WWII Springfield M1 Tanker Garand M-1 7.62 NATO Semi Automatic Rifle
SOLD FOR: $2200
LSB#: 220109RB061
Make: Springfield Armory.
Arlington Ordnance converted the rifle. This was a commercial conversion.
Model: M1 Tanker Garand Conversion.
An M1 Garand shortened and converted to fire .308 Winchester.
Serial Number: 2816788
Year of Manufacture: Modern Conversion.
The rifle was originally made in May of 1944 (page 186 of Joe Poyer’s M1 GARAND 1936 to 1957, 6th Edition).
Caliber: 7.62 NATO (7.62x51mm). The 7.62 NATO and the commercial .308 Winchester (7.62x51mm) cartridges are very similar and can be loaded into rifles chambered for the other round. The Winchester .308 is loaded to higher pressures than 7.62 NATO. Check with a qualified gunsmith to determine if .308 can be fired regularly through this rifle.
Action Type: Semi Auto, Fed by En Bloc Clips
Markings:
Receiver: “U.S. RIFLE / CAL. .30 M1 / SPRINGFIELD ARMORY / 2816788”
Trigger Group: “D28290-18-SA” – A Springfield part (page 89 of Joe Poyer’s M1 GARAND 1936 to 1957, 6th Edition).
Hammer: “C46008-2 SA”– A Springfield part (page 97).
Safety: Unmarked with a round top – The markings may have been lost to refinishing (page 104).
Follower: “11”- Used by Springfield and Winchester (page 83).
Receiver Leg: “Y 0 3 B” and “D 28291 32” – Correct for the Springfield serial number (page 29).
Op Rod: “D35382 9 SA” – A Springfield part (page 71).
Bolt: “D28287-19SA / A-9”- A Springfield part (page 52).
Barrel: “ARLINGTON ORD. ARL. VA. 7.62 NATO”. We do not know if the barrel is a converted USGI barrel or a commercial barrel (pages 63 – 65).
The stock and sights are described below.
Barrel Length: Approximately 18 Inches
Sights / Optics: 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”. The elevation knob is marked from “2-12” in increments of 2 and “TI”.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The hardwood stock has been cut down from an original. It has a pistol grip, metal nosecaps, stacking loop, two sling loops, and a metal buttplate with hinged metal door for storage in the buttstock. The wood shows several scrapes & scratches. Many have damaged or removed areas of the surface wood. The LOP measures 13 inches from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttplate. The stock rates in about Very Good Plus overall condition as refurbished.
Type of Finish: Parkerized
Finish Originality: Original to Conversion
Bore Condition: The muzzle and the grooves near the muzzle are light gray. The remaining grooves are semi bright. The rifling is deep. There is fouling in the grooves which should clean up some. There is erosion near the muzzle. There is light intermittent erosion in the remainder of the grooves. The bore shows an M.E. of 1.
Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 96% of its metal finish. The underside of the receiver has surface erosion showing through the new finish. The receiver legs had a few spots of pin prick surface erosion showing through the new finish. The metal shows several scuffs, scrapes, and small scratches. The markings are well defined; some are fading. Overall, this rifle rates in about Very Good Plus 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.
There is NO SPACER BLOCK installed. A spacer block is not necessary for the rifle to function. It keeps .30-06 from being loaded into the rifle.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: None
Our Assessment: This M1 Garand was originally built during WWII by Springfield Armory. It has since been converted to “Tanker Garand” configuration. The modern conversion was done commercially. The rifle has been cut down nicely and refurbished. It now fires 7.62 NATO (7.62x51mm) ammunition. This is a good looking Tanker Garand that will add to your collection.
There is NO SPACER BLOCK installed. A spacer block is not necessary for the rifle to function. A spacer block does not allow you to load a clip with .30-06 cartridges into the rifle.
Here is some Tanker Garand information from scott-duff.com/whats-a-tanker-garand/:
The “Tanker Garand” is a “misnomer.” During WWII two separate prototypes were developed for paratroop use. The first was the M1E5. The M1E5 had a short barrel and a folding metal stock. It was developed and tested in the Summer of 1944, but then abandoned because of the loud report and large muzzle flash from the short barrel. In the fall of 1944 the Pacific Warfare Board ordered a test quantity of 150 M1 Rifles to be shortened and tested for jungle and paratroop use. These conversions were rather crudely done in the Pacific Theater of Operations, either in Australia or the Philippines. A request was made that Springfield Armory manufacture these shortened M1s, and two were sent by air to the USA for testing. When the Springfield Armory staff saw the improvised short Garands, they recognized that they were the same as the M1E5 but with a normal wood stock. Thereupon they assembled their own version, designated T26. After testing the same conclusions were drawn as before; the barrel was just too short to be practical. Thus only one T26 was ever made in the USA. Of the two test rifles sent from the Pacific, one is in the Springfield Armory Museum, and one is reportedly at the West Point Museum. The lone T26 was reported destroyed in testing at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Maryland…Robert Penney noted the short Garand at the Springfield Armory museum during a visit there and decided to meld his interest in tanks with his business interests, Alpine and National Ordnance, prime “remanufacturers” of Garands from Garand scrap. Penney decided that a short T26-type Garand would fit nicely in a tank turret, and coined the term “Tanker Garand.” However, the short Garands that were tested by the Army during WWII were not intended for use by tank crews! Nevertheless, Penney’s name for the T26-type rifle stubbornly stuck; few gun people recognize “T26” but nearly everyone has heard of the “Tanker Garand.” Even now when M1s have been much more available, the popularity of a short Garand remains strong. Thus many have been made on good, original receivers.