This is my recently purchased service Grade. Thoughts on the history, condition and accuracy potential? Thanks in advance my friends!

Serial #: 268817X Springfield with green hued park, perhaps original but the heel stamp is faint?

The Stock has a P, not circled, A faint SA open box with s underneath and RA stamped next to it.  I hear many M1D's ship with this stock?

The Barrel Is marked HRA 1-52 which gauges at Muzzle +1 AND TE +3.

The underside of the receiver appears to have a small proof mark that looks like a fleur-de-lis and is located above the legs on the underside left.

Perhaps this rifle is a standard early SA post war rebuild or could it be a later Raritan Arsenal Rebuild?













Below is A 65 yard Target from the first outing.

Not shown in these images but it was initially shooting 2 inches to the right at 10 yards, which necessitated the windage to be adjusted 2 notches past the center mark of the rear sight base, the front sight would have to have been moved all the way to the side to correct this it seemed to me.

The HRA 52 Barrel's Muzzle was rated a plus 1 and the throat erosion was rated plus 3 by the CMP. Sitting, supported by a plastic rest and a somewhat flimsy plastic table. 150 ball FMJ.

For an average shooter is this an acceptable starting group for a service grade? I read 4 inches is expected at 100 yards with mil spec ammo and Rifle? Should I expected more? I am not a terrible shot but nothing special either.

The flyer at the top edge of the green field is 5.56 so ignore that one.



Edited to add the barrel is HRA or Harrington and Richardson and an early one. I guess they made replacements barrels early on?

For whats been coming out of the CMP lately you did really really good. Gi Finish and nice GI wood stocked mix master.

CMP has been sending out alot of CMP builds on reparked recvrs and alot of CMP wood.

2-4" 100yd group with M2 Ball is pretty avg.

Well it's a virtual certainty that barrel isn't factory.  It might be the second or third barrel.  I would suspect that receiver had been reparked in a rebuild.  

That said that's a fine rifle.

Your stock is awesome.  And yeah the finish is pretty nice.  If it is original, it's pretty untouched.  I think it's possible, but like the other guy said, maybe not.  

If that is a 4" circle, I'd be very pleased.  If it's a 3" circle, I'd be even more pleased.  If it's a 5 or 6" circle, that's still not half bad, given the rickety bench, iron sights and the amount of rounds you fired.  

I would be ecstatic if I was you.  Nothing like owning and shooting a Garand.  That being said for some strange reason I actually prefer my 03A3.  But I think I'm a weird one.

It's Harrington and Richardson. They supplied barrels to Springfields for rebuilds before starting their own line of US USGI contract rifles in early 50-53 is my understanding.
The target is at 65 yards. I went bank Saturday and got better results.

Looks like a good group for 65 yards.  I'd be happy.  It didn't sound like you were all bagged up on the the concrete and all that.  

What were better results?    When I've shot Garands I typically get around 4 MOA with M2 ball.  But I did manage by some fluke/ miracle to get a 5 round group at 100 yards of 1-3/8".  It was the best iron shot group I ever shot.  I was pretty stoked.  But it isn't a normal thing.  

Thanks for your comments Brothers!

Yeah, I agree. Not to mention, we're seeing more and more CMP "Special" M1s that have a commercial (Criterion) barrel, not a USGI tube.

Congrats on your SG. Nice shooting.

I like it!

Thank you sir!

My personal standards for zeroing windage is the front sight does not have to overhang the mounting base for it to get zero.  That means rear sight zeroed on it's scale.
I might go with up to ten clicks on the rear sight if it is a new barrel and it's overturned already.  You should really be able to zero the windage with the front sight though and the rear zeroed out.  Whichever way it is out will indicate the barrel is screwed in too far or not enough usually.  A rare case would be a bent or damaged barrel from some other way like a damaged crown.

If it's not screwed in far enough it's not to hard for a garandsmith to crank it on a bit more.