Working Sat dam it!
Fort McMurray members: Who wants to shoot a new Garand today
- Thread starter Squinty
- Start date
Working Sat dam it!
There are a number of aspects to this. A high quality match grade barrel, like the Krieger, will always produce better accuracy than a standard military barrel, and well it should given the price differential. Krieger doesn't provide any accuracy standards for their barrels. No doubt this is because accuracy is determined by shooting the barrel on a properly assembled rifle using match quality ammo. And the accuracy of finished rifles is variable depending on who assembles the rifle. As a comparative baseline, Fulton Armory offers their top line match conditioned Garand with a Fulton match quality barrel with a guarantee that the rifle will produce sub-MOA accuracy using Federal Gold Medal Gold Medal Match ammo. We must assume that the Krieger barrels are as good as, or better than the Fulton barrels.
Accuracy is determined by other factors in addition to the barrel. Assuming that the shooter is capable of shooting to MOA standards, and that the ammo is Federal GM Match or equivalent, the level of accuracy depends on how the rifle is assembled with proper wood to metal and metal to metal fit and clearances being established in all of the critical areas. The Fulton match quality rifle appears to incorporate all or most of the Garand match conditioning standards for fit and assembly. There are many enhancements involved, the main ones being glass bedding the action, installing match grade sights, unitizing the front handguard with the lower band, clearancing the rear gas cylinder ring, getting the proper handguard fit, establishing proper op rod fit, locating the gas cylinder correctly on the barrel with a proper fitting gas cylinder lock, and tweaking the trigger for proper weight and let off. The Kuhnhausen Shop manual gets into these in some detail.
Installing a Krieger barrel or adding on match grade parts will not guarantee sub-MOA accuracy unless the rifle is properly set up in other areas. Glass bedding is not an absolute requirement, but glass bedding is done to stabilize the bedding of the action which will always change from shooting over a period of time. All of the above, incl the basic rifle, can be expected to cost in excess of $3000, if a builder can be found to put it together correctly.
A standard Garand with a sound issue barrel can be assembled or adjusted to deliver improved accuracy without getting into the full range of match rifle enhancements. And this makes a nice challenge. Some key areas include establishing the proper stock and handguard fit, making sure that the sights are tight, getting the gas cylinder tight on the barrel splineways, establishing proper op rod fit, and making sure that the lower band is rock solid on the barrel. I have set up a couple of issue condition Garands which would achieve regular 1.5 MOA accuracy by doing these things and most rifles with a good barrel can get down to 2-2.5 MOA using quality handloads which are equivalent or better than match grade ammo.
It kind of depends where a person wants to go and how much money you want to invest to achieve optimum accuracy with a Garand. The piece is a combat rifle which was designed to function reliably under field conditions with an acceptable level of accuracy and it does that very well. It is by no stretch a target rifle or a MOA shooter in issue condition, but it is often amazing to see how well they do shoot given all of the metal in motion and their comparatively light barrels. If a person wants to shoot to MOA standards there are a number of off the shelf bolt guns which will do this with good ammo and a scope at a lot less expense.
Thanks Purple for all the info, I am not looking at getting a sub MOA rifle as I probably cant shoot that well anyway, just maybe a few improvements to tighten up the groups, as of now its usually gets 5-6 inch groups at 100 yards. I think I may have read somewhere that this was the standard for most as issued m1's or the max allowable for issued m1's. that being the case Im not overly worried, just would like to shrink it down to maybe 3 inch groups, which is what my Norc m14 gets at 100 yards with Irons (I also heard that this was the standard for as issued m14's). I will have to look into some of the things you brought up about metal and wood contact n see how my rifle is configured.
Thanks again!
Thanks again!
The current Garand Collectors Journal has an article by a fellow who claims to have increased his Garand accuracy by modifying the barrel harmonics/vibrations in a way similar to the Browning BOSS system. The BOSS system has been in use on Browning bolt rifles for 20 yrs or so and basically involves moving a weight back or forth incrementally on the muzzle end to vary the barrel vibrations until a "sweet spot" is found for a particular load.
Instead of the BOSS he uses the gas cylinder assembly as the weight and adjusts it longitudinally on the barrel splines by experimenting with several different gas cylinder locks. There is a wide variety in gas cylinder lock threads and in the position that the locks time up when tightened against the barrel shoulder for the lock. He will test fire with a variety of locks that time up in different positions to find the best shooting results. Traditionally the practice with locks has been to install a lock that times up on the shoulder at the 6 o'clock position, or as close to it as possible, before being backed off the insert the gas cylinder plug. No matter what lock is used you would still need to be careful to ensure that there is some clearance between the rear ring of the gas cylinder and the front handguard ferrule. You also need to make sure that the gas port in the barrel is fully exposed in the corresponding window of the gas cylinder so that there is sufficient gas feed to cycle the action. The window is larger than the port, so the gas cylinder could be shifted somewhat and still have the gas port fully exposed/visible.
In theory this makes sense and the author claims that his tests have proven his hypothesis. I think it might be worth a try after having done all of the other adjustments and checks to get a Garand properly set up. You would need to use the same ammo for all testing as a control so that you could see any accuracy variations that resulted from this experiment. I'd like to try this with 3 different locks that time up tight at or near the 6, 9 and 12 o'clock positions. This is a real "thinking out of the box" idea, but it does not alter or damage the rifle in any way. I've been shooting Garands for 40 years or so and it's a new idea to me, but there is nothing lost by trying it. The quest for rifle accuracy never stops.
Instead of the BOSS he uses the gas cylinder assembly as the weight and adjusts it longitudinally on the barrel splines by experimenting with several different gas cylinder locks. There is a wide variety in gas cylinder lock threads and in the position that the locks time up when tightened against the barrel shoulder for the lock. He will test fire with a variety of locks that time up in different positions to find the best shooting results. Traditionally the practice with locks has been to install a lock that times up on the shoulder at the 6 o'clock position, or as close to it as possible, before being backed off the insert the gas cylinder plug. No matter what lock is used you would still need to be careful to ensure that there is some clearance between the rear ring of the gas cylinder and the front handguard ferrule. You also need to make sure that the gas port in the barrel is fully exposed in the corresponding window of the gas cylinder so that there is sufficient gas feed to cycle the action. The window is larger than the port, so the gas cylinder could be shifted somewhat and still have the gas port fully exposed/visible.
In theory this makes sense and the author claims that his tests have proven his hypothesis. I think it might be worth a try after having done all of the other adjustments and checks to get a Garand properly set up. You would need to use the same ammo for all testing as a control so that you could see any accuracy variations that resulted from this experiment. I'd like to try this with 3 different locks that time up tight at or near the 6, 9 and 12 o'clock positions. This is a real "thinking out of the box" idea, but it does not alter or damage the rifle in any way. I've been shooting Garands for 40 years or so and it's a new idea to me, but there is nothing lost by trying it. The quest for rifle accuracy never stops.
I think he said he screws around sometimes, and that good enough is always good enough.
How to get your rifle shooting accurately:
1. Get a new stock. Most military stocks don't fit properly. After being field stripped hundreds or even thousands of times, the stock loosens up so that the action rocks every time the gun is fired. Order a new stock from Dean's Gun Restorations. Dean is an expert and he fits his stocks to a Garand receiver. Dean has special fixtures for fitting stocks and your rifle will fit tightly and properly.
2. While you are waiting for Dean to complete your stock, take a look at the muzzle. If there is cleaning rod wear, take the action to a professional gunsmith and have the muzzle recrowned.
3. Take a look at the front barrel band. Is it even slightly loose? Get a brand new barrel band and have it installed by the gunsmith. The barrel band is a very important part and it must fit tightly. If your barrel band is not tight, your rifle will not shoot accurately.
4. Examine your rear sight. Does the rear sight spring fit tightly? These springs wear and in time they loosen up. If the spring ever loosens up, your sight can move. Inspect the rear sight pinion and look at the teeth. If there is the slightest sign of wear, replace the pinion. Ditto for the rear sight aperture.
5. Remove the gas cylinder and take it to a professional machine shop. Have them measure the gas cylinder bore. It should measure between 0.528" and 0.532".
6. Send your operating rod to Columbus Machine Works to Mr. Mike Stacey. Mr. Stacey will rebuild your operating rod to the proper specifications. He is an expert. And if your gas cylinder bore is oversized, Mr. Stacy can install an oversize piston. Tell him your gas cylinder bore diameter and he will advise you what size piston you need. When your operating rod comes back, it will be perfectly rebuilt and better than it was when it was new. It will be better because Mr. Stacey builds them exactingly into the numbers
7. Have your gunsmith peen the barrel splines and fit the gas cylinder onto the barrel. There should be a gap about the diameter of one or maybe two business cards between the front handguard band and the gas cylinder.
8. Grease the rifle properly using a quality synthetic grease.
9. Buy the following items from Walmart: 1. A package of new underwear, a bar of soap, a stick of deodorant and a tube of Preparation H.
10. Certain smelly schmoes will look at your rifle and they will make snide remarks. They will spew forth trite information that is known to every schoolboy and they will insinuate that your rifle merely looks good and that it will never shoot. That's when you should give them the fresh underwear, soap and deodorant. Then tell them that they don't have to reek.
11. When you go to the range, you will meet a useless dope who will want you to sell him the rifle for an insultingly low price. When he gets upset, give him the tube of Preparation H and tell him not to be so butt hurt.
12. If your rifle will not shoot properly with the above steps, then have the Krieger barrel installed. When having the chamber finish reamed make sure that your smith uses a Pacific Tool and Gauge pull through reamer. And have him install a new barrel band. Krieger barrels are slightly oversized in diameter and this is done in order that the barrel band will fit tightly. The barrel band will need to be fitted.
ETA: I re-read your post and I am certain that if you follow steps 1-8, you will have the accuracy that you seek. In fact if you conduct steps 1-8 and if your Garand still won't shoot at least 2-3 MOA, I will buy if from you at a fair market price.
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Well this is one way of approaching things, but there are others worth considering. First off, a person has to know if they are capable of shooting MOA or better with iron sights. Second, you should be shooting MOA capable ammo, or all of the expense is kind of gilding the lily.
I'd throw in several caveats for openers;
1. First, if you have a collectable Garand, as opposed to a shooter, then avoid commercial stocks, barrels or other aftermarket parts as this will eliminate the desirability and value of the rifle as an authentic collectable military piece. If you are starting with one of the stripped Danish surplus receivers, then the sky is the limit as collectability is not an issue. I'd highly recommend the Breda and Beretta receivers as the basis of a custom built shooter rifle as these are of excellent quality. I spent 32 years in the Army and never saw a weapon with a bowling pin shine on the stock, except for some that were deactivated and used as shooting team trophies or as ornaments over the bar. I did see the USMC silent drill team perform in Washington D.C. and they did have their Garands all lovingly buffed up though, but this is showtime stuff. Same as the Honor Guards at Arlington Cemetery when I was there, but they were using M14s.
2. Second, be careful about who you hire to do your gunsmithing. Quality work on Garands involves specialized knowledge and tooling and not many have it. That's the main reason why I and others got into investing in the tools and knowledge to do our own work on them.
3. If you are contemplating any type of mechanical work on a Garand buy the Kuhnhausen Shop Manual. This is the best possible source for knowledge on inspection, repair, and accurizing. It only costs $45, less than a couple of boxes of ammo.
If you want to tune up your issue condition Garand and avoid the expense of a $5-600 Krieger barrel or a $300-1500 DGR stock, and even the cost of recommended toiletries from Wally-World, there are a number of things that can be done without too much trouble and expense.
1. Barrel. If the barrel is relatively unworn it can be a good shooter. The best way to check the condition of barrel, besides eyeballing the bore for pits and bulges, is to use throat and muzzle erosion gauges. The more critical of the 2 is the muzzle wear gauge. These can be had for under $50 and are basically a tapered plug gauge which goes from .300, the nominal bore diameter of a new barrel, up to .303. It is inserted in the muzzle and gives a quick read on the degree of erosion. Barrels gauging up to .302 at the muzzle can still be good shooters, probably better than most shooters would notice, compared to a new barrel. This was the US Army inspection criteria to retain instead of replace a barrel during rebuild, assuming that it was OK in other areas. I've cleaned up the crown of a couple of barrels that gauged .303 and still had them shoot to 3 MOA and a tad better. In addition to muzzle erosion, the condition of the crown is important. Gouges and dents in the crown will cause flyers. Go to a competent gunsmith for a re-crowning job, but be careful that he doesn't shorten the barrel in the process. If the barrel is actually cut back this will affect the pressure pulse at the gas port and may cause malfunctions. One key investment to prevent muzzle wear from the improper use of a cleaning rod is a cleaning rod guide, like the one made by Dewey. It slips over the muzzle and gas cylinder lock and keeps the rod centered in the bore. Dewey also makes one for the M14. It goes without saying that the barrel needs to be at top dead center vertical index for the sights and the action to work properly. I've re-indexed a couple of original arsenal barrel/receiver combinations to correct this, so it is worth checking.
2. Stock. The rifle won't shoot with a rattle fit stock. The 2 areas most likely to be compressed leading to a loose fitting stock are the 2 vertical faces behind the rear "legs" of the receiver and the 2 flats on the bottom of the stock where the trigger housing seats. The military fix for these areas was to cut them out and glue in walnut blocks which were then dressed down for a tight fit. In later years the military switched to glass bedding the bearing areas for the trigger housing in order to restore the desired amount of tension when the trigger guard is locked into position. These a problems can be fixed by gluing in wooden shims of the appropriate thickness. In the case of a loose vertical lock up, the 2 round locking lugs on the trigger guard should be checked for wear. These can wear flat and often the best fix is to simply to swap in a new trigger guard with full round lugs. Tension should be felt when the end of the trigger guard passes the trigger as the guard is being closed. Sometimes a tap on the guard with a rubber mallet is necessary to get it closed, but this is OK. The lugs on the guard should be greased to prevent excessive wear. One other area to check for proper vertical lockup is the top of the stock running back about 1.75 inches behind the rear legs of the receiver. The top of the stock should be dressed down on both sides in order for the heel of the receiver to flex a bit and bear hard against the top of the stock when the trigger housing is locked up. Just take off enough wood to see some daylight under the receiver in this specific area. Just a comment on the Boyds replacement stocks and handguards. The fit on these can be highly variable from one piece to the next and they often need quite a bit of work to get them to fit properly. Military stocks and handguards fit better than these and are still usable provided that they are not split, cracked or oil soaked. Many people have good results in refinishing them, but be careful of excessive sanding and removing original stampings and cartouches in the process. I once got a nice HRA stock on a rifle that the fellow must have reduced by 5% by sanding it all over and putting on a gloss finish. The rifle was great, but the stock was toast. Be careful never to sand a stock excessively, and never sand the top of a Garand stock.
3. Rear handguard. When this is installed you want to see some clearance between the rear of the wood and the face of the receiver, about the thickness of a business card. Dress this off with a file or a piece of sandpaper on a hardwood block to get the clearance. Both sides/bottom edges of the guard should not contact the stock. If they do, remove wood from the guard, not the top of the stock, until there is clearance here. If the guard makes hard contact or rocks on top of the chamber area, remove some wood from the inside surface to eliminate this.
4. Front handguard. There must be some perceptible motion/clearance between the rear face of the gas cylinder and the front handguard ferrule. Not a bunch, a business card thickness will normally do here. Also, the tab at the rear of the gas cylinder must not be in hard contact with the metal handguard liner or the inside of the handguard ferrule. A bit of rotational movement of the front handguard in the lower band is OK though. Often the reason for contact here is that the lower band is not centered on the barrel. If the lower band is tight on the barrel, you can give it a tap with a hardwood block and a hammer to shift it a bit to one side or another. If the band is loose, re-seat and center it using a new roll pin or check the other fixes for a loose lower band.
5. Lower band. The band must be tight and centered on the barrel. Bands can become loose as a result of removal or installation or because of differing tolerances. the first fix to try is to replace the roll pin with a new one. The pins are a spring and can become fatigued over time. You can get blued or unfinished roll pins, 1/8" diameter x 1/2" long from a quality hardware outlet. Often a new roll pin will tighten up a loose band which is secured by the old style solid pin. If the band is still loose, try a new one. You want at least a drag fit when installing it, the tighter the better. A tight band can be driven on using a piece of plastic electrical conduit as a sleeve to fit over the barrel and drive the band home without distorting it. The conduit has to be long enough to clear the muzzle as it is driven down with a hardwood block or a hammer. If a new band isn't available, the fit can be tightened up by using a center punch to displace some metal around the barrel surface where the band seats. A "poor boy" fix, which often works, is to put a band of aluminum foil around the barrel to act as a shim. Just trim off the excess with a craft knife after the band is installed and it won't even show. Sometimes the legs of the lower band are bent forward which will cause the front handguard to fit tighter than it otherwise would. These can sometimes be straightened in a vise by tapping the legs with a hardwood block and hammer.
I'll follow this up with another post on various checks and tweaks which can be done with other critical components incl the rear sight assembly, the operating rod and the gas cylinder, all with the aim of improving the accuracy of the issue condition rifle that you already have in hand.
I'd throw in several caveats for openers;
1. First, if you have a collectable Garand, as opposed to a shooter, then avoid commercial stocks, barrels or other aftermarket parts as this will eliminate the desirability and value of the rifle as an authentic collectable military piece. If you are starting with one of the stripped Danish surplus receivers, then the sky is the limit as collectability is not an issue. I'd highly recommend the Breda and Beretta receivers as the basis of a custom built shooter rifle as these are of excellent quality. I spent 32 years in the Army and never saw a weapon with a bowling pin shine on the stock, except for some that were deactivated and used as shooting team trophies or as ornaments over the bar. I did see the USMC silent drill team perform in Washington D.C. and they did have their Garands all lovingly buffed up though, but this is showtime stuff. Same as the Honor Guards at Arlington Cemetery when I was there, but they were using M14s.
2. Second, be careful about who you hire to do your gunsmithing. Quality work on Garands involves specialized knowledge and tooling and not many have it. That's the main reason why I and others got into investing in the tools and knowledge to do our own work on them.
3. If you are contemplating any type of mechanical work on a Garand buy the Kuhnhausen Shop Manual. This is the best possible source for knowledge on inspection, repair, and accurizing. It only costs $45, less than a couple of boxes of ammo.
If you want to tune up your issue condition Garand and avoid the expense of a $5-600 Krieger barrel or a $300-1500 DGR stock, and even the cost of recommended toiletries from Wally-World, there are a number of things that can be done without too much trouble and expense.
1. Barrel. If the barrel is relatively unworn it can be a good shooter. The best way to check the condition of barrel, besides eyeballing the bore for pits and bulges, is to use throat and muzzle erosion gauges. The more critical of the 2 is the muzzle wear gauge. These can be had for under $50 and are basically a tapered plug gauge which goes from .300, the nominal bore diameter of a new barrel, up to .303. It is inserted in the muzzle and gives a quick read on the degree of erosion. Barrels gauging up to .302 at the muzzle can still be good shooters, probably better than most shooters would notice, compared to a new barrel. This was the US Army inspection criteria to retain instead of replace a barrel during rebuild, assuming that it was OK in other areas. I've cleaned up the crown of a couple of barrels that gauged .303 and still had them shoot to 3 MOA and a tad better. In addition to muzzle erosion, the condition of the crown is important. Gouges and dents in the crown will cause flyers. Go to a competent gunsmith for a re-crowning job, but be careful that he doesn't shorten the barrel in the process. If the barrel is actually cut back this will affect the pressure pulse at the gas port and may cause malfunctions. One key investment to prevent muzzle wear from the improper use of a cleaning rod is a cleaning rod guide, like the one made by Dewey. It slips over the muzzle and gas cylinder lock and keeps the rod centered in the bore. Dewey also makes one for the M14. It goes without saying that the barrel needs to be at top dead center vertical index for the sights and the action to work properly. I've re-indexed a couple of original arsenal barrel/receiver combinations to correct this, so it is worth checking.
2. Stock. The rifle won't shoot with a rattle fit stock. The 2 areas most likely to be compressed leading to a loose fitting stock are the 2 vertical faces behind the rear "legs" of the receiver and the 2 flats on the bottom of the stock where the trigger housing seats. The military fix for these areas was to cut them out and glue in walnut blocks which were then dressed down for a tight fit. In later years the military switched to glass bedding the bearing areas for the trigger housing in order to restore the desired amount of tension when the trigger guard is locked into position. These a problems can be fixed by gluing in wooden shims of the appropriate thickness. In the case of a loose vertical lock up, the 2 round locking lugs on the trigger guard should be checked for wear. These can wear flat and often the best fix is to simply to swap in a new trigger guard with full round lugs. Tension should be felt when the end of the trigger guard passes the trigger as the guard is being closed. Sometimes a tap on the guard with a rubber mallet is necessary to get it closed, but this is OK. The lugs on the guard should be greased to prevent excessive wear. One other area to check for proper vertical lockup is the top of the stock running back about 1.75 inches behind the rear legs of the receiver. The top of the stock should be dressed down on both sides in order for the heel of the receiver to flex a bit and bear hard against the top of the stock when the trigger housing is locked up. Just take off enough wood to see some daylight under the receiver in this specific area. Just a comment on the Boyds replacement stocks and handguards. The fit on these can be highly variable from one piece to the next and they often need quite a bit of work to get them to fit properly. Military stocks and handguards fit better than these and are still usable provided that they are not split, cracked or oil soaked. Many people have good results in refinishing them, but be careful of excessive sanding and removing original stampings and cartouches in the process. I once got a nice HRA stock on a rifle that the fellow must have reduced by 5% by sanding it all over and putting on a gloss finish. The rifle was great, but the stock was toast. Be careful never to sand a stock excessively, and never sand the top of a Garand stock.
3. Rear handguard. When this is installed you want to see some clearance between the rear of the wood and the face of the receiver, about the thickness of a business card. Dress this off with a file or a piece of sandpaper on a hardwood block to get the clearance. Both sides/bottom edges of the guard should not contact the stock. If they do, remove wood from the guard, not the top of the stock, until there is clearance here. If the guard makes hard contact or rocks on top of the chamber area, remove some wood from the inside surface to eliminate this.
4. Front handguard. There must be some perceptible motion/clearance between the rear face of the gas cylinder and the front handguard ferrule. Not a bunch, a business card thickness will normally do here. Also, the tab at the rear of the gas cylinder must not be in hard contact with the metal handguard liner or the inside of the handguard ferrule. A bit of rotational movement of the front handguard in the lower band is OK though. Often the reason for contact here is that the lower band is not centered on the barrel. If the lower band is tight on the barrel, you can give it a tap with a hardwood block and a hammer to shift it a bit to one side or another. If the band is loose, re-seat and center it using a new roll pin or check the other fixes for a loose lower band.
5. Lower band. The band must be tight and centered on the barrel. Bands can become loose as a result of removal or installation or because of differing tolerances. the first fix to try is to replace the roll pin with a new one. The pins are a spring and can become fatigued over time. You can get blued or unfinished roll pins, 1/8" diameter x 1/2" long from a quality hardware outlet. Often a new roll pin will tighten up a loose band which is secured by the old style solid pin. If the band is still loose, try a new one. You want at least a drag fit when installing it, the tighter the better. A tight band can be driven on using a piece of plastic electrical conduit as a sleeve to fit over the barrel and drive the band home without distorting it. The conduit has to be long enough to clear the muzzle as it is driven down with a hardwood block or a hammer. If a new band isn't available, the fit can be tightened up by using a center punch to displace some metal around the barrel surface where the band seats. A "poor boy" fix, which often works, is to put a band of aluminum foil around the barrel to act as a shim. Just trim off the excess with a craft knife after the band is installed and it won't even show. Sometimes the legs of the lower band are bent forward which will cause the front handguard to fit tighter than it otherwise would. These can sometimes be straightened in a vise by tapping the legs with a hardwood block and hammer.
I'll follow this up with another post on various checks and tweaks which can be done with other critical components incl the rear sight assembly, the operating rod and the gas cylinder, all with the aim of improving the accuracy of the issue condition rifle that you already have in hand.
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I have a couple Italian Danes.....Breda (still has the itallian SILE walnut stock) and a Beretta, bought them back before the hype for $300 and $350. They both shoot great with my handloads, to the point I've shocked myself several times.
At one point about 8-10 years ago a fellow wanted to trade me a decent condition USGI 1911 for the Breda, at that time the 1911's were running around $650 so I figured it was a fair deal. We met at the range and took turns shooting each others guns. I was back and forth on whether I really wanted to let her go and said I'll put 8 more rounds through it and decide. Well those 8 rounds were in a nice tight line all touching, in the bull, at 100m. That was it....never parting with it.
At one point about 8-10 years ago a fellow wanted to trade me a decent condition USGI 1911 for the Breda, at that time the 1911's were running around $650 so I figured it was a fair deal. We met at the range and took turns shooting each others guns. I was back and forth on whether I really wanted to let her go and said I'll put 8 more rounds through it and decide. Well those 8 rounds were in a nice tight line all touching, in the bull, at 100m. That was it....never parting with it.
I just absolutely dig your mantra and method 
I take the same, I don't screw around approach when building my own m14 rifles.
makes some rifles take a long time to assemble just right
gorgeous rifles by the way, makes me want to build a garand tho...... dammit
I take the same, I don't screw around approach when building my own m14 rifles.
makes some rifles take a long time to assemble just right
gorgeous rifles by the way, makes me want to build a garand tho...... dammit
Oh man, have these last few posts been pure gold for me!.
Just this evening, Hungry took me down into his cave and indexed my barrel to perfection ... sorted out my rear sight windage issues too ...
Now, I have all the above guidance at hand to fit the beautious(thx avalonthas!)James River stock ... which is soo tight as to require some judicious inletting to close up the guard.
Thx gents and purple ... now I know what I needed to know at this crucial stage of the build.
Just this evening, Hungry took me down into his cave and indexed my barrel to perfection ... sorted out my rear sight windage issues too ...
Now, I have all the above guidance at hand to fit the beautious(thx avalonthas!)James River stock ... which is soo tight as to require some judicious inletting to close up the guard.
Thx gents and purple
... now I know what I needed to know at this crucial stage of the build.Here are a few more tips on various checks and tweaks which can be done to an issue condition or any other Garand to improve it's accuracy;
1. Operating rod. A properly fitting and in-spec op rod is critical, both for functionality and for accuracy(and safety). The diameter and condition of the piston is critical. Measure the diameter of the piston with a mic. It should measure .525. It should also be fully round in appearance. If smaller, there is a fair chance that it will not capture sufficient gas in the gas cylinder to cycle the action properly, especially with a worn gas cylinder. Test fire it to check. If the piston is undersize/out of round and won't cycle the rifle properly, then it needs replacement. There are other areas of the op rod which can be gauged, but the best way to check for correct fit is to examine it's fit and function when it is installed. The first area to check is the tab or ear which engages the slot on the receiver. These can become reduced in height or deformed. If the tab looks square, that's a good thing. If the tab is too short or too thin, it may lead to op rod disengagements on firing. Check for looseness when you install/remove and cycle the rod by hand w/o the op rod spring installed. If it disengages or is very sloppy then replace the rod with a good one or send the rod out to have the tab re-built with TIG weld and re-ground to spec. When you cycle the op rod by hand or pull it back to load, do this with the palm of the hand down and just pull it straight back. If you go palm up and exert upward pressure on the handle as you draw it back, you might cause it to dismount. Also, check the 2 lugs on the bottom that engage the op rod catch. They should be even in wear patterns and not scarred or gouged. Next, check the camming surfaces on the interior of the op rod handle that engage the bolt lug. These are a high wear area and the steel of the op rod is relatively soft in comparison to the receiver or bolt. This can cause metal displacement or deformation of the camming surfaces which can lead to op rod dismounts or cause the rod to lift in recoil. These areas can be reconditioned by someone having the expertise to do so. Assuming that the rod is OK in the above areas, the next check is the "tilt test" to check for a binding op rod. To do this remove the rifle from the stock, remove the op rod spring and guide and remove the other receiver internals. You are now looking at the rifle with both handguards, the gas cylinder assembly, the bolt and the op rod installed. Holding the rifle in a horizontal position with the sights upwards and the bolt closed, lift the muzzle to a 45-60 degree angle. The bolt and op rod should retract to the fully open position from their own weight alone. Return the rifle to the horizontal position with the bolt fully open, then lower the muzzle to a 45-60 deg angle. The bolt and op rod should then close fully from their own weight alone. If the op rod passes the tilt test without binding on any areas in its back and forth travel, you are pretty much golden for fit. A last test here is to install the rifle in the stock in the same condition as for the "tilt test", then cycle the op rod back and forth to check for the rod binding in the stock channel. If the rifle does not pass the "tilt test" look for op rod interference in the following areas;
a. Stock ferrule. You can put a bit of grease in the ferrule, around the interior of it's "U" shape, and see if the rod picks it up when cycled by hand. If there is contact this can be seen from the grease on the op rod tube. Use a small circular file to remove metal from the inside of the stock ferrule where the rod is in contact.
b. Lower band. Grease the inside of the band and look for op rod contact. If it is found on one side of the band, there is a possibility that the band is off center on the barrel and this should be checked. If the rod still contacts the inner surface of either leg of the lower band after verifying that the band is centered/vertical on the barrel, chances are that the rod is improperly bent. If the rod contacts the bottom of the band in the center, the band can be dressed down a bit with a circular file.
c. Front handguard liner. This will show up as a bright/worn area on either side or in the middle of the liner. This could be caused by the handguard being off center as a result of the lower band being off center, or perhaps an uneven wooden tenon on the guard engaging the lower band and causing the handguard to seat in an off center position. Hard binding of the rod on the center line of the liner can mean that the handguard is too low in relation to the op rod. This can often be eliminated by swapping in another handguard or a more drastic fix like recasting the fit of the wooden tenon to cause the guard to sit higher in the lower band. The liner can also be swaged upwards in a jig or can be re-set with epoxy in the guard to cause it to be higher. Hard binding of the rod against the liner can also indicate that the rod tube may need to be re-bent. Best to try another handguard than resort to these more drastic fixes, particularly with a collectable rifle. Even with a rifle that passes the "tilt test", there will almost always be a faint wear/drag line caused by the op rod running against the center of the liner. This will happen because the rod bows slightly in recoil. The ultimate solution for this in a match conditioned rifle was to remove the handguard liner entirely and to unitize the front handguard with the lower band with screws. Hence the warning, "never pick up a match conditioned Garand by the front handguard".
d. Bottom of the barrel in the chamber area. There will always be a drag/wear line caused by op rod "saddle" making contact here, and that's OK. The line should be continuous without skips along the way. If you see skipping or binding contact with the op rod "saddle" here this will normally indicate that the op rod needs re-bending.
g. Gas cylinder. If the rod is binding in the interior of the gas cylinder, this indicates that the tube of the op rod needs re-bending, assuming that the gas cylinder is in serviceable condition.
h. Stock channel. Interference can be seen from rub marks and grease from the rod. Just relieve the areas of wood that are binding.
Op rods and their fit are a bit of a mystery sometimes. I once wanted to install a NM rod on a nice shooting rifle that I had re-barreled with a NOS 1949 GI barrel and fitted with NM sights in a glass bedded NM stock. This rod had worked fine on a couple of other rifles, but wouldn't pass the tilt test on this one. The NM rods are built for a closer fit than the regular ones. I eventually got it to pass the tilt test by installing a replacement bolt which headspaced correctly. Goes to show that manufacturing tolerances and wear patterns can make a difference. Re-bending an op rod for proper fit is a big challenge which takes a lot of time, trial and error fitting and a rigid shop press or vise with a suitable fixture to clamp the tube. I've done this several times to get a proper parts match on a collector type rifle, but generally just swap rods until I get one that will fit properly. You can send rods out for re-bending, re-pistoning, and re-conditioning. New ones are next to impossible to find and rods are getting expensive. There is no commercial source to do this work that I am aware of in Canada. The source quoted in post #51 has a good reputation and advertises in the Garand Collectors Journal.
2. Gas cylinder. There are a number of areas which should be checked and /or adjusted for functionality and accuracy. these include;
a. Condition/size of the bore. A worn cylinder bore can cause loss of gas which causes short stroking. The interior of the bore can be checked with plug gauges of known dimensions against specs, but the best test is just to test fire the rifle with the op rod that it has. If the op rod piston is the correct dimension and the rifle short strokes, you can assume that the bore is worn and that the cylinder needs to be replaced.
b. Fit on barrel splines. The gas cylinder must fit the splines tightly enough so that there is no rotational movement. If there is the sight picture will vary for each shot. Barrel splines can be LIGHTLY peened with a flat faced punch just enough to break the edge of the spline and displace a bit of metal. this will cause the splines on the cylinder to fit more tightly and prevent rotational movement. When peening support the splined area of the barrel on a wooden block and peen the splineway edges lightly and evenly checking for tight fit of the cylinder. A drive on fit of the cylinder is OK. If you do this use a hardwood block on the front/back of the bayo lug to drive the cylinder on/off with a hammer. Never hammer directly on the gas cylinder.
c. Location of the gas cylinder on the barrel. You are looking for a fit where the gas port of the barrel is fully visible thru the corresponding "window" in the interior of the gas cylinder. The gas port is smaller than the window, so the gas cylinder position can be varied a bit while still maintaining proper gas supply to the cylinder. The gas cylinder is located on the barrel with the gas cylinder lock and where the lock times up hard against the corresponding barrel shoulder. Threading and timing of the locks are highly variable. The optimum fit has always been a lock that times up against the barrel shoulder at the 6 o'clock position which will allow the gas cyl screw to be inserted w/o backing the lock away from full contact with the barrel shoulder. Less is best. If you can't find a lock that times up at the optimum 6 o'clock position, select one that is closest to it which will allow the gas plug to be inserted with a minimum degree of backing off the lock. A lock that times up anywhere between the 6 and 10 o'clock position is good. It's a good idea to have a number of locks available for trial fitting. Assuming that a suitable lock is found which allows the full exposure of the gas port in the gas cylinder window, the next check is for interference between the rear face of the gas cylinder and the face of the front handguard ferrule. There must be some perceptible clearance here. If not, the barrel will bind when heated, accuracy will suffer and the handguard will most likely crack (you see a lot of used military ones that are cracked for this reason). To establish this clearance you can re-locate the gas cylinder on the barrel by using a different lock that allows the gas cylinder to be moved forward-provided that the gas port/window relationship is maintained. You can also test fit a different handguard as there are variations in length. Never remove metal from the rear face of the gas cylinder to get some clearance here. While here, re-check the tab/shelf at the rear of the gas cylinder to make sure that it isn't making contact with the metal on the interior of the handguard ferrule.
d. Stacking swivel. The stacking swivel should be screwed down tight, so that it doesn't swing back and forth to smack against the bottom of the gas cylinder when firing. A small detail, but shot to shot consistency is important and this can act like a little variable weight and even a hammer on the bottom of the cylinder.
3. Gas cylinder screw. Examine the interior face for cracks. If there is a crack, replace it. Cracks cause gas leakage and variable gas supply, bad for function and accuracy. Also make sure that the valve is fully closed for the same reason. You can check/clean the valve interior and spring function by placing a punch upright in a vise and then depressing the front interior surface until the valve opens. There is a tool made for this, but the punch/vise idea works OK. Keep the screw tight at all times when shooting. You can use the blade of the combo tool, a suitable screwdriver or a 1/4 inch socket drive to do this. When tightening/removing the screw support the gas cylinder with a wrench that is made for this purpose (you can get them for the M14 too). The reason is to prevent sideways torque on the gas cylinder splines and barrel splineways which can booger up the tight fit here.
More to follow on sights and reloading and proper ammo selection for a Garand. I don't think I need to offer anything on safety checks, lubing, or malfunctions/trouble shooting as these are covered pretty well elsewhere. These don't impinge directly on accuracy either.
1. Operating rod. A properly fitting and in-spec op rod is critical, both for functionality and for accuracy(and safety). The diameter and condition of the piston is critical. Measure the diameter of the piston with a mic. It should measure .525. It should also be fully round in appearance. If smaller, there is a fair chance that it will not capture sufficient gas in the gas cylinder to cycle the action properly, especially with a worn gas cylinder. Test fire it to check. If the piston is undersize/out of round and won't cycle the rifle properly, then it needs replacement. There are other areas of the op rod which can be gauged, but the best way to check for correct fit is to examine it's fit and function when it is installed. The first area to check is the tab or ear which engages the slot on the receiver. These can become reduced in height or deformed. If the tab looks square, that's a good thing. If the tab is too short or too thin, it may lead to op rod disengagements on firing. Check for looseness when you install/remove and cycle the rod by hand w/o the op rod spring installed. If it disengages or is very sloppy then replace the rod with a good one or send the rod out to have the tab re-built with TIG weld and re-ground to spec. When you cycle the op rod by hand or pull it back to load, do this with the palm of the hand down and just pull it straight back. If you go palm up and exert upward pressure on the handle as you draw it back, you might cause it to dismount. Also, check the 2 lugs on the bottom that engage the op rod catch. They should be even in wear patterns and not scarred or gouged. Next, check the camming surfaces on the interior of the op rod handle that engage the bolt lug. These are a high wear area and the steel of the op rod is relatively soft in comparison to the receiver or bolt. This can cause metal displacement or deformation of the camming surfaces which can lead to op rod dismounts or cause the rod to lift in recoil. These areas can be reconditioned by someone having the expertise to do so. Assuming that the rod is OK in the above areas, the next check is the "tilt test" to check for a binding op rod. To do this remove the rifle from the stock, remove the op rod spring and guide and remove the other receiver internals. You are now looking at the rifle with both handguards, the gas cylinder assembly, the bolt and the op rod installed. Holding the rifle in a horizontal position with the sights upwards and the bolt closed, lift the muzzle to a 45-60 degree angle. The bolt and op rod should retract to the fully open position from their own weight alone. Return the rifle to the horizontal position with the bolt fully open, then lower the muzzle to a 45-60 deg angle. The bolt and op rod should then close fully from their own weight alone. If the op rod passes the tilt test without binding on any areas in its back and forth travel, you are pretty much golden for fit. A last test here is to install the rifle in the stock in the same condition as for the "tilt test", then cycle the op rod back and forth to check for the rod binding in the stock channel. If the rifle does not pass the "tilt test" look for op rod interference in the following areas;
a. Stock ferrule. You can put a bit of grease in the ferrule, around the interior of it's "U" shape, and see if the rod picks it up when cycled by hand. If there is contact this can be seen from the grease on the op rod tube. Use a small circular file to remove metal from the inside of the stock ferrule where the rod is in contact.
b. Lower band. Grease the inside of the band and look for op rod contact. If it is found on one side of the band, there is a possibility that the band is off center on the barrel and this should be checked. If the rod still contacts the inner surface of either leg of the lower band after verifying that the band is centered/vertical on the barrel, chances are that the rod is improperly bent. If the rod contacts the bottom of the band in the center, the band can be dressed down a bit with a circular file.
c. Front handguard liner. This will show up as a bright/worn area on either side or in the middle of the liner. This could be caused by the handguard being off center as a result of the lower band being off center, or perhaps an uneven wooden tenon on the guard engaging the lower band and causing the handguard to seat in an off center position. Hard binding of the rod on the center line of the liner can mean that the handguard is too low in relation to the op rod. This can often be eliminated by swapping in another handguard or a more drastic fix like recasting the fit of the wooden tenon to cause the guard to sit higher in the lower band. The liner can also be swaged upwards in a jig or can be re-set with epoxy in the guard to cause it to be higher. Hard binding of the rod against the liner can also indicate that the rod tube may need to be re-bent. Best to try another handguard than resort to these more drastic fixes, particularly with a collectable rifle. Even with a rifle that passes the "tilt test", there will almost always be a faint wear/drag line caused by the op rod running against the center of the liner. This will happen because the rod bows slightly in recoil. The ultimate solution for this in a match conditioned rifle was to remove the handguard liner entirely and to unitize the front handguard with the lower band with screws. Hence the warning, "never pick up a match conditioned Garand by the front handguard".
d. Bottom of the barrel in the chamber area. There will always be a drag/wear line caused by op rod "saddle" making contact here, and that's OK. The line should be continuous without skips along the way. If you see skipping or binding contact with the op rod "saddle" here this will normally indicate that the op rod needs re-bending.
g. Gas cylinder. If the rod is binding in the interior of the gas cylinder, this indicates that the tube of the op rod needs re-bending, assuming that the gas cylinder is in serviceable condition.
h. Stock channel. Interference can be seen from rub marks and grease from the rod. Just relieve the areas of wood that are binding.
Op rods and their fit are a bit of a mystery sometimes. I once wanted to install a NM rod on a nice shooting rifle that I had re-barreled with a NOS 1949 GI barrel and fitted with NM sights in a glass bedded NM stock. This rod had worked fine on a couple of other rifles, but wouldn't pass the tilt test on this one. The NM rods are built for a closer fit than the regular ones. I eventually got it to pass the tilt test by installing a replacement bolt which headspaced correctly. Goes to show that manufacturing tolerances and wear patterns can make a difference. Re-bending an op rod for proper fit is a big challenge which takes a lot of time, trial and error fitting and a rigid shop press or vise with a suitable fixture to clamp the tube. I've done this several times to get a proper parts match on a collector type rifle, but generally just swap rods until I get one that will fit properly. You can send rods out for re-bending, re-pistoning, and re-conditioning. New ones are next to impossible to find and rods are getting expensive. There is no commercial source to do this work that I am aware of in Canada. The source quoted in post #51 has a good reputation and advertises in the Garand Collectors Journal.
2. Gas cylinder. There are a number of areas which should be checked and /or adjusted for functionality and accuracy. these include;
a. Condition/size of the bore. A worn cylinder bore can cause loss of gas which causes short stroking. The interior of the bore can be checked with plug gauges of known dimensions against specs, but the best test is just to test fire the rifle with the op rod that it has. If the op rod piston is the correct dimension and the rifle short strokes, you can assume that the bore is worn and that the cylinder needs to be replaced.
b. Fit on barrel splines. The gas cylinder must fit the splines tightly enough so that there is no rotational movement. If there is the sight picture will vary for each shot. Barrel splines can be LIGHTLY peened with a flat faced punch just enough to break the edge of the spline and displace a bit of metal. this will cause the splines on the cylinder to fit more tightly and prevent rotational movement. When peening support the splined area of the barrel on a wooden block and peen the splineway edges lightly and evenly checking for tight fit of the cylinder. A drive on fit of the cylinder is OK. If you do this use a hardwood block on the front/back of the bayo lug to drive the cylinder on/off with a hammer. Never hammer directly on the gas cylinder.
c. Location of the gas cylinder on the barrel. You are looking for a fit where the gas port of the barrel is fully visible thru the corresponding "window" in the interior of the gas cylinder. The gas port is smaller than the window, so the gas cylinder position can be varied a bit while still maintaining proper gas supply to the cylinder. The gas cylinder is located on the barrel with the gas cylinder lock and where the lock times up hard against the corresponding barrel shoulder. Threading and timing of the locks are highly variable. The optimum fit has always been a lock that times up against the barrel shoulder at the 6 o'clock position which will allow the gas cyl screw to be inserted w/o backing the lock away from full contact with the barrel shoulder. Less is best. If you can't find a lock that times up at the optimum 6 o'clock position, select one that is closest to it which will allow the gas plug to be inserted with a minimum degree of backing off the lock. A lock that times up anywhere between the 6 and 10 o'clock position is good. It's a good idea to have a number of locks available for trial fitting. Assuming that a suitable lock is found which allows the full exposure of the gas port in the gas cylinder window, the next check is for interference between the rear face of the gas cylinder and the face of the front handguard ferrule. There must be some perceptible clearance here. If not, the barrel will bind when heated, accuracy will suffer and the handguard will most likely crack (you see a lot of used military ones that are cracked for this reason). To establish this clearance you can re-locate the gas cylinder on the barrel by using a different lock that allows the gas cylinder to be moved forward-provided that the gas port/window relationship is maintained. You can also test fit a different handguard as there are variations in length. Never remove metal from the rear face of the gas cylinder to get some clearance here. While here, re-check the tab/shelf at the rear of the gas cylinder to make sure that it isn't making contact with the metal on the interior of the handguard ferrule.
d. Stacking swivel. The stacking swivel should be screwed down tight, so that it doesn't swing back and forth to smack against the bottom of the gas cylinder when firing. A small detail, but shot to shot consistency is important and this can act like a little variable weight and even a hammer on the bottom of the cylinder.
3. Gas cylinder screw. Examine the interior face for cracks. If there is a crack, replace it. Cracks cause gas leakage and variable gas supply, bad for function and accuracy. Also make sure that the valve is fully closed for the same reason. You can check/clean the valve interior and spring function by placing a punch upright in a vise and then depressing the front interior surface until the valve opens. There is a tool made for this, but the punch/vise idea works OK. Keep the screw tight at all times when shooting. You can use the blade of the combo tool, a suitable screwdriver or a 1/4 inch socket drive to do this. When tightening/removing the screw support the gas cylinder with a wrench that is made for this purpose (you can get them for the M14 too). The reason is to prevent sideways torque on the gas cylinder splines and barrel splineways which can booger up the tight fit here.
More to follow on sights and reloading and proper ammo selection for a Garand. I don't think I need to offer anything on safety checks, lubing, or malfunctions/trouble shooting as these are covered pretty well elsewhere. These don't impinge directly on accuracy either.
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Here is some info on improving Garand sights and triggers which might be useful to some folks for better shooting.
1. Rear sight assembly. The Garand has one of the best sights ever devised for a military rifle, but they need to be set up properly for best shooting. A couple of caveats on this: first, avoid using any of the Chinese made M14 rear sight components. They look similar to the Garand components, but are of inferior quality due to softer steel. Also, they are made to a different dimensional spec and will not work well, if at all, when mixed with standard Garand sight components. Second, don't diminish the value of a collectable rifle by swapping in different, non-matching sight components. All rear sight components made by the 6 military makers are interchangeable and components for the US built M14s and Italian BM59s can also be used, but mixing should only be done on a shooter type rifle. The military sight components have different variations in shape and markings, depending on the maker, and should be kept with a rifle of the same make. For example, the WRA made base and aperture are slightly different as are the distinctively marked IHC bases and sight knobs.
The idea with the rear sight assembly for a better shooting rifle is to select components which have the tightest fit and keep the required amount of tension when shooting. This is good for an M14 as well. All components are subject to small differences in manufacturing tolerances and wear. I keep a pretty good selection of parts on hand which allows for trial fitting. Start with the base and aperture and look for a combination that shows the minimum amount of side to slide sloppiness when put together. Next, find a rear sight cover with the least amount of wear on the inner rib which bears against the aperture when assembled. Trial fit a number of base, aperture and cover combinations on the receiver using these 3 parts together-no pinion or windage knob. Snap the cover into place and then push the assembly forward feeling for some springback when it passes the holes in the receiver ears. This spring tension is desired to keep some tension on the pinion gear when the sight is assembled. You will see that all spring covers show some degree of metal removal on the interior rib from contacting the aperture unit as it is raised/lowered. This is why it is good to try one with a fully intact rib first. On the aperture, make sure that the hole is round and centered and smaller than .074 internal diameter. Smaller is better for a shooter. Next, look at the pinion/elevation knob. The first thing to check is the small "tit" on the inner surface which engages the serrations on the left side of the receiver. If the "tit" is worn significantly it will tend to move on the serrations when the sight is assembled causing the aperture to slip under recoil. Discard an elevation knob/pinion assembly with a bad "tit". Next examine the teeth on the pinion. If they are badly worn, gouged or deformed don't use it. Same thing with the teeth on the aperture which mesh with the pinion. Next, tighten the adjustment screw in the center of the pinion. Grasp the knob with a leather pad in a pair of pliers to prevent marring the knob and tighten the screw with a well fitting screwdriver. Don't make this "gorilla tight". Just use a 6 inch screwdriver and snug it up. Take a look at the windage knob. The inner face bearing areas should be smooth, the thread should fit the base properly and the tensioning spring which works against the inner tensioning nut should not be broken. Before assembling the sight on the receiver check and clean the serrations on the left side of the receiver. These should not be worn or full of crud or the "tit" of the elevation knob will slip out of them in recoil. You can clean any crud out of them with a fine dental pick and a brush. If the serrations are worn to the point that they will not retain the "tit" on the elevation knob, you can epoxy on a serrated disk to correct this. But with the price of the cheap Italian receivers, you are farther ahead to get another receiver to make a shooter rifle. Another fix for worn serrations is to use an old style lockbar pinion and windage knob set. The inner face of the elevation knob on these has many contact points for the serrations, instead of just the single "tit" on the late style pinion knob. Next get your lubriplate or similar quality Garand grease and go to work on all of the sight components before assembling them. The grease will prevent wear, allow smoother adjustments and also help tighten up the fit a tad. Grease is good here. It will stay in place where oil will not. On the base apply grease to the rails where the aperture fits, the foot of the base where it contacts the top of the receiver (see the rub marks), also a bit in the left hole where the pinion turns. Next, grease the teeth on the bottom surface of the aperture and and apply a bit to the toe where it can contact the top of the receiver as well. The rib on the inner surface of the sight cover needs to be greased as well (you will see how all of the dry old used ones are worn down). On the elevation knob/pinion grease the "tit", the teeth on the pinion and around the shaft where it rotates in the base and the receiver ear. On the windage knob, grease the inner contact surfaces which will bear against the side of the receiver. Lastly, grease the serrations on the left side of the receiver as well as the inner surfaces of the holes in the ears for the windage knob and elevation pinion. Next, assemble the rear sight unit as per instructions and watch for proper tension against the pinion shaft. If there is too much which causes the knob to be too tight, try another sight cover. Test the assembled sight watching for smooth operation and tightness. You want to tighten the tensioning nut in the center of the windage knob enough to allow both knobs to move with reasonably tight finger pressure and to hold the aperture from slipping down under thumb pressure on the top when it is cranked up to an extended position. Blacken the aperture against shine before shooting and start with a mechanical zero where the lines on the base are centered with the center one on the receiver scale. Most Garands will get you on paper @ 100 yds with a mechanical zero where the rear sight base is centered and the aperture is 8-12 clicks up from the lowest setting and the front sight is centered on the gas cylinder. You can do preliminary windage adjustments @ 100 yds with the front sight and save the adjustment in the rear sight for longer ranges. Even after all of the above, some folk like to insure for rear sight tightness by slipping an elastic band around the aperture and around the elevation knob!
2. Front sight. The blade should be unbent and square and even on the sides and top. You can dress it down for square with a fine file, but be careful of lowering the height. The height of the front sight when measured from the top of the blade to the bottom of the sight is .723-.728. Some folk like to use the IHC made sights with the wider ears to avoid mistaking an ear for the blade when shooting. Keep the front sight blade and inside of the ears dull black against shine for a sharp sight contrast on the target. When removing or tightening the front sight support the gas cylinder with a purpose made wrench to avoid excessive torque on the barrel and gas cylinder splines. When doing preliminary zeroing @ 100 yds, initial windage can be taken by shifting the front sight to either side of the gas cylinder without the base overhanging the gas cylinder.
3. Trigger. Safe trigger pull can be anywhere from 4.5 to 7.5 lbs with a nice creep-free let off on the second stage. A pull on the lighter side is better for accuracy. Check the hammer hooks for wear, burrs and chips (a safety concern as well). Also, check the hammer spring housing for cracks in the area where the trigger pin passes thru. Check the trigger/sear for intact condition of the hole and the rest of the assembly. The trigger pin should be .096-.099 diameter with no bends. Check the hammer spring for deformation and binding in the housing. Check the face of the plunger that seats against the hammer for burrs and pits. The early style plunger with the ears is preferred by target shooters. Check the safety for bends, burrs and breaks. Trigger pull can be adjusted by stoning critical spots on the hammer and sear, as done for match rifles, but this can impact safety. Most people are probably further ahead to get an improvement in trigger pull by selectively swapping parts. The rifle must always pass safety checks for the trigger assembly. Collector type rifles should always match make and drawing numbers on the hammer and safety with those on the trigger housing.
1. Rear sight assembly. The Garand has one of the best sights ever devised for a military rifle, but they need to be set up properly for best shooting. A couple of caveats on this: first, avoid using any of the Chinese made M14 rear sight components. They look similar to the Garand components, but are of inferior quality due to softer steel. Also, they are made to a different dimensional spec and will not work well, if at all, when mixed with standard Garand sight components. Second, don't diminish the value of a collectable rifle by swapping in different, non-matching sight components. All rear sight components made by the 6 military makers are interchangeable and components for the US built M14s and Italian BM59s can also be used, but mixing should only be done on a shooter type rifle. The military sight components have different variations in shape and markings, depending on the maker, and should be kept with a rifle of the same make. For example, the WRA made base and aperture are slightly different as are the distinctively marked IHC bases and sight knobs.
The idea with the rear sight assembly for a better shooting rifle is to select components which have the tightest fit and keep the required amount of tension when shooting. This is good for an M14 as well. All components are subject to small differences in manufacturing tolerances and wear. I keep a pretty good selection of parts on hand which allows for trial fitting. Start with the base and aperture and look for a combination that shows the minimum amount of side to slide sloppiness when put together. Next, find a rear sight cover with the least amount of wear on the inner rib which bears against the aperture when assembled. Trial fit a number of base, aperture and cover combinations on the receiver using these 3 parts together-no pinion or windage knob. Snap the cover into place and then push the assembly forward feeling for some springback when it passes the holes in the receiver ears. This spring tension is desired to keep some tension on the pinion gear when the sight is assembled. You will see that all spring covers show some degree of metal removal on the interior rib from contacting the aperture unit as it is raised/lowered. This is why it is good to try one with a fully intact rib first. On the aperture, make sure that the hole is round and centered and smaller than .074 internal diameter. Smaller is better for a shooter. Next, look at the pinion/elevation knob. The first thing to check is the small "tit" on the inner surface which engages the serrations on the left side of the receiver. If the "tit" is worn significantly it will tend to move on the serrations when the sight is assembled causing the aperture to slip under recoil. Discard an elevation knob/pinion assembly with a bad "tit". Next examine the teeth on the pinion. If they are badly worn, gouged or deformed don't use it. Same thing with the teeth on the aperture which mesh with the pinion. Next, tighten the adjustment screw in the center of the pinion. Grasp the knob with a leather pad in a pair of pliers to prevent marring the knob and tighten the screw with a well fitting screwdriver. Don't make this "gorilla tight". Just use a 6 inch screwdriver and snug it up. Take a look at the windage knob. The inner face bearing areas should be smooth, the thread should fit the base properly and the tensioning spring which works against the inner tensioning nut should not be broken. Before assembling the sight on the receiver check and clean the serrations on the left side of the receiver. These should not be worn or full of crud or the "tit" of the elevation knob will slip out of them in recoil. You can clean any crud out of them with a fine dental pick and a brush. If the serrations are worn to the point that they will not retain the "tit" on the elevation knob, you can epoxy on a serrated disk to correct this. But with the price of the cheap Italian receivers, you are farther ahead to get another receiver to make a shooter rifle. Another fix for worn serrations is to use an old style lockbar pinion and windage knob set. The inner face of the elevation knob on these has many contact points for the serrations, instead of just the single "tit" on the late style pinion knob. Next get your lubriplate or similar quality Garand grease and go to work on all of the sight components before assembling them. The grease will prevent wear, allow smoother adjustments and also help tighten up the fit a tad. Grease is good here. It will stay in place where oil will not. On the base apply grease to the rails where the aperture fits, the foot of the base where it contacts the top of the receiver (see the rub marks), also a bit in the left hole where the pinion turns. Next, grease the teeth on the bottom surface of the aperture and and apply a bit to the toe where it can contact the top of the receiver as well. The rib on the inner surface of the sight cover needs to be greased as well (you will see how all of the dry old used ones are worn down). On the elevation knob/pinion grease the "tit", the teeth on the pinion and around the shaft where it rotates in the base and the receiver ear. On the windage knob, grease the inner contact surfaces which will bear against the side of the receiver. Lastly, grease the serrations on the left side of the receiver as well as the inner surfaces of the holes in the ears for the windage knob and elevation pinion. Next, assemble the rear sight unit as per instructions and watch for proper tension against the pinion shaft. If there is too much which causes the knob to be too tight, try another sight cover. Test the assembled sight watching for smooth operation and tightness. You want to tighten the tensioning nut in the center of the windage knob enough to allow both knobs to move with reasonably tight finger pressure and to hold the aperture from slipping down under thumb pressure on the top when it is cranked up to an extended position. Blacken the aperture against shine before shooting and start with a mechanical zero where the lines on the base are centered with the center one on the receiver scale. Most Garands will get you on paper @ 100 yds with a mechanical zero where the rear sight base is centered and the aperture is 8-12 clicks up from the lowest setting and the front sight is centered on the gas cylinder. You can do preliminary windage adjustments @ 100 yds with the front sight and save the adjustment in the rear sight for longer ranges. Even after all of the above, some folk like to insure for rear sight tightness by slipping an elastic band around the aperture and around the elevation knob!
2. Front sight. The blade should be unbent and square and even on the sides and top. You can dress it down for square with a fine file, but be careful of lowering the height. The height of the front sight when measured from the top of the blade to the bottom of the sight is .723-.728. Some folk like to use the IHC made sights with the wider ears to avoid mistaking an ear for the blade when shooting. Keep the front sight blade and inside of the ears dull black against shine for a sharp sight contrast on the target. When removing or tightening the front sight support the gas cylinder with a purpose made wrench to avoid excessive torque on the barrel and gas cylinder splines. When doing preliminary zeroing @ 100 yds, initial windage can be taken by shifting the front sight to either side of the gas cylinder without the base overhanging the gas cylinder.
3. Trigger. Safe trigger pull can be anywhere from 4.5 to 7.5 lbs with a nice creep-free let off on the second stage. A pull on the lighter side is better for accuracy. Check the hammer hooks for wear, burrs and chips (a safety concern as well). Also, check the hammer spring housing for cracks in the area where the trigger pin passes thru. Check the trigger/sear for intact condition of the hole and the rest of the assembly. The trigger pin should be .096-.099 diameter with no bends. Check the hammer spring for deformation and binding in the housing. Check the face of the plunger that seats against the hammer for burrs and pits. The early style plunger with the ears is preferred by target shooters. Check the safety for bends, burrs and breaks. Trigger pull can be adjusted by stoning critical spots on the hammer and sear, as done for match rifles, but this can impact safety. Most people are probably further ahead to get an improvement in trigger pull by selectively swapping parts. The rifle must always pass safety checks for the trigger assembly. Collector type rifles should always match make and drawing numbers on the hammer and safety with those on the trigger housing.
There is little point in tweaking up a Garand for top accuracy or investing in a high priced barrel or other parts unless you shoot it with quality ammo. Good quality MILSURP M2 ball could be expected to be 2 -2.5 MOA capable in a properly set up rifle, but there has been virtually no MILSURP ball on the shelves for nearly 20 yrs now. I still have some good Canadian Arsenal 55 dated M2 ball, but reserve it for shooting on my birthday when I like to smell the old powder for a treat. Incidentally, if anyone has Korean M2 ball with the PSA headstamp (nothing to do with prostate tests), be careful as there are lots of varying quality. About 10 yrs ago I picked up quite a few longitudinally split cases along with the boxes marked with lot numbers, and sent this info to the old Culver Shooting/MILSURP Forum where there was a register of good and bad lots of PSA ball. OTOH, I used to shoot Garands with a friend in Arizona who had a different lot of PSA ball which was creepy accurate in a couple of VAR barrel CMP rifles that I had tweaked up for him. The Danish surplus M2 ball ammo never made it to Canada, but the CMP sold a lot of it in the US and I've shot it there with good results. The CMP is currently flogging the surplus Greek M2 ball with the HXP headstamp, and there are good reports on it as well.
Commercial .30-06 ammo should be avoided in a Garand as the propellants used are slow burning in the interests of getting a higher MV, and do not generate the correct pressure pulse at the gas port to cycle the action w/o the possibility of damaging the rifle, specifically that expensive and hard to replace operating rod. People can get away with shooting commercial ammo in the rifle, provided that they use one of the various adjustable gas plugs. No comment on this as I almost exclusively shoot handloads which are compatible with the rifle in terms of propellants and bullet weights and have no experience with the aftermarket gas plugs.
AFAIK there are currently 3 commercial loads which are suitable for the Garand as they feature propellants of the correct burn rate, as well as the proper bullet weights. These can be expensive and tough to find. they include;
1. Federal American Eagle AE3006M1 which are marked specifically for the Garand. These use 150gr bullets at a MV of 2740fps, quite similar to MILSPEC .30 cal ball ammo. this is different from Federal American Eagle AE3006N which also has a 150gr bullet at a MV of 2910fps (note the increase in MV from the Garand specific load).
2. Federal Gold Medal Match GM3006M which uses a 168gr Sierra match bullet with a MV of 2700fps.
3. Hornady #81170 Match ammo which also uses a 168gr match bullet and is marked for the M1 Garand.
The other best ammo option is to get into handloading using the proper loading techniques and the correct propellants and bullets. Here are some guidelines to handload ammo which is safe, reliable and accurate in the Garand;
1. Only use IMR4895, H4895 or IMR4064. IMR4895 was the MILSPEC propellant for gazzilions of rounds of Garand ammo, but the other 2 will also produce a suitable pressure pulse at the gas port. I've loaded 1000s of rounds for quite a number of different Garands and generally find IMR4064 to be more accurate by a nose, but the 4895s can be tops in some rifles. The Sierra manual cites IMR4064 as the top choice for accuracy in the .30-06 with 150-168gr bullets which is a good place to start. Ditto for the Lyman manual, but they put IMR4895 ahead for 168gr match bullets. With those recommendations there is really no reason to look at other propellants for the Garand, although there are some other very good ones for the .30-06 in bolt guns.
2. Stick to bullets in the 150, 155, 165, and 168 gr weights. This is what the military mostly used, although .30 cal match ammo was loaded with a 173gr bullet. That said, the 175gr Sierra match bullet should be OK as well, and it does hold up better than the baseline 168gr match bullet at longer ranges.
3. Sort your brass by weight and firing cycles and do not try to get more than 4-5 firing cycles out of a piece of brass. I use large batches of brass and sort it by weight for each batch of reloads. Don't mix different makes of brass. They all weigh differently and will produce somewhat different pressures/velocities.
4. Always FL re-size the brass. Don't necksize, especially if loading for more than one rifle where there will be slight headspace variations among rifles. You can necksize brass for bolt guns and get away with a tight fit in the chamber due to the camming power of the bolt on closing. The Garand relies on the power of the op rod spring alone to close the bolt and return the rifle to battery for the next shot. You do not want to risk an out of battery detonation where the bolt is not fully closed on a chambered round. Keep your chamber squeaky clean for the same reason. You do not want any build up of powder residue, and maybe itty-bitty bits of brass, in the chamber. This is why the military put a chamber brush on the combo tool.
5. Keep brass trimmed below the max OAL before reloading it. Same reason as above.
6. Always seat primers slightly below flush with the casehead. You do not want to risk a slamfire by having the bolt face contact a high primer on closing. The other primer related concern in the Garand, and other military rifles with a floating firing pin, is that the inertia of the firing pin will cause it to run forward as the bolt closes, maybe just far enough to detonate the primer before everything is locked up. Often you will see a faint "kiss" from the firing pin tip on the face of the primer when you extract an unfired round. Firing pin protrusion should be gauged to make sure that it is within specs. Primer pockets should be cleaned before seating primers and a primer pocket uniforming tool is also useful to get primers seated properly. Always keep the firing pin channel inside the bolt clean. You do not want to risk a firing pin being jammed forward because of crud inside the bolt.
7. The CCI No34 primer is MILSPEC by reason of it's harder cup metal which makes it better insurance against firing pin "kisses". These are tough to find though, and I've used all of CCI LR , CCI magnum, WLR and Rem LR primers with no problems, again subject to the caveat of seating them below flush. Federal LR primers are believed to have a softer cup metal, so I avoid them.
8. De-burring primer flash holes is recommended in the interests of uniformity/accuracy and it only needs to be done once in the life of a case.
9. Use a single stage press and weigh individual charges in the interests of greater control and precision. You can throw charges into the scale pan a bit under the desired weight and then "trickle up" each charge to the desired weight.
10. For best accuracy use a match grade bullet. I've had best results with all of the Sierra and Nosler 155gr and Sierra, Nosler and Hornady 168gr match bullets. One sleeper is the Hornady 150gr FMJ. It isn't a match bullet, but it's inexpensive and is the most accurate non-match FMJ bullet available. The poly tip Nosler ballistic tip and Hornady SST 150-165gr hunting bullets work well too, but they are probably as expensive as the match bullets.
11. If using military brass make sure to remove the primer crimps.
12. Always use a reloading manual.
I've found that best accuracy in a Garand normally comes at somewhat less than top MV. Here are some proven loads which I have used in quite a few different Garands to shoot with safety, reliability and accuracy. Most won't have access to LC match brass, but both WRA and Rem commercial .30-06 brass weigh quite close to it.;
1. 168gr Sierra/Nosler/Hornady Match bullet. 46 or 46.5 gr IMR4064, or 45 or 45.5 gr IMR4895 or H4895, LC 67/68 GI match brass or DA55 brass, any above mentioned primer, COAL 3.330.
2. 155gr Sierra/Nosler Match bullet or 150gr Hornady FMJ. 48gr IMR4064/IMR4895/H4895, LC67/68 match brass or DA55 brass, any above mentioned primer, COAL 3.280
BTW, I use the Clymer pull thru reamer to cut chambers to final headspace in new barrels for both Garands and M1903 Springfields. I also like the Clymer headspace gauges, altho the Forsters are OK as well. The CMP uses the Clymer products, and they are endorsed by well known USMC armorer who specialized in Garands. Reloading for Garands in .308/7.62mm NATO is generally best done with the same techniques, bullet weights and propellants, altho the list of suitable propellants can be expanded to include IMR3031 (once used in 7.62 military match ammo) and W748 and BLC2 ball powders.
Commercial .30-06 ammo should be avoided in a Garand as the propellants used are slow burning in the interests of getting a higher MV, and do not generate the correct pressure pulse at the gas port to cycle the action w/o the possibility of damaging the rifle, specifically that expensive and hard to replace operating rod. People can get away with shooting commercial ammo in the rifle, provided that they use one of the various adjustable gas plugs. No comment on this as I almost exclusively shoot handloads which are compatible with the rifle in terms of propellants and bullet weights and have no experience with the aftermarket gas plugs.
AFAIK there are currently 3 commercial loads which are suitable for the Garand as they feature propellants of the correct burn rate, as well as the proper bullet weights. These can be expensive and tough to find. they include;
1. Federal American Eagle AE3006M1 which are marked specifically for the Garand. These use 150gr bullets at a MV of 2740fps, quite similar to MILSPEC .30 cal ball ammo. this is different from Federal American Eagle AE3006N which also has a 150gr bullet at a MV of 2910fps (note the increase in MV from the Garand specific load).
2. Federal Gold Medal Match GM3006M which uses a 168gr Sierra match bullet with a MV of 2700fps.
3. Hornady #81170 Match ammo which also uses a 168gr match bullet and is marked for the M1 Garand.
The other best ammo option is to get into handloading using the proper loading techniques and the correct propellants and bullets. Here are some guidelines to handload ammo which is safe, reliable and accurate in the Garand;
1. Only use IMR4895, H4895 or IMR4064. IMR4895 was the MILSPEC propellant for gazzilions of rounds of Garand ammo, but the other 2 will also produce a suitable pressure pulse at the gas port. I've loaded 1000s of rounds for quite a number of different Garands and generally find IMR4064 to be more accurate by a nose, but the 4895s can be tops in some rifles. The Sierra manual cites IMR4064 as the top choice for accuracy in the .30-06 with 150-168gr bullets which is a good place to start. Ditto for the Lyman manual, but they put IMR4895 ahead for 168gr match bullets. With those recommendations there is really no reason to look at other propellants for the Garand, although there are some other very good ones for the .30-06 in bolt guns.
2. Stick to bullets in the 150, 155, 165, and 168 gr weights. This is what the military mostly used, although .30 cal match ammo was loaded with a 173gr bullet. That said, the 175gr Sierra match bullet should be OK as well, and it does hold up better than the baseline 168gr match bullet at longer ranges.
3. Sort your brass by weight and firing cycles and do not try to get more than 4-5 firing cycles out of a piece of brass. I use large batches of brass and sort it by weight for each batch of reloads. Don't mix different makes of brass. They all weigh differently and will produce somewhat different pressures/velocities.
4. Always FL re-size the brass. Don't necksize, especially if loading for more than one rifle where there will be slight headspace variations among rifles. You can necksize brass for bolt guns and get away with a tight fit in the chamber due to the camming power of the bolt on closing. The Garand relies on the power of the op rod spring alone to close the bolt and return the rifle to battery for the next shot. You do not want to risk an out of battery detonation where the bolt is not fully closed on a chambered round. Keep your chamber squeaky clean for the same reason. You do not want any build up of powder residue, and maybe itty-bitty bits of brass, in the chamber. This is why the military put a chamber brush on the combo tool.
5. Keep brass trimmed below the max OAL before reloading it. Same reason as above.
6. Always seat primers slightly below flush with the casehead. You do not want to risk a slamfire by having the bolt face contact a high primer on closing. The other primer related concern in the Garand, and other military rifles with a floating firing pin, is that the inertia of the firing pin will cause it to run forward as the bolt closes, maybe just far enough to detonate the primer before everything is locked up. Often you will see a faint "kiss" from the firing pin tip on the face of the primer when you extract an unfired round. Firing pin protrusion should be gauged to make sure that it is within specs. Primer pockets should be cleaned before seating primers and a primer pocket uniforming tool is also useful to get primers seated properly. Always keep the firing pin channel inside the bolt clean. You do not want to risk a firing pin being jammed forward because of crud inside the bolt.
7. The CCI No34 primer is MILSPEC by reason of it's harder cup metal which makes it better insurance against firing pin "kisses". These are tough to find though, and I've used all of CCI LR , CCI magnum, WLR and Rem LR primers with no problems, again subject to the caveat of seating them below flush. Federal LR primers are believed to have a softer cup metal, so I avoid them.
8. De-burring primer flash holes is recommended in the interests of uniformity/accuracy and it only needs to be done once in the life of a case.
9. Use a single stage press and weigh individual charges in the interests of greater control and precision. You can throw charges into the scale pan a bit under the desired weight and then "trickle up" each charge to the desired weight.
10. For best accuracy use a match grade bullet. I've had best results with all of the Sierra and Nosler 155gr and Sierra, Nosler and Hornady 168gr match bullets. One sleeper is the Hornady 150gr FMJ. It isn't a match bullet, but it's inexpensive and is the most accurate non-match FMJ bullet available. The poly tip Nosler ballistic tip and Hornady SST 150-165gr hunting bullets work well too, but they are probably as expensive as the match bullets.
11. If using military brass make sure to remove the primer crimps.
12. Always use a reloading manual.
I've found that best accuracy in a Garand normally comes at somewhat less than top MV. Here are some proven loads which I have used in quite a few different Garands to shoot with safety, reliability and accuracy. Most won't have access to LC match brass, but both WRA and Rem commercial .30-06 brass weigh quite close to it.;
1. 168gr Sierra/Nosler/Hornady Match bullet. 46 or 46.5 gr IMR4064, or 45 or 45.5 gr IMR4895 or H4895, LC 67/68 GI match brass or DA55 brass, any above mentioned primer, COAL 3.330.
2. 155gr Sierra/Nosler Match bullet or 150gr Hornady FMJ. 48gr IMR4064/IMR4895/H4895, LC67/68 match brass or DA55 brass, any above mentioned primer, COAL 3.280
BTW, I use the Clymer pull thru reamer to cut chambers to final headspace in new barrels for both Garands and M1903 Springfields. I also like the Clymer headspace gauges, altho the Forsters are OK as well. The CMP uses the Clymer products, and they are endorsed by well known USMC armorer who specialized in Garands. Reloading for Garands in .308/7.62mm NATO is generally best done with the same techniques, bullet weights and propellants, altho the list of suitable propellants can be expanded to include IMR3031 (once used in 7.62 military match ammo) and W748 and BLC2 ball powders.
