 4Thanks
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February 21st, 2012, 06:29 PM
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#1 | | Snappin In
Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Olympia, WA
Posts: 23
|  My new DGR built HRA M1 Garand T-26
Took approximately just over two months from the date of placing my order, but last Friday the rifle arrived at my FFL Dealer for pick-up.
She is a completely restored M1 Garand built on a Harrington & Richardson Arms Co. receiver, by Dean Dillabaugh of "Dean's Gun Restorations" located in Tennessee (many of you are familiar with Dean's work). I requested Dean to build one of his 'Tanker' Garands (although I like to refer to it as a M1 Garand T-26) chambered in 7.62x51mm with a new 18 1/4" Criterion barrel and with a Smith Enterprise Garand muzzle brake. I shipped out to him the Amega mini-scout picatinny rail to incorporate into the build.
Dean and Michelle of DGR were a pleasure to communicate with throughout my rifle's ordering and assembly process. Upon my request, Dean even went so far as to remove the rather ugly Amega Ranges large white lettering from the side of the mini-scout picatinny rail, and repaint it.
For all intents and purposes, she is a brand-spanking new M1 Garand. She's my 'Heavy Scout Rifle'. 
My M1 is sporting a Thompson Center Recoil Proof Pistol Scope 2.5-7x28mm, and low Burris Xtreme Tactical Rings.
I'm strongly considering purchasing a DuraCoat Finishing Kit - Shake 'N Spray, color #6 Parker, and painting the scope rings and the scope. To me they don't look like they belong in their present state.
I'd appreciate reading anyone's comments in that regard.
Thank you for looking!
~Gary
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February 21st, 2012, 06:33 PM
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#2 | | Fire Team Leader
Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Oklahoma
Posts: 219
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Hi
Great looking rifle. You are right the scope and mount's don't quite match [to shiny] ,but it really looks good.
Greg
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February 21st, 2012, 07:05 PM
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#3 | | Old Salt
Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Central NY
Posts: 1,126
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Where did you get that beautiful stock?
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February 21st, 2012, 07:11 PM
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#4 | | Snappin In
Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Texas
Posts: 16
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Must admit, that stock is beautiful! Great build.
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February 21st, 2012, 07:24 PM
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#5 | | Snappin In
Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Olympia, WA
Posts: 23
| Quote:
Originally Posted by LoB  Where did you get that beautiful stock? | I didn't.
Dean procures the precut, unfinished semi-fancy walnut stocks and then custom fits and finishes the stocks to all his rifles' actions. His craftsmanship in that regard is truly superlative. 
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February 21st, 2012, 08:26 PM
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#6 | | Lifer
Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: mountain west
Posts: 3,051
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Absolutely gorgeous. Color me jealous. I emailed Dean a while back about whether he'd stopped building the "tanker" M1s and he told me he had.
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February 21st, 2012, 08:38 PM
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#7 | | Old Salt
Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 1,418
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Nice rig.
I had a nice fancy french walnut stocked JC Garand rifle he built for me a couple of years ago. The rifle is really a beauty but the finish on the comb did not last. My sweat streaked the nice oil finish. That was with less than 200 rounds on the gun. To try to repair the oil finish I bought the oil finish DGR recommend but still no luck, could not restore the finish. Probably the stock needs complete strip and re-finish.
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February 21st, 2012, 08:55 PM
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#8 | | Snappin In
Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Olympia, WA
Posts: 23
| Quote:
Originally Posted by Bamban Nice rig.
I had a nice fancy french walnut stocked JC Garand rifle he built for me a couple of years ago. The rifle is really a beauty but the finish on the comb did not last. My sweat streaked the nice oil finish. That was with less than 200 rounds on the gun. To try to repair the oil finish I bought the oil finish DGR recommend but still no luck, could not restore the finish. Probably the stock needs complete strip and re-finish. | I don't expect to experience that problem. . . exactly. I've laced on a Triple K 1/2" cheek riser to my stock (I photographed it below).
Granted, keeping the leather wrapped around the walnut wood isn't a good thing either, but I really, really like the set-up and the riser does provide me the appropriate height check weld for the scope. 
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February 21st, 2012, 09:38 PM
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#9 | | Snappin In
Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Phoenix
Posts: 37
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congrats on your awesome DGR Garand, I've been enjoying mine since 2005 and you'll find it'll tend to turn heads when you're on the firing line young and old. mostly old.
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February 22nd, 2012, 02:17 PM
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#10 | | Rifleman
Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: NW Ohio but Montana is always home.
Posts: 45
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Nice!
Dean has rebuilt two Garands for me. I don't think anyone does it better.
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April 7th, 2012, 12:23 PM
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#11 | | Snappin In
Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Olympia, WA
Posts: 23
| Finally got around to installing the vertical gun rack on my den's wall to display my M1 Garand (item purchased from Gun-Racks.com, listed as their "Single Magnetic Vertical Gun Rack"). I slightly modified the vertical rack by installing two additional magnets into the top barrel rest portion, because the single magnet did not rest right up against either my M1's barrel or gas tube. . . and I wanted to be sure in the event of a mild earthquake the rifle would not fall out of the rack. I also applied minwax PolyShade in natural cherry satin to the already dark walnut stain, to get the wood finish more in tune with the other furniture I have in my den. I am very pleased with how it all came out.
Oh, and I've had a new Burris 2-7x32 Handgun Scope mounted on her and I find it a huge improvement over the Thompson Center optic. I also modified a Triple-K 3/4" cheek riser and laced it up on my rifle's rear stock. The 3/4" height just wasn't enough for me to obtain an appropriate sight alignment, so I added foam padding underneath (pictured below) the leather cheek piece, and also reshaped the front portion of the leather piece to more appropriately match the contours of the rifle stock (in my opinion anyway). I'm very pleased with how that came out as well.
The only thing I've got left to do is paint the scope and rings in parker color. I've had the DuraCoat "Shake 'N Spray" Finishing Kit for weeks. . . but I simply haven't made the time to "get'r done". :)
~Gary
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April 7th, 2012, 05:04 PM
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#12 | | Lifer
Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Austin, TX, USA
Posts: 2,589
| Quote:
Originally Posted by Bamban Nice rig.
I had a nice fancy french walnut stocked JC Garand rifle he built for me a couple of years ago. The rifle is really a beauty but the finish on the comb did not last. My sweat streaked the nice oil finish. That was with less than 200 rounds on the gun. To try to repair the oil finish I bought the oil finish DGR recommend but still no luck, could not restore the finish. Probably the stock needs complete strip and re-finish. | Call Johnny Kay in Wiscpnsin 608-248-2965. He sells the original pre-'64 Win Oil formula. I had a Model 12 Trap gun with gorgeous wood bur the same issues on the buttstock and forearm. Win Oil fixed it right up..
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April 7th, 2012, 08:01 PM
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#13 | | Rifleman
Join Date: May 2009 Location: Greensboro, NC
Posts: 71
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Oh me oh my, simply gorgeous
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April 8th, 2012, 08:11 AM
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#14 | | Rifleman
Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: NW Ohio but Montana is always home.
Posts: 45
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I see that you installed the SEI brake. I have one on my mag fed Mini-G. That brake is worth it's weight in gold for taking out muzzle rise & recoil.
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April 9th, 2012, 09:56 PM
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#15 | | Designated Marksman
Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Las Vegas, NV
Posts: 582
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I have that same phone hanging in my garage but its just for show. That stock is beautiful, I have a tanker but have no idea who made it.
Casey
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