Today I stopped in to the local gun shop where I do most of my shopping. They have a pretty nice inventory of new and used firearms, and (as many gun shops do) a rack full of old Mausers, and various other surplus rifles that can be had for dirt cheap. Today, in the rack with all of the cheap beat up surplus, was a rifle that caught my eye (and it had a $1300.00 price tag)
It looked like an M1 Garand, but it was short, and the wood only went about halfway up the barrel. There was a long flash suppressor on it, and it had a [b]REMOVABLE MAGAZINE[/b]. The magazine looked like an M 14 mag. If you didn't look at the end of the barrel, or at the magazine hanging down below, you would swear it was a garand.
I'm hoping that with the wealth of knowledge on this board, someone can tell me [b]what[/b] this rifle is, and if it's worth $1300. (it is in fair to good condition)

thanks in advance for any input.  

Sounds like an Italian BM-59. They modified the M1 like that and used it instead of adopting a whole new rifle, the M14. About the same time frame.

Maybe it was a Springfield Armory BM-59
or a Beretta BM-62.

Supposedly less than 1000 were imported.
Magazines will probably run high too.

come to think of it, I [b]thought[/b] I heard the guy mention the name Beretta,...but I wasn't sure. What do you think it's worth?

My four year old reference
lists this place as having spare parts in
new condition.


A quick search provided this address:

[url]http://www.reesesurplus.com/[/url]

They have new ones for $1600+++

gardenWeasle....I checked out that website, and you are correct. The rifle I saw looks exactly like one of the pics on that page.(the ones without the pistol grip)

In good to fair after some
price negotiations
I'd say it is worth turning it into this.

[img]http://www.reesesurplus.com/images/DSC00016.JPG[/img]

Then again
I always think to myself,
(concerning purchases)
"If it is worth that much
someone would have bought it already."
Of course I go home, think about it,
research it,
return and find out that it was sold
right after I left.

I saw one of those years ago and was told it was a Beretta conversion.