I am considering a Garand in nice shape that a friend wants to sell me. The finish on it is complete enough that I suspect a re-phosphating.

Aside from that, it has quite a long line of info about the importer stamped on the left side of the barrel near the muzzle, apparently put there to comply with BATF desires when the rifle was imported from Korea some years ago.

What affect, if any, should that stamping have on value?

Hard to say. Amongst the purist collectors, the import marks are a pox. In particular, the new standardized (large) markings as they are indeed a bit distractful. But if you are getting a Korean Garand chances are it's a shooter, not a collector. I'd pay more attention to bore condition/wear.

To me, the stampings automatically make it a shooter. While it does have some "collector" value, it can't be priced/valued the same as an unstamped "virgin". I think there are almost two different markets out there when it comes to milsurps.

Well, I made the trade, but based on your comments, I undoubtedly gave him too much (as usual). Anyway, it is an International Harvester w/SN in the mid 5,000,000's, and all of the finish looks original now that I have looked at it with some care. I would rate condition of metal at 99%, and the wood at 96%+.

Action works very smoothly and crisply. Import stampings are in very small print and look like "BDLD - Grainier, MA". Will have to look more carefully at them tomorrow a.m. with a better glass.

Despite the import markings, it is probably the best condition used Garand I have ever seen.

Thanks for your advice.

I'd still like someone in the government to explain to me why a US produced item needs an "Import" mark when it (to me) fits under the US Customs classification of "U.S. Goods returned".

AllanD

quote:

Originally posted by Allan DeGroot:
I'd still like someone in the government to explain to me why a US produced item needs an "Import" mark when it (to me) fits under the US Customs classification of "U.S. Goods returned".

AllanD

Allan,if you can ever achieve that,I wish you could also get them to explain to me. why I was not allowed to bring back my Griffin & Howe Krag when I moved back to the States. I had taken it with me when I left to take a job in a foreign country. When I moved back, they wouldn't let me bring it back because I had not registered it with Customs on the way out, as required by GCA '68. Only thing is, There wasn't any GCA '68 when I left! It had not even been proposed, let alone enacted.

Other stampings that I find distasteful and insulting and that detract from collectors are "warning" stampings that appear on Rugers, Marlins and other firearms. Also large, deep "billboard" stampings identifying the maker, importer, serial number, etc. on some modern guns.