Handloading for Garands

[purple]

The August edition of Handloader magazine has an article on reloading for the M1 Grand which might be of interest in view of numerous queries on Garand compatible ammo and handloads.

There's a lot of advice, esp safety precautions, that's worth reading. It includes load data for some of the newer propellants which I'm not familiar with. I've used a wheelbarrow full of the old standby IMR4895 (MILSPEC propellant for the Garand) and IMR4064 in Garand loads and have always found them safe, reliable and accurate. I continue to use them and see no reason to look further.

Contrary to the author's advice about small base resizing dies, conventional sizing dies are fine, as long as cases are FL resized. He doesn't mention case life. The Garand is hard on brass, and 4-5 reloading cycles are about the max, esp when using commercial brass.

On primers, the recommendation is for CCI No.34 which have a harder cup and are more resistant to the firing pin "kiss" when a round is chambered. I use the CCI 34 when available, but also use the Rem 91/2 and WLR primers. The important thing is to make sure primers are seated below flush with the case head.

 

[RifleDude]

.....Contrary to the author's advice about small base resizing dies, conventional sizing dies are fine, as long as cases are FL resized. He doesn't mention case life. The Garand is hard on brass, and 4-5 reloading cycles are about the max, esp when using commercial brass.....

For range plinking, I download my ammo, 39gr of H4895. When topped with a 155gr Hornady AMAX, I still get nice groups at 100y, around 2.5" - 3.5". With this load, the cases last nearly forever (or more than 20 reloads), providing you anneal them after 5 to 8 reloads. And you're right, regular full size dies are sufficient, I have never had an issue with loads not chambering properly with them.

 

[beltfed]

Handloading the the M14 and M1 come up so often, you'd think there would be a sticky at the top.
Anyhoo, for those that don't know, Glen Zediker published some great books (like 'Handloading for Competition'), and produced some great articles on reloading and competition shooting in general.
Two free articles in pdf form can be found on the web specifically geared for the M1 and M14. It used to be on his website, but sadly, after his passing in October of 2020, that has been shut down.

 

[Old Ranger]

Being a life long subscriber to Handloader I too have read the article. I've been reloading for my Garand for 30 yrs plus. Not sure how many but the going price at that time was 300 bucks for a Korean War era Springfield rifle.
Settled on 165 gr Hornady SP's and a moderate amount of IMR 4064. Five reloads and the cases were passed on for cast loads in my 03A3. Got several hundred 150 gr Hornady FMJ' s to use up now that Mr Trudeau has decided I can't be trusted to take my Norinco 305 to the range any longer. A little load development in my future! Garands still attract attention at the range and I like to give young shooters the opportunity to fire off a clip or two and hear the ping.

 

[Brutus]

Still own the 1985 Handloaders magazine with the chapter on several semi auto rifle cartridges.
I am certain I am not the only one that covets this particular issue.

Edit: my mistake folks!
T"was 1989 !!!!

 

[maple_leaf_eh]

I searched very quickly for Glen Zediker, and this URL came up. https://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/tag/glen-zediker/

If you have a dead link, the Internet Wayback Machine works like a charm (assuming its bots had a chance to scroll the particular page)!

 

[big bear]

Still own the 1985 Handloaders magazine with the chapter on several semi auto rifle cartridges.
I am certain I am not the only one that covets this particular issue.

Pray tell, which month??

Thanks!

 

[Brutus]

Pray tell, which month??

Thanks!

Sorry about that:

May-June 1989
Number 139

Page 24-Reloading for semi auto rifles

 

[TheWhole9Yards]

I’ve had great results with Fed match primers, as mentioned above seated below flush. IMR4895 with 168gr BTHP was my best shooting recipe.

 

[big bear]

Thanks!

Sorry about that:

May-June 1989
Number 139

Page 24-Reloading for semi auto rifles

Thanks, now to find it.

Just retired so I have time to sort through 35yrs of stuff I never had time to sort through Been reading 20year old issues of a magazine I subscribed to back then "Precision Shooting" Cool nostalgia valuable informative article I didn't read back then because my shooting interests were different, and perspective on changing tastes and technologies.

Now to find that issue, problem being my old Handloaders are filed in the following fashion:

really good reloading issue with loads for my calbers of interest,magazine open to the article on shelf near reloading bench under a stack reading manuals

all the rest grouped by Handloader vs Rifle on shelves for later organizing .Is it obvious yet that I don't suffer from OCD?
and as that happens , when I come across an especially good one, off to the reloading bench library