Is 8 Rounds Enough?

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I think this is where you need to take a step back and realize that the BAR, K98, Vietnam, WWI, WWII, 1903, cyclic rates, Enfields, etc. have nothing to do with what is being asked.
 
It has been a while since I shot Rattle Battle at Camp Perry, but I remember watching one of the retro Garand teams shooting the 600 yard segment.

There were so many pings it sounded like wind chimes. One gentleman on the team said he got off 37 ish rounds in the 50 second firing period.

If you have not shot Rattle Battle, you have a total round limit and hits at 600 yards are worth four points, 500 yards three points, 300 yards two points, 200 yards, a point, if I remember correctly. So it is not just a matter of spraying and praying, you are shooting aimed fire.

If you look at UTube videos of combat in Iraq/Afghanistan, there is a lot of lead going down range. Even with the three round burst capability it seems as if everyone is going full auto. I believe the purpose of which is to “keep heads down”.

So in terms of massive sustained firepower, the Garand is not it. However it will fire eight rounds without jamming and will do in that in all weather conditions.

That has to be worth something.
 
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Its obvious that since I live in a rural area, my bolt .308s, M1 and AR are not enough. I may be assaulted by a light infantry squad, Zeta Cartel, MS-13, etc so I'm going with the HK21.

In all seriousness though, if by some odd quirk of fate I were assaulted by any of the above mentioned, I'd wish I had it I'm sure.
 
The demise of the revolver as a weapon for police and army. Plus the firearms manufacturers development of high cap handguns for the police army and civilians answers the question for me. PS. in a firefight would i rather have a cz 75 with 19 rd than a .45 with 8 rds. I think that's a no brainier.
 
It is possible to top off the Garand, its just not very practical. You can also just eject the partial clip and pop in a new one.

Edit: oops, didnt notice the second page on my phone.
 
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Ah, but the revolver remains a staple of self defense and is recommended by many experts. I'd say 8 rds of 30.06 is plenty for the op purpose.
 
Wow, the way you guys turn a simple question into a several pages of bickering like old ladies....Just makes me wonder if you sit down when you pee:confused:
 
I think this is where you need to take a step back and realize that the BAR, K98, Vietnam, WWI, WWII, 1903, cyclic rates, Enfields, etc. have nothing to do with what is being asked.
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The question was "is 8 rounds enough". It's a natural to compare and contrast contemporary weapons to the one being discussed, and to look at the question "is 8 enough" with an eye towards a conflict in which millions of rounds were expended from a larger magazine and pose the same question to that situation. This is an accepted way to look at questions and problems to try to get to the root issue and to illustrate a point. If you are actually interested in my standpoint, you might want to re-read what I posted initially. In order to discuss and have a standpoint to begin with, defining the weapon in terms of its own era, and similar situations outside of its era, are useful.

The essence of the question is not just simply "Does the M1 rifle carry enough rounds". It can also be expressed as "how many can I have before it's enough?"

Discussion is carried through alternating takes and viewpoints; a give and take of examples and instances in which other outcomes or observances is necessary. If we don't cite other examples or use other situations to illustrate our viewpoints, then the discussion devolves rapidly into "yes it is", "no it's not", which would be the bickering that you and rick and Jo seem to think it is.

I reject that notion utterly. If somebody has the ability to express ideas that expound on the theme and stay within the theme, such as I have, then in my opinion, all the better. Is it possible that I see the question and detect an opportunity to express it another way? Yes, of course it is. That you don't agree or care for it is not the determining factor of wrongdoing or an argument.

I am certainly open to discussion of the subject; that is after all the only thing I have done here. I can look around corners and see possible outcomes and ways to look at the core question. That's just being articulate and thoughtful. It takes a bit of effort to actually take that idea and turn it this way and that, look at it at face value and also consider the underlying aspects; more effort certainly than the internet one-liners I'm looking at that have been directed my way. You won't find me singling you or anybody else out on this forum and belittling them; I feel you're doing that to me but I'm not all bent out of shape, am I? Or is this going to be "he typed more than ten words he must be mad"?

If somebody disagrees or comes to the conclusion that I'm wrong, part of natural discussion is to rebut. if you have another angle or facet to consider, then post it, by all means. I'm not going to make fun of you because you expressed yourself or if you display an ability to back up your standpoint- I also don't expect to be singled out for doing the same
 
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But, as a "go to rifle", NOT counting SHTF situations, but as a truck gun, rural home defense gun, and outdoors rifle, would this 8 rounds of 30-06 and a reload be enough for every situation? Yes it's old, heavy, and only holds 8 rounds, but still.
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Yes you'll be fine. Since we're not considering SHTF and other colorful novel situations two clips full will be fine.

The one exception is if the desire to plink becomes unbearable, then you'll need an ammo box.:D
 
But, as a "go to rifle", NOT counting SHTF situations, but as a truck gun, rural home defense gun, and outdoors rifle, would this 8 rounds of 30-06 and a reload be enough for every situation? Yes it's old, heavy, and only holds 8 rounds, but still...
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I would 8 rounds would be just fine. Can't recall reading or hearing about too many instances in which something like an HD situation required one to fire more than 8 rounds. Doesn't mean it's never happened, but it seems like in the vast, vast majority of cases, 8 rounds would be perfectly adequate.

That said, I wouldn't choose a Garand for that purpose. A decent .308 semi-auto can do anything the Garand can, but in a smaller, lighter package without giving up reliability, ammo capacity, accuracy, or durability.
 
Make your shots count is how I see it. This holds true for all calibers but especially in scenarios where you give up capacity for extra power.
 
Unless you're trying to fight off the mongolian horde, or put down suppressing fire by yourdelf, 8 rounds of 30-06 oughta sufice (provided you hit your target), i'd just have some clops ready to go.
 
The M1 Garand is really only a wall gun, and hence only suitable for low and mid rounds. If you don't want to risk getting something bad from the Mystery Box or if you are desperate, it's a fair choice.

Is it any good Pack-A-Punched? I've never bothered, to be honest.
 
The M1 Garand is really only a wall gun, and hence only suitable for low and mid rounds. If you don't want to risk getting something bad from the Mystery Box or if you are desperate, it's a fair choice.

Is it any good Pack-A-Punched? I've never bothered, to be honest.
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Are you... talking about... Nazi Zombies?
 
Since the OP specifically excluded SHTF (and we can therefore also exclude war), the Garand with 8 rds should be plenty to defend the homestead. It might be too much if you have close by neighbors. It is also a might hefty for toting around often but for confronting a rustler, looter, or meth head break-in it would be plenty.

On that note a lever action with 5-9 rds would also be plenty.
 
I think the popular saying is "you can't miss fast enough to win a gun fight." That M1 Garand should be plenty if you can hit what your aiming at. It's also pretty quick on reloads and an extra en bloc clip is easy to carry.

Are you... talking about... Nazi Zombies?
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I'm pretty sure he is...

And in that case, Battlefield 1943 and Bad Company 2 were much more fun to use the Garand in. I favored bolt actions with bayonets in CoD:WaW. :D

/end thread veer
 
I think the OP should buy the M1-Carbine friom his Uncle. They you could have a bunch of 30rd mags and even convert it to full auto.
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I'm actually picking it up this weekend!

As far as the full auto part... :eek:
 
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