A first look at my (mostly) Italian 7.62mm NATO Garand

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Dragonfly

Dragonfly

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I found myself earlier this year somewhat unexpectedly looking for a Garand. I’ve always been interested in them (although as rifles go I’m usually more of a 1980s and newer black/green rifle guy), but a couple of things sparked my interest—prices (in Canada at least) are really skyrocketing, even going up maybe a few hundred bucks since I started looking in September, and I didn’t want to be priced out of the market. I was also looking for a rifle that might be more likely to elude any future prohibitions (we already lost AR15s and M14s, among others, last year) and I’m gambling that the Garand might be a good candidate. And, since it was designed by a Canadian, I thought it was my patriotic duty to get one. :)

I would’ve liked one in the classic .30-06, but I’ve got maybe a thousand rounds or so of surplus Hirtenberger 7.62mm NATO on hand (and M2 Ball-style factory ammunition is going for around $3/round here too) so I decided on a 7.62mm conversion. I was looking for a shooter, not a collectible, so I was OK with getting a parts build, too. I found this one recently, put together with good parts by someone that knows Garands very well. I picked it up last night from the Post Office, and the high overcast at lunchtime in advance of our first wintry blast this evening gave excellent light for some back deck pictures.

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The crown and FKF stamps indicate that the receiver was made by Beretta for the Danish military, I believe in the 1950s or 1960s. The serial number has not been photoshopped—it really is PB1234!

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The op rod has been marked 7.62mm—I believe that they are a bit shorter than the .30-06 versions.

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The stock is marked “MT” which indicates that it is a Tipo 2 Italian stock—it’s in very nice shape!

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The bolt is a bit more unusual—the “SuS” marking and eagle proof marks show that it was made in West Germany by Sauer un Sohn. From what I’ve read these seem to be fairly uncommon.

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The SIAU-marked barrel (which apparently stands for “Società Italiana Acciai Ugine”) was made by Beretta in 1967.

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And, finally, the sights are also Beretta.

So—the initial look is very pleasing. The rifle is in great shape for one whose parts have been around about as long as I have (and maybe more!). I’m really looking forward to getting it out.
 
I had a BM 59 for several years. I liked it, but I had no real use for it and sold it during a personal economic downturn.
It was a cut and welded receiver type, chambered for 7.62x51mm NATO which is dimensionally identical with the commercial .308 Winchester. It seems the rifle fired the .30 caliber rifle round (.30-06 Springfield). They were later converted to match the 'new' U. S. rifle.
The one I had was not as nice in appearance as the example shown. It really looks good.

I am always amused the BM 59 was developed in several months and the conversion cost around $6.00 U. S. currency at the time (so I'm told). The M-14 rifle cost considerably more and took longer to design from near scratch. One must admit the gas system is superior in the later rifle.

Nice rifle.
 
Nice photos dude -- you understand how lighting works!

My own Garand is a July 1944 Springfield mixmaster with a new 7.62 NATO Criterion barrel installed at the CMP Custom Shop. It looks a lot like yours except for a mix of black and green Parkerizing. The buttstock on mine is a NOS 7.62 NATO Italian replacement, which has about a 1/2" bit of wood patched in behind the front sling swivel to make it the original 30-06 length.

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There were three common methods for converting the M1 Garand to 7.62 NATO. One was to install a chamber insert. Another involved shortening the barrel from the breech, recutting the chamber and shortening the top handguard and buttstock. The third method was to simply replace the whole barrel. I think those Danish 7.62 NATO M1's like yours were all converted by the shortening method. Beretta offered this as an economical way to refurb Garands to the new NATO standard, but got few takers. "Bloke on the Range" has one of these Danish 7.62 Garands too:



The Beretta production is discussed in Bruce Canfield's superb (albeit pricey) book on the M1 Garand:

https://gunandswordcollector.com/product/m1-garand-rifle/

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BTW, Columbia also tried a similar conversion domestically:

 
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Dragonfly said:
The bolt is a bit more unusual—the “SuS” marking and eagle proof marks show that it was made in West Germany by Sauer un Sohn. From what I’ve read these seem to be fairly uncommon.
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J.P. Sauer and Sohn, was based in Suhl, at least pre-WWII. They made quality firearms for sporting and military applications. Ive got one of their Gewher 98's made in 1916. Its an old war bring back sporter in 30-06. The action is unbelievably smooth, 105 years later. They were the 6th rarest Mauser manufacturer in WWI, out of 9.

At some point they Merged with Sig, to form Sig Sauer. Not sure of the relation to the new line of Sauer rifles.

Your rifle is a beauty!

For anyone in need of a stock for one of these, midway has some, but reviews are not very impressive.
 
BigBlue 94 said:
For anyone in need of a stock for one of these, midway has some, but reviews are not very impressive.
Click to expand...

I got mine from Sarco in 2018 -- looks like they still have them available:

https://www.sarcoinc.com/search-results-page?q=garand+stock

The set I bought was this one -- turned out much nicer than expected for the price:

https://www.sarcoinc.com/m1-garand-stock-handguard-sets-in-walnut-complete-stock-set-wood-only/

When I bought my Garand for $750 in 2018 (Blue Sky import marked), it came with an absolutely atrocious Korean stock and broken op rod spring and rear sight spindle. I replaced the stock and spring, and when I had the barrel swapped at the CMP Custom Shop I also had them fix the rear sight for me. Final outlay for the rifle came to about $1200. Seemed a lot at the time, but boy sure I underestimated how much prices would rise since then!
 
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Sorry for the lateness of my replies—I've been under the weather for a few days.

BreechFace said:
Beautiful Garand! Classic Firearms had some Beretta 7.62x51 NATO Garands a while back, they were spendy but looked nice! Not as nice as yours, however.
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NIGHTLORD40K said:
WOW! Thats one of the most gorgeous Garands Ive EVER seen, bravissimo!
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1KPerDay said:
Fantastic pics and a beautiful rifle!
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Thanks very much, guys. I can't wait to take it out!
 
Dave DeLaurant said:
I got mine from Sarco in 2018 -- looks like they still have them available:

https://www.sarcoinc.com/search-results-page?q=garand+stock

The set I bought was this one -- turned out much nicer than expected for the price:

https://www.sarcoinc.com/m1-garand-stock-handguard-sets-in-walnut-complete-stock-set-wood-only/

When I bought my Garand for $750 in 2018 (Blue Sky import marked), it came with an absolutely atrocious Korean stock and broken op rod spring and rear sight spindle. I replaced the stock and spring, and when I had the barrel swapped at the CMP Custom Shop I also had them fix the rear sight for me. Final outlay for the rifle came to about $1200. Seemed a lot at the time, but boy sure I underestimated how much prices would rise since then!
Click to expand...
My Blue Sky was pretty decent. It came with a Chui wood upper guard and the elevation screw needed to be retimed, but otherwise it was sound inside and out- though I did also have to recut the crown since there was a nasty ding in it.

I would convert it to .308, but I have to stock a fair pile of .30-06 for my hungry Eddystone and Springfields anyway.......:)
 
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Buy three so you can stack them.
 
Well, I had it out for the first time a few weeks ago and while it was accurate and very pleasant to shoot there was a consistent inability to load a full eight-round clip...seven would work fine, but a full clip just wouldn't insert fully. I had the guy who assembled it take a look and he found that the feed rib on the right side of the receiver was excessively worn. Loading dummy rounds with the topmost round on the left works OK, so he's going to test fire it and see if that proves reliable. Hopefully I'll get it back soon!

 
I have most of Canfield' books. Love em' all, but when it comes to Garands, I prefer Scott Duff's work. I saw this hardbound book a few years back and grabbed it. When I opened it up I was surprised and pleased to find... well... look at the top of the page in the second picture. Publisher's screw up, I guess.

When I worked for Les, I was delighted one day to see an order for a Premier II...from Scott Duff. That pistol got a bit of extra care in it's manufacture. I took a Dremel with a tiny ball end bit and carefully etched into the extractor
"M-1s forever!" A week or so after we shipped the gun, we got a letter from a very happy Mr. Duff, with a pic of the extractor and job well done note.

Les stormed out of the office and said "Who the %#$@ did this?" Then he smiled and chuckled to himself, staring straight at me. He knew.
 

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This one came from the DCM in the early 60s. Born in July 1941. I got it from a friend of mine who used it to shoot Service Rifle at Camp Perry in 1966.This is just the way it looked like when he got it 60 years ago.

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