M 1 Garand Sniper Rifle????

[Polar_Hunter]

Anyone here ever shoot one? I'm interested in feedback on the offset scope system. It would seem to shoot either left or right of the POA depending on a target that was either nearer or farther from the site-in distance. Is that correct?

 

[carbonrod]

We tried 2 ways of doing this:

Don't sight it in for point of aim point of impact. Sight it in so it hits ~1.5 inch right at x00m. You won't likely notice it past 100m.

The other way we goofed around with is canting the rifle such that the scope was on top of the bore, and leveling the scope accordingly.

The second way didn't work for me. The first worked great. I do think if you sighted in for point of aim == point of impact at 100m you will have a mess at long ranges.

 

[PatchRat]

Any rifle with an offset scope is going to have those issues, but it can be accounted for and worked around. "Bloke on the Range" on YouTube did a really good video about scoping a k31 that explains it all really well.

 

[maple_leaf_eh]

Anyone here ever shoot one? I'm interested in feedback on the offset scope system. It would seem to shoot either left or right of the POA depending on a target that was either nearer or farther from the site-in distance. Is that correct?

I fired a DCRA Vintage Military Rifle match one year with a borrowed Garand M1D. I did well enough to win the overall title with my own No.4, an M1 and the M1D. Small fish in small pond kind of a prize.

I found the M1D to be the second most awkward rifle to fire well. It is not instinctive! I found I had to very consciously not cant the rifle. Once I remembered to keep the cross hairs lined up vertical/horizontal, it was not hard to aim and fire. I don't remember any particular effect from the offset; it was a borrowed gun and someone else had set it up.

 

[Donkin]

I've got one back in South Africa , that I'm hoping to bring into Canada in the near future, just wondering if i will have to apply UN markings......that would be a unfortunate........I am missing the scope and mount tho.....so I'll be on the look out for that. Great rifle

 

[55recce]

All scopes are offset, most above the bore and a few to the side. So really should be no different

 

[Sharps '74]

What was the US Army solution?

 

[maple_leaf_eh]

What was the US Army solution?

Probably more coaching and shoot a lot of practise. The early Vietnam War snipers were using M1C and M1D rifles, and maybe even some old Springfields. When the Remingtons and Winchesters appeared their reactions, according to their books, was excitement and relief. Then the new rifles starting having their troubles, and the excitement turned to discouragement and anger. Then the sniper M14s arrived, and the circle turned again.

 

[Sharps '74]

Since sniping requires accuracy, it has always puzzled me why the armies of the world have tried to make semi-autos perform in this role.

After all the effort at camouflage and stealth, it seems odd to shoot a round from a rifle that flings it's brass where the enemy can spot it. Follow up shots? Yeah, right. The savvy sniper is already on the move after he fires, not firing multiple rds until he is located and receiving fire.

 

[diopter]

Never understood why people make an issue of a laterally offset scope mount.
All scope mount have to be offset in at least one axis.
So called overbore mounts are offset vertically and no one says squat about that

If you sight in at half the total distance you expect to shoot at, then theoretical poi shift = the scope offset at maximum distance.
Example; scope offset 1.5" off to the left. Expected longest shot is 1000 meters and sighted in for 500 meters, means you should be 1.5" to the right at 1000 meters.
Are you, and the rifle, accurate enough to see a 1.5" change on a 1 moa rifle that groups 10" at 1000 meters?

How about wind drift?

 

[Fargone4sure]

As mentioned above, you just sight in so your impact is always the same distance apart from point of aim, as the scope offset. So it doesn't matter what the distance to the target is, you will always be hitting 1.5" (or whatever) from point of aim.

The other thing to remember is that most sniping was done at fairly short ranges during WW2. I remember watching an interview with a WW2 sniper, and he said that he rarely took shots past 200yds with his M1d, and never past 300. The Garand sniper rifles were quite adequate for these ranges, but in truth were not great as sniping platforms go.