Lot 0307: Garand M1 (USA)

John C. Garand first produced a repeating rifle for trial in 1920, but it used an unusual system of operation, relying on the expansion and set-back of the primer cap in the cartridge to unlock the bolt action. While the system worked, it was not practical. Garand later joined the design staff of Springfield Arsenal and went on to develop the rifle which will always be associated with his name. In 1929 a series of tests of competing designs of rifle were held at Aberdeen Proving Ground, as a result of which a Garand design of gas-operated rifle was selected as the most promising. Further development took place, and in 1936 it was standardized as the U.S. Rifle M1: over five million had been built when pro- duction stopped in the 1950s.
Operation is by gas tapped very close to the muzzle end of the barrel, driving a long-stroke piston backward. This, by means of a cam, rotates and opens the bolt and cocks the firing hammer. The return spring is carried in the gas piston, an arrangement that keeps the action body short and compact. Feed is from a magazine loaded by an eight-round clip, and upon the last round being fired the clip is ejected and the action held open for reloading. This is probably the least desirable feature of the Garand, because single rounds cannot be loaded to "top up" the magazine; it has to be a full clip or nothing. It also led to a tactical disadvantage in that the ejected clip made a distinctive noise if it fell on hard ground, alerting the enemy to the fact that the rifleman was holding an empty rifle. In spite of this defect, the Garand proved reliable and accurate in service all over the world. the post- war rifle, the M14, is largely based on Garand's design.
The According to General George Paton; “The finest battlefield implement ever devised”

SPECIFICATION
Type and Model: MI Garand
Weapon number: 4337870
Year of Manufacturing: 1952-1954
Calber: 30-06
Length: 43.5 inch (1,100 mm)
Manufacturer: Springfield Arsenal, Mass., U.S.
Weight: 9lb 8oz (4.37kg)
Barrel: 24in long, four grooves, right-hand twist
System of operation: Gas piston, turning bolt
Feed system: Eight-round integral magazine, clip-loaded
BAIV Reference: 0139

REMARKS
Location: Nederweert, The Netherlands.
Condition: In good condition with nice patina.
Permits: Will come with EU deactivation certificate.

ESTIMATE VALUE
Between € 1.800 and € 2.500