Questions on loading for the Garand

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.38 Special

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The CMP called today for payment, so I am looking forward to my first new post-Covid toy. It's been decades since I loaded for any semi-automatic rifle, and I've never loaded for any .30 caliber semi-auto, let alone the Garand.

As I understand it, reaming the primer pockets may be worthwhile, to guard against slamfires. Trimming cases to minimum length may also be more important than it usually is, at least at my bench.

I don't have any appropriate powders on hand, and of course can't find any. C'est la vie.

I have a small stock of 150 grain bullets, which should be ideal. I see several places offering 147 FMJ-BT at a very low price, presumably for the .308 Winchester. (These appear to be either pulled bullets from I-don't-know-what, or newly-made offered by "Xtreme bullets"). Reviews appear to be mixed: some folks say they aren't very accurate, while other people say that is true if you are trying to win matches, but that 2-3 MOA is an acceptable standard from a battle rifle and that the 147 grainers are capable of that.

Finally, I do have a huge stock of .30-'06 ammo that apparently is capable of bending the op rod. I've read about various gas plug tricks and am considering the "ported gas plug" from GarandGear.

Any and all thoughts on any of this are appreciated.
 
You want primers seated below flush and that should be able to be accomplished with clean primer pockets. If you obtained some military cases, make sure the crimp is removed if there is one before trying to seat primers. CCI makes a primer that is designed for semi-auto rifles, I forget the number off hand, but it is a bit tougher than standard primers to help prevent slam fires.

When shooting single rounds, you want to strip a round from the magazine instead of inserting the round in the chamber and letting the bolt slam home on the round. It slows the bolt down which prevents slam fires. There are two and five round clips available and single round loading devices (SLED) if you want to shoot less than 8 rounds. You can load an 8 round clip with only two rounds in it into the magazine, many do it at Service rifle matches, but I find it a bit like "rubbing your stomach and patting your head routine."

There are a number of powders available that are safe for the Garand. IMR4064 is about the slowest. I like H4895, IMR 4895, Varget. There are others that are good. Search the internet for Garand safe loads

The 147 FMJ-BT would be adequate for blasting ammunition. Theyn would be a good place to start. Match bullets could give better accuracy but with a standard build, as opposed to match build, Garand, the full benefits of the match bullets may not be realized.

I've never used a ported gas plug. I've never shot hunting 30-06 ammunition in my Garands mostly because my Garands are the only 30-06 rifles that I have. The op rod is the weak link in a Garand and they are hard to find and get repaired. So, protect it. The vented/ported gas plug should be used.

Note, the op rod is not straight by design. It has bends in it. There is a special jig for getting the bends correct when an op rod is repaired.

Enjoy your Garand.
 
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Make dang sure primers are seated below flush, and well below flush is better, which is why I think some folks recommend using a primer pocket uniformer on cases, not a bad idea at all IMHO.

Use appropriate powders, good luck in your search.

I use CCI-34 primers for extra protection against a slam fire. YMMV. Some folks don’t use them.

Mind @cfullgraf’s advise on single feeding.

Enjoy your new Garand.
 
Last I looked, grafs had the 150 M2 PRVI in stock. This bullet is very close to authentic US M2s. Personally I prefer the Hornady 150 FMJBT or Nosler 155 and 168 HPBTS in my Garand. I do get very good accuracy with the Hornady 150 though, FAR superior to M2 ball. The 2 match bullets edge it slightly, but in 200 yard CMP games I honestly can't tell the difference.

The advice on primer seating is sound. I feel no need to ream pockets. I do seat on a ram primer for a good, consistent deep set around. 010. I did find IMR 3031 at Powder Valley.
 
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I don't ream pockets but it couldn't hurt. I use an RCBS bench primer and check every primed case to make sure they're flush. In MY gun the best load I've found is Hornady 150 Interlocks, 46gr of H4895, and Winchester primers. I get about 2 1/2" at a hundred off the bench. That's about the best I can do with my old eyes.

Garands are a hoot to shoot. I have a 12" plate at 200 that shooting it sitting and slung up is more fun that a bag of monkees.
 
The consensus on powder seems to be if you are going to shoot slower powders, use an adjustable gas nut. I installed one on my '43 Springfield. It consists of a gas plug with a set screw that is turned counterclockwise (outward) to increase the gas volume the cylinder can handle, or turned inward to decrease. I have only ever shot surplus ball so have no practical advice on reloading for it, but as you alluded to, slow powders are very likely to damage the op rod.
 
These are good loads for the M1 Garand rifle, they parallel the service rifle loads published. Also as mentioned there is the Schuster Gas Plug and similar gas plugs to bleed off pressure. As to priming the CCI #34 is a good choice designed for rifles with a free floating firing pin like the M1 Garand. Seat the primers until you know they have bottomed out in the pockets. Personally I have never used a modified gas plug but they do work based on my observations. Also, on my rifles I have always achieved peak accuracy loading below maximum loads. Enjoy your rifle! :)

Ron
 
Most important thing to remember IMO is to FL size and gauge all brass to the lower step on a Wilson type case headspace gauge, and make sure primers are seated flush or below flush.

use garand approved powders and charges, or get the Schuster or other adjustable gas plug. It’s easier to just use the right charges IMO. But if you have a lot of Ammo you want to use, an adjustable gas plug may be the ticket.
 
Make dang sure primers are seated below flush, and well below flush is better, which is why I think some folks recommend using a primer pocket uniformer on cases.
Especially true with the hundreds of 06' brass possibilities out there. A batch of certain matching headstamp from the same lot may be perfect depth and require no work. Others, maybe need some adjustment.
 
I used to compete with my M1 at CMP matches but haven’t been to one in a few years. I started with 167 SMK over a charge of Varget (I don’t have the data handy but I think it was 46gr). This was an accurate load but I found my recovery times in the rapids was slow and at 200 yards the 168s were excessive for such a short distance. This was about the time that many competitors started looking at lighter bullets in the 110gr - 125gr range. I switched to a 110gr Nosler varmagedon over 48gr Varget and it worked well for me.

BTW, I didn’t go through an extensive case prep procedure like cleaning the pockets. I just trimmed, tumbled, and loaded them on my XL650. I pulled each primed and charged case and weighed each one before seating the bullet.
 
Interesting note about some pretty old load data from MASTER PO'S M1 loads (Courtesy of the NRA) which is NRA archived data. Note the use of the primers used. The author does comment "Federal GM210M Primers (Master Po has heard the horror stories of Federal match primers in the M1/M1A rifles. If you're squeamish or new to reloading, use Winchester Large Rifle)". We always like to associate Federal as among the most sensitive primers and the last primer we would want in a free floating firing pin rifle.

Seriously as to specific load data or a magic bullet I doubt there really is anything. I say this because what works well or great in one service M1 Garand may absolutely suck in the next M1 Garand. This sort of leaves us chasing that proverbial perfect match load for our rifles. It does keep many of us busy. :)

Over the decades something which has changed is the plethora of endless tools and gauges at our disposal some of which are very useful while some a solution to a problem which doesn't exist. Here is how I treat priming and should point out I hand prime each case.

Starting with the once fired GI brass.
Priming%202.png

I resize and decap in a single operation. Talk about ugly crud in the pockets.
Priming%203.png

OK while I show a hand brush I did cheat here. I use a RCBS case prep center I was given years ago. The end result is not just clean pockets but a reamed crimp.
Priming%204.png

Nice clean pockets. Now at this point if we really want to know what we have I like the Ballistic Tools gauge set and for just over $20 (USD) isn't a bad deal.
Priming%205.png

Priming%206.png

A plain white index cart placed over primed cases reveals primer seating depth just below case head.
Primer%20Seat%202.png

I hand prime simply because I can feel when my primers bottom out in the pockets and at that point I know the primer anvil is now seated against the primer cake mix. A close look at a primer will reveal the anvil sits just above the cup. Seating the primer till it bottoms out ensures the primer anvil is seated.
Anvil%20Position.png


That's all I got. :)
Ron
 
When I did most of my Garand reloading I used a ram prime. No special pocket treatment, no slam fires with CCI large rifle. Much of my brass was HXP surplus and Hornady. I used data from my Hornady manual and FL sized. (I was having quite a bit of trouble getting my handloads to fit a gauge until I finally asked about it on the CMP forum. The best answer I got was "Do they fit the barrel?", they did and I put the gauge away). Mostly 150-155 FMJ and HPBT over IMR 4064 and IMR 4895...
 
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Be careful using Master Po's reloading data using H-335 powder. The posted maximum load for a 150 gr. bullet @ 49.0 grs. is WAY too hot. I touched off a few in the 1990's with this load and blew primer pockets.

Maximum should have been 46.0 grs. I would believe all of the H-335 maximum data is too hot.

I settled on a 45.0 gr. load, which shot fine, although H-335 gives a good sized muzzle flash, It was accurate.
 
Be careful using Master Po's reloading data using H-335 powder. The posted maximum load for a 150 gr. bullet @ 49.0 grs. is WAY too hot. I touched off a few in the 1990's with this load and blew primer pockets.

Maximum should have been 46.0 grs. I would believe all of the H-335 maximum data is too hot.

I settled on a 45.0 gr. load, which shot fine, although H-335 gives a good sized muzzle flash, It was accurate.
Yes, the Hornady 9th for service rifle (M1 Garand) has a Maximum Load using H335 of 46.4 grains under a 150 grain bullet, While I never loaded H335 for a Garand I would easily see where 49.0 grains of H335 would really be pushing the limits for the M1 Garand rifle.

Ron
 
The CMP called today. . .
There's a bill collector you're happy to hear from!

Trimming, not so much, but do trim.

Sizing
is important, so either accept short case life and FL size, or do a good job measuring as-fired dimensions and set shoulders back 0.005+ shorter than any feel on chambering (stripped bolt, etc).

Also:
I anneal, and that helps necks and shoulders to last.
I load gently, in the lower half of the Garand data; she's old, no need to hotrod her.
I don't ream pockets, but every single primer gets finger checked for below flush.
If you want to shoot non-Garand ammo, get an adjustable gas vent valve. I have one, and still shoot gentle reloads.

My brass goes 15+ reloads before pockets get loose.
 
Thanks, all.

Spent some time going through what I actually have on hand. Fewer loaded rounds than I thought. Maybe 300, about a third of which are totally unsuitable - 220 grain bullets and such. It's amazing how a "good supply" for a bolt action hunting rifle becomes "not nearly enough" when thinking of a semi-auto!

Quite a few 150 FMJ and SP, though, from Federal, Remington, and PMP. Some of those boxes claim 2700 fps, but I guess I'll get a ported plug just the same.

I have a big supply of Remington nickel brass. Any reason not to use nickel?

An unopened sleeve of CCI LRP turned up. No idea where it came from, but a nice surprise. A bottle of RL15 got my hopes up, until I shook it. Maybe ten cartridges worth of it at the bottom. The search continues...

<edit> And just scored a couple of pounds of AA4064 from Brownell's, so yay me.
 
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@.38 Special use nickel if you want; I haven’t used it in rifles but I’ve found it more brittle in handgun brass. 90% of the time I get a cracked case it’s a nickel plated one. No idea why.

I should also mention that in addition to sizing to a gauge and making sure you have at least 5 thousandths of clearance/shoulder setback you should check every case for incipient case head separation. I use a dental pick. I’m over 5 reloads on a bunch and haven’t found a bad one yet. I’d much rather have a little shorter case life than size “to the chamber” and possibly get a tight one or a high primer and increase the chances of a slam fire.

Also consider annealing after a few firings. I start to get a lot of spring back as the brass gets work hardened, and it gets more difficult to get them to pass the gauge. I haven’t annealed yet but the more the cases are fired/resized the springier they get. So what I’m saying is don’t simply gauge one piece of a batch of brass and if it passes the gauge, assume they all will. Even in the same batch of brass fired in the same rifle the same number of times, some will pass and some won’t the first time through the sizing die. Complacency can result in bad stuff if you get a slam fire.
 
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Thanks, all.

Spent some time going through what I actually have on hand. Fewer loaded rounds than I thought. Maybe 300, about a third of which are totally unsuitable - 220 grain bullets and such. It's amazing how a "good supply" for a bolt action hunting rifle becomes "not nearly enough" when thinking of a semi-auto!

Quite a few 150 FMJ and SP, though, from Federal, Remington, and PMP. Some of those boxes claim 2700 fps, but I guess I'll get a ported plug just the same.

I have a big supply of Remington nickel brass. Any reason not to use nickel?

An unopened sleeve of CCI LRP turned up. No idea where it came from, but a nice surprise. A bottle of RL15 got my hopes up, until I shook it. Maybe ten cartridges worth of it at the bottom. The search continues...

<edit> And just scored a couple of pounds of AA4064 from Brownell's, so yay me.

That AA 4064 should be in the Goldilocks zone. I think it is slightly slower than the IMR version (internet ramblings grain of salt and all that). I load 46 grains for 168s and 47 grains for 150s of the IMR version. Nice even ejection pattern where it should be, good accuracy and nothing feels excessively hot or mild. Consult your data, but somewhere in that ballpark should be where you wish to be.

I did check again, and the Hornady 150 FMJBT, Hor 150 SP (have also used that one in the M1), and PRVI M2 (higher cost than the Hornady's) were in stock at Grafs. Happy loading!
 
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Finally, I do have a huge stock of .30-'06 ammo that apparently is capable of bending the op rod. I've read about various gas plug tricks and am considering the "ported gas plug" from GarandGear.

Any and all thoughts on any of this are appreciated.
That's a waste of money and thats a misleading website.

I'm still looking for commercial ammo that is dangerous to the garand.

Commercial ammo and milsurp ammo operate at similar pressure so no reason to add aftermarket doodads.

Here is what you need to know for reloading garand ammo.

Any powder from IMR 3031 to varget/H380 any bullet weight from 100-220grn that you have data for....and PS the Hornady garand data is pure junk.
 
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Commercial ammo and milsurp ammo operate at similar pressure so no reason to add aftermarket doodads.

Right, commercial 30-06 ammunition is loaded to the same chamber pressure as "Garand safe" ammunition. The trouble, newer powders have a slower burn rate and the port pressure at the gas cylinder is higher than with powders that are considered safe for the Garand.

It is the high port pressure that can damage the op rod, not the chamber pressures.

Use modern 30-06s hunting ammunition at your own risk. Personally, I would not risk damage to the op rod in my Garand.
 
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PreviousPoster said:
Any powder from IMR 3031 to varget/H380 any bullet weight from 100-220grn that you have data for
`Strongly recommend the new Garand handloader not follow the advice above.

There are any number of alternate sources for that grand old lady designed 98-years ago:
https://www.handloadermagazine.com/m1-garand-handloads
http://web.archive.org/web/20000620055732/home.att.net/~Masterpo/M1load.htm (he Classic)
https://www.shootingtimes.com/editorial/handloading-m1-garand/452071
 
Right, commercial 30-06 ammunition is loaded to the same chamber pressure as "Garand safe" ammunition.
All 30-06 ammo is loaded to the same chamber pressure specs according to SAAMI

The trouble, newer powders have a slower burn rate and the port pressure at the gas cylinder is higher than with powders that are considered safe for the Garand.
That is false and has been proven in a SAAMI spec ballistics lab. Commercial ammo has similar port pressures as milsurp ammo. Even Hornady Superformance ammo is only about 5% higher port pressure wise than milsurp.

It is the high port pressure that can damage the op rod, not the chamber pressures.
Actually its the lack of proper lubrication that causes oprod damage not port pressure. Which as shown is barely higher than milsurp in the WORST case.

Use modern 30-06s hunting ammunition at your own risk. Personally, I would not risk damage to the op rod in my Garand.

This is why internet myths are so hard to get rid of. You warn about "modern" hunting ammunition. Therefore "non-modern" hunting ammo should be safe..right? What year did hunting ammo become "modern"? Because garands have been in civilians hands for nearly 70 years now...
 
`Strongly recommend the new Garand handloader not follow the advice above.

There are any number of alternate sources for that grand old lady designed 98-years ago:
https://www.handloadermagazine.com/m1-garand-handloads
http://web.archive.org/web/20000620055732/home.att.net/~Masterpo/M1load.htm (he Classic)
https://www.shootingtimes.com/editorial/handloading-m1-garand/452071
Feel free to disprove my comment.

Considering two of the three links you posted are full of misinformation. The only good info is Master Pos and his data doesn't dispute mine.
 
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