Are M1 Garand parts interchangable?
- Thread starter Power Pill
- Start date
Yes, as long as they are military contract parts made by any of the 4 US and 2 Italian Garand makers. There are also some other parts which were made to military specifications, such as West German made bolts and Danish made barrels, stocks, handguards which are interchangeable. There are various reproduction parts starting to creep into the pipeline these days which are not made to military specifications and which may or may not provide correct functionality and fit.
- Location
- Beaverlodge, Alberta
Thou guys are forgetting all manufacturers of the same caliber are interchangeable. There are parts of the 7.62 Garands that do not interchange with 30-06 Garands.
There is a huge active thread all about building up a Garand from parts in the battle Rifles Forum. After buying one of the bargain Italian/Danish surplus receivers for $50 people should expect to pay another $1200 or so for the rest of the parts. After that there is the matter of proper tooling incl a barrel vise, action wrench, set of headspace gauges and a finishing reamer if using a new barrel. The most important thing in the process is KNOWLEDGE, and the best source there is the book, "The US .30 cal Service Rifles, a Shop Manual" by Kuhnhausen, available from Brownells for $45 or so. I'm amazed that many people will pay so much for the hardware to do this and then balk at paying so little for the software.
mcpherson284
Regular
- Location
- Vancouver Island
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The 7.62 and 30-06 Garands are the same with the only difference being the 308 barrel, not to be confused with 30-06 barrels that have been shortened about 1/2 an inch and requiring some stock work, and the use of a 308 magazine spacer. There are 30-06 chamber inserts that allow the use of 308 in a 30-06 barrel but still require the magazine spacer.
The 308 magazine spacers are 100% interchangeable on any manufacture of Garands, the 308 Barrels are 100% interchangeable as well.
If you are referring to Beretta BM-59 full auto in 308 with Detachable 20 box magazine, that is different.
The 7.62 and 30-06 Garands are the same with the only difference being the 308 barrel, not to be confused with 30-06 barrels that have been shortened about 1/2 an inch and requiring some stock work, and the use of a 308 magazine spacer. There are 30-06 chamber inserts that allow the use of 308 in a 30-06 barrel but still require the magazine spacer.
The 308 magazine spacers are 100% interchangeable on any manufacture of Garands, the 308 Barrels are 100% interchangeable as well.
If you are referring to Beretta BM-59 full auto in 308 with Detachable 20 box magazine, that is different.
- Location
- Beaverlodge, Alberta
The ones that were set back also require a shortened op rod too do they not?
The Italian Tipo 2 7.62 Garands use all standard Garand parts with the exception of the following parts which are .5 inch shorter; barrel (standard .30-06 Garand barrel shortened .5 in at breech end and re-chambered for 7.62 NATO), op rod, op rod spring, stock, and rear handguard. The Italians also added a removable steel spacer in the mag well which precludes loading the rifle with .30-06 rounds.
I've built a couple of the Tipo 2 models and do my 7.62 shooting with them in place of the now verboten/grandfathered US GI M14s which our gun control apparatus has turned into safe queens. I have an admittedly unreasonable and personal bias against the Norinco M14 clones. The barrels that I've used are NOS 1963 dated Springfield Armory barrels. Op rods are a shortened IHC and an uber rare -13 SA variant. A 23.5 in 7.62 barrel from one of the early Italian BM59 variants will also work with these. I've never seen an op rod from this earlier BM59 variant, but I believe that they are also interchangeable with the Tipo 2 op rods. I recently acquired one of the Italian made barrels which appears identical to the shortened Tipo 2 barrel, except for a scalloped and tapered surface below the chamber area, different feed ramps leading into the chamber, and the barrel markings. I'm looking fwd to using this one for another build on a Beretta receiver.
I've built a couple of the Tipo 2 models and do my 7.62 shooting with them in place of the now verboten/grandfathered US GI M14s which our gun control apparatus has turned into safe queens. I have an admittedly unreasonable and personal bias against the Norinco M14 clones. The barrels that I've used are NOS 1963 dated Springfield Armory barrels. Op rods are a shortened IHC and an uber rare -13 SA variant. A 23.5 in 7.62 barrel from one of the early Italian BM59 variants will also work with these. I've never seen an op rod from this earlier BM59 variant, but I believe that they are also interchangeable with the Tipo 2 op rods. I recently acquired one of the Italian made barrels which appears identical to the shortened Tipo 2 barrel, except for a scalloped and tapered surface below the chamber area, different feed ramps leading into the chamber, and the barrel markings. I'm looking fwd to using this one for another build on a Beretta receiver.
mcpherson284
Regular
- Location
- Vancouver Island
Forgive me, yes, they do require an altered Op-Rod and Op-Rod Spring
As an added note, Purple and WW2GURU are two guys that I have personally kept in mind with complex Garand Questions. I have a feeling they both knew Christ when he was a Corporal and thus have forgotten more about Garands and other such surplus than most of us will ever know. Power Pill and flying pig, you both would do well to keep purplr and WW2GURU in mindwith Surplus questions. Both of them will most likely have answers that will save you time, money, and maybe even some loss of hair!
As always, thank you Purple for your two bits worth. Grandfathered M-14 huh, Das ist verboten, its a damned pity.
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- Location
- Beaverlodge, Alberta
Couldn't agree more. I always enjoying reading their posts and trying to retain as much of the info they feed us as possible!
