Page 285 - 83-BOOK3

Extremely Scarce and Seldom Offered Early U.S. Springfield Gas Trap M1 Garand Rifle
LOT 3538
Rare Early Gas Trap M1 Garand Semi-Automatic Rifle with M1905 Bayonet and Scabbard - Serial no. 36832, 30-06 cal., 22 inch bbl., parkerized finish, walnut stock. This is a scarce example of a Gas Trap M1 Garand rifle as manufactured by the Springfield Armory c. April 1940. This rifle is a late Gas Trap Variant M1 that retains all of its original configuration parts. The receiver heel is roll-stamped: “U.S. RIFLE/ CAL. .30 M1/SPRINGFIELD/ARMORY/36832” and it retains its original “unmodified” low rib on the right side of the receiver. The right side under the stock line is stamped with the steel lot code “K REP” above the drawing number “D28291-1”.
The rifle has the correct second pattern, stainless steel, gas cylinder that lacks the lightning cuts found on the first gas cylinders with a late pattern gas plug that
lacks the lightning cut on the front. The top of the barrel ring on the gas cylinder
is correctly stamped “D28289-1” and it has the third pattern front sight with the flared wings with sun-deflecting serrations along the back side. It is fitted with
the correct milled upper and lower barrel bands with the center groove and both without any drawing number on the side. The rear sight cover is marked “B8872”, and the aperture is unmarked. The edges of the windage and elevation knobs
are checkered. The bolt is marked “D28287/-1”. The early unmodified “straight/ curved” operating rod is marked with the drawing number “D35382-1 SA” and it
is fitted with the correct two square cut, keystone recoil springs. The right side of the correct style barrel is stamped with a single capital “W” proof mark followed
by a single punch marked “P” proof with no date or “SA” markings. The early, “long tail” follower is unmarked on the bottom. The operating rod catch is parkerized
and marked with a single “0” on the back side. The bullet guide is correctly marked “B8875 SA”. The follower arm and follower rod are not marked. The milled trigger guard is marked “C-46025-1SA”. The trigger housing is correctly marked “B 28290 SA” and it has the early style large pad used on early product rifles. The flat top safety
is marked “C-46015-4SA”, and the hammer is correctly marked “C46008-1 SA” on the side. The hammer spring tube is parkerized. It is fitted with the short throat second pattern gas-trap pattern walnut buttstock with the two equal holes in the butt
which with a “No-Trap”
coarse checkered steel
buttplate. The buttplate
has no drawing number
on the inside. The front
of the stock is fitted with
the correct third pattern
milled stock ferrule with
no drawing number and
the front hand guard is
fitted with the correct
first pattern front ferrule
with the extended lip.
The stock has restamped
with a boxed “SA/SPG” final inspection mark on the left side and an original albeit faint block “P” proof mark behind the trigger guard. It is complete with a late M1905 bayonet marked “SA/1919” and a WWII green plastic scabbard.
CONDITION: Very fine with 80% plus of the original parkerized finish on the complete rifle. The receiver and barrel have a correct matching darkened 1940 period parkerizing that is also on the breech end of the barrel, indicating it may have been rearsenaled at some point, however the various parts also have the same consistent color pattern overall. The stock and hand guards are all in fine condition, with the front and top handguard having their original oil finish, the buttstock has been lightly sanded or arsenalized with the boxed cartouche being restamped; having said that its an original 1940 period stock that’s absolutely correct for
this rifle. The bayonet and scabbard are both in excellent condition with 95% of parkerized finish on the blade. A solid representative example of a very difficult and hard to find early Gas-Trap M1 Rifle.
Provenance: The George Moller Collection.
Estimate: 16,000 - 25,000
283