Reloading for M1

H

hammer58

New member
I just purchased an M1 from the CMP. I would like to reload for it and I would like to match the load used for M2 ball ammo. I also saw the data at Garand Gear which showed that Federal American Eagle 150 grain ammo for M1 Garand is safe to use based on pressure data. Does anyone know what bullet is used in the American Eagle ammo? I plan to use IMR 4895 or 4064 powder but I need to know what bullet to start with.

Any info will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!
 
The ammunition box for the American Eagles only indicates it is a 150gr FMJ. The nose shape is sort of a rounded off spire point and it has a cannelure. One might assume it is a Federal bullet but not necessarily. The primers are crimped and the headstamps are FC followed by a year date. Muzzle velocity is shown as 2740 fps. Have used many of them and are hopefully waiting for more at X-mas. As indicated in previous threads on the subject, 47gr 4064 or 4895 are typical loads for the 150 and 168 grain bullets. You can also consider using the Sierra or Hornady 168gr HPBT match bullet.
 
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condor bravo said:
The ammunition box for the American Eagles only indicates it is a 150gr FMJ. The nose shape is sort of a rounded off spire point and it has a cannelure. One might assume it is a Federal bullet but not necessarily. The primers are crimped and the headstamps are FC followed by a year date. Muzzle velocity is shown as 2740 fps. Have used many of them and are hopefully waiting for more at X-mas. As indicated in previous threads on the subject, 47gr 4064 or 4895 are typical loads for the 150 and 168 grain bullets. You can also consider using the Sierra or Hornady 168gr HPBT match bullet.
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I have heard from may people to stay with 150 gr ammo for the M1 or risk damage to the op rod or receiver.

I run the Hornady Match 168gr HPBT in my 308 AR. Is it safe to run the same in the Garand with the loads you mentioned?
 
Yes safe, note that damage to the operating rod pertains mostly to using slow burning powders like 4350 with, generally, heavier bullets as opposed to medium burners 4064 and 4895 that are ideal for the Garand, up to 168s that are used by many.
 
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I've been loading 47.0grn IMR4895 for my M-1 Garand for as long as I've been loading for it, under any generic 145-150grn FMJ bullet. I get around 2650fps out of it.
 
I have both 150gr and 168gr loads for my M1 Garand. It's not the bullet weight that comes into play when reloading, it's the powder.

I run 47.0gr of IMR-4895 with the 150's and 46.5gr with the 168's. Loads were worked up and fall within the limits for the M1 Garand.

While the 150gr ammo is the most widely used, I think they used the heavier 168gr stuff for competitions.
 
I have heard from may people to stay with 150 gr ammo for the M1 or risk damage to the op rod or receiver.

I run the Hornady Match 168gr HPBT in my 308 AR. Is it safe to run the same in the Garand with the loads you mentioned?
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You need to start listening to people who know what they are talking about. Ask these people to please explain why the military marksmanship teams used M72 Match ammo with a 174 grain bullet in their M1 Garands? Good luck trying to damage a M1 Garand receiver. The op rod is the weak link in the M1 Garand, but if you stick to the old axiom "no bullet heavier than 180 grains, and no powder faster than IMR3031 or slower than IMR4320", you will be fine.

Don
 
Just FYI, OP, some generic ~150grn FMJ bullets have a cannelure in the wrong position for the M1/.30-06; make sure you research the proper OAL for your cartridge and seat the bullet appropriately, regardless of the cannelure.

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L to R... Winchester, Prvi, Hornady bullets. Note how high the cannelure on the Hornady bullet is compared to the other two.
 
In days past pulled 150 gr. FMJ-FB M2 ball surplus military bullets were plentiful. Not so today but you may be able to find a source? Only M2 150 gr's I know of now are Prvi Partisan M2 150 gr. This is one place that may have them:
https://www.buffaloarms.com/308-diameter-150-grain-fmj-jacketed-bullets-m2-ball-ppu308150fmj
I've shot a lot of Hornady's 150 FMJ bullets but as in previous posts, the cannelure is not in the correct place. In older Hornady data the overall length was tested at 3.260" which puts the cannelure out in front of the case mouth. Present data in Hornady's M1 Garand section lists the overall length at 3.185" which puts the cannelure at the case mouth if you want to crimp. I've shot Hornady 150 FMJ's at both lengths and they fed and cycled fine in Garands.
I've loaded many military surplus pulled M2 bullets at an oal from 3.320" to 3.335". It all depends on the tip shape and ogive.
Most say the 147 gr. FMJ's from .308 Win-7.62 doesn't shoot as well as the M2 bullets but they make good less expensive ammo.
My loads using LC, HXP, and RP brass with RP 9 1/2 primers and using Hornady or military 150 gr. M2's at 47 grains of IMR 4895 does well. If you do want to work up loads with IMR 4895 and 147-150 gr. bullets, no need to go below 45 grains and never higher than 48 grains in the Garand.
 
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In got a "Special Grade" Garand from CMP about 7 years ago. I started reloading with 147 gr. "pulls" just to get the finer points down for loading my new rifle. I did a lot of research and used bullets from 150-168 gr, Spire point, JHP, FMJ, match and hunting bullets and mostly with IMP 4064 and IMR 4895. I guess I figgered the gun was designed to shoot 147-150 gr. bullets so that's what I started with. My research showed that powders in a specific burn rate giving less than 2800 fps were safe to use and the gas volume at the gas port was the deciding factor. The best source of data is my Hornady reloading manual with a dedicated "M1 section". I'm not a great shot so if I get 4" @ 100 I'm happy although I know the gun/loads are much more accurate than that.

I seated the bullets to the manufacturer's recommendations and disregarded cannalure location because a very light roll crimp or collet crimp is all that is necessary (I did some testing and actually found no bullet movement with no crimp reloads in my Garand).

A couple good sites for info. (there's ton's of good experience at the CMP forum);

http://forums.thecmp.org/forumdisplay.php?f=94
http://masterpostemple.bravepages.com/M1load.htm
 
There are several manufacturers manufacturing what is marketed as "Garand Safe" 30-06 Springfield ammunition including Seller & Bellot #2954 when you can find it available as well as the Federal American Eagle and I think Winchester has some in the offerings. The days for finding Military Surplus M2 Ball 30-06 ammunition are pretty extinct as well as finding pulled 147 grain M2 bullets.

On the low end there are plenty of 147 grain and 150 grain FMJ bullets out there to be had. Most at reasonable prices depending on your idea of "reasonable". Prices vary day to day depending on the distributor. Using "bulk" in a Google should yield plenty of results.

There is no reason to limit the bullet weight to 150 grain FMJ bullets. USGI Match ammunition for the M1 Garand rifle was issued at matches as M72 173 grain bullets having a muzzle velocity of about 2640 FPS.

Rolling your own is always a good solution or option as to "Garand Safe" 30-06 Springfield ammunition. The Hornady 9th Edition devotes a section to Garand Safe loads and the NRA also has Master Po's load data for the M1 Garand. The latter, Master Po sometimes is slow loading.

The popular powders also lead the lot with IMR 4895 and IMR 4064 being classics, I also like AA 2495.

Ron
 
Please reduce the size of your pictures. 1632 x 1224 is far too big.
Read this then use 150 to 175 grain bullets with IMR or H 4895, IMR4064 or Varget or a bunch of other powders. You have to sign up for a Scribd account to download.
https://www.scribd.com/document/40852596/Reloading-for-the-M1-Rifle-J-Clarke
"...the gun was designed to shoot 147-150 gr. bullets..." The rifle was designed (and all testing was done with .30 M1 ammo) to shoot 174.5 grain bullets at 2640 FPS. Later using a 152 grain bullet(a 150 is close enough) upped to 2800 FPS to match the ballistics of .30 AP's 168 grain bullet. That's .30 M2 ammo that was not adopted until 1940.
American Eagle ammo is a Federal line. They don't advertise who made the bullet. MV is wrong for .30 M2 anyway. Close enough though.
147's are 7.62 x 51 NATO bullets.
M72 Match ammo used a 173 grain bullet. According to the box it came in. A 175 or 178 grain match bullet is close enough for 600 plus yards. A 168 up to 600. Partial to IMR4064 myself. Gives more consistent accuracy than IMR4895.
Use the SAAMI Max OAL for .30-06 of 3.340" for any bullet weight. Never had any issues loading to that in 40 years.
 
Since we seem to be talking M1 Garand bullets, just thought I would pass along this info that was sent to me in an email by the former US Army Marksmanship Unit Commander, LTC David Liwanag. Note: The M118 is the same bullet as the M72, only loaded in the 7.62x51 instead of the .30-06.

The 175 Match King was to replace the GI 173-grain bullet for the M118. The M118 bullet was specified at 175.5 grains per type classification Standard-MSR 07798001 (data in TM 43-0001-27, Army Ammunition Data Sheets, Small Caliber Ammunition FSC 1305, June 81). The Navy NAVSEA OP 4335, Small Arms and Special Warfare Ammunition also lists M118's bullet at 175.5.
30-06 M72 Match listed a 173-grain bullet (which I imagine was closer to 175 as well) at 2640 fps.
I bought "1967 National Match Rifles, U.S. Cal. 7.62mm M14 and U.S. Cal. .30, M1 and National Match Ammunition", U.S. Army Materiel Command, for $5 at a gun show in Arizona a couple of years ago. In it it says this about the (same) bullet for M72 and M118 Match:
"The finished bullet has a length ranging from 1.312 - .040 inches and a diameter of .3081 to .3088 inch and a maximum point diameter of .060 inch. The profile has a radius of 2.1 inches and a boat-tail length .230 - .005 inch. The bullets are visually inspected prior to assembly into cratridges. Bullets are visually inspected through a weighing machine which has three stations. Bullets having a weight between 172.6 and 174.5 grains are taken off at station 2. Bullets lighter than 172.6 grains are taken off at station 1 and they are scrapped. Bullets heavier than 174.5 grains are collected at station 3 and they are given separate control numbers. The bullets are then inspected visually. The bullets rotate on a chain conveyor under which is a mirror to permit inspecting all surface area of the bullet."
"Testing.
During production of the match cartridges the bullet and cartridge are subjected to daily quality control accuracy tests. this firing is conducted on a 600-yard outdoor range. Firing is done with an accuracy test rifle consisting of an M1919A4-machinegun-type barrel and an M1903 rifle action. The barrel is secured in a slide which operates a V-block attached to a Frankford Arsenal machine rest. The barrel length for the rifle firing the M72 round is 24 inches and that for the rifle firing the M118 round is 22 inches. The accuracy requirements for both cartridges is similar. The acceptance test requirement is a mean radius of 3.5 inches for nine 10-shot groups from each of three test rifles at a range of 600 yards. The mean radius represents the average distance of each shot in the group from the group center.
The velocity is calculated at a distance of 78 feet from the muzzle by measuring the time required for the bullet to pass over a known distance. Photoelectric screens are used to detect the passage of the bullet and signals are fed ino a chronograph to start and stop the counting mechanism. The photoelectric screens are positioned at distances of 28 feet and 128 feet from the rifle muzzle to give a base distance of 100 feet. The velocity is then calculated from the formula v=100/t.
National Match Ammunition Ballistic Requirements.
Cal .30 Velocity 2640 fps +/- 30.
7.62mm M118 Velocity 2550 +/- 30 fps.
Pressure - Not to exceed 50,000 lbs./square inch
Accuracy - 3.50 inch Mean Radius Maximum Average.

Don
 
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