I just bought a 1943 M1 Garand from a local place. The end of the barrel is chewed up on the right hand side and bottom where it comes through the reciever. It looks as if some rat chewed the right hand side and some bottom portions off ( for example). I am guessing it is from rust. So I am wondering if gas would blow back in the shooters face due to improper sealing of the bolt face against the breech. This is my 1st Garand I ever even looked at at length, but not my first rifle.
M1 Garand question
- Thread starter 360 jp
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There are also two cuts either side of six o'clock that act as feed ramps. Your description of it looking like a rat chewed it may be from removed rust. It may also bee the original owner dropped the barrel on that thin cutout area before installing it (it bends easily when outside the reciever), and had to break it off to keep it from interfering with feeding.
Thank You very much Mr Keenan, and Uncle Nick. The cutout does start at 1 o clock down to 5 o clock where it ramps up towards 6 o clock, and there is a small cutout, where it looks like some pin in the bolt interacts with the breech, at 6 o clock.
Right around 5 o clock, it has a pit or two in it, but not very deep. Will this cause problems feeding? Do I need a new barrel? I might have over-exaggerated abit, I apologize, but it is a big purchase for me. I paid $1000 for this rifle with no guarantee, from the shop.
Right around 5 o clock, it has a pit or two in it, but not very deep. Will this cause problems feeding? Do I need a new barrel? I might have over-exaggerated abit, I apologize, but it is a big purchase for me. I paid $1000 for this rifle with no guarantee, from the shop.
You probably won't need a new barrel unless that one is shot out in the throat or the lands are funneled open at the muzzle from use of the segmented steel military cleaning rods. There are gauges available from the CMP to check both. If you are a one-gun Garand owner, see if you can find a gunsmith with a set to check it for you?
Take a felt bob on a Dremel tool (I know, I know, but this is gentle) and some JB Bore Compound or Iosso Bore Cleaner or Brasso and polish the pits and their edges. Those polishing materials should not remove enough metal to matter. You just want to round the edges of the pits so they can't grab. Flitz will work, too, but will take longer. When you shoot the gun, watch to see if you build up jacket metal in the pits? Removing a little metal from a bullet won't make a hill of beans worth of difference to accuracy, but if you have that building up you are beating on the bullets enough that they may tip in the cartridge case and be a little less accurate at long range. If you have any feed problems and the hang-up is always when the cartridge feeds on the pitted side, that would be another indicator it matters. Neither of those situations are likely. This is a battle rifle, after all, and is designed to keep working despite a degree of abuse.
If you look at your bolt, you'll see most of that cutting at the breech end of the barrel is profiling that allows the bolt to cover the case head as far as possible. It has to leave room for the extractor to snap into a case's extractor groove. The rib at 6:00 doesn't fit into anything. It is just a left/right feed ramp division to guide bullet noses coming off the staggered magazine stack into the chamber without bouncing over to the opposite side. I suppose the general funnel shape makes it a little easier to toss an individual cartridge into the chamber if you don't have time to insert a fresh clip?
Nick
Take a felt bob on a Dremel tool (I know, I know, but this is gentle) and some JB Bore Compound or Iosso Bore Cleaner or Brasso and polish the pits and their edges. Those polishing materials should not remove enough metal to matter. You just want to round the edges of the pits so they can't grab. Flitz will work, too, but will take longer. When you shoot the gun, watch to see if you build up jacket metal in the pits? Removing a little metal from a bullet won't make a hill of beans worth of difference to accuracy, but if you have that building up you are beating on the bullets enough that they may tip in the cartridge case and be a little less accurate at long range. If you have any feed problems and the hang-up is always when the cartridge feeds on the pitted side, that would be another indicator it matters. Neither of those situations are likely. This is a battle rifle, after all, and is designed to keep working despite a degree of abuse.
If you look at your bolt, you'll see most of that cutting at the breech end of the barrel is profiling that allows the bolt to cover the case head as far as possible. It has to leave room for the extractor to snap into a case's extractor groove. The rib at 6:00 doesn't fit into anything. It is just a left/right feed ramp division to guide bullet noses coming off the staggered magazine stack into the chamber without bouncing over to the opposite side. I suppose the general funnel shape makes it a little easier to toss an individual cartridge into the chamber if you don't have time to insert a fresh clip?
Nick
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