I have an M1 Garand in 308. Got it from an old man at church who was 90 and shot in matches in early 60’s. So I have been shooting it for couple years single shot. So today I used a clip and on the 4th shot I got 2 shots. Loaded clip again and it happened 3 times on that clip. Uggh. I reload lakecity brass with 168 Sierra hpbt with imr4895. 41.5 grains. Using WLR primers. So odd. Don’t get that with any of my 30-06 garands. Any ideas. It’s like it strips off a round fires it then strips off the next but potentially a slam fire occurs. Not sur
308 Garand - mulitiple firings
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Mark_Mark
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run away gun! very dangerous, I would not shoot it and take it to a gun smith
BreechFace
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Some things to consider:
Primer not seated fully, slightly proud causing ignition on chambering
Firing pin sticking, clean grease/debris from firing pin channel
Try using CCI 34 primers
I would imagine the bolt on a 308 Garand will charge home at a greater force than on a 30-06 due to less friction of the shorter and not as heavy 308 cartridge which would provide more inertia to the firing pin
Primer not seated fully, slightly proud causing ignition on chambering
Firing pin sticking, clean grease/debris from firing pin channel
Try using CCI 34 primers
I would imagine the bolt on a 308 Garand will charge home at a greater force than on a 30-06 due to less friction of the shorter and not as heavy 308 cartridge which would provide more inertia to the firing pin
You might give the trigger group a good cleaning. If I remember correctly, grease in the wrong place in the trigger group can cause problems.
Since you do not seem to have problems with your 30-06 Garands this may not be an issue but make sure you are not milking the trigger. You can get doubles when you are light on the trigger even in 30-06 Garands. You may be treating the 308 Garand a bit different than your 30-06 Garands.
If you have not already done do, search over on the CMP forums. Lots of good info there.
Just some things to check.
Since you do not seem to have problems with your 30-06 Garands this may not be an issue but make sure you are not milking the trigger. You can get doubles when you are light on the trigger even in 30-06 Garands. You may be treating the 308 Garand a bit different than your 30-06 Garands.
If you have not already done do, search over on the CMP forums. Lots of good info there.
Just some things to check.
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D.B. Cooper
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A few possible causes.
Lubrication on the hammer hooks will cause doubling, which is the term applied to what you are experiencing. Remover the trigger group, clean well, lubricate (avoid the hammer hooks) and reinstall.
"Milking" the trigger. The Garand is unlike a bolt gun, or even an AR. Squeezing the trigger and then holding before resetting can cause doubling. It happens to me most often during cold temperatures.
Slam firing. It is possible, although not probable that the firing pin will slam forward when the bolt closes just enough to detonate a primer. Probability is increased with soft primers, but I have yet to experience this using standard CCI LR Primers. I don't pay extra for the mil spec No. 34 primers. In years past, I used Wnn LR primers without an issue. However...many times I have removed an unfired cartridge from the rifle, I have noted a small indent in the primer where the pin lightly struck it. This is true even after completely stripping, cleaning, and reassembling the bolt with all new springs. The Garand isn't the only semiauto loader of that time/design to have this issue. (The Mas 49 does it as well.) There is a member here who goes by the screen name slamfire who explained this to me in a very well written dissertation. You might try to find it.
Lastly, I I highly doubt that your reload recipe is relevant to this issue. That is a fairly common combination amongst High Power and Service Rifle competitors. (Although, I think the use of 4064 is more prevalent with the168 grn HPBT, and 4895 is used with a 200 grn projectile. Lighter projectiles at the 200 and 300 yrd lines and the 168 w/ 4064 reserved for the 600 yrd prone.
Lubrication on the hammer hooks will cause doubling, which is the term applied to what you are experiencing. Remover the trigger group, clean well, lubricate (avoid the hammer hooks) and reinstall.
"Milking" the trigger. The Garand is unlike a bolt gun, or even an AR. Squeezing the trigger and then holding before resetting can cause doubling. It happens to me most often during cold temperatures.
Slam firing. It is possible, although not probable that the firing pin will slam forward when the bolt closes just enough to detonate a primer. Probability is increased with soft primers, but I have yet to experience this using standard CCI LR Primers. I don't pay extra for the mil spec No. 34 primers. In years past, I used Wnn LR primers without an issue. However...many times I have removed an unfired cartridge from the rifle, I have noted a small indent in the primer where the pin lightly struck it. This is true even after completely stripping, cleaning, and reassembling the bolt with all new springs. The Garand isn't the only semiauto loader of that time/design to have this issue. (The Mas 49 does it as well.) There is a member here who goes by the screen name slamfire who explained this to me in a very well written dissertation. You might try to find it.
Lastly, I I highly doubt that your reload recipe is relevant to this issue. That is a fairly common combination amongst High Power and Service Rifle competitors. (Although, I think the use of 4064 is more prevalent with the168 grn HPBT, and 4895 is used with a 200 grn projectile. Lighter projectiles at the 200 and 300 yrd lines and the 168 w/ 4064 reserved for the 600 yrd prone.
FLIGHT762
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You may have an issue with the trigger group. You could swap out the trigger group from one of your other Garands and see if the problem is still there. That would narrow it down a bit. Something you could do that wouldn't cost you anything.
1KPerDay
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Triple check that the hammer isn’t following when the bolt slams home. On an empty gun. I’d give it 50/50 that the problem is milking the trigger/bump firing from the shoulder OR improper stock fit to the trigger group. One of mine from the CMP doubled and I sent it back and they replaced the trigger group. No problems since.
I had an M1A that had hammer follow due to improper stock fit. Put it in a different stock and no problems since.
I had an M1A that had hammer follow due to improper stock fit. Put it in a different stock and no problems since.
wcwhitey
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Temperature will cause this issue as well, I had a Springfield Tanker Garand in .308 that did this in the extreme cold, cleaning of the trigger group solved it. Old solvents and lubs had it messy.
I heard of guy that wanted to lighten the trigger pull on a SKS, he changed out a spring in the the trigger group with a lighter one and turned the SKS into a full auto.
You never know, some folks like to tinker.
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I would look at the trigger I have many large gas guns if he was a match shooter the trigger pull weight was probably adjusted down, I have a AR 10 that will go full auto off a bench rest when the gun is feathered pull weight 14oz. Would also clean the gun as in strip it completely seating depth on your primer can also give you that problem.
Charlie98
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Besides some of the suggestions mentioned here... swapping the trigger group, checking to make sure your primers are at least flush, and preferably below flush a mite... I would strip the bolt and clean it, making sure the firing pin isn't gummed up somewhere. I would also inspect the firing pin bridge in the receiver for wear or damage... a double is one thing, an out of battery discharge is quite another.
totally agree.
good info
good info
thanks for all the advice guys. i have not disassembled one so i need to check it out. might be just a cleaning. the primers are good and flush though. i know some primers are tougher than others. thought i would try some commercial 308 too just to check. will let you all know what i find. thanks so much for the info.
Corpral_Agarn
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I have experienced this with my 308 M1.
In my case, I was milking the trigger too much generating a bump fire on accident. more positive trigger pulls solved my issue.
You can see/hear it in this vid at 3:58 into it:
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Jeremy2171
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Were you shooting off a bench? Sometimes you don't get good follow thru and get a double.
Pics of the receiver? It might be a welded one and that could be giving you the issues.
Your firing pin tail could be worn as well... pics of that?
Pics of the receiver? It might be a welded one and that could be giving you the issues.
Your firing pin tail could be worn as well... pics of that?
D.B. Cooper
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Seems like you have some feed issues with that rifle, too. Looked like you pulling the hammer on an empty chamber part way through the clip, and then had to keep cycling the bolt with no cartridge coming out. As though your bolt had closed on empty chamber.
D.B. Cooper
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Yep. My only doubles have been from a bench rest position.
Corpral_Agarn
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Correct.
I am not sure what all was going on there that day, but I did take that rifle to a similar match in 2019 and she ran like a champ.
That first match could have just been "break in match", IDK LOL
Jerry M
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Garands and M1-As can double or triple if the trigger/sear is worn or gunsmithed incorrectly. Normally it can be fixed with emory cloth. Try to find a highpower shooter who used these rifles to show you.
D.B. Cooper
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In any event, I subscribed to your channel. Saw your 2016 Verdun 2 gun match.. Wonder how much pizza and beer they had to provide to the volunteers who dug all those fox holes and trenches. LOL.
Oh. By the way. Did you know you're holding those guns in the wrong hand? LOL bwahahahahaha
Reloadron
Contributing Member
Take a good look at the ejected cartridges. Note things like primer seating depth, are the primers seated below flush with the case head? How hard were the firing pin strikes?
On the bright side you have more than one M1 Garand so you have parts to swap. Quick and dirty swap the trigger group. There is no difference between a .308 (7.62 NATO) Garand and a 30-06 Springfield Garand other than barrel chamber.
There are several causes for an unexpected double (or more) tap or slam fire including milking a trigger.
Ron
On the bright side you have more than one M1 Garand so you have parts to swap. Quick and dirty swap the trigger group. There is no difference between a .308 (7.62 NATO) Garand and a 30-06 Springfield Garand other than barrel chamber.
There are several causes for an unexpected double (or more) tap or slam fire including milking a trigger.
- Firing pin broken or stuck (make sure with bolt removed firing pin moves freely)
- Chamber headspace below minimum (not likely)
- Chamber radial dimensions (make sure the chamber walls are clean)
- Sear/Hammer engagement disconnect (uncontrolled hammer release). Remove trigger group and manually watch it work. Make sure hammer locking lugs firmly engage hammer hooks.
Ron
Jeremy2171
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