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This subject comes up often. I usually respond along these lines but am finally just cutting and pasting;.
OK, here are my recommendations.
Start with Bruce Canfield’s The M1 Garand Rifle - it is a great overview and from it you will learn what areas you enjoy most and get the juices flowing. Then you can move into those areas that you enjoy and concentrate more (I remember waking up after dreaming about the picture of an M82 scope on an M1C sniper in Bruce's book and sighing, thinking; "[email protected], that is gonna cost me, ...").
For WWII get Scott Duff's Red book - it is simply the best one for the subject of WWII. Then, and this is very important with all of these - actually READ it. This book alone will take you to the next level after you have digested it completely. The information has held up well over the years, which leads me to tell people if you have to have ONLY ONE Garand book, this is it. (Personally, I skipped Poyer and Reich because of the inaccuracies in it and this is why I don't recommend it to new guys - it is hard to unlearn some of those mistakes and guys have changed original rifles to match those mistakes - ouch. It is not used by more advanced collectors.) Scott's blue postwar book is still one to add to the shelf even though we have learned so much more since then. Regardless, it is still a good base and you can write all over the margins and add to it (like I do).
Tie these in with the pieces you see or own - handle as many Garands as you can, and just see what you can see. Over time you will become your own little pocket expert and the fakers will have a pretty difficult time getting things past you.
If you are still hungry then you can move on to the next level and the next level is, ... early. For the earliest Garands, and be careful here because it is expensive and VERY addictive (as many here can attest), but for early I would tell you that Billy Pyle's book is a must have. Now you have been warned and I don't ever want to hear that you haven't been.
Of course each of these along with the rifles you see and handle will steer you in directions you didn't expect, which is all part of the fun, and of course you will be acquiring and handling pieces along the way which will teach you even more. Suddenly you will be answering questions here instead of asking.
Then when you have digested all these, get Bruce's big book. You can get it earlier but it can be very overwhelming for a new set of eyes.
Other than that I would say 'Welcome', and sit back and enjoy the journey. And, don't get too wrapped up about anything - remember it is all supposed to be for fun, and it really is all still out there.
Saving up for my first M1 Garand. I want to gather knowledge on the rifle.
Do not have a bunch of money to buy dozens of books.
Was wondering if y"all had some good suggestions on 3 or 4 books and such to help me get started
Not just the history of the rifle, but the workings, shooting, maintenance.
Thanks
If you are in to early rifles, which you are, Billy’s book is a must have as others have mentioned. Additional information has been discovered and posted since the book was published but it is the authoritive resource and foundation for gaining knowledge on early rifles.
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