Springfield M1 Serial Numbers
The serial number listings by month presented below weredeveloped by Scott Duff, a recognized authority on andauthor of a series of books on the M1 Garand. The followinginformation can be found in the books "TheM1 Garand: WWII" and "The M1 Garand Serial Numbers andData Sheets" found at Fulton Armory, and are used here with Mr. Duff'spermission.
Springfield M1 Serial Numbers
No monthly range of serial numbers has yet beendeveloped for Post-World War II production of the M1 Garand.Following are the serial number blocks assigned to SpringfieldArmory and the two prime contractors, International Harvester andHarrington & Richardson Arms.
Winchester and Springfield M1s have an overlapping serial number range that runs from Winchester serial # 1,357,474 through serial # 1,387,xxx, giving approximately 30,000 duplicate numbers in this range. Duplicate numbers found within organizations were stamped with an "A" below the serial number of the duplicate rifle on the "horseshoe". Both Winchester and Springfield rifles have been observed either stamped or etched with an "A". Serial numbers from 1,601,000 through 1,640,xxx also lie within the Springfield Serial Number Range and constitute the so-called "Win-13s". Both the Win-13s and Springfields have rifles in the 1,601,150 to 1,640,xxx serial number range.
They are s/n SA 1611010A and WRA 1611010. Note that the SA has an A hand stamped at the end of the serial number. The military procedure was to stamp one of the pair in this way when duplicate serial numbers were discovered. If you have an SA or WRA rifle so marked, it is likely that at one time there was another one out there that is the duplicate of your serial number. Finding the other half of the pair may prove a bit difficult. Especially with the number of M1 Garands that were destroyed (demilled).