumbered) marked "LEFT" and "LEFT" with flared arrows. The elevation knob is also the early pattern that is marked "UP" and "DOWN " and "BATTLE RANGE" with the pointer triangle, closed arrows, and is checkered around the edge (also unnumbered). The middle band is grooved and notched at the bottom (C-46000), the rear handguard clip is grooved, the milled bullet guide is marked "B-8875", and the follower arm is marked "B8869" with 2 bevels. The follower and clip latch are both unnumbered. The stock is an early version with a faint circled "P" proof in the pistol grip. The butt area has 2 unequal holes (one large, one small) without modification under the buttplate and the buttplate is numbered "C-46012" (screws not numbered). The stock ferrule is numbered "B-8899". The receiver is the correct commodified style that has not had the seven shot conversion; very rare! With a leather claw sling and a "S A/flaming bomb/1918" marked bayonet with scabbard marked "USN/MK I".

Extremely fine with 85% plus parkerized finish remains with the stainless gas cylinder bright, some high edge wear and some cycling wear. The lightly sanded, reoiled stock is very good with a 3 inch long crack extending from the left front corner towards the forend and some scattered minor scratches and dings. The sling is excellent with some minor wear. The bayonet is very good with some minor wear and a few nicks. The scabbard is also very good with some wear and small scratches. <B>M1 Garand</B>