My First M1 Garand!

M

Mittens

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I was at the Kamloops Gun show yesterday and though I got there with only 20 minutes till close I managed to get a nice Enfield No. 3 and a GARAND! :D

I was getting quite a workout running around to find an ATM that worked and trying to get all the deals done before close. I have a few questions I hope you guys can help me out with.

1. I bought a box of 30-06 FMJ BT American Eagle ammo from P&D Ent, I haven't fired them yet but they seem rather light, and if I shake them I can quite noticeably hear the powder rolling around inside. These are my first 2 rifles, is this normal?

2. The foregrip on my M1 (closest to the muzzle) is a little loose as is the ferrule. There seems to be a missing piece of wood on the bottom as it is barrel only. What can I do to tighten this up?

3. If I bring the bolt all the way to the rear it locks in place. Now if I depress the lever where a enbloc would slide in the bolt slams forward. If I had an actual enbloc would the bolt slam forward before I was able to remove my hand? ( I fractured my right thumb yesterday trying to figure out the action!) In any movies I've seen with an M1 they would insert the clip and then slap the bolt forward.

4. Where can I get enblocs and surplus ammo?

Thanks guys, wish I had a camera to take some pics!
 
1. All this means is that it is not a compressed load. Don't worry about it.
2. The bottom of the foreward handguard is open. You should be able to see the operating rod moving. Movement is common on an issue grade rifle.
3. The action will close when a loaded clip is seated. This is normal. Keep the heel of your right hand against the cocking handle to prevent the bolt from snapping shut on your thumb as you seat the load, but let the action close under the force of the spring. Roll your hand clear. Don't ease it shut.
4. I am unaware of anyone selling surplus .30 ball in quantity. The American Eagle and similar white box ammunition from other manufacutrers may be your best bet, unless you handload. Place a want ad in the EE for clips. There are probably various dealers who sell these.
Enjoy your M-1. These are great rifles.
 
Yes. Don't put a round in the chamber, then let the breech slam shut on it. Close the bolt under control, make sure it locks up.
 
tiriaq has answered well, 1 & 2.

3. Welcome to the injury known as Garand Thumb, although I have never suffered it, it is common. My grandfather taught me how to load the Garand

4. I too, would love to find a source for ammo. If you are in the GVRD, Broc at Hunters in Surrey carries or has carried in the past enblocs. I have also bought them off of eBay cheap and brand new.
 
MyFirst M1 Garand

P&D in Edmonton has enbloc clips for sale, as well as PMC 3006C (FMJ) or 3006A(JSP) 150-grain ammo, which is the only commercial ammo loaded for the M1 rifle. These loads are to M2 ball specs, which is 200 fps slower than the American Eagle, and uses the correct burning-rate powder, which is necessary to avoid damage to the op rod and gas system of the Garand. The powder used in the American Eagle, Winchester white box, and Remington UMC 150-grain loads is not of the correct burning rate for the Garand and will, over time, damage the op rod.

You need to consider both the bullet weight and powder burning rate re M1 Garand loads. Many people will tell you that they have used 180-grain bullets and different powders with never any trouble, but only you can decide what is best for your Garand.
 
Join the brotherhood

Mittens said:
I was at the Kamloops Gun show yesterday and though I got there with only 20 minutes till close I managed to get a nice Enfield No. 3 and a GARAND! :D

I was getting quite a workout running around to find an ATM that worked and trying to get all the deals done before close. I have a few questions I hope you guys can help me out with.

1. ... and if I shake them I can quite noticeably hear the powder rolling around inside.

2. The foregrip on my M1 (closest to the muzzle) is a little loose as is the ferrule.

3. ( I fractured my right thumb yesterday trying to figure out the action!)

4. Where can I get enblocs and surplus ammo?

Thanks guys, wish I had a camera to take some pics!
Click to expand...

Heh heh heh! Buggered your thumb with an M1? You'll know not to do this again!

Loose powder is normal.

There may or may not be a long thin U-channel heat shield in the middle of the front handguard. Sometimes they get taken out. Their second purpose is to reinforce the wood from splitting. As a rule, never grab your rifle there and punch anyone else who does or tries to. Handguards are pricey and breaking them is avoidable.

There are ways of tightening them young Jedi, but now is not the time for this lesson.

The old US program that was DCM and is now CMP posts a user's manual on their website for download. If it is not there, send me a message. While nothing will completely overcome the shame and distress of an injury, it will tell you what to do and how with your rifle.

The Garand does not have a failsafe firing pin. It slides inside the bolt when it closes. Ejecting an unfired cartridge that has been seated shows a dimple where the firing pin actually banged into the primer! For this reason military ammo has granite hard primers. Although I've never had a slam fire, it is just a matter of time. So always know where the front end is pointed - like you were taught on the Firearms Safety Course.

The US market is very hungry for surplus 30-06 ammo. They will buy and shoot every round that the World can supply. Canadians are the distant cousins when it comes to finding this stuff. Your best chances are to become a gunshow regular and ask your friends to watch out. You are probably going to have to buy commercial and learn to handload.

The final point is on loading. The Garand needs an en bloc clip for proper feeding. You found that it can be single-loaded by sticking your fat phalanges into the receiver, but that is not how it was designed. The standard clips are 8-shots, sometimes you'll see a hunting limit one of 5-shots, and there are singleloading clips called a SLED. An average guy with a Dremil tool can make one by turning a $2.00 clip into a .00 cent screwup in a heartbeat.
 
I use Winchester large rifle primers for my Garand, and they work very good. I know they are much harder than pistol primers, as I made a little boo boo with a part box when loading some 45ACP..... there is just no way my Glock would fire them, just a small scratch on the primer face...

Winchester rifle primers are a brass alloy, and just seem harder then the silver ones Remingtom makes.

Cheers
Dean
 
I took it to the range today and it was pure magic!! I used up my 20 AE rounds and will have to look for M2 ammo if I can find it. I loved the rifle, my .303 is great but doesn't compare!

Any tips on cleaning the bore? It is rather difficult because the receiver is in the way, I don't want to be pushing anything down the muzzle end.
 
Here, south of the border I can buy all the milsurp 30.06 I can use for $.20 to $.25 @. If I reload, match quality ammo, it will cost me about $.35 @. If I buy match ammo for my M1 it runs about $.65 @. I shoot milsurp to make empty cases to reload my match ammo!

Try Sarco, Fulton Armory or E-Pay for enbloc's. Stay "WAY AWAY" from Chineese repro clips, go for USGI!!!

HTH,

rifle guy
 
Mittens said:
I took it to the range today and it was pure magic!! I used up my 20 AE rounds and will have to look for M2 ammo if I can find it. I loved the rifle, my .303 is great but doesn't compare!

Any tips on cleaning the bore? It is rather difficult because the receiver is in the way, I don't want to be pushing anything down the muzzle end.
Click to expand...

These no real big deal as far as using a cleaning rod from the muzzel end, as that's what the troops did during the Korean war. Or get yourself a good Canadian C1 pull through with a jag and brush. Also try to get your hands on one of the M1 tools for cleaning the bore. I think DistriCorp Enterprised still have some:

http://www.districorp.ca/
 
Ok, I've always been scared of my Garand's action when I'm loading a clip. I got bitten by her last summer and my thumb-nail has just grown back.

So tell me. I'm left handed. I hold the action open with my right hand and push the clip down with my left? Does the bolt slam shut if I don't hold it there when the clip locks?

Cheers,
Hans
 
As soon as the loaded clip bottoms and latches the action will start to close. Just restrain the operating rod handle until your fingers are clear, then let the action snap shut.
 
Well thats what I've always done. My friend has been asking me why I keep it open like that. He seemed to think the action wasn't going to close on my fingers. Idiotic assumption that was.

I've been wondering about my 5 round clips. I have trouble getting them to lock. Is it because the clip is only half filled compared to an 8 rounder and the follower isn't lowered low enough?
 
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