Finally purchase the last weapon for my collection today (Cough). But need some help with the markings on the barrel



Markings read  EXEL / GARDNER, MA.

Thanks in advance

Importer stamp put on the barrel, by law, by the company that re-imported the gun from overseas, probably Korea.

Does that mean it was issued to the Korean Army?  Serial  has it manufactured April 1945.


BTW thanks for the fast replys

I had one with the same import stamp.

Quoted: Does that mean it was issued to the Korean Army?  Serial  has it manufactured April 1945. BTW thanks for the fast replys

Yes. It was made in the US., and issued to US forces during the WWll time frame. It would have been through at least one post war overhaul then, most likely, placed in storage. It was given/sold to Korea as foreign aid. When they surplused their Garands US companies bought them and reimported them for the civilian market. Some of the Garands from Korea are very nice, some are very bad. Most are somewhere in the middle.