M1 Garand

Racso_MS · Post by **Racso_MS** » Mon Oct 18, 2010 5:57 pm

Went to the gun club this past weekend. They were having a clinic on the M1 Garand. FYI, this weapon was instrumental in winning WWII.

Now I have fired just about every weapon in the military (since 1970), just never fired the M1.

What a great weapon. How simple to use and the accuracy when utilized correctly is amazing.

If you ever get a chance to fire one, do it. What a thrill. Thinking of getting one for Christmas.

GollyMrScience · Post by **GollyMrScience** » Mon Oct 18, 2010 6:02 pm

I have owned five of them over the years - great rifle and tough as nails!!
Fast to reload but picking up pingies can be a pain.

KAV · Post by **KAV** » Mon Oct 18, 2010 6:10 pm

It was designed by a canadian who did his brainstorming iceskating in a living room rink he built. There used to be a DIRECTOR OF CIVILIAN MARKMANSHIP program. You shot a basic rifle course and became qualified to buy a surplus M1 at very attractive prices. I haven't kept up on it's status.
Like anything, buy some reference materials and know what you are looking at. there are a lot of frankinrifles out there. Some have high collector value or as shooters, the ones marked with stars are service match rifles.
You can do an entire series of stage tuning by relieving some wood inletting or metal fit.
It's a great piece, but be prepared to join the M1 thumb club.
My old gunsmith took one and built a .375 H&H 3 round version. People said it couldn't be done. He posted a photo with all 3 ejected casings in the air.

Rob · Post by **Rob** » Mon Oct 18, 2010 6:16 pm

KAV, it's still around. It used to be a gov't operation but it lost so much money. It was privatized and now makes very good money. Imagine that. It's here: http://www.odcmp.com/

My best friend's uncle works there as a gunsmith. He works on the M1 Garand and Carbine rifles that are shipped out to buyers.

Gene · Post by **Gene** » Mon Oct 18, 2010 6:40 pm

I just read an article in the new issue of "The American Rifleman" about the M1 Garand, and the Carbine, and their use in Korea. The M1's look like great rifles, I would love to shoot one.

KAV · Post by **KAV** » Mon Oct 18, 2010 7:55 pm

They were even used in military PT sessions that devolved into a lovely training punishment called 'High Porting' which entails running the 'Grinder' or PT field perimeter lifting from chest to upraised,down and straight out
shouting 'up,down,out,in'
I was the last USCG boot company to use them. I screwed something up and had to high port for two hours. I'm out there with 3 guys from the next company issued M 16s.
They all collapsed after 30 minutes. I went 90 minutes and my DI told me to fall out.

m3m0ryleak · Post by **m3m0ryleak** » Tue Oct 19, 2010 12:52 am

I drilled with an M1 after being press ganged into ROTC *years* ago when I was young, foolish and despised the military-industrial complex . Fast forward to the present where I own both a Garand and a Springfield M1A and am eternally grateful to those men who took the M1 into battle. I wish I could get that M1 from 1969 back.

KAV · Post by **KAV** » Tue Oct 19, 2010 1:17 am

I briefly owned a JOHNSON rifle, an early competitor to the Garand. His main argument was the inability to partly recharge a M1 until the enbloc clip was ejected. This was mentioned by some militia types to a WW2 vet I shot with. They all carried the prefered weapon of true american patriots-the chicom SKS

He allowed as yes, the germans used to listen for that PING and would rush a single infantryman. Militia heroes got excited yelling SEE! We were RIGHT! I'm like,'so how did you survive?' My friend took a SPARE enblock clip and flicked it into the air duplicating the ping and then ran off the remaining 5 rounds in his rifle.
Militia heroes looked aghast 'Why, that's cheating!' Naivety carries it's own charm sometimes.

desertbadger · Post by **desertbadger** » Tue Oct 19, 2010 1:29 am

If you ever go to a gun show and happen to see one of the booths that sell the original Garand and carbine, check on the barrel or receiver for the manufacturer, it can be really eye opening. How about International Harvester? Would you believe IBM? No joke! Winchester and Remington couldn’t keep up with the production, so some of it went to “other” sources. The Garand also came in a "tanker" model which featured an 18" barrel.
As a footnote, I once owned a beautiful reconditioned M1 carbine made by International Harvester. Years later, I sold the rifle for almost twice what I paid for it.

Regards,
David

fallingwickets · Post by **fallingwickets** » Tue Oct 19, 2010 4:02 am

It was privatized and now makes

LOL......they even have an iphone app.

enjoy your guns, gents

clive

yes yes i know i was there too once....this is your rifle this is your gun one is for fighting one is for fun......LMAO

Chaps · Post by **Chaps** » Thu Oct 21, 2010 5:25 pm

The gun club we belong to has flea markets every quarter or so and from time to time there is an M1 for sale. I would love to have one. I am also very partial to the M14.

Danny

desertbadger · Post by **desertbadger** » Fri Oct 22, 2010 1:48 am

Chaps wrote:The gun club we belong to has flea markets every quarter or so and from time to time there is an M1 for sale. I would love to have one. I am also very partial to the M14.

Danny

Ahhh, yes, the M14! Now we're talking!..... $\:D/$

Regards
David

MadAussie · Post by **MadAussie** » Fri Oct 22, 2010 7:23 am

I have a FAL, you can keep your M14

Squire · Post by **Squire** » Fri Oct 22, 2010 9:09 am

M-14 for me, or, if I'm actually in combat, its big brother the M-60.

KAV · Post by **KAV** » Fri Oct 22, 2010 9:12 am

I owned a FAL, shot the M 14; lovely systems both. But the ultimate do it all rifle is a late MK SMLE with unpinnned trigger. You have an action so fast germans thought they were under machinegun fire, a accurate peep site, 10 rounds, an action that defies freezing weather,mud and crud that will jam both the above and a round close to the 7.62 plus OZ RHINO 215 grain handloads that update the old canadian DOMINION moose and bear loads.
All this for less money and hassle over owning an 'assault rifle.'
Firearms are like shaving soaps:One is never enough.

MadAussie · Post by **MadAussie** » Fri Oct 22, 2010 9:22 am

mk smle? you mean the no1 mk3? smle's rock! If I could get a newly made in win308 I'd have a couple. There was an attempt in australia to make new smle's on modern tools to 308 but the QA was really really bad, the socalled AIA (australian international arms) rifles.

some time back a whole bunch of mummy wrapped irish contract rifles showed up on the market, unfired brand new

sigh which I had known back then...

KAV · Post by **KAV** » Fri Oct 22, 2010 10:16 am

There is a .308 smelly. The Indian ISHAPORE armoury updated the metallurgy and made a batch. They are easilly identified by the squared up magazine and (common) brass wire wrapped around the forend to reinforce some for grenade launching.
The very last UK SMLES had a trigger directly pinned to the sear. All earlier MKS had it pinned on the lower receiver guard which becomes oblong and hurts accuracy.

MadAussie · Post by **MadAussie** » Fri Oct 22, 2010 10:40 am

well the ishy 2a/2a1 are not exactly thick on the ground, and when you find one its usally shot out so not really a viable .308 smle.

bbqncigars · Post by **bbqncigars** » Tue Nov 09, 2010 9:24 pm

You can usually find a few decent Ishies for under $300 at the big gun show that runs every few months. Employing a magnifier and a bore scope can help avoid buying a lemon. I used my headspace gauges as well to disqualify a few before settling on the one I purchased. Caveat emptor.

Wayne

KAV · Post by **KAV** » Tue Nov 09, 2010 10:09 pm

Later SMLE marks have a two piece bolt. You can tell a lot simply looking at the bolt head # 1-5. A number 1 is fresh and a #5 is still serviceable but has suffered the most headspace increase. Smellies have generous 'battlefield tolerances' to begin with.'
I prefer the .303 anyway. Anything else in a SMLE is unamerican. Aviation buffs like to pan the early 8 gun Spitfires and Huricanes VS the 20 MM armed Messershmidts.The UK did in fact ugrade to 20 MM cannons in the armament mix. I met a luftwaffe veteran years ago and asked about the inbalance. "Mine Gott! Ya, we had cannons. But those 8 machineguns were like being caught in the rain with every 5th raindrop a Player's cigarette landing inside your collar ( incediary bullets.)