This is an example of a highly desirable 1940 production U.S. Springfield Armory M1 Garand rifle. These early rifles are very difficult to obtain today as they saw heavy use early in WWII. It has the standard receiver markings of "U.S. RIFLE/CAL. 30 M1/SPRINGFIELD/ARMORY" over serial number "86671". The receiver has the early battle range rear sight, set with the flush pinion nut on the windage knob. The barrel is marked upside down with "S A 11-40" and it is fitted with the early narrow gas cylinder, round top gas cylinder lock and single slot gas plug. The gas cylinder still retains its original front sight with sight screw cap still in place. The gas cylinder is marked on the rear ring, "D-35449-SA", with a number "7" stamped on the tail of the cylinder. It is fitted with an early operating rod marked "35382-1-SA", (modified), with the trigger guard marked "C-46025-1-SA", trigger housing marked "D28290-2-SA", hammer marked "C46008-2 SA", safety marked, "D46015-6SA". The stock and handguards are walnut and it has the earlier style large boxed "S.A./G.H.S" cartouche followed by the crossed-cannon ordnance cartouche with a single circle "P" proof in the pistol grip area. It has walnut handguards with the flat stamped rear handguard clip. Comes with bag of 10 clips included.

Very fine with 85% plus of the green parkerized finish overall with wear and finish loss on the edges and high spot such as the receiver rail and top of the bolt. The stock and handguards are also in very fine condition with nice original finish with a strong distinct cartouche and proof marks on the sides showing light handling marks and pressure dents. A nice looking, correct early production M1 Garand rifle that in many ways covers a vacant slot in nearly all U.S. military long arm collections. Far rarer than a Gas Trap Model, which was what this variation replaced, thus the beginning of the most significant military rifle of all time!