Just got a call from the house and at long last! It has finally arrived!!

I will post some pics when I calm down enough to use a camera.

Well hurry up dammit!

gotta see it, gotta see it
Hey,we're anxious too.

John_Wayne777,

When did you send in your paperwork?

Sent in the paperwork June 17.

Ordered a Service Grade Springfield.

Gun arrived in great condition. Metal finish is 90% intact, with only slight wear at the usual places. Even the gas tube retains almost all of its finish.  

Wood is good, nowhere near as bad as I expected. Odd stampings though. More on that later. I think I will leave it in place as is.

Serial is 431XXXX. Jouster places this SN being made between 1952 and 1954, right at the close of Korea.

Op-rod is cut.

Trigger assembly appears to be stamped. (And is a royal pain to re-assemble. That trigger guard does not want to lock into place..)

Barrel has a SN on it of:

SA D6535448

I assume this means it is not the original barrel. (Which does not suprise me...) The bore looked ugly, but after some work with the Otis kit, it shines like new. The patches were not as tight in this barrel as they are in the barrels of my other rifles, but my other rifles are .22 calibers mostly. (5.56, 223, 22lr...) This may just be normal.

Chamber shines like new. The only real flaw in the barrel is a ding about 4/5 of the way twards the muzzle that is a half moon shape. Looks like someone got stupid with a cleaning rod to me.

An odd thing is that at the butt of the stock on the top of it there is a big 63 stamped on it. I have never seen this number in pictures or heard it discussed. Anyone know what this is? Also there are a couple of other symbols I do not know about. Looks like the Eagle holding the Arrows from the US Seal, but it is in a square and has 3 stars over it. There is also a capitol P inside a circle right on the front of the pistol grip. I think I have seen the circle P, but never on the pistol grip before.

Tag had the following groupings on it:

SA
G3
US

Anyone who can decipher this please do. (I assume SA is for the maker, US is the country, but G3? Is that the TE number??)

All the help is appreciated...

Ok, someone more knowledegable will correct any misinformation I'm about to spew....but here it goes...

The barrel does not have a serial #, that's a part # I believe.  The only serial # US GI weapons have is on the receiver.

The "63" stamp could be a rack #.  Most rack #'s are usually painted on the stock though.

I think you're correct that the throat erosion would be 3, but again, I'm not positive.

Congrats on your new rifle!!


The Eagle and the Circle P are acceptance marks that means the stock is OK for US military use.  

Barrel has a SN on it of: SA D6535448

That's a drawing number.  There should also be a series of numbers after it which are the year and month of manufacture.

The "circle P" is stamped on the stocks once the complete rifle has been proof fired.

The Eagle and the Circle P are acceptance marks that means the stock is OK for US military use.

These are proof and final acceptance marks for the entire rifle, not the stock.  Of course the stock will fit any M1 rifle and there's no way of telling it was on this rifle when it left the arsenal.

While permanent stock numbers are prohibited in Army regulations they're fairly common and my 1942 Springfield has one stamped in the same area.  Lousy position for a rack number as it's not visible when in the rack.

-- Chuck

JW777,

Nice rifle.  Congrats.

AS already stated, no serial numbers on an M1 except the receiver.

The barrel should have a makers initials and date code somewhere near the Drawing Number  (SA 2-53, LMR 8-55, etc...)

Re the tag information.....

SA   "Springfield Armory"
G3    "Service Grade"
US    "USGI rifle" (i.e. NOT Dane or Greek)

Unless specifically marked, most tags don't have any info about TE or MW.

Best regards,
Swampy

the SA D6535448 is a drawing number the "65" prefix indcates it's a post war replacement, Are you sure there is a "ding" in the barrel or possiably you are seeing the gas port on the bottom of the barrel? the eagle and stars are a Dept of Defense stamp the "P" on the pistop grip indcates it was proof fired and passed... Sounds like a good one Congrats,and welcome to the club!