OK, here is a question with all this talk of early stuff and that so many here like to try to find them; what is the most difficult early part to come across? Let's try to stick to early production parts, if we can.
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How many guesses do I get ?
I'll say a weld seam op rod..... -
I don't have the answer, but being that none of us have ever had one is a pretty good start.
Being that the welds were easier to spot on rebuild, and that oprods were a source of malfunction if they weren't perfect on the gauges and would just get tossed, well, they were probably one of the most checked parts out there. That and the fact that so few were made, is pretty good reason for their scarcity. I would guess that overseas returns might be the best source for one of those, ... or an old box of garbage parts left under some old bench somewhere, ...
I did get to handle one, once, ...Comment
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I have a part of one. The Army actually replaced the tube and did the post war modification. I guess someone was bored or it became a challenge to do, lol. I'll dig it out and take a few pics and see if Brian will post them for me.
What about a no revision long buttplate screwComment
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Bman, you are definitely spot on in your thoughts. The last time I was stationed in Germany in the 90's, I used to go to the Stuttgart military show every year. There was a gentleman there that had all kinds of garand parts to include gas trap parts. I don't recall a welded oprod but he may have had one. I know he had a hand guard with early ferrule. His answer was always, don't waste your money, you can always buy it cheaper in the states... I did buy a few WRA ammo boxes from him though. I only had one Garand and was not interested in gas traps or resorations at that time (little did I know). That said, there used to be a fellow that posted on another forum from Italy a few years ago and he had a lot of early parts and every once in a while he would sell one. With all the rebuild facilities we had in Italy as well as their use and manufacturing of the Garand I'm sure there are probably a few early parts floating around Italy in a box or two.Comment
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Nice CCyooper. There's no telling what all is still out there.Comment
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Keystone spring??Comment
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Yep, keystones are extremely difficult to find and even harder to find separate from a restoration.Comment
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Somewhere in the top ten rarest / hardest-to-obtain early parts falls the numbered pinion.......I need a couple of those!!
Welcome to the Addiction!Comment
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Top ten - ok, there is a cool list.
What about numbered type 1 rods? That has to be on the list, doesn't it?Comment
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Yep, they're up there. It's funny how long they were supposedly used and how difficult they are to find.
A no hole grooved rear handguard clip should be in the top 10 also......
Last edited by Bubba1; 09-10-2017, 07:40 PM.Comment
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Good one. Never handled one of them myself, at least not as far as I know, ...Comment
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I'm sure they have been traded among collectors but while most of the parts listed above I have seen on the open market, I don't believe I have ever seen a no hole handguard clip for sale by its lonesome. That is truly a hard part to find in my opinion, the others are as well, but everyone once in a while they show up somewhere. Thanks for sharing. I believe on the old garanditis forum a list was derived but I did not save it before its demise. It will be interesting to see where this ends.Comment
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How about an unmodified 2 digit or even an unmodified 3 digit receiver.Comment
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