30-06 vs 308, M1 Garand

jibjedi

jibjedi

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I was wondering how big a difference the barrel type makes to the value of an M1?

I understand that any changes made to a milsurp instantly decreases the firearms value in general. But if comparing two rifles, say they are both mixmasters/similar condition stocks, etc ....does having a 30-06 barrel make it worth significantly more/less than one having a 308? Or does it come down to personal preference?

Are there any negative aspects to a 308 Garand over a 30-06?
 
From a collector's aspect the only officially issued 7.62 Garands were the US Navy conversions and the Italian Tipo 2 models. Other than that having a "shooter" in .30-06 or 7.62/.308 is an individual preference, so people would value them the same, condition being equal.

An original Garand with original .30-06 barrel and correct manufacturer's parts is of greater interest to collectors and would command a higher value.

Altho the Garand was built for the .30-06 ctg, the 7.62/.308 conversions work equally well if the rifle is in proper mechanical condition. The so-called shortened "tanker" conversions in .308 can be problematic depending on how well the conversion was done.
 
"...if the rifle is in proper mechanical condition..." And the gas hole is of the correct diameter.
"...does having a 30-06 barrel make it..." Depends on what you want it for. A .308 with a proper .308 chambered barrel has no collector value. Purely valued as shooters.
A .30-06 will have collector value, depending on the condition.
There was no such thing as a 'Tanker' outside of a few built for testing. The term is a marketing term that comes from one of the U.S. importers. National Ordnance, as I recall.
 
If an M-1 needs a new barrel - there are ones out there with bad barrels - it will not affect the hurt the value or desirability to rebarrel in either caliber. Personal preference. I have a Dane in .30-06, and another that I had fitted with a .308 barrel years ago. Its chamber was badly scored, and it was rather doggy overall. In addition to the new barrel, I bedded it into new GI wood. The .308 is a really fine shooter.
 
I had one 308 Garand, Shot very well and when the supply (Garands in 30-06) was still good, it was worth more than the 30-06 variations.
 
Idon't understand all this about "adjustable gas plugs". My Garand hasbeen shooting very well now for the last 20 years and I still haven't bothered with one.

Keep the ammo more-or-less to military spec and you won't need one.

Milspec for the M2 Ball load was a 152-grain pointed FMJ at about 2800 ft/sec. Military ammo was ALL loaded with IMR-4895 powder..... which was developed specifiically for this round. Charge weights, depending upon lot, run from about 48 through 50 grains.

The rifle was developed with the M1 Ball loading, which had the 173-grain FMJBT slug at about 2600. Garand himself was leery of running the M2 load through the rifle, thought that it might not generate enough gas pressure to run the rifle.

Adjustable gas plugs are simply a way to remove you from your money....... if you keep your ammo sane, anyway.
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jibjedi said:
Thanks for the input fellas. Basically just curious about comparing shooters. Are the 308versions recommended to use an adjustable gas plug as well?
Click to expand...

No you don't need to have it, but if you find your brass is flung forward of your shooting position or your brass is getting dented on the side of the cartridge case, you can relieve the gas a bit to shorten cycle speed. I have read that some people use it to shoot a heavier bullet. It's adjustable because is uses hex head allen bolts with a variety of hole sizes. Looks very similar to post Korean war gas plug. They are around $40 + shipping etc.
 
"...developed specifiically for this round..." Not for M2 Ball. There was no such thing as M2 ammo until 1939. IMR4895 was developed for .30 M1 ammo.
Adjustable gas plugs area way of separating you from your money. Literally millions of rounds were loaded and fired with no fuss long before such a thing existed. Just as many commercial cartridges were fired out of M1's with no fuss as well. Before I got on-line long ago, I had never heard of any problems using commercial ammo in an M1. Never seen nor heard of anybody damaging the rifle with just the ammo either.
 
The Mccann plugs are not such a waste of $. meh People spend thousands of dollars on accessories for their SKS's etc. Other than the Mccann plug and an ler scope base, I have not purchased significant accessories for my Garand. Unless you count a tube of white lithium grease, bronze scrub brush, and a 1950s era combination tool.

Edit: there is a disadvantage to those after market gas plugs, you can't use an M5-A1 bayonet with them. :(

PS, at one time I was interested in purchasing a .308 Garand, but the lack of supplies of 7.62X51 mm ammo in Canada made me reconsider - I don't feel disadvantaged.
 
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I have considered swaping mine over to .308, but now that I handload I would rather keep it in .30/06. I would like to have a milsurp in .308 that is not an m14, so I am considering one of those Argentinian mausers that ore for sale at tradex. I find that hand loading for the M1 just adds to the fun of owning the rifle.
 
MILSPEC .30-06 ammo suitable for the Garand is virtually unobtanium nowadays. That leaves a person with the option to either shoot commercial ammo in the Garand or to handload. If you handload the proper propellants to use are any of IMR 4895, IMR 4064, or H4895 as these generate the proper pressure pulse at the gas port to cycle the action reliably and without any concerns about damaging the rifle. As a bonus these all produce excellent accuracy. If you chose to shoot commercial ammo be advised that commercial .30-06 is loaded with slow burning propellants to yield higher velocities. The burning rate of these propellants is too slow for the gas system. In this case the use of either a McCann or Schuster adjustable gas plug is a prudent precaution. The Garand Collector's Journal recently featured an article on these and IMHO they are a wise investment if shooting commercial ammo in the rifle.
 
Don't worry about it and just shoot .308/7.63 ammo in the M1 and be done with it. :eek:

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