Barrel Usage on New M1 Rifle Production 1952 – 1957

International Harvester Company – Part 2 of 3

Most M1 Garand collectors know that International Harvester M1s were assembled with barrels made by Line Material of Birmingham, Alabama.  These barrels are marked LMR and dated with the month and year of manufacture.  However, like M1s built at Springfield, not all IHC M1s used the expected LMR barrel.

During two specific periods IHC assembled rifles using SA barrels.  The exact reason is unknown, but one would assume it was due to some delay in barrel manufacture and delivery by Line Material. The first time was in the 444xxxx serial number range and those barrels date from early 1952 through the summer of 1953.  The second time IHC assembled rifles using SA barrels were in the 501xxxx through 517xxxx serial number range.  These SA barrels carry 1953 dates.  Quite a few original IHC rifles in this serial number range have been observed with SA barrels.  SA-barreled rifles appear throughout the serial number range intermixed with LMR barrels.  There is no pattern to usage; to IHC a barrel was a barrel. 

More information on collecting M1 Garands may be found in our books “The M1 Garand: World War II” and “The M1 Garand: Post World War II” available from our website.