18232 is 2008 vintage Korean manufacture imported by Red, White & Blue, LLC.

 

Wow! Smokin' fast reply!

Thank you, sir!

PS: Also thanks for your generosity in sharing your research and knowledge on your web site.

 

18=R 23=W 2=B

RWB (Red White Blue), korean

 

Now that's scary in a "National Treasure" kinda way! GI8

Thanks,
Mike

BTW: Red, White & Blue, LLC actually has a web site listing M1 Garand and Carbine and M1A parts. http://rwbllc.com/

And, I guess I should have drilled down deeper into Different's web site since he actually had pics of the RWB op rod with the numerical code in the captions. Sorry, Mr. Emerson, the info was there all along if I had only looked harder.

 

site

thanks for posting the RWB link anyway
VETTOM

 

The presence of that number now has dealers claiming they are "current government contract". We know better. The number does exist but it is assigned to Bristol Spring Manufacturing, a company in Connecticut that produced driving springs for the M3A1 SMG in 1952.

 

Thanks Bill. It's great to know that there are "good guys" out there who don't hesitate to watch the backs of others.

I will confess, that until I started trying to actually identify the manufacturer, I was fooled into thinking that it was possibly a USGI part. I can easily see how it would fool anyone not very familier with the subject.

I do have report, though, that as far as I can tell, the op rod is made to a very high standard of fit and finish. It is clearly forged, not cast, and has a nice "greenish" smooth park. It also has not presented any problems or issues with function (the rifle passes the "tilt test" and shoots like a champ, etc). (Undoubtably, much of that is the result of builder's care and craft!)

I knew that the builder (LRB) would probably install a comercial op rod in this rifle (since that's how I spec'ed the build), so to be absolutely clear, this part was not represented to me as USGI. Period!

Any thoughts that it could be a USGI part were entirely my own.

Having said that, though, I do appreciate Bill and Lee setting the record straight. Like I said in an earlier post, Different's Site actually has photos of this part, but I missed them when I was looking for info. My fault for not being thorough in my research.

For anyone else looking at op rods, this info should hopefully keep you from shelling out some serious coin for a USGI part that isn't. But, if you're looking for a good commercial part, I wouldn't hesitate to go with one of these RWB op rods, especially if you have the skill or know a good smith to install it for you.

Thanks, guys!

Mike