garand markings

[NeverMiss]

Just got my first M1. Serual number is 500 thousands (1942)?. What is the four digit number engraved on the bottom of stock? It was the only marking on the stock...

 

[jron]

How many Nazi's it killed. thats what I would have done with mine.

 

[Marty McFly]

do i recall manufacture dates as a serial backwards?

 

[LoginName]

Could be for inventory and/or for quick identification to determine which soldier the gun belongs to when checking it in or out of the arms room.

 

[dhuze]

Inventory control. That is all, and the US never did that. Foreign countries did.

 

[LoginName]

Inventory control. That is all, and the US never did that. Foreign countries did.

With Garands or all weapons?

When I served (Army 74-78), each soldier was issued a weapons receipt card similar to the bottom one (not mine).






The receipt number was placed at the top of the buttstock just behind the charging handle.

Instead of being embossed/stamped or painted on, it was done with a label maker.

Anytime a weapon was checked out of the arms room, the owner would hand the card to the armorer, the armorer would locate the weapon by the corresponding number, place the card in the empty rack slot and you'd sign for it.

When you checked the weapon back in, you'd get your card back.

The system simplified the task of locating a particular weapon out of hundreds, and the armorer could tell in a glance which weapons were still checked out, and whom it belonged to.

 

[dhuze]

The US Military used the actual serial numbers and the GI's memorized them. Like you said, you had a card and all it did was indicate where your rifle was on the rack. Since you were in, in 74-78 you would have been issued an M-16. There was no place to stamp them on the polymer anyways.

 

[jpm]

That may be a Danish return. Field strip it and see if there's anything in the stock under the barrel.

 

[OldNorth]

Serials in the 500k range are 1942, March, April or May.

Serial at end of month:

February ​	498,216​
March​	542,494​
April​	588,879​
May​	638,679​

The stock number could have been stamped by anyone. Are there any cartouches on the stock indicating it's USGI? The Greek returns sometimes have numbers stamped under the pistol grip like that.

 

[NeverMiss]

That may be a Danish return. Field strip it and see if there's anything in the stock under the barrel.

Like what? Just about all the serial numbers I could find on the parts have "SA" in the nomenclature.

- - - Updated - - -

Serials in the 500k range are 1942, March, April or May.

Serial at end of month:

February ​	498,216​
March​	542,494​
April​	588,879​
May​	638,679​

The stock number could have been stamped by anyone. Are there any cartouches on the stock indicating it's USGI? The Greek returns sometimes have numbers stamped under the pistol grip like that.

That was the only mark I could find. Probably not the original stock??

 

[jpm]

Like what? Just about all the serial numbers I could find on the parts have "SA" in the nomenclature.

I'm talking about in the stock itself, not the parts...

 

[NeverMiss]

Ahh..I'll have to check...does a re-import kill the value?