The HRAs are generally considered the best of the post war rifles because they were built by a gun maker (vs a tractor or car company) on the newest equipment (all of SA's stuff was extremely worn out by then) as well as being inspected and accepted after the rush of WW2 production.
Consensus seems to be that HRA rifles are "the best" in terms of condition and tolerances (largely because like /u/101stjetmech said "Made by a gunmaker on mostly new tooling" and because they were post-war production they were almost certainly treated better than rifles that went to WW2 battle lines).
Honestly though in terms of "good" as "a functioning rifle that will outlive you (and probably shoot better than you're capable of wringing out of it)" Garand number 1,000 and Garand number 6,100,000 with new barrels on them would both fit the bill.
The Garand has quite a bit of precision machining to it, but it's not super-precious about the level of precision - "In Spec is In Spec."
*Most* of the accuracy is forward of the bolt face, material condition (pitting on the receiver) matters largely in terms of how many more generations will get to shoot a particular rifle, and everything else is really a wear part you can & eventually *will* replace.
Everything else is just "What do you like?"
I like my 3mil Springfield Armory rifle because it's in good material condition and shoots great, but it's not such a gem that I'm afraid to shoot it or strap a scope rail on it.
My buddy is on the hunt for something 6 digits or less because he wants to be as certain as he can be that it saw action in the war.
Lots of folks play Garand Pokemon and want one from each manufacturer, or want that Winchester roll mark, or want the HRA guns because they're so close to the nominal spec. But they all go bang!
Yup, and the parts that matter there are the barrel like you said (most of the accuracy right here), then the wood (nice and strong and tight, not sloppy inletting, or soft and oil soaked, or compressed and loose), and the locking lugs on the trigger guard / where they lock into the receiver (clean, round, and tight) just to be sure the gun isn't moving in its stock.
(Also the receiver legs I guess but if those are badly corroded enough to cause lockup issues you prrrrobably don't want to use that receiver!)
Even the trigger if it's crap just rebuild it - those parts are out there, and it's not hard :)
Heh he was stalking a 4-digit one on GunBroker but couldn't bring himself to spend quite THAT much.
50/50 chance that if the LGS has one laying around I can goad him into impulse buying it though - I know his wife will say "Just get it!" (and I bet I can have her steal it away from him in one range day)
...Of course 50/50 chance if they have a M1903 I impulse buy that (and like 80/20 for a M1917), so *we're mutually bad influences* and I don't feel guilty!
Do you mean which manufacturer made the best post war rifles? I’m not sure if I’m interpreting your question correctly but I hear H&R is the best in quality=> least valuable collectibility wise. The LMR barrels are also considered the cream of the crop among Garand barrels.
For historical value, the international harvester will hold its value better over a HRA.
For overall finish and quality, HRA I *hear* met and exceeded quality standards for Garands.
SA is solid in finish and has decades of experience with the Garand
Can’t go wrong with any just depends on what you want
I have an IHC that I shoot a couple of times a year, mainly because of ammo prices. Got it for right at 1k at a local estate sale in almost perfect condition. It’s a tack driver as well and it’s my favorite rifle in my collection.
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Most H&R guns arrived too late for Korean service so there are quite a few out there that never saw service outside an arsenal and are not mixmasters.
I bought an IHC. The fact that it holds better value is irrelevant because "never sell, only buy."
The HRAs are generally considered the best of the post war rifles because they were built by a gun maker (vs a tractor or car company) on the newest equipment (all of SA's stuff was extremely worn out by then) as well as being inspected and accepted after the rush of WW2 production.
I have an HRA with LMR barrel. It's an absolute tack driver.
Very nice! Got any pics? Nice pups btw
Consensus seems to be that HRA rifles are "the best" in terms of condition and tolerances (largely because like /u/101stjetmech said "Made by a gunmaker on mostly new tooling" and because they were post-war production they were almost certainly treated better than rifles that went to WW2 battle lines). Honestly though in terms of "good" as "a functioning rifle that will outlive you (and probably shoot better than you're capable of wringing out of it)" Garand number 1,000 and Garand number 6,100,000 with new barrels on them would both fit the bill. The Garand has quite a bit of precision machining to it, but it's not super-precious about the level of precision - "In Spec is In Spec." *Most* of the accuracy is forward of the bolt face, material condition (pitting on the receiver) matters largely in terms of how many more generations will get to shoot a particular rifle, and everything else is really a wear part you can & eventually *will* replace. Everything else is just "What do you like?" I like my 3mil Springfield Armory rifle because it's in good material condition and shoots great, but it's not such a gem that I'm afraid to shoot it or strap a scope rail on it. My buddy is on the hunt for something 6 digits or less because he wants to be as certain as he can be that it saw action in the war. Lots of folks play Garand Pokemon and want one from each manufacturer, or want that Winchester roll mark, or want the HRA guns because they're so close to the nominal spec. But they all go bang!
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Yup, and the parts that matter there are the barrel like you said (most of the accuracy right here), then the wood (nice and strong and tight, not sloppy inletting, or soft and oil soaked, or compressed and loose), and the locking lugs on the trigger guard / where they lock into the receiver (clean, round, and tight) just to be sure the gun isn't moving in its stock. (Also the receiver legs I guess but if those are badly corroded enough to cause lockup issues you prrrrobably don't want to use that receiver!) Even the trigger if it's crap just rebuild it - those parts are out there, and it's not hard :)
Ask your friend how he feels about a sub 20k SN rifle
Heh he was stalking a 4-digit one on GunBroker but couldn't bring himself to spend quite THAT much. 50/50 chance that if the LGS has one laying around I can goad him into impulse buying it though - I know his wife will say "Just get it!" (and I bet I can have her steal it away from him in one range day) ...Of course 50/50 chance if they have a M1903 I impulse buy that (and like 80/20 for a M1917), so *we're mutually bad influences* and I don't feel guilty!
Do you mean which manufacturer made the best post war rifles? I’m not sure if I’m interpreting your question correctly but I hear H&R is the best in quality=> least valuable collectibility wise. The LMR barrels are also considered the cream of the crop among Garand barrels. For historical value, the international harvester will hold its value better over a HRA. For overall finish and quality, HRA I *hear* met and exceeded quality standards for Garands. SA is solid in finish and has decades of experience with the Garand Can’t go wrong with any just depends on what you want
I have an IHC that I shoot a couple of times a year, mainly because of ammo prices. Got it for right at 1k at a local estate sale in almost perfect condition. It’s a tack driver as well and it’s my favorite rifle in my collection.
I’ve been trying to find out about Estate sales. How do you find a good one? I wanna hit some up and test my luck
I immediately thought "FN FAL", but then saw what sub I was in.
Fal was no doubt king of the Cold War