175gr ammo in Garands?

mmm...chicken

mmm...chicken

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So I'm flipping through some back issue of a gun rag and come across an article of some guy that's loading 175gr 30.06 ammo for his Garand. I've always been told never load anything heavier than 168gr bullets in these old gas guns because it will eventually bend the op rod or damage the reciever. So my question is, can you do it, or are the yanks flirting with disaster?
 
i damaged mine using 180gr sp ,then again i was using the wrong powder as well.:( :( :( i have no excuse either since i didn/t read paragraph on gas operated systems in my reloading manual,lol.i would sugest that if you wanted to go that route to get a replacement op rod as over time i think you'll see some acumulated damage to it.on mine the op rod would jump out of its retaining lug every second shot or so.unlike a bolt action the garand is much more limited in what it likes for powder and bullet weight.
 
powder selection is important as well, i have an old american rifleman magazine article on this ill did it up. bullet weights were listed, but more concern was made to have powders as between a slowest / fastest burn rate in the garand .
stay tuned ill dig it up by tommorrow. and quote the reference.
 
The US Army Marksmanship Teams did shoot 173 gr bullets out of their Garands but they also had US Army armorers with lots of parts like op rods to fix their rifles too.
 
american rifleman issue march 1986 by mr john clarke article on reloading for m-1 garand /30-06 bullets listed from 150 to 200 grain. but powders must be...........between IMR. 3031 fastest to IMR.4320 slowest.
to fast =problems an feeding failures. to slow = excessive port pressures, an bent op rods /parts.
CAN SCAN ARTICLE AN SEND IT TO ANY interested m1 reloaders /owners.
thanks
 
M1 Garand heavy bullets/ slow powders

Hi,

there's also another option, but it takes a bit of time and experimentation and risk taking too.

One can use a vented gas nut and start with full gas being vented out. The M1 then operates as a bolt action and the action has to be cycled manually.

Then, you bleed slowly gas in the gas piston by screwing the vent nut in and you experiment till you have just enough gas to operate the action normally.

This is still a "on you own" project wher common sense prevail.

I have one of these gas nut and need time to work on that.

By the way, same priciple applies to M1A. I have one also for that rifle.

regards,

p.s.: simplest thing is to follow the general agreement with middle of the road powder burning rate and bullet weight and set bullet velocity.
 
"...heavier than 168gr bullets..." Nonsense. The U.S. pundits say 180's or less. In any case, the rifle was designed to use .30 M1 ammo with a 174.5 grain bullet. Not .30 M2 and its 150's. 175 grain bullets won't bother a rifle in good condition. Nor will 180's. The box or two of 220 grain Silvertips I used, long ago, didn't bother mine either, but the felt recoil was slightly heavier.
IMR4895 or IMR4064, with the 4064 being more consistent with match grade bullets, are the best powders.
An op rod jumping out of the rail is worn already.
 
sunray said:
"...heavier than 168gr bullets..." Nonsense. The U.S. pundits say 180's or less. In any case, the rifle was designed to use .30 M1 ammo with a 174.5 grain bullet. Not .30 M2 and its 150's. 175 grain bullets won't bother a rifle in good condition. Nor will 180's. The box or two of 220 grain Silvertips I used, long ago, didn't bother mine either, but the felt recoil was slightly heavier.
IMR4895 or IMR4064, with the 4064 being more consistent with match grade bullets, are the best powders.
An op rod jumping out of the rail is worn already.
Click to expand...

I'd watch what you're saying there peanut... The 174.5 grn cartridge you speak of was knowsn as the .30 cartridge M1 , and yes it was to be used in the M1 Garand in the early years....BUT!!! it was withdrawn from service due to excessive damage it was starting to cause on different parts of the rifle. It was then replaced with the 147 grn .30 M2 cartridge. Unless someone here is a balistics expert, you shouldn't be loading anything heavier than a 150 grn bullet in the M1 Garand. Well unless, you don't give a #### about your rifle or your safety....

Get reading the books boys, and don't depend on hear say..
Dean
 
hello i concure dont be adventursome when reloading for the m1 garand...........safe is best...........with any gun.
but.........
please read the article i have, dated 1986/american rifleman magazine, by mr. clarke,
on reloading 30/06 fer the m1 rifle.
it lists safe loads up to from 150 grn, to 200 grn bullets...........tried most loads worked ok my m-1
pm me ill send a scanned copy.
nuff said.


Sgt Striker said:
I'd watch what you're saying there peanut... The 174.5 grn cartridge you speak of was knowsn as the .30 cartridge M1 , and yes it was to be used in the M1 Garand in the early years....BUT!!! it was withdrawn from service due to excessive damage it was starting to cause on different parts of the rifle. It was then replaced with the 147 grn .30 M2 cartridge. Unless someone here is a balistics expert, you shouldn't be loading anything heavier than a 150 grn bullet in the M1 Garand. Well unless, you don't give a #### about your rifle or your safety....

Get reading the books boys, and don't depend on hear say..
Dean
Click to expand...
 
M1 Garand and heavy bullets.

Many thanks to Nagantsniper for the copy of Am. Rifleman. Very interesting.




NB.nagantsniper said:
american rifleman issue march 1986 by mr john clarke article on reloading for m-1 garand /30-06 bullets listed from 150 to 200 grain. but powders must be...........between IMR. 3031 fastest to IMR.4320 slowest.
to fast =problems an feeding failures. to slow = excessive port pressures, an bent op rods /parts.
CAN SCAN ARTICLE AN SEND IT TO ANY interested m1 reloaders /owners.
thanks
Click to expand...
 
"...shouldn't be loading anything heavier than a 150 grn bullet in the M1 Garand..." Nonsense. Read Hatcher's Book of the Garand. The .30 M1 was withdrawn because it was too powerful for some NG ranges. All testing was done with .30 M1 ammo. There was no M2 ammo until 1937 and it not officially desginated as such until 1938. M1 ammo was used for training on ranges long enough until it was declared obsolete in 1944.
 
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Nonsense. Read Hatcher's Book of the Garand. The .30 M1 was withdrawn because it was too powerful for some NG ranges. All testing was done with .30 M1 ammo. There was no M2 ammo until 1937 and it not officially desginated as such until 1938.
Click to expand...

During this period of testing you speak of, they were still using the "Gas Trap" M1 Garand, not the "Gas Port" model we are using today. (that is unless you have one of these $20,000 dollar rifles that you take to the range) Up until 1936, only 80 rifles had been built and they were tool room models, not production, it started in August 37 and only 2,696 were made that year. The Gas port system was adoped in Oct 39 and line production started in Mar 40.

My point here, is you don't tell someone it's ok to shoot 200 gn bullets with their M1 Garand, unless they are experianced reloaders (and have reloading data for the M1 Garand), other wise, you're going to have some kid walk into the local gun show, pick up a box of high power 30-06 and total f@ck up his rifle, and possible injure himself as well..
 
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good point striker..............modern 30-06 ammo , such as the type called LITE MAGNUM BY HORNADY??
NOT TO BE FED TO AN M-1 GARAND.
BE SAFE FOLLOW directions, an ask questions is always the best course.
when in doubt error on the side of safety is best.


Sgt Striker said:
During this period of testing you speak of, they were still using the "Gas Trap" M1 Garand, not the "Gas Port" model we are using today. (that is unless you have one of these $20,000 dollar rifles that you take to the range) Up until 1936, only 80 rifles had been built and they were tool room models, not production, it started in August 37 and only 2,696 were made that year. The Gas port system was adoped in Oct 39 and line production started in Mar 40.

My point here, is you don't tell someone it's ok to shoot 200 gn bullets with their M1 Garand, unless they are experianced reloaders (and have reloading data for the M1 Garand), other wise, you're going to have some kid walk into the local gun show, pick up a box of high power 30-06 and total f@ck up his rifle, and possible injure himself as well..
Click to expand...
 
Thank you all for input on this thread. You all made some great points and counterpoints. This is the same debate that is going on in my head, and I will probably lean more towords the side of caution. And I guess the obvious question is, has anyone shot those really heavy bullets out of their Garands, and what sort of groupings did you get. Thank you all again for participating.
 
never went over 180 grain...........couldnt find hvy--er bullets locally was all.
my reload were as per the article i quote, an it satisfied 1 750 lb moose = 2 rounds at 125m distance.
no probs , safe functioning,
ok?
 
NB.nagantsniper said:
never went over 180 grain...........couldnt find hvy--er bullets locally was all.
my reload were as per the article i quote, an it satisfied 1 750 lb moose = 2 rounds at 125m distance.
no probs , safe functioning,
ok?
Click to expand...


Hi,

Your moose hunting success story here with a M1 Garand probably would fill the bill for heaviest game taken (here anyway) with a Garand.

congrats! :)
 
An reference book on ammo shows that the M.1 ball round used a 173gr bullet, while the M.2 ball150gr and that was the standard for World War 2. The 173gr M.1 ball round was used in 1906 and that was used for the 30-06 bolt action rifle.
 
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