Wood and Steel

[reddevil1111]

We shot 1903's in our rifle club in Jr. High. Cocoa Beach Florida. We also shot our own .22's and stored them in our lockers.
I love shooting older rifles and cleaning them. I wonder about the stories they could tell...Who used them in the past and where they have been. I also like the simplicity. No rails for attachments, just a leather sling and the rifle. ouhh-RAH!
My dream rifle is a socom-16, I want to own another 1903, garand and maybe a .30 cal carbine....maybe...they are fun to plink with but thats about it...

[Scanker19]

My soft spot is for the little M1 Carbine. I think it's cause they were made by companies other than gun companies (minus Winchester).

[BPTactical]

The thing that an old warhorse has that few black rifles has is "Soul". You pick it up and it has a certain heft, something that says: "I have a story to tell".
If they could only talk think of the story they would have.
I picked up a CMP Garand in a trade and it has the same appeal to me that an old Panhead has.
I really enjoyed the look on my Dads face when I handed it to him, he had not held one since September 1945.
He said it was just as heavy as he remembered.

[OneGuy67]

I was laid up with a surgically repaired shoulder and six months of rehab back in 2005 (work related) and got a little OCD with Garands.

I bought a few from the CMP, then started buying parts on eBay (back when you could) and bought receivers on Gunbroker and putting them all back together, serial number and part number correct. I sanded, stained and sealed stocks for therapy and am the proud owner of 23 of the fine rifles! All but one are Springfields, in the 1.3 to 5.5 mil range.

I still have barrels, parts and things to build more and I can't bring myself to sell the stuff off; I may get the OCD bug again for the Garand.

I do believe it to be the finest rifle ever produced. Firm, solid in hand, simplistic, accurate in action and will reach out and touch someone a LONG way away.

[Mazin]

I agree the garand is a great rifle, love the sound of that embloc ejecting "Pading!!!"... I also have had a case of M1 thumb and recently at the tanner everytime I would see one my thumb woould start throbbing. I had a chance to buy a H&R awhile back and kick myself that I didn't so now I just have to save and wait. Also am I to overly anal when I correct people whaen they call it a grand? It really does bug the carp out of me.

[Scanker19]

That's it I'm buying another.

Hey OneGuy just like people who collect cats, I'm going to need to rescue some of yours

Really need an 03 or 1917. Those are the only two that escape me, except a thompson and 41 Johnson.

[OneGuy67]

That's it I'm buying another.

Hey OneGuy just people who collect cats, I'm going to need to rescue some of yours

Really need an 03 or 1917. Those are the only two that escape me, except a thompson and 41 Johnson.

I document all my firearms in a 3-ring binder along with all my pertinent financial information, house instructions, legal, insurance documents and other such things. In that binder, I have photos of each firearm, a brief description and an estimated value each. The binder is for my wife in the event of my death, so she knows the where to find the will, the house documents, the marriage certificate, the value of each of the firearms, the combinations to the safes, etc. I don't want her to get ripped off by some guy who sees a vault full of Garands and gives her $1,000 for it (I know you guys here would give her $2,000...!). I would come back from the dead and get that person!

My dad started me down this road when he gave me his first and only rifle before his death, a 1917 Eddystone, serial numbered correct and rebarrelled in 1918. A beautiful rifle. My brother got his shotgun and I could tell he was disappointed, so I spent a lot of time searching and finally found another 1917 Eddystone at a gunshow that was a near match to dad's and gave it to him for Christmas later that year.

[GhostRider]

I have the 03A3 that has had a stock upgrade, and a National Postal Meter carbine that my wife got to shoot a couple months ago, now she wants one, I can see another little M1 carbine in the safe when I can afford it (maybe two) lol

[jmg8550]

The M1 Garand was my first rifle. After that the love affair grew to the M1A, Next on the list is a BM59, 1903 Springer, followed by the little M1. I definately prefer the old steel and wood to the new rifles.

[Elhuero]

I really want a garand. my old man hates them, guess his thumb got bit one too many times.