International Harvester M1 Garand US .30-06 Semi Automatic Rifle 1954 C&R

SOLD FOR: $2175

LSB#: 220224MV001

Make: International Harvester. The rifle’s action uses International Harvester Parts. The LMR barrel is the original barrel supplied to International Harvester for the production of this M1 Garand.

Model: M1 Garand

Serial Number: 5072256

Year of Manufacture: 1954-1956 by serial number..
Barre Date: February, 1954

Caliber: .30-06 Springfield

Action Type: Semi Auto, Fed by En Bloc Clips

Markings: There is no import mark.
Receiver: “U.S. RIFLE / CAL. .30 M1 / INTERNATIONAL / HARVESTER / 5072256”
Gas Cylinder Screw: “NHC IHC” – An International Harvester part (page 115 of Joe Poyer’s M1 GARAND 1936 to 1957, 6th Edition).
Trigger Group: “IHC D6528290” – An International Harvester part  (page 90).
Hammer: “C-5546008 IHC”– An International Harvester part (page 98).
Safety: “IHC” – An International Harvester part  (page 104).
Follower: None – Used by International Harvester and others (page 83).
Receiver Leg: “D6528291-T” – Appears correct for a 1954 dated International Harvester M1 Garand (page 30). The “T” suffix is not listed in the approximate serial number & date ranges listed in our reference material.
Op Rod: “D6535382 IHC” – An International Harvester part (page 72).
Bolt: “D6528287 IHC / A” – An International Harvester part (page 52).
Barrel: “P” twice, “LMR” (Line Material Company of Birmingham, Alabama), “D6535448”, “2 54”, “A 28”, “M” and with a Defense “Eagle” acceptance stamp – LMR provided barrels for International Harvester (pages 63 – 65).
The stock and sight are described below.

Barrel Length: Approximately 24 Inches

Sights / Optics: The front sight is an IHC part with wide sight wings.
The front sight is a blade set between two protective wings. The rear sight is a fully adjustable aperture sight. The windage knob is marked “LEFT arrow” twice and “DRC IHC”. The elevation knob is marked from “2-12” in increments of 2 as well as “SSI”.

Stock Configuration & Condition: The left side of the stock is marked with a Defense “Eagle” acceptance stamp above the trigger. The face of the grip is marked with a “circled P” proof.
The three piece hardwood stock has a pistol grip, metal nosecaps, stacking loop, two sling loops, and a metal buttplate with hinged metal door for storage in the butt. The buttplate shows wear. The rear of the butt shows a large repair at the buttplate. The wood shows numerous scrapes, scratches & compression marks. The most prominent are below the left side of the receiver.  The LOP measures 13 inches from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttplate. The stock rates in about Very Good overall condition as refurbished.

Type of Finish: Parkerized

Finish Originality: Original

Bore Condition: The muzzle the grooves near the muzzle are light gray. The rifling is deep. There is intermittent erosion at the muzzle and in the grooves. The bore shows an M.E. of 1.2. The throat shows a T.E. of 2.5.

Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 85% of its metal finish. The metal shows scrapes, light scratches and thinning on the leading edges of the metal. The top of the barrel and top front of the receiver show discoloration from oxidation. The bottom of the receiver and receiver legs show areas of thinning, discoloration from oxidation and some light surface erosion. The receiver and bolt shows operational wear. The markings are deep. Overall, this rifle rates in about 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: None

Our Assessment: The M1 Garand had garnered a well-deserved reputation as the best standardized service rifle of WWII. At the end of WWII large numbers of Garands were in inventory and it was assumed they were sufficient to meet future military needs. That all changed when the Korean War broke out. Springfield Armory ramped up its Garand production line as quickly as possible, but additional sources were needed. On June 15, 1951, the Ordnance Dept. granted a contract to the International Harvester Co (IHC). International Harvester manufactured  half-tracks, trucks and tractors during World War II. The firm had never made firearms. One of the major reasons behind the government’s selection of International Harvester was its location. Springfield Armory and Winchester were about 60 miles apart which was no longer desirable in a nuclear age. IHC is over 800 miles from Springfield and could continue production if there were a nuclear strike on the eastern seaboard.
In order to augment Springfield Armory’s and International Harvester’s M1 rifle production, a contract was also granted to the Harrington & Richardson Arms Co. on April 3, 1952.
International Harvester had a number of production issues which led them to subcontract the production of barrels to the Line Material Corp (LMR). It was soon widely acknowledged that the company’s barrels were of the highest quality. The high quality of the LMR barrels and their availability were among the few things to go smoothly with International Harvester’s M1 rifle production program.
IHC received production assistance from both Springfield Armory and H&R during the contract.
The International Harvester M1 Garand has since become one of the more popular M1’s due to the number of receiver variations and their relative scarcity as compared to Springfield Armory Garands of the same era.

This International Harvester M1 Garand was made back in 1954. The rifle’s action uses International Harvester Parts. The LMR barrel is the original barrel supplied to International Harvester for the production of this M1 Garand. This rifle looks good and has nice markings on the metal & wood. This International Harvester M1 Garand will add to your Military or M1 Garand collection.