Garand shooting.....

[PeterPHWS]

Yeah, some of the best sources for mint Garands are from foreign markets. Hundreds of thousands were sent to friendly countries and they've been sitting in their original crates for 50-60 years! Some of the most cost effective ammo comes from South Korean stockpiles. It's usually accurate enough to compete with as well. I know plenty of guys who purchased several thousand rounds at 20 cents a piece.

This thread has me thinking now where else I have seen them ... the Phillipines rings a bell as does Panama ... a little deft research and some capital and knowledge of end user certificates and import / export could net a tidy profit. Particularly when the numbered parts will all match. A load of surplus rifles were left over here from stock piles for D-Day but being semi-auto would now be Section 5 weapons here and harder to get a firearm dealers license to trade in them. Those models would have WWII provinance though and definately would be worth a premium. Back then it was'nt worth shipping them back so they were left in long term storage.

 

[climbingrocks]

I think there are huge stocks of rifles that were sent to the Phillipines and South Korea during the 50's and 60's. Periodically, the local goverment opens up a warehouse, catalogs all the merchandise and slates it for destruction/disposal. Depending on the policies of whichever US government is in place at the time, these rifles are listed as being availible for purchase by something like the CMP. They are brought over and cataloged again before asigning ratings to each piece. Keep in touch with the CMP. They definately have their finger on the pulse of reapropriation of government arms. I think there were 4 main manufacturers of Garands in the 40's through 60's. SA (Springfield Armory), HRA (Harrington & Richardson Arms, IHC (International Harvester Co.), WRA (Winchester Repeating Arms).