To be sure, there was a time when every M1 Garand had all matching parts, original wood and no import stamps. This is especially frustrating for those who are looking for the Holy Grail of M1 Garands: a gun with all matching armory components. Thus, while the demand for Garands keeps increasing, the number of existing originals is diminishing-especially those with GI parts. Likewise, these same factors are at play in both old and new TV programs such as Combat! (1962-67), M*A*S*H (1972-83), Band of Brothers (2001) and The Pacific (2010). Much of this increased demand is due to the realization of the Garand's growing historical significance, which is being kept alive in movies and on TV. Consequently, prices have been rising over the past few years. Today's surviving M1s have become much more than that as the supply of good shootable and collectible versions is starting to dry up. In fact, it is as a collectible that the M1 Garand has come into its own in a way that might surprise many who simply saw it as a rugged, no-nonsense wartime tool.

30, M1,' as it was officially known, is still very much with us.Īlthough no longer our official battle rifle, the M1 Garand continues to prove itself as a National Match gun and in events that include CMP and 3-Gun competitions, not to mention reenactments, casual target shooting, hunting and collecting. After all, with more than 6 million M1 Garands produced between 19, the 'U.S.

And although there was a time when WWII vets didn't have a choice of Garands-they simply had to take the gun that was issued to them-today's shooters and collectors can select from varying conditions, styles and price ranges. In fact, the Garand continued to serve our GIs throughout the Korean War and was reenlisted as a sniper rifle in Vietnam. He was, of course, referring to the M1 Garand, the primary shoulder arm of U.S. once called 'The greatest battle implement ever devised.' Nostalgia, desirability and collectability are closely linked, and such is the case with what has arguably become one of America's most popular wartime weapons, a rifle that Lt.

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