Buying an M1 Garand- need some advice

Wanhope

Wanhope

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The M1 Garand has been a rifle I have wanted for a few years now, and now that I (just about) have the money to get one at these "new and improved" prices i realized that the vast majority of ads I can find on the internet are from the states.

Basically, is it worth the hassle or even possible; to import a Garand from someone like garandguy.com (www.garandguy.com/issuegrade.htm).

The process of importing seems like a complicated business, and worse being as I am not a licensed firearms dealer :p...Actually on that note, could I get a gun store to make the purchase for me if that would expedite the process?


I'm kind of trying to avoid online auctions, or even the "Equipment Exchange" here (though maybe I'll break down if someone here can set me right).

Thanks for any help offered to a clueless me.:)
 
Importing from the US is basically a non-starter.

You are looking at an investment of $1000 or so to get a decent Garand, so it pays to educate yourself first. Start with a search of "garand" on this forum and lots of info will pop up-some good, some not so good. There are reputable sellers on the EE. Beware of overly optomistic descriptions and pay close attention to condition, especially look for sound and unpitted bores, absence of pitted metal and solid, well fitting stocks. Check the seller's posts and trader ratings to help sort them out. Stay away from "lightly frosted" or "dark bores". There are good ones to be had.
 
"...trying to avoid online auctions..." Definitely avoid any auction site. The EE, not so much.
garandguy.com likely doesn't export. Pricey rebuilds anyway.
"...not a licensed firearms dealer..." An FFL is a U.S. thing. Doesn't apply here. There are shops like Questar($499) and Prophet River($195) who do all the paperwork for a fee, but most Canadian shops wouldn't know where to start.
Like purple says, learn about 'em first and ignore U.S. prices.
 
Don't make the same mistake twice. Garand price will not come down. Bite the bullet and get a decent one before the price moves on you again.
 
Many of the ones in Canada are Danish rebuilds.
That means that they will have a Danish barrel and the rear sights will have Danish letters on them.
They are great shooters and well cared for, but if you are looking for an "original" US made collector grade, the Danish Lend-Lease ones will have some non-US parts.
 
tootall said:
Many of the ones in Canada are Danish rebuilds.
That means that they will have a Danish barrel and the rear sights will have Danish letters on them.
They are great shooters and well cared for, but if you are looking for an "original" US made collector grade, the Danish Lend-Lease ones will have some non-US parts.
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The Danish rifles in Canada are wartime USGI (SA and WRA) and postwar Italian Breda and Berettas. Both are good buys, but the USGI rifles will tend to appreciate more. I'll call that the internet phenomenon of too many guys reading US forums.

For the record, I bought a two-digit Beretta with original stock and barrel on the Exchange for well less than a grand three years ago. You'll never find a USGI in the Gas Trap serial number range for that price!
 
purple said:
Importing from the US is basically a non-starter.

You are looking at an investment of $1000 or so to get a decent Garand, so it pays to educate yourself first. Start with a search of "garand" on this forum and lots of info will pop up-some good, some not so good. There are reputable sellers on the EE. Beware of overly optomistic descriptions and pay close attention to condition, especially look for sound and unpitted bores, absence of pitted metal and solid, well fitting stocks. Check the seller's posts and trader ratings to help sort them out. Stay away from "lightly frosted" or "dark bores". There are good ones to be had.
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Hey thanks for the advice! I've been doing some research for some time now, and it's only going to increase I suppose. I figured that more than a few sellers (of anything I might add) more than likely sound very optimistic about what they are trying to get rid of (used cars anyone? :p) So I will definitely be careful on this one.

Thank you everyone for any info/advice offered!

:cheers:
 
Friend, bore condition is EVERYTHING. If you have a good bore, you have a rifle which can be made to shoot.

I'm shocked that somebody hasn't jumped up and screamed "Check the headspace! Check the headspace! The sky is falling!" by now. Garands were so precisely made that VERY little fitting need be done; most parts are a dead fit, even bolts coming in so close to perfect that very often they can be switched freely with no troubles.

Remember, the front handguard is SUPPOSED to be loose! Tightening the rifle up at that point will ruin your accuracy before you have the second clip shot off. It NEEDS play.

Another point to consider: the clamping action between the metal and the woodwork also is critical. The trigger group clamps onto the receiver group, sandwiching the stock between them. This is supposed to be TIGHT. If this is the least bit loose, you can tighten it up with skinny little shims of cardboard (the end-flaps from a Player's package is perfect). The thing should solid up as you are clamping the trigger group onto the rifle; the last 45 or 50 degrees should be TIGHT.

A trick you can do with a Garand is to put your sights off a bit. The front sight is 4 minutes wide, the rear sight is calibrated in 1-minute clicks. Put your rear sight 2 minutes off to the left and aim with the upper-right CORNER of the front sight. Works: my rifle will shoot half-inch groups like this at 100, off the sandbags, of course.

Hope this helps.

Have fun!
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An M-1 has a lot of parts. Some of which are expensive to replace, or hard to get.
The M-1s in Canada have come from different sources over the years.
Some, like the ex-Denmark rifles, are sound and serviceable. They were about the last big batch imported.
There were others that had been rode hard and put away wet.
If you aren't sure what to look for, buy from a reputable seller.
 
Just a little piece of advise from a new Garand owner, (6 months now) if you don't reload yet, I'd look into it. These critters get quite hungry and you can blow through 2 boxs in a matter of a few minutes and last I checked 30-06 is roughly $25 a box. Also they seem to like ammo reloaded to the military spec the best. There is another thread on reloading for an M1 somewhere. But man are they ever alot of fun to shoot.
 
Sounds Like I'm going to be making up a pretty lengthy checklist before making any purchases. :p

Also, anyone have recommendations for good books/publications on the M1 for general information on them. I'd like to by something in concrete form to read, not that it's necessarily more legitimate than something on the internet (bad info is bad info after all) but it would be nice to have.

Thanks again everyone, given me a lot to think on.
 
Wanhope said:
Sounds Like I'm going to be making up a pretty lengthy checklist before making any purchases. :p

Also, anyone have recommendations for good books/publications on the M1 for general information on them. I'd like to by something in concrete form to read, not that it's necessarily more legitimate than something on the internet (bad info is bad info after all) but it would be nice to have.

Thanks again everyone, given me a lot to think on.
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The definitive technical source on the M1 is Kuhnhausen's comprehensive shop manual. The M1 Garand Complete Assembly Guide by Kulek and The M1 Garand Owners Guide by Scott Duff are also helpful. These books have been available from Brownells at various times. There are also copies of various US Army tech manuals for the Garand to be found. You can try ebay for these things.
 
purple said:
The definitive technical source on the M1 is Kuhnhausen's comprehensive shop manual. The M1 Garand Complete Assembly Guide by Kulek and The M1 Garand Owners Guide by Scott Duff are also helpful. These books have been available from Brownells at various times. There are also copies of various US Army tech manuals for the Garand to be found. You can try ebay for these things.
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Definitely going to try eBay over amazon for at least the shop manual by Kuhnhausen. Amazon wants over $50.00. Then again for the most invaluable book on the M1 it is probably worth it.

Otherwise I think amazon will be pleased as punch to take my money. :p

Thanks.
 
And there is always "Hatcher's Book of the Garand" by Maj-Gen Julian S. Hatcher, who worked with Garand during the years the rifle was being developed. Copies are hard to find but worth the effort.

And you can zip over to milsurps dot com, take out a (free) membership and proced to pillage their Military Knowledge Library, which contains more M-1 lore in downloadable form than you will have time to read in the next 3 months. They also have an entire forum just on the M-1 and M-14.

Also grab yourself (downloadable, free) "Hatcher's Notebook", which contains a wealth of information and explanations. Hatcer must have been a wonderful lecturer; his explanations are just so easy to understand and his knowledge is just about as authoritative as it can get.

Also download a copy of "Shoot to Live: The Johnson Method of Musketry Coaching". This is a Canadian late-WW2 marksmanship course written around the Number 4 Rifle. About 95% of the entire course is equally applicable to shooting the M-1 rifle. You will NOT find a much better book on rifle marksmanship, anywhere.

And you should REALLY think about handloading. It's fun in itself and it's a LOT cheaper than factory ammo..... and M-1s are hungry ALL the time!

Have fun!
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Rifleman1911 said:
When you start reloading, watch the bullet weight. If you go too heavy( +155 grain IIRC) you can damage things.
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Bullets in the 150-168gr range are all good to go. For a more economical and accurate enough bullet try the Hornady 150gr FMJ. .308 Match bullets are available in all of 150, 155, and 168gr weights. The Nosler 150 and 165gr Ballistic Tips are good too as are the Sierra 165gr HPBT.

When reloading for a Garand/M14 type pay attention to the following;
-stay with propellants with the correct burning rate in order to generate the proper pressure at the gas port and avoid bending the operating rod. IMR4895, IMR4064, and H4895 are ideal and the most accurate as well.
-always FL re-size
-always seat primers below flush with the casehead
-keep cases trimmed below max length
-don't try to get too many reloads out of fired brass. These rifles are hard on brass and most folks discard cases after 4-5 firings following the initial firing
 
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