M1 Garand from Springfield

V

vince weng

New member
Springfield armory (SA) has M1 Garand in 30.06 and 308 (your choice). They use new barrel, receiver, stock, and used (but in execellent condition) GI parts. I checked their website and did not see any info yet. Does anyone know the price and I'd like to see your comment if it is worth (because there are plenty M1 on the market already, they are about $400).
 
Vince
The price is $995.
I'd be interested in knowing what others think about the choice of 30-06 vs. 308.
 
It's interesting.Both rounds have almost identical ballistics.The .308 was developed for use in short-action guns(M1A,L1A1,etc.,not to mention machine guns),because they're generally more reliable in semi-auto form.Can't really imagine why they'd chamber an M1 for .308,sorta un-historic.
 
Rocklobster, you wrote:

"Can't really imagine why they'd chamber an M1 for .308,sorta un-historic".

History don't play into the equation... accuracy does. Highpower competition shooters have been converting the Garand to .308 for the last 40 years in order to get a couple of advantages over the '06.

They are, not necessarily in order of importance:

Better accuracy
Slightly less recoil (less powder, lower ejecta)
Better accuracy
More available match grade ammo
Better accuracy

.308 M1 conversions are a "stock in trade" service for just about every Garand Smith with his shingle hanging out. Simple too... all it takes is a barrel change and headspace. No mods to the gas system, bolt, or magaizine are needed.
Note: the .308 needs a slightly larger diameter gas port in the barrel, but any smith doing the conversion knows this and does it. It is also a good idea to put a "block" in the magwell to prevent a clip of '06 being inserted, but it is not necessary for function.

Short chambered .308 Garand barrels are available from several makers, including Wilson, Kreiger, and Douglas.

Garand conversions to .308 are becoming even more popular as the supplies of mil-surp '06 ammo is drying up....

Just my 2 pence,
Swampy
 
I beleive the army actually converted some in the 50s, after the official adoption of 7.62 x 51 NATO caliber ammunition, but before the M 14.
I still think 30.06 is better for the M 1.
The M 1A. now that's a different story...:)
 
Those $400 M1's with "new made" receivers are of questionable quality. All the receivers are cast, and some are poor quality. The parts may be good or may be worn out, they were simply taken from used rifles and then put on the new receivers with apparently little quality control.

(The reason is that by law, no rifles/receivers provided to a country under a military assistance program can be brought back unless a waiver is granted; the previous administration granted no waivers. The current administration could change that, but has been a bit too busy to worry about that kind of thing.)

Jim
 
Rocklobster,

Why??? For one thing.. $$$$

Garands are $500 from CMP. This gets a guy into the highpower game at the entry level. After he wears out the original '06 barrel (or if it is already close to gone when he gets it) he can send it to Champions Choice and for less than $200 he gets his rifle back with a Match Grade Douglas .308 barrel installed and ready to go. Total investment, $700, for a rifle that is, in all probablility, more accurate than it was originally.

The M1-A starting price is at about $1200 and this does not even come with the Match Grade Douglas barrel. Not until you reach the National Match model at around $1700 or so do you get it, and let's not even go to the Super Match M1-A model at $2200+. That's a fair chunk of change for the average Joe to shell out when he's just beginning a new sport. The Garand looks a lot more attractive at that point.

FYI, I own an M1-A with the Douglas Match Grade barrel. Shoots pretty good. I bought it before I acquired my first Garand. Had I bought a Garand first, it is doubtful I ever would have spent the money I did on the M1-A.

One thing that is purely subjective for me is that the Garand BALANCES so much better in standing than does the M1-A. No matter how hard I try, I can't beat my M1 standing scores with the M1-A, even though it is proven more accurate from it's bench and prone scores. The difference is so pronounced that my aggregate with the M1 beats my scores with the M1-A, even though it is obvoiosly the more accurate rifle.

For any reason other than $$$, ask the thousands and thousands of guys who HAVE done the .308 conversion on the M1 over the last 40+ years why they did it. Go to any NRA highpower match and look for the guys shooting M1's. You'll find just as many in .308 as in '06. There must be some reason for that... I think it goes back to the reasons I stated earlier:

Better accuracy
Slightly less recoil (less powder, lower ejecta)
Better accuracy
More available match grade ammo
Better accuracy

When you shoot highpower rifle competion, you shoot a LOT of rounds. Barrels wear out over time. If it's time to replace a worn out barrel anyway, why not put on one with the above advantages???? Makes plenty of sense to me.

Swampy
 
Hi Oleg, you wrote:

"Can conversion to .308 be performed on a "tanker" Garand? Who makes barrels for them these days"?

Don't really know about .308 conversions to "tankers", Oleg. Most dedicated M1 Smiths won't touch a "tanker" with a ten foot pole. Since it is a commercially conceived version of the M1 with no historic counterpart, there is not a lot of support for them in either the target shooting fraternity or the "purist" M1 collectors. They are pretty much viewed as a bastardized version of a fine weapon.

You might check out Culvers Board and ask the guys in the M1 forum if they know of any 'smiths who work on tankers. There is a VAST knowledge base on the Garand on that board.

www.jouster.com

It would probably be more expensive to convert a "tanker" in that a normal .308 Garand barrel will have to be chopped & re-contoured just like the original '06 barrel was in creating the "tanker". Lotsa' smith time.

For the same price of converting a Garand "tanker" to .308, you could probably go out and BUY a FAL or Stg-58 and have TWO rifles, your '06 "tanker" and a .308 FAL. FAL's are now available for a little over $400.

Good luck,
Swampy
 
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