Introducing the M1 Garand by CMP: A New Chapter Begins!
- Thread starter 870P
- Start date
Diamondback Six
CGN frequent flyer
The CMP ones are all WWII Blueprint Spec, though, only safe with Minus-P loads like AP Ball M2.
All military Garands produced by Springfield Armory, Winchester, International Harvester, Harrington & Richardson, Beretta and Breda featured forged receivers. These were all put thru the stringent military proofing, gauging and testing processes and can be found in good condition and at less cost than the new CMP rifles.
apexanimal
CGN Regular
- Location
- Vancouver Island
This is an old wives tale/fudd lore. The garand is fine with normal commercial ammo. Many have been scared away from owning or shooting one because of this myth unfortunately.
When reloading for a Garand always FL resize your brass and make sure primers are seated slightly below flush with the case head. The bolt face could detonate a high primer when chambering a round.
Quite often the inertia of the floating firing pin will leave a slight indentation on the primer of an unfired round. CCI No 34 primers meet MILSPEC hardness, but I've used many Win LR and Rem LR primers in Garands as well. Federal primer cups are reputed to be softer than other makes.
Only the Federal went full auto on me. Winchester or CCI are good to go. Every unfired round that I took out of battery had a dimple on the primer from the firing pin tapping on it after returning to battery. I always hand loaded to mil-spec from the Garand book with modern powders because bending the opp rod was a risk with full load modern loads from what the book said. I love my M1 and used for moose and deer many times very accurate. Doesn't balance very well with the bayonet shooting offhand but it looks awesome at the range. Wanted to walk the road deer hunting with the grenade launcher to get a look from the game warden but still haven't located one yet. 
Diamondback Six
CGN frequent flyer
When the CMP themselves say "For Use ONLY With Milspec Ammo," that kinda calls the "myth' assertion into question.
I read through some comments on the article in OP and it seems CMP are looking to repatriate some M1 carbines from foreign countries, maybe there is a deal to be worked out for Canadians with M1 carbines that would like something to take out shooting instead of sitting in a closet for the next half decade+.
Isn't it the pressure curve that can overstress the op rod using some commerical loads? Or so the story goes.
BattleRife
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- of No Fixed Address
Firstly, AP and M2 ball are different loadings. And I've never before heard anyone refer to those as "minus-P loads".
Okay, this much is true, but as Grizzlypeg points out this is a reference to powder burn rate, not peak pressure. This problem is inherent to the design of the Garand operating rod and I have never heard of any Garand build anywhere where one could be indiscriminate about slow-burning powders that produce high port pressures.
