Garand questions - Holbrook Device and sights

Yes the bolt still locks in the rear after the last round is shot.

While there are rounds in the enbloc, the bolt will travel forward to the locked postion. Not until your last round is gone, will it lock back.

The enbloc stays in until you hit the lever on the side of the reciever. I catch mine, and put them back in the bandoleer.

You can also feed your M1 with single rounds, for range shooting.

As far as sights go. I use the stock front sight, with a NM SA rear. I zero at 200 yards, and can see in all types of light and weather.

I use a vortex hider on the end of my NM barrel. Nice in low light and night.

Call John with any questions, he is cool people:

John Holbrook
360-671-8522

With all due respect to Mr. Holbrook, the "Holbrook Device" is an answer to a question that nobody asked. It turns the worlds fastest to reload battle rifle into one that is MUCH slower. It will require several more hand motions and time to accomplish the same function as before.

Also, if you are contemplating using your M1 as a SHTF rifle, clip retention should be the LAST of your concerns..... Fast reloads should be at the top of your list of wants.

M1 enbloc clips are not like M16 or M14 magazines.... the are like brass...... cheap and expendible. Buy lots of them and if you lose one now and then, who cares. Find the ones you can and forget the rest. In a SHTF situation you are NOT going to be calliing "time out" so you can hunt your brass and clips anyway.

In any case, all of your SHTF ammo should be stored on clips and ready for immediate use. No need to look for something that is, like the ammo stored in it, going to get one use and a "field disposal".

Keep your rifles basic function "as is". It reloads quicker than ANY other rifle extant.... and it sounds like that's what you are planning for anyway.

As for being able to "top off" in the middle of a firefight...... are you REALLY going to be carrying loose rounds in your bandoleer??? GET REAL!!!

If you are in a SHTF scenario you are going to be carrying clipped ammo ONLY. Nobody in their right mind will be carrying anything but ready to use fully loaded clips in their SHTF bug out bag.

When you have a partial load and a few seconds of downtime you will either do a "trigger assist unload" in the direction of the adversaries or you will use the clip eject to eject the partial load then reload with a full clip.

Anyway... just my 2 bits,

Best to all,
Swampy

Garands forever

Well,,,,,,I disagree,,,,,,,
But then again I have dealt with John and like him so I am in his court.

The Holbrook device best feature is that it eliminates the auto bolt feed when inserting a loaded clip into the magazine.
You will not inadvertantly load your thumb into the chamber if you have a Holbrook device in place.

The M1 is a wonderful battle rifle and still quite capable of performing exemplary service as a defensive weapon, however, anyone who seriously considers an M1 a viable all out save your azz in a modern combat environment first choice is living in an I want to die in combat pipe dream.

Eight rounds of .308 should solve most home invasion/ home defense situations and if it doesn't I am drawing my sidearm and exiting stage left while calling for all the help that could possibly show up.
A speed reload should not be necessary, moot point.

Serious modern combat weapons and combat environments call for ghost rings and tritium.
Leave the Match sights on your Match rifle.

I would agree with Swampy about the Holbrook device. I've never had any problems loading my thumb into the chamber, or with finding ejected clips. I can see the utility in match shooting, but for a SHTF rifle I think it would be counterproductive.

As for the Smith Enterprise brake, I have one on my 308 tanker and really like it. It makes the rifle LOUD, but does a good job taming muzzle climb. You don't want to stand next to one being shot, but for the shooter it makes an already easy-to-shoot rifle into a real pussycat. I believe Smith discontinued the Garand model a while back, though, and the things have gotten really expensive. I've not tried any of the alternative on the market, so can't suggest a substitute. I have watched someone shoot my Smith brake at night, though, and the flash signature wasn't too bad. Somewhere between half and a third the flash of a bare-muzzle AR or AK.

If you plan to stick to fairly short shots, get yourself an extra rear sight aperture and drill it out. I've shot an M1 with a drilled-out rear sight, and I was surprised how much quicker it was on target at close range (<25 yards, in that case). I have tried shooting my regular M1 sights at night, and it was basically impossible unless the target was illuminated. The aperture simply didn't let enough light through. Even when I could make out the target with the naked eye, I was generally unable to pick it up through the sights. Dunno how much a bigger aperture and tritium would change the situation, but it might.

If you have some coin and don't mind a bit of extra weight, get an AmergaRanges scout rail and an EOTech or Aimpoint. That would be definitely the best low-light solution. I wanted long-range capability for my M1, so I got a rail and a 2-7x handgun scope. Still quite usable at close range, but the magnification lets me utilize the whole length of the rifle's capability.

I'd skip the Holbrook device. It's hard for me to envision someone so slow as to get their thumb bit (as long as you press down on the clip, the bolt doesn't go).

The NM sight is great for target shooting in full daylight conditions. For any other conditions, it's terrible. I'd at least get a standard USGI sight on it.

I don't have a strong opinion on the Holbrook device one way or the other. I think the reloads will be quicker without it though.

I do think your NM sight is the wrong sight for your rifle for it's intended purpose. For what you want to do, I'd go with a night sight set up.

Once you get your night sight either keep your NM sight for another rifle or sell it to recoup your cost. I'd actually be interested in your NM rear set up if its USGI. I need one for a match rifle.

I tried a Holbrook device and I like the Garand better without it. As others have said, if you keep your hand in the right place and raise it sharply (salute), your thumb just isn't there when the bolt travels forward.

The Garand can be loaded very quickly with practice. I made up a clip of dummy rounds so I could do this away from the range...

I have NM sights and find it difficult to acquire the target in dusk conditions. However, the Eotech attaches to a scout mount quickly and it makes a huge difference. (Original sights functional when Eotech is removed)

+1 to the Smith Enterprises brake. Tames the Garand nicely.

The range I shoot at only allows single loading, so for that reason I like the Holbrook Device...a lot! It does allow topping off and makes your Garand work like a bolt action rifle with a blind magazine. Plus, it is easy to remove if I desire. But, it doesn't sound like it would do you much good for what you want.,

The device, doesnt slow down the reloading.

What it does do, is keep the op-4 from knowing your out of ammo, and reloading. But then, who the heck is gonna know the M1, but you.

I practice with and without it installed. If the SHTF, then yes I would remove mine also. I have 1000s of enblocs, a few less wont matter a bit.

Sure is nice at the range.

Ive never had "M1 thumb", my ole man tought me the M1 and lot of his WWII tricks with it.

I do have the larger peep for my NM sight, Have fired it in low light, fog, and rain. Cant ever remember not being able to see thru it.

Contact Trijicon.
They may be able to drill your front sight and install a tritium capsule for a nominal charge.

I love my Holbrook device. YMMV.

The nice thing about it is that it doesn't permanently alter your Garand. At any time you can put it back in original condition.

dmazur,
I like your setup. Mine is similar except I have an Eotech on a Tanker. Twp questions for you.
Do you an issues with not getting a good cheek weld on your Garand with the Eotech?
Do you of anyone who makes a pistol grip for the fore stock of a Garand?

Thanks

With all due respect to Mr. Holbrook, the "Holbrook Device" is an answer to a question that nobody asked. It turns the worlds fastest to reload battle rifle into one that is MUCH slower.

Click to expand...

Number 1. I have asked the question. Holbrook answered it.
Number 2. I don't plan to use my M1 in combat so speed is not an issue.
Number 3. I have caught my thumb. See Number 1.

That clip is the Garand's greatest fault. If it's such a great idea, why wasn't it retained in the M14?

DocPaladin -

Even though holographic projection is hard to believe, it works! The red dot is at infinity, optically, so cheek weld isn't important. Just hold the rifle firmly and don't lean your head over like you would for the peep sights. (To confirm this, try moving your head slightly with the rifle in sandbags and the dot on a bullseye...the dot doesn't move like an iron sight picture. Kind of like a scope with no parallax error, regardless of range.)

I don't know of a pistol grip for the "forestock". You might be able to fab one that would fit one of the accessory rails available for the sides of the Scout mount, but it would have to look kind of like a spanner wrench to be centered. The front handguard is a relatively small piece that might be customized to include a pistol grip.

Dmazur,
Is that the "Fulton Super Scout" on your rifle, If so how do you like it? I have a CMP Garand on the way and I've been thinking about ordering one as an alternative to the usual "M1C/D-Style" offset scope mounts.

-Slinky

*end thread-jack

If you want to load one round at a time, get a SLED which is a mod'ed enblock clip. Load the round and pull the op rod. Bolt feeds the round. When fired the bolt locks back and the SLED remains in place for the next single round until you take it out.

I got it from TJ General Store

http://www.tjgeneralstore.com/amegaranges.htm

It is an "Amega Ranges" product. As far as I know, it is identical to the one Fulton Armory offers, and they include two accessory rails.

I like it fine. I put it together with blue Loctite and it hasn't moved.

Be advised you do need to disassemble the rifle to install this, so if your CMP Garand has a stubborn gas cylinder or nut, you get to struggle with those first...

I have 30-06 and 308 Garands. Both have the Holbrook device and since most of my shooting is at the range I think they are great. If something gets in my fan then lots of 7.62x39 will clear it up in very short order. The nice thing about the Holbrook device is watching people that know everything at the range get very quiet when I do things with a Garand that they just told their buddy I could not do. Wins lots of bets.

whoever is using the m1as a shtf gun is the first person i'm calling when it does

jus sayin...