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Line Material Company
LOT 1496
Rare “ONE OF NINE” Presentation Grade Harrington & Richardson M1 Garand Semi-Automatic Rifle, Documented to the Family of Line Material Company Founder William Kyle Senior - Serial no. ONE OF NINE, 30-06 cal., 24 inch round bbl., parkerized finish, walnut stock. Manufactured post-World War II by Harrington & Richardson with an “8 55” dated Line Material barrel, this M1 Garand has been prepared for special presentation, with the back of the receiver heel bearing the logos of H&R and Line Material, flanking “1955/ONE OF NINE”. Line Material got its start in 1911 under the lead of William Kyle Senior, and until the 1950s made their name as a manufacturer of hardware for telephone grids and high voltage lines. In the 1950s, as a subsidiary of McGraw Electric and helmed by Kyle’s son, William Kyle Junior, Line Machine was tapped to produce M1 Carbine barrels for the United States, but an urgent need for fresh barrels to refit M1 Garands caused a shift in demand. While not experienced in the arms trade, Line Material’s experience with high precision, high stress electrical work prepared them well, and they spun up with aplomb. At their height, Line Material was feeding the U.S. Army’s arsenal system with barrels for rebuilds and feeding both International Harvester and Harrington & Richardson for their new-made Garand production, cranking out tens of thousands of quality rifle barrels each month. And “quality” is the operative word; Line Material barrels still hold a reputation as top notch hardware among collectors and shooters. An included signed letter from the son-in- law of William Kyle Junior identifies this rifle as a family heirloom, inherited after Kyle’s passing in 2004. It is known that H&R produced a very exclusive run of presentation M1 Garand rifles as gifts to their partners and subcontractors, and the letter indicates that Kyle was one of three Line Material execs so gifted. Aside from the lack of conventional serial number, it is dated 1955 with Line Material company stamp on receiver. Includes leather sling and consignor research. Manufactured in 1954. Standard blade front and adjustable peep rear sights. With the exception of a “DRC” windage knob, “IHC” trigger housing and the aforementioned “LMR” barrel, components are “HRA” marked throughout. The heel
legend shows variances from the standard mark consistent with other observed H&R presentation Garands, particularly the absence of a serial number and a non-standard “&”. Both of the handguard components are made from a fancy, lightly feathered walnut, with a smooth but unmarked pistol grip stock fitted with a leather sling and a checkered steel buttplate. CONDITION: Excellent plus, with 99% original parkerized finish, showing some minor edge wear on the front sight and minor handling/cycling wear overall. A mixed gray patina is present on the stacking swivel. The excellent buttstock shows a small chip near the magazine floorplate and some light scratches and dings overall, and the handguards show fewer markings. The pin is absent from the lower band. Mechanically excellent. One of an extremely limited number of presentation Harrington & Richardson Garands, extremely difficult to find in any condition, and worthy of a place of pride in any collection of American rifles. Estimate: 9,500 - 16,000
LOT 1497
Desirable Early
Production U.S. Johnson Automatics Model 1941 Semi-Automatic Rifle, Serial Number “0022”, with
Bayonet - Serial no. 0022, 30-06 cal., 22 inch round bbl., parkerized finish, walnut stock. This early Johnson M1941 semi-automatic rifle is serial number “0022” of the very first production serial block 0001-9999, predating the known A and B letter prefix rifles; the lowest serial number of one of these desirable rifles we have ever offered at Rock Island Auction! One source reports approximately 21,400 Johnson semi-automatic rifles in total were manufactured, and approximately 750 were procured by the U.S. Marine Corps for issue to the Paramarines (Canfield’s book), with known use in action in the Pacific theater at Guadalcanal during the Solomon Islands campaign. The Paramarines favored these rifles partly due to the ease of barrel removal, allowing a compact length for carrying in a jump bag. These rifles were originally up for consideration by the Netherlands Purchasing Commission as a service weapon for colonial troops in the Dutch East Indies, and a large order for the Johnson rifle was placed in 1940, but the Japanese invasion of the East Indies prevented delivery, with the Marine issued guns diverted from there and only a small amount of identified serial numbers today. After World War II, the majority of these rifles were sold to foreign countries or destroyed as surplus. Features a blade front and adjustable 1,000 meter rear sight. The top of the receiver is marked “CAL..30-06 SEMI-AUTO/”JOHNSON AUTOMATICS”/MODEL OF 1941/MADE IN PROVIDENCE.RI..U.S.A/0022” ahead of the standard patent markings, and a small five-pointed Dutch acceptance star mark over “CRANSTON/ARMS/CO.” in a triangle on the right rear of the receiver. The barrel is marked “.30-’06/41” on the front surface of the flange, “0023A” marked on top of the chamber and on the underside of the rear locking lug, and a small “sword” proof is marked on the underside of the chamber. The bolt body is marked with number “462” (common on all Johnson rifles to have non-matching numbered bolts), “503” underneath the extractor, “166” on the firing pin sleeve, “C2308” on the firing pin, “0167” on the right side of the trigger group, and “668” marked on the right of the hammer. Fitted with a two-piece stock featuring a checkered steel buttplate. Includes a distinctive Johnson bayonet marked with number “9222” on the side, and a brown M1907 leather sling. CONDITION: Excellent, with 95% plus original parkerized finish, showing some mild edge wear and light handling marks overall. The stock is very fine, with mild scuffs and dings, and the sling shows mild cracking and verdigris. The bayonet is very fine with mild dings. Mechanically excellent. A stunning example of the lowest serial numbered M1941 Johnson rifle we have ever had the chance to offer at Rock Island Auction! Provenance: The George Moller Collection. Estimate: 6,500 - 9,500
SERIAL NUMBER 0022
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