M1 Garand reloading

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MiniMe

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Hi

I've read online about reloading for the M1 Garand and most people say that I need to be careful or I'll bend the op rod.
My Garand has a Schuster adjustable gas plug so it can vent gases to decrease the pressure in the cylinder and spare the op rod

So just to confirm, if I adjust the gas port to vent gases and leave only enough to cycle the action I should be ok using any gun powder and bullet weight in the Hodgdon manual for 30-06. Is that correct?

I'm curious about it because I have a few pounds of H4350 and I'm almost out of H4895. This powder is not listed in the CMP because it could bend the op rod, but they don't say anything if it would be ok for the rest of the rifle (action/barrel) or for a rifle with an adjustable gas plug.

Btw, I never use hot reloads.

Thanks!
 
The MILSPEC propellant for the M1 Garand is IMR4895 because it generates the correct gas port pressure pulse to cycle the action safely and reliably without damage to the op rod. That said, all of H4895, IMR4064 and IMR3031 are also entirely suitable for handloads in the Garand.

An adjustable gas plug can be used with other propellants to operate the action without damage. There are several variants on the market. Each comes with its own instructions for set up. I've used thousands of reloads in Garands featuring IMR4895, IMR4064 and H4895. In addition to being compatible with the Garands's gas system, these are all capable of fine accuracy. I see little need to look beyond these, altho I also use WC755, a slower burning commercial grade ball propellant, in my 7.62 Garands because it is an extremely accurate powder in the .308Win/7.62. I use an adjustable gas plug made and sold by Pocketfisherman, a CGN member, when using these WC755 loads. It works very well.

Some caveats when reloading for the Garand in addition to selecting the correct propellant;

-always FL resize your brass
-don't try to get more than 4-5 firings out of a piece of brass. The rifle is very hard on brass.
-always seat primers below flush with the casehead to avoid the possibility of an out of battery detonation.
-stick to bullets in the 150-168gr range.

Some proven loads in many M1 Garands which are,mild safe, accurate and reliable;

-150/155 gr bullet with 48gr IMR4064 or 47gr IMR4895/H4895, COAL 3.280

- 168gr match bullet with 46.5gr IMR4064 or 45.5gr IMR4895/H4895, OAL 3.330

I've found the most accurate non-match grade .308 FMJ bullet in many M1 Garands, M1903s, M1917s and M14 types to be the Hornady 150gr FMJ. It can be bought in bulk at a better price.
 
purple said:
The MILSPEC propellant for the M1 Garand is IMR4895 because it generates the correct gas port pressure pulse to cycle the action safely and reliably without damage to the op rod. That said, all of H4895, IMR4064 and IMR3031 are also entirely suitable for handloads in the Garand.

An adjustable gas plug can be used with other propellants to operate the action without damage. There are several variants on the market. Each comes with its own instructions for set up. I've used thousands of reloads in Garands featuring IMR4895, IMR4064 and H4895. In addition to being compatible with the Garands's gas system, these are all capable of fine accuracy. I see little need to look beyond these, altho I also use WC755, a slower burning commercial grade ball propellant, in my 7.62 Garands because it is an extremely accurate powder in the .308Win/7.62. I use an adjustable gas plug made and sold by Pocketfisherman, a CGN member, when using these WC755 loads. It works very well.

Some caveats when reloading for the Garand in addition to selecting the correct propellant;

-always FL resize your brass
-don't try to get more than 4-5 firings out of a piece of brass. The rifle is very hard on brass.
-always seat primers below flush with the casehead to avoid the possibility of an out of battery detonation.
-stick to bullets in the 150-168gr range.

Some proven loads in many M1 Garands which are,mild safe, accurate and reliable;

-150/155 gr bullet with 48gr IMR4064 or 47gr IMR4895/H4895, COAL 3.280

- 168gr match bullet with 46.5gr IMR4064 or 45.5gr IMR4895/H4895, OAL 3.330

I've found the most accurate non-match grade .308 FMJ bullet in many M1 Garands, M1903s, M1917s and M14 types to be the Hornady 150gr FMJ. It can be bought in bulk at a better price.
Click to expand...

that is for 30-06 yes? how about 308 ? im taking my garand to ipsc rifle so any 308 loads with the hornady 150gr FMJBT Bulk projectile would be great.
 
serbinator said:
that is for 30-06 yes? how about 308 ? im taking my garand to ipsc rifle so any 308 loads with the hornady 150gr FMJBT Bulk projectile would be great.
Click to expand...

I'd recommend reading the Glen Zediker download on reloading for the match M14. IMR4895 was the MILSPEC propellant for 7.62 ammo and is always an excellent starting point for the 7.62 Garand or M14 type. IMR 3031, H4895, and IMR4064 are also worth trying, as are BLC2 and W748 and H335. There's an old saying along the lines of, 'if your .308 Win rifle won't shoot well with IMR4895, then you have a rifle problem." That said, I couldn't beat IMR3031 with the 150 Hornady FMJs in my H&R M14.

If you are interested in shooting competitively then the 155 and 168gr match bullets are also worth a try. There's a lot of data on reloading for the .308/7.62. I'd pick one of the Garand compatible propellants and follow the SOP of starting on the low side of what a loading manual recommends and then watch for pressure signs and accuracy changes as charges are increased. All of the same recommendations on case preparation and bullet selection apply.
 
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If you know anyone with Quickload you can plug your info in there and it will predict what pressure you will have at the gas port (pressure at the distance the port would be).
Then you can tell it to generate a chart of loads of all the powders that will produce this pressure.
 
Why bother to go thru these gyrations when we already know which powders produce the correct gas port pressure pulse? These include IMR4895 (MILSPEC), IMR3031, H4895 and IMR4064. The nice thing about these powders is that they also deliver excellent accuracy in the Garand when loaded in either .30-06 or 7.62/.308 ammo.
 
purple said:
Why bother to go thru these gyrations when we already know which powders produce the correct gas port pressure pulse? These include IMR4895 (MILSPEC), IMR3031, H4895 and IMR4064. The nice thing about these powders is that they also deliver excellent accuracy in the Garand when loaded in either .30-06 or 7.62/.308 ammo.
Click to expand...

This +1. I use either 3031 or 4064 depending on what is available for purchase because they are usually cheaper than the 4895 varieties. I've used for both my 30-06 and .308 garands and had great results with both 147 grain and 168 grain projectiles.
 
i got 8Lbs of 4064 and 4 of H4895/IMR4895, i got 168gr sierra match kings and close to 200 of the hornady 150gr FMJBTs , ill try to load some up and test em next weekend.
 
I've been checking the forums.thecmp.org and noticed everyone there refers to Master Po's Garand Loads http://masterpostemple.bravepages.com/M1load.htm

There I found loads for two powders I have:
IMR 3031 - 48.0 grains
W748 - 48.0 grains
Both for 147 to 155gr bullets.

But when I checked the Hodgdon's reloading datacenter, I noticed that IMR3031 has a max load of 46gr.

So, with all those people using "Master Po's" suggested loads without damaging their rifles, how come hodgdon lists such a lower max load? Or are people pushing their Garands too the max?
 
MiniMe said:
I know, I'm reloading for 30-06 and I got the loads at the hodgdon website for 30-06

View attachment 53896
Click to expand...

yes but those loads are for 30-06 in a bolt action, not specifically for the garand.

i would either get the newest hornady reloading manual or use the bearblain link i gave you. Hornady has a section devoted entirely to the 30-06 garand and all of the suitable powders are there. ive heard mixed things about 3031. not sure if 748 is safe also.
 
This is really good information for anyone looking to get an M1 one day (like myself) but are turned off by the prospect of reloading. Thank you for sharing it :)
 
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