Thinking about a Garand...

V

vanfunk

New member
Hi guys. I've found myself yearning for an M1 Garand lately. Am I nuts? There are several available in my area, ranging in manufacturer, price and condition. I'm leaning towards a Springfield in good, shooting condition in G.I. trim. On average, how are Garands to shoot? I'd like accuracy sufficient for 2-3 inch groups at 100 yds. Is this possible? What are the parts to examine on an old G.I. rifle? Can modern, commercial hunting ammo be used, or is it too hot? Above all, are they fun? Thank you, thank you thank you in advance for your help!
vanfunk

------------------
semper ubi sub ubi
 
With good ammo and a good barrel, most M1 rifles will shoot into 3" at 100 yds. Commercial sporting ammo can be used, but sometimes round-nose bullets do not feed well. Stick to bullets of around 150-180 grain with a profile similar to the GI ball.

Avoid new made rifles and receivers; there are plenty of original rifles around at still reasonable prices. Original GI manufacturers were Springfield Armory (no TM mark), Winchester, H&R, and International Harvester. All are OK. You might check out the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) sales. Their web site is www.odcmp.com. I think a GI service grade M1 is $500 and change. They also sell GI ammo and parts.

Jim
 
If the barrel is in decent shape, glass bedding it and a trigger job should shrink your group. You can get the instructions in a booklet, Accurizing your M1 from the NRA.

On the subject of ammunition, the Garand was designed for Mil-spec ammo. Too hot and you can accelerate the wear on already old parts. Too mild and reliability suffers. Suggest that you reload to within mil-spec for target or hunting ammo. It may not be optimal, but it'll help keep your Garand around.
 
Do it. The CMP M1s are a bargain plus it gets one more out of the warehouse and into the hands of an appreciative shooter.

Also, go over to Culver Shooting Pages at www.jouster.com to see the M1/M14 board, which is probably the best single source of info around.

Lastly, consider going to a 'CMP clinic' if you can find a CMP-affiliated club near you to do it. For a nominal $15 or so you can learn a lot, shoot a short match with a borrowed M1, and have a great time.

You will never regret it.

------------------
 
vanfunk - You asked: Above all, are they fun?

Oh my, yes... though the word "fun" isn't really adequate to describe the sheer joy of shooting one. Mine has a good condition USGI barrel and I can usually shoot 3-4" groups at 100 yards with Talon remanufactured ammo.

Like Gary mentioned, a bedding job will improve accuracy. However, a bedded rifle really shouldn't be field stripped, which will make cleaning and proper lubrication a bit more difficult.

If you don't qualify for the CMP, you may want to check out the offerings at Orion 7 Enterprises. A rack grade rifle from them is $700.00 and Orion is well respected in the Garand community.

Cliff
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by vanfunk:
Above all, are they fun?[/quote]


Are they fun? Why its just about the most fun you can have with your clothes on! :D :D :D


------------------
Carlyle Hebert
 
I suggest shooting one with no clothes on. I have found that people give you a wide berth, and it really is more fun.
 
I think I'll ignore the clothing trend this thread is taking....

I bought an M1 this year, and have taken it to the range several times. I mounted a 12X scope on mine, and found that by carefully reloading I can shoot 1.5 MOA easily, and 1 MOA with some concentration. I use LC 67 brass, Hornady 150 FMJ BT, and 47.5 gr of IMR 4895.

They are a lot of fun to shoot, and at the range that I shoot at, they are a little unusal. All of the AK/AR shooters have to ask questions. As I also shoot AK's/AR's, I am able to communicate with them in terms they understand.

You will enjoy an M1, just don't load it to hot.

Casey
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Casey:
You will enjoy an M1, just don't load it to hot.[/quote]


Casey, that is part of the beauty of the Garand and the venerable old "06" cartridge. You DON'T have to load them that hot because it is such a powerful round to begin with. A GI spec load is hands down much more powerful than the 5.56MM in the "plastic wonder" or the 7.62X39 in the AK/SKS series.


------------------
Carlyle Hebert
 
I've had pretty good luck with the PMP 150grn 30-06. It's new manufacture, clean, and good shooting. It's proven to cycle perfectly.

I've had a few malfunctions with the Talon remanufactured ammo. Some almost felt like squib loads.

I've used very small quantities of PMP 30-06 JHP with good results. There was a definate increase in recoil.

As I did myself a year ago, I'd recommend to you to check out the Civillian Markmanship Program and get the real deal for a great price.
 
Thanks for the encouragement, fellas! There is a Springfield former-CMP rifle in very good shape available near me for $599; I think I might just have to pick it up. There is also a Korean-war era H&R available, but it's $899. I imagine en-bloc clips are available in abundance. If I get it, it just might replace my Winchester 30-30 as my log cabin "guard gun" when I'm in NH.

Now I've got the fever again. If I buy the Garand I just might have to pick up the Springfield '03 NRA sporter the salesman has, too. It's beautiful.
Ah, guns. Ease the pain...
Thanks again for your help.
vanfunk

------------------
semper ubi sub ubi
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top