M1 Garand at a multi gun Match

That's awesome dude!

I might have to try that with my M1 later this year.

Corpral_Agarn said:

Anybody else take their M1 out for a walk?
If you have an M1, I highly recommend getting it to a multigun match. It's a blast.

Click to expand...

Almost every time I shoot and certainly every time that I have to do it for professional reasons - I take a Garand.

If I'm out diagnosing a customer's gun, test firing for no-joy or for whatever reason that I must be shooting, no matter how taxing or annoying or miserable the iteration is, shooting one of my Garands lastly always makes for a happy ending.

Then, it's off for a burger and a beer.

Todd.

Sounds like it'd be fun to run through with a Garand, 1917 S&W and Stevens 520.

Probably no bayonets though.

Screw *winning* - I'd dig competing against my own damn self.

Todd.

Corpral_Agarn said:

...
4. I haven't shot the rifle in just shy of a year ....
5. Everybody loves an M1.
...
Anybody else take their M1 out for a walk?
....

Click to expand...

Thanks for reminding me. It's been a while here, too. Been thinking about giving mine some fresh air and exercise. Maybe tomorrow.

Garand goes along alot. Found a leather ' jeep' scabbard that is just right for strapping on just about anything I climb in or on.
The rifle is astounding, for the reasons the OP mentioned, but for me, the fit, cheekweld and the all buisness approach these rifles exude.

Like a BAWSSSS. What video editing app did you use? My computer is FUBAR and I've got a lot of footage I can't post.

LOL it's great when you have to tell the SO to get behind you

1KPerDay said:

LOL it's great when you have to tell the SO to get behind you

Click to expand...

"Hey Boss...Would you mind catching my clips?"

Todd.

Being left-handed I hated the M1 going thru ITR (Infantry Training Regiment) at Camp Geiger. At Parris Island we qualified with the M14 which for me was the better of the two rifles. My final six months in the Corps was with 3Rd-Battalion 8Th Marines at GITMO Cuba. Part of our responsibilities was instructing Sailors assigned to the Defense Battalion in rifle qualification. At that point the Navy had M1 rifles converted to 7.62MM NATO. The M1 rifles were conversions mixed with chamber Inserts or re-barreled. Also the Navy did not assign their best Sailors to their component of of Defense Battalion. Thus my experience with the M1 was not positive compared to the M14 and M16.

I took mine to our local "tactical" match once. I had a bunch of random lots of ammo to use up, from leftover match ammo to WWII FA ball and some AP. Good blammo stuff as the range was short, and needed to deep clean the rifle anyway so good time to use up all my corrosive.

Well....they had the course split into all rifle or all handgun that day. They weren't doing transitions due to some new shooters who weren't comfortable with it. Some of the targets were very close. The muzzle blast blew them off the stakes. Was a lot of fun though! Normally I wouldn't waste the powder on such a match though without misc ammo to expend.

Yep, the M1 does my talking. Have not fired it in a while though. I've never used it in a run-n-gun-jump-n-hump-transition to the pistola type of match, but have gone through quite a few rounds in Appleseed shoots with it. I guess I wouldn't do so good chasing bad guys through buildings, downtown Seattle, amusement parks, or parking lots, but I can sure nail down anything within 300 yards. Being a country boy, that works well enough for me.

Sadly my M1 has been down for some time awaiting its turn at the gunsmith. I'm having a new .308 barrel put on it - or at least that's the idea. Maybe one of these years it will be back up and running.

Hangingrock said:

Being left-handed I hated the M1 going thru ITR (Infantry Training Regiment) at Camp Geiger. At Parris Island we qualified with the M14 which for me was the better of the two rifles. My final six months in the Corps was with 3Rd-Battalion 8Th Marines at GITMO Cuba. Part of our responsibilities was instructing Sailors assigned to the Defense Battalion in rifle qualification. At that point the Navy had M1 rifles converted to 7.62MM NATO. The M1 rifles were conversions mixed with chamber Inserts or re-barreled. Also the Navy did not assign their best Sailors to their component of of Defense Battalion. Thus my experience with the M1 was not positive compared to the M14 and M16.

Click to expand...

I was going to ask you about this and then I went ahead and distracted myself. I am also left handed but I have no trouble at all with the M1. I will admit I don't have and have never used an M-14/M1A so I can't compare them, but I can't see a huge difference between the two.

What made the M1/left hand combination bad for you?

Havok7416 said:

I was going to ask you about this and then I went ahead and distracted myself. I am also left handed but I have no trouble at all with the M1. I will admit I don't have and he never used an M-14/M1A so I can't compare them, but I can't see a huge difference between the two.

What made the M1/left hand combination bad for you?

Click to expand...

I’m guessing that the traditional slung up/prone/high power type shooting was problematic, particularly during loading. It can be done with the left hand over the top but it’s a little fiddly, particularly if your particular rifle needs a bump to feed the first round, like mine all do.

But for run-and-gun type stuff it’s actually BETTER to shoot the M1 and M14 platforms left handed. You can leave your left hand on the grip and load and manipulate the bolt with your free/right hand. Way faster.

My experience with the M1 was at Camp Geiger Infantry Training Regiment adjacent to Camp Lejeune in the Fall of 1964.The M1 rifles we were issued were shot out relics of multitudes of Marines going thru Basic Infantry training. At Parris Island we were issued M14 rifles for training and qualification thus these rifles were in better condition. Quick forward to Viet-Nam, RVN infantry units were armed with the M1 Rifle, we were attached to as Artillery Forward Observers, were not will served with the M1 rifle would have been better with the M1 Carbine. I never developed a liking for the M1rifle and near the end of my enlistment at GITMO-Cuba with 3Rd Battalion 8th Marines assigned as part of my duties marksmanship instructor to the naval element as in sailors were issued rifles converted to 7.62MM-Nato. What I wrote in my original post is true based on my experience. If you want to disagree with what I wrote so be it.

Hangingrock said:

My experience with the M1 was at Camp Geiger Infantry Training Regiment adjacent to Camp Lejeune in the Fall of 1964.The M1 rifles we were issued were shot out relics of multitudes of Marines going thru Basic Infantry training. At Parris Island we were issued M14 rifles for training and qualification thus these rifles were in better condition. Quick forward to Viet-Nam, RVN infantry units were armed with the M1 Rifle, we were attached to as Artillery Forward Observers, were not will served with the M1 rifle would have been better with the M1 Carbine. I never developed a liking for the M1rifle and near the end of my enlistment at GITMO-Cuba with 3Rd Battalion 8th Marines assigned as part of my duties marksmanship instructor to the naval element as in sailors were issued rifles converted to 7.62MM-Nato. What I wrote in my original post is true based on my experience. If you want to disagree with what I wrote so be it.

Click to expand...

Thank you for taking the time to explain. I didn't see where anyone was doubting what you wrote or even taking issue with it.

I never used the M1 in training, combat or even to repel moon-martians, so experiences such as yours help me to understand.

I also hardly ever shoot from prone. I can see where the others in this thread likely have a point about the M1 being more difficult for a left hander in that position.

ETA: I still don't see where in the story you have related what any of that had to do with being left handed. Maybe I missed something.

Hangingrock said:

My experience with the M1 was at Camp Geiger Infantry Training Regiment adjacent to Camp Lejeune in the Fall of 1964.The M1 rifles we were issued were shot out relics of multitudes of Marines going thru Basic Infantry training. At Parris Island we were issued M14 rifles for training and qualification thus these rifles were in better condition. Quick forward to Viet-Nam, RVN infantry units were armed with the M1 Rifle, we were attached to as Artillery Forward Observers, were not will served with the M1 rifle would have been better with the M1 Carbine. I never developed a liking for the M1rifle and near the end of my enlistment at GITMO-Cuba with 3Rd Battalion 8th Marines assigned as part of my duties marksmanship instructor to the naval element as in sailors were issued rifles converted to 7.62MM-Nato. What I wrote in my original post is true based on my experience. If you want to disagree with what I wrote so be it.

Click to expand...

I once had a friend that was a Montagnard who fought with Special Forces in Viet Nam. I believe he used every weapon that existed then, and there. I asked him what was the "best" rifle. He thought for a while, then smiled and said: "The Garand". I thought that was a pretty good endorsement of the rifle.

That's a way cool video. Looks like you did well, and had plenty of fun that day. You remind me that I need to get out my M1D and shoot that bad boy. Golly, I've got plenty of ammo for it, that's for sure.

I wonder what my dad and uncle would say since they were long past when I acquired a Danish Garand. My dad was a quartermaster in the 2nd Marine Division during WW II and my uncle was in the 8th Air Force piloting B-24s. About 6 years ago I won a local military shoot with my M1. I competed against a couple of M1 carbines, 98k Mausers and a host of Mosin Nagants for time and targets. And yes, it's time to take it out and warm it up again.

I have 2 Garands. I generally prefer more modern rifles, but I do get a bit tingly when I fire a M1. Any old military piece like that, I always wonder who had it before, and where it may have gone or what those users did with it. Was it on a beach in Normandy? Did it do some island hopping? Did it see action at Inchon or Chosin? Did a paratrooper engage hostiles with it in the dom rep? Or was it a prop from Gomer Pyle? I first got acquainted with the Garand in the SF weapons course in 1987; that course extensively trains future 18b's in small arms of all types they may encounter world-wide. They were a "standard" weapon in the hands of various bad guys in haiti during that mess in '94. Oddly enough, I did see one that another team had captured from an enemy cache in afg in 2006. The afg M1 was in good condition, considering who had it, but there was no ammo or clips present. The SN and MFG markings on the receiver had been removed with some type of grinder.