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Posted: 4/30/2014 6:41:17 PM EDT
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Hi guys,
I recently picked this up in an estate sale. From the gun digest book I think it's a commercially produced Springfield Armory M1 Tanker model made sometime in the 80's. I can't find much info on it so I am hoping that maybe you can shed some more light on it, and perhaps a value. I do know that it is sitting in a newish CMP stock. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks! 
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"Tanker" made by Federal Ordinance in El Monte, CA...
They were built using left over parts and receivers imported back in the late 1980's. Came in both 30-06 and 308, depending on the barrel used. They also used to hack up and convert the receiver and triggergroup to take 20 round BAR magazines... May even be put together by the folks at Arlington Ordinance from VA...should be marked somewhere, possibly on the left side of the receiver, bellow the stockline. Both companies are long out of business. Quality can be hit and miss due to the condition of parts used. Some were supposedly built using rewelded receivers (a receiver that had been chopped in two, sometimes using the front end of one and the back end of another). You have early lock bar rear sight, worth more than the regular rear sight assembly. Yours has a serial number belonging to a WWII era Springfield Armory receiver, not a commercial made one. How well does it shoot? I have one that needed lots of tinkering to run right, even now, just a range toy. |
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To add to what "a308garand" said, looking at the one pic you have of the middle of the receiver, it does not appear that you have one of the dreaded welded receivers. If it runs well, keep it and have fun with it. The so called "Tankers" are actually quite fun to shoot, though their op rod spring life is supposed to be short.
There are two styles of op rod springs. Short and "long". Short is roughly 13" long, and can be purchased from Brownells. "Long" is a misnomer, as it is long only in the sense that it is longer than the short one. The "long" one is about 16" long, and must be made by cutting down a standard length op rod spring. I think many of the "Tanker's" problems come from bad, miscut, wrong length, etc, springs. [  ]
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| Thanks for the help guys! It shoots well, I can get all my shots in a 8" shoot n see target at 100yds ( I know thats not exactly sharp shooting lol). No issues with feeding or misfires. I can't spot any signs of a reweld, and to be honest when I took it out of the stock most of the parts look almost new. I will take a few more pics when I get a chance. |
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