M1 Garand

Airborne44

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I have a Springfield Armory M1 Garand. I have a little problem with it. When I took it to the range the other day I fired three rounds. After the third round the trigger unit fell out of place. I cliped it back and and fired three more and after the third shot, same thing happened.

Most of you know how the M1 works. To take it apart you unclip the trigger guard and the whole trigger unit come out and then the rest of the rife pulls out of the stock.

I'm just wondering if there is something wrong with the trigger unit, or maybe the ammunition is to powerfull. I was firing winchester 150gr, power point rounds at the time. I know it was originally designed for 147-150gr, full metal jacket rounds.

If anyone knows what the problem might be, let me know

Thanks!
 
The trigger usually locks in place very securely,seems odd.I do not think the ammo you are using should cause that.I will look at mine to see what might cause it.
 
The ammo it isn't. This a Springfield Armoury Inc Copy? Or an issue rifle? Are you getting the trigger group in properly? It's not just closing the trigger guard. Original stock, a snythetc or other aftermarket stock? The trigger group is held in mostly by pressure on the stock. It may be too small or mushy. 'It' being the stock. A bit of bedding material on the stock will fix it.
"...it was originally designed for 147-150gr..." Nope. 174.5 calibre .30 M1 ammo adopted in 1924.
 
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I have a Breda Garand doing the same thing. Trigger group is SA. Stock is aftermarket synthetic (I think Ramline). When I install the trigger group it is pretty loose not nice and tight like my M14s. Still shoots great though.
 
I've seen this before, and am scratching the empty recesses of my brain for inspiration.

The engagement surface between the trigger group and the receiver boils down to two round lugs on the tongues of the trigger guard. As designed the camming action snugs both assemblies together in the stock. One way to bed Garands is to build-up thickness on the horseshoe with bedding glass. The cheater's technique is to pinch a thickness of sheet metal between the horseshoe or the long flat sections of the floorplate.


If the stock isn't thick enough, it stands to reason that the metal can't lock up properly. Try adding thin sections of aluminum to tighten up the junction.
 
I think I might have found the problem. Where the triggerguard clips together locking the unit in place, it seem a little worn or bent back a bit. I use a set of vice grips and bent it a little bit making a tighter fit. I think that might work, ill have to try it to see if it happens again.
 
Closing the trigger guard should take considerable pressure. If that's not the case, the stock has probably shrunk a little over time. A quick, temporary fix is to put some shim stock (about 0.050" or so) on top of the stock at the heel of the action and just in the chamber area. A more permanent solution is to do a proper bedding job.
 
I work with about 12 garands at work, and I have noticed that on several of them the two lugs on the trigger guard that cam into the reciever have started to flatten on the bottom where they touch the reciever. So I think that it could be a combination of a shrunk stock and or the cam lugs being flattened /worn

Just my 0.02c
 
Airborne44 said:
I think I might have found the problem. Where the triggerguard clips together locking the unit in place, it seem a little worn or bent back a bit. I use a set of vice grips and bent it a little bit making a tighter fit. I think that might work, ill have to try it to see if it happens again.
That should do it. I had the same problem with my Garand when I first got it, but after adjusting the trigger guard, it's fine now.
 
Stock.......

I have a garand that had this problem once. It was a synthetic Ramline I suspect. They tend to be too generous in the inletting of the action area of stock. Problem solved with a devcon bedding in that area.
My suggestion is to have it properly bedded by someone who knows these rifles.
Hope this helps.............Cheers...............
 
GrensVegter said:
I work with about 12 garands at work, and I have noticed that on several of them the two lugs on the trigger guard that cam into the reciever have started to flatten on the bottom where they touch the reciever. So I think that it could be a combination of a shrunk stock and or the cam lugs being flattened /worn

Just my 0.02c

Can I enquire as to where you work that uses 12 Garands?
 
So you can only show 12 American soldiers on-screen at any one time?
 
GrensVegter is heading the proper direction on this one. The lock up of the "trigger group" can be effected by worn lugs on the trigger guard or compressed wood on the outside of the rear receiver legs. If an M1, with a wood stock, is stored for a long period of time and the trigger guard is locked the wood will compress resulting in a trigger group losening up. I store all of my M1's with the trigger guard unlocked between trips to the range. A professional bedding job is best. Short of bedding adding shimms, wood or synthetic, to the stock at the trigger group floor plate will greatly improve the lock up and improve accuracy. I've used birch and walnut venier with good success. I would recommend not shimming the top of the stock between the rear of the received and the stock!

HTH,

rifle guy
 
Airborne44 said:
I think I might have found the problem. Where the triggerguard clips together locking the unit in place, it seem a little worn or bent back a bit. I use a set of vice grips and bent it a little bit making a tighter fit. I think that might work, ill have to try it to see if it happens again.

Took the gun to the range today, it was a good day for it. I fired 24 rounds through her today and it worked flawless. So i guess what I did worked. Maybe to those of you who had the same problem, maybe try what I did. It worked for me. Be carful not to scratch the metal.
 
Quick Garand question here: What's the best way to carry loaded clips to the range? Does anyone make a nice plastic box like MTM does that fits the clips and ammo?
 
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