Springfield vs Winchester M1

[layusn1]

Which brand is better? I see a couple of other manufacturers but always assumed I would go with a Springfield someday. What do you guys think? Are M1s that are found in the $600-$800 range any good?

[Anvil]

There are some guys out there that just make high end M1 and M14's.

I'm soooo getting one of these!

Happy birthday to ME! hopefully before I'm 40.

[ISUSteve]

Theres really not any one that is better, just more rare than others. But be sure not to mix parts, it can cause some problems.

This place is turning into a Garand forum! I love it.

[kidcop]

The name Winchester has driven the Winchesters up more than what they are really worth IMHO. A well known Garand plummer, Don McCoy in So. Cal. won't build a Winchester into a match tuned M-1. Not because they are bad but they do have the poorest machining out of all of them and the metal is hard.

Springfield is the standard and the org. maker of the M-1. Do not confuse todays Springfield with the real Springfield of old.

You can get a Springfield or H&R service grade for just under $700.00 or a correct grade for just under a $1,000 from the CMP. My next rifle will be a H&R. I also understand the correct grades appear to have been fired very little from what others have said. I will someday have a Winchester and a Tractor to add to my collection.

[RenoF250]

As far as quality goes I would say the list looks like this:
H&R
Breda
Beretta
Springfield
Winchester
IHC

With Springfield and above all very good and no real problems. Both Winchester and IHC had problems building Garands and had to be "helped" by Springfield.

As far as price it goes like this:

IHC
Winchester
Beretta
Breda
H&R
Springfield

With Beretta on down being almost the same. The values are based mostly on name and nothing else. IHC is the poorest quality but very expensive. It does have oddities in the stamping that add uniquesness (Arrowhead and Postage stamp heel etc.) but really it comes down to name. IHC and H&R are all post war and a similar number was made of each. Winchester is the second highest production to Springfield. Breda and Beretta were made in Italy on original equipment. Quality is excellent and I think it is fair to say they are the rarest yet there is almost no price premium for them.

Long story to say yes, a $600 service grade should be a good gun. $400 will probably be a beater but functional.

Personally I would like one of each but I am not pursuing the other collection avenues, you can go broke fast. Too many little differences oddities to collect and cost money.

[KCGunnr]

My first Garand was an H&R, but since it was post-war WWII, probably seen service during the Korean War, I had to have pre-war WWII model.
My Springfield is an early 5-digit serial number made in 1943. It likely seen action somewhere during WWII.

I'll try to take some pics in the next week or two of them together.

They shoot the same, with the H&R maybe a little more accurate.

As far as the comment about mixing parts, try finding a Garand that has no parts mixed. Just about impossible. During the war the war battlefield pickups were torn down by rear-echelon troops and rebuilt and sent back to the front line. Also most of the Garands have been re-arsenaled at least once in their lives. They were torn down, all parts thrown into bis and then good rifles were built from the bins. There was no intent or effort to keep the same mfg parts together. They are all what are called mixmasters.

[ISUSteve]

About the parts being mixed together, I know that Winchester parts do not work well in a Springfield and H&R.

[layusn1]

What about the brand new ones? I kinda think you lose something with those though, I really like the C&R thing.

[ISUSteve]

They aren't the same, they also use cast receivers. Fulton armory makes a good one though if you like overpaying.

[layusn1]

Overpaying SUCKS!

Insomnia SUCKS!

[onehappyferret]

Warning on buying a used Garand !!!! Duing the 60's and 70's Garands were "dimmeled" by cutting the reseavers in two, some clever people remanufactured them by wealding the receavers back to gether and milling them over again, when buying a Garand, talk it apart and look for discolaration in the phosphating this means the receaver is different hardness, there are thosands of thoes out there.

[creekwalker]

Mine's a Springfiled thatt came back to the US from S. Korea along with my Winchester M1 Carbine.

cw

[kidcop]

Warning on buying a used Garand !!!! Duing the 60's and 70's Garands were "dimmeled" by cutting the reseavers in two, some clever people remanufactured them by wealding the receavers back to gether and milling them over again, when buying a Garand, talk it apart and look for discolaration in the phosphating this means the receaver is different hardness, there are thosands of thoes out there.


This is why I like buying from the CMP......