There's a long story to this but I recently bought 19 Garands from the government on Saipan. The Garands have been in their armory since the end of the Battle of Saipan but really are in decent shape. all original, no rebuild marks (Winchester and Springfields). The only thing I see that's different from any other Garand is a US Property number etched by electric pencil on the left side of the breech. I've never seen this on any Garand. I attached two photos, one has the numbers traced. It looks sloppy but that's the way the numbers really look. Any ideas why these numbers are there and who would have put them there? Any answers would be appreciated.
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??. How did you buy M1's from Saipan? Is that it even legal? Not questioning it, just curious. -
No worries with questions. Yes, it's legal. It took over two years working with the ATF to get the paperwork finalized (I had to go TO Saipan to give them the paperwork). It's legal since Saipan is a U.S. territory so it's like a state-to-state transaction. I bought nineteen M1's, three 1911's, one M2 carbine and one M1A Thompson. The only hangup I seem to have are these numbers on the left side of the breech. I keep running into dead-ends. The CMP never heard of these numbers and the U.S. Army Heritage Museum and War College is also drawing a blank. It has to be something local to Saipan for their inventory purposes but I know if I sell them, someone WILL ask what that number is. I need to have an answer for them.Comment
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These weapons were all battlefield pickups, held by locals until the war's end then they turned them into the local armory. They've sat there all this time.Comment
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I found my answer and a good thing to know if you collect M1 Garands. If you see a number etched on the left side of the breech just under the rear sight, it's an old number dating back to WW2 when we defeated Japan. After the battles on the Pacific islands, there was no form of government except the US military presence. The U.S. didn't want to govern the islands so in 1947 the United Nations formed the Trust Territory (search Wikipedia, it'll take less time). Once the islands formed there own governments, they kept any weapons left behind. The numbers simply show the Garands were US property on that particular island from the date the battle ended until they formed a government of their own. So any Garand, with an etched number and/or metal tag, has a provenance of being part of the Pacific Theater. Pretty cool I think.......Comment
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Kudos to you for bringing these warhorses home! They deserve it!Comment
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Thank you, SA1941. It was my honor to do so.Comment
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Very interesting, thank you for sharing. regards,Comment
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Thanks for sharing very interestingComment
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Would you please post more pictures of what these rifles look like? Thanks!!Comment
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Here are a couple of overall pictures. I'll get a couple individual ones after I go to the shop. I bought 19 of them (13 Springfields, 6 Winchesters). The 1911's were part of the purchase (two are fully original Colts! No Singers...oh well). I also bought with the group an M1A1 Thompson (Auto Ordinance) and an Inland M2 carbine. Still working on the paperwork on those.....Comment
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The numbers were, simply enough, inventory control numbers for the United Nations and Trust Territory, that's all. They are tied specifically to the islands they're given to, supporting the provenance. The answer came from the CNMI (Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands) Dept. of Public Safety.....the people I bought the guns from. Upon initial inspection I did not see the numbers (too faint and covered with 74 years of gunk). After an quick wipe-down I spotted the numbers. I made a lot of calls, sent emails, queried forums (as I did here and as many others do) and after a while the CNMI DPS replied and gave me the answer. They've since sent me the documentation supporting the numbers. As for your second question, yes, they are on the other guns as well.Comment
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One heck of a find. Nice that they are home again after all these years. How about more pics.Comment
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I'd be happy to put up more pics. I'm out of town at the moment and will be back Tuesday so probably Tuesday evening. And Thank You, RDS.
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Here are three more pics. Two are of the same rifle to show overall condition (the first and second pics) to include a really nice EMcF cartouche (Springfield Armory 1555090). The third pic is from one of my favorites. It's a Winchester (1337073) with battle damage to the stock. You can't see them but there are still tiny fragments of metal embedded in the stock (shrapnel very likely). The shock cracked the stock and knocked the op rod loose (you should have seen it!) and locked up the bolt. All I did was gently take it apart and put it back together (no cleaning) and the rifle now functions perfectly. If you look close enough you can see the area on either side of the crack is quite a bit darker which I'm assuming is indicative of burning. Several of the other rifles have other types of damage but they all function smoothly. This is American workmanship at it's finest!! All of the rifles are original, none have cut op rods.
If there's anything in particular you like to see pics of please let me know. As a note, at least 16 of these will be for sale soon. I will be happy to post here when they do you anyone can get a shot at one if they choose to.Comment
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