Lot 124

WWII U.S. Springfield M1C Garand Sniper Rifle with M81 Scope

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WWII U.S. Springfield M1C Garand Sniper Rifle with M81 Scope

Estimate: $18,000 - $30,000

Starting Bid: $16,000

(0 Bids)

by Rock Island Auction Company
June 27, 2026 5:00 PM CDT
Live Auction
3600 Harwood Road
Bedford, TX, US 76021

Spectacular Documented World War II U.S. Springfield Armory M1C Garand Semi-Automatic Sniper Rifle with Very Scarce M81 Scope and Matching Numbered Griffin & Howe Base Mount This December 1944 produced U.S. Springfield Armory M1C sniper rifle has the seldom encountered earlier M81 telescopic sight and stands out as an extremely well-preserved example. Adopted in July of 1944, the M1C Garand is significant as the U.S. military's first standard issued semi-automatic sniper rifle. This rifle is accompanied by a letter from the M1C Verification Service of the Garand Collectors Association signed by authority David McClain who states, "This letter verifies that M1 receiver, serial number 3310464, is an authentic M1C receiver manufactured from the original World War II contract between Springfield Armory, Springfield, Mass. and Griffin & Howe of New York City. While this verification is not always one hundred percent accurate, this specific receiver serial number is authenticated beyond any reasonable doubt." The M1C sniper rifles were originally built under a joint effort as part of the World War II contract between the civilian firm Griffin & Howe and the U.S. Springfield Armory. Founded in 1923 by Seymour Robert Griffin, a New York City cabinetmaker, and James Virgil Howe, foreman of the machine shop at the Frankford Arsenal in Pennsylvania, Griffin and Howe provided many hunters with custom ordered high quality sporting rifles equipped with optics. In 1927, Griffin & Howe introduced their offset sidemount scope mount which allowed for a mounted and sighted scope to be removed and replaced without the zero being affected. The company certainly earned themselves a reputation as the go-to for creating accurate rifles, and their expertise in this field made them an obvious choice for performing the precise drilling and mounting of the scope brackets on these M1C sniper rifles. The U.S. Springfield Armory shipped them receivers off the production line in order to complete the installations and then they were shipped back. The M1 Garand needed special attention when mounting the offset scope bracket due to its top ejection semi-automatic operation. The role of the sniper rifle in U.S. history traces its roots way back to as early as the Revolutionary War, where skilled hunters with American long rifles were sought out for their abilities learned in the backwoods. These specialized riflemen effectively applied their skills on the battlefield in a sharpshooting role and had a lasting impact on the course of how wars were fought through time. The advantages of the optic equipped sniper rifle in service became more apparent during World War I and World War II. Lessons learned through hunting and the concept of the sniper rifle share a strong crossover, and the involvement of an American sporting company in the production of the M1C Garand sniper rifle strongly demonstrates this. The initial order was for 21,158 M1C sniper rifles, and 7,971 of those were completed by the end of World War II per page 432 of "The M1 Garand Rifle" by Bruce Canfield. Initial manufacturing and accuracy issues were encountered, along with a shortage of telescopes, delaying delivery of the first rifles until the closing days of the Pacific Theater Campaign in mid-1945. Once the early issues were sorted, the M1C replaced the M1903A4 as the official U.S. sniper rifle from the end of World War II through the Korean War and even into the Vietnam War. An additional 4,796 M1C rifles were built up by the U.S. Springfield Armory c. 1951-1953 utilizing a left-over stockpile of approximately 19,000 M1C receivers (pre-drilled with five screw holes on the left side by Griffin and Howe) kept in storage since the end of production in 1945. The barrel is marked "3 S A 4 45" and stamped with a "P" proof and punch mark. The barrel chamber is bright, and the gas port has not been chromed. It has a blade front sight, peep rear sight, and World War II lockbar rear sights. The rifle has a "-19SA" bolt, "D35382 9 SA" operating rod with no relief cut, milled trigger guard, "-18-SA" trigger housing, and "-8 SA" hammer with non-winged plunger. The forearm is secured by a solid pin. The left side of the stock is stamped with a boxed "S.A./N.F.R." final inspection mark followed by crossed cannons. An encircled serif "P" proof mark is stamped on the inside of the pistol grip, and a tiny crossed cannons stamp is on the bottom. The left side of the receiver is fitted with a packetized scope bracket secured by three screws and staked on the inside of the receiver. The bottom of the bracket is hand stamped with the rifle serial number "3310464". The "3"s on the bracket have a flat top that indicates the bracket was serial numbered at the Griffin & Howe factory when the base mount was installed. Only approximately 1,200 M81 scopes were manufactured by Lyman prior to switching over to production of the M82, and some were installed on these 1945 production M1C sniper rifles, although they are less commonly encountered. The blued M81 Telescopic Sight has fine wire crosshairs, a sliding sunshade and rubber eyepiece. The left side of the scope tube is roll-stamped "TELESCOPE M81/SERIAL NO. 34032/STOCK NO. 84373". Drawing numbers are stamped on the scope tube, adjustment knob platforms, and adjustment knob covers. The scope has a blued Griffin & Howe mount and rings. The right side of the mount is stamped with the serial number "3714200" with round top "3" that indicates the mount was numbered at Springfield Armory. Few, if any, M1C rifles left Springfield Armory with matching scope mounts. The barrel is fitted with an "SA" marked M2 flash hider. The stock has a russet leather "K/LINE" lace-on cheekpiece.

Manufacturer: Springfield Armory U.S.

Model: M1 Garand

BBL: 24 inch round

Stock: walnut

Gauge: 30-06 Springfield

Finish: packetized

Serial Number3310464

Class: Curio & Relic Long Gun

  • Condition: Excellent with 98% plus original packetized finish and minimal cycling wear. The stock is also excellent with well-defined edges, minor storage marks, and crisp stamps. Mechanically excellent. The scope and mount are excellent with 98% original blue finish and crisp clear optics. This outstanding U.S. Springfield M1C Garand sniper rifle with the very scarce M81 scope and matching numbered Griffin & Howe base mount is an absolute gem worthy of a prominent place in any advanced World War II U.S. military arms collection.

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $199 $10
$200 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 + $25,000