Winchester Custom M1 Garand “Tanker” 18.25″ 30-06 Semi Auto Rifle June 1942
SOLD FOR: $1,726.99
LSB#: LSB260625WM022
Make: Winchester
Model: M1 Garand, Customized into a Tanker configuration.
Serial Number: 1204744
Year of Manufacture: Receiver June 1942, SA Barrel Date 5-1953
Caliber: .30-06 Springfield
Action Type: Semi Auto, en bloc clip fed
Markings:
Receiver: “U.S. RIFLE / CAL. .30 M1 / WINCHESTER / TRADE MARK / 1204744”
Trigger Group: “IHC D6528290”
Hammer: “C46008-2 SA”
Receiver Leg: “R 4 3 D28291 17”
Op Rod: “6535382IHC”
Barrel: “SA D6535448 5-53 A195A” with an Ordnance wheel.
Bolt: “6528287-SA J-I-A”.
Receiver Bottom: “EP”
Gas plug: “HRA”.
Stock: Two circle “P” acceptance stamps on the grip.
Windage knob is marked “LEFT” twice with arrows
Elevation Knob is marked “BATTLE RANGE /UP/ DOWN”.
Barrel Length: 18.25″ this is a 2 groove 1903 barrel that has been turned down and sleeved into the old Springfield barrel. The weld and machining is visible right in front of the barrel markings.
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a blade set between two protective wings. The rear sight is a Lock Bar style fully adjustable aperture sight set between two protective wings.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The hardwood stock has a traditional semi pistol grip, metal nose caps, two sling loops and a metal butt plate with hinged door for storage. The LOP measures 13.25” from the front of the trigger to the back of the butt plate. The handguard wood was cut down for this build. The wood has been sanded and re-finished. The stock shows very light handling marks, scattered surface level lines, compressions, rub marks and nicks. There are no cracks. There are some chips that have been sanded down missing from just in front of the bottom metal. The butt plate has worn checkering, rub wear around the edges and has been refinished, yet it retains a strong door spring. Overall the stock set is in Good+-Very Good condition.
Type of Finish: Parkerized
Finish Originality: Refinished
Bore Condition: The bore is bright and the rifling is sharp. There is no visible pitting. Our gauges show a muzzle of 1 and a throat erosion of 2. In this writer’s opinion the bore rates 9/10.
Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 95% of its metal finish. The friction surfaces of the bolt and receiver show rub wear and it looks like much of the finish was removed intentionally. The spring guide has been cut and welded. There is scattered minor finish loss on the receiver, plug, and op rod. The rifle shows scattered handling marks. The action is smooth. The markings are mostly clear and the screw heads are sharp. Overall this rifle is in Good-Very Good condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. We have not fired this rifle. As with all previously owned firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: The rifle includes a green canvas sling.
Our Assessment: This custom M1 Tanker Garand is built on a Winchester receiver dated June 1942 and chambered in .30-06 Springfield. It retains the classic lock-bar rear sight configuration and has been fitted with an 18.25-inch barrel, giving the rifle the compact proportions associated with Tanker-style Garands while retaining the handling characteristics of the M1 action. The barrel is an unusual custom assembly consisting of a two-groove M1903 Springfield barrel that has been turned down and sleeved into the original Springfield barrel, creating a distinctive solution to producing the shortened configuration.
Particularly interesting is the visible weld and subsequent machining immediately forward of the barrel markings. Presumably this was done to preserve the barrel markings and maintain the aesthetic connection to the Springfield barrel from 1953. Combined with the early Winchester receiver, lock-bar sights, and unusual shortened barrel construction, this rifle is a highly distinctive custom interpretation of the M1 Garand. To quote Bruce Canfield “A good rule to follow regarding the “Tanker” Garand is, “If it’s not in the Springfield Armory Museum It’s not a real T26 Garand””. This is good advice, however I would argue that if it looks like a Tanker and functions like a Tanker would have, had they gone into production, owning a Tanker “clone” that you can shoot instead of just look at in a Museum is a much more fun