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Detachable box magazine fed garand?

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D51208

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Hi all, i was just wondering if there was any plans out there to make a garand into a clip fed weapon in the same 30-06 chambering? I know theres some plans but i hear they make the weapon unsafe. Essentially what i am looking for is a bm-59 or m14 in the 30-06 chambering...Thanks!:D
 
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A little googling found that while Springfield Armory (the real US Army installation, not the present importer) was able to make the M1 into a 20 shot .30-06, many small shop conversions have failed.

Better to make it a .308 a la BM 59 or Erquiaga Conversion of the 1960s with M14 mags.
 
There were a number of U.S. Army experimental conversions of the M1 rifle to use a detachable magazine, and some, like the later M14, allowed the magazine to be loaded with 5-round "stripper" clips while in the gun. Many of these were also selective fire. There was also an experimental model with a 20-round magazine that could be loaded without opening the bolt, using a "trapdoor" like the Johnson. Once the M14 was adopted, U.S. Army experiments with the M1 rifle ceased.

Jim
 
Jim W. I have read about juans conversions, but i cant seem to find any pictures, let alone a place to buy. Do you know of any places to buy???

Jim K. Thanks for the info.
 
I am not familiar with that conversion, but there were a slew of 7.62 M1 conversions using M14 magazines back in the 1960's. The original barrels were set back and many were built on "cut and weld" receivers. They were sold as "tanker Garands" (a fake name, as tankers were issued pistols and SMGs). Almost all were of dubious quality, but some actually worked.

IMHO, there is not much point in cutting up an M1 now that M14 clones are readily available.

Jim
 
I've not heard of anyone doing mag conversions in 30-06. Shuff does .308 I know...

If you do it, please keep us posted.
 
D, I recalled Juan Erquiaga's very smooth looking conversion from a magazine article that must have been 40 years ago. I have never seen one illustrated or advertised for sale since that article and the accompanying advert.
 
JC's original design had a 20 round detachable mag. Used a BAR mag. The U.S. Army didn't want the troopies wasting ammo.
There have been rifles converted to use a mag over the years, but now, shooters don't want 'em. Requires a major re-design of the rifle.
 
I believe someone is now making a semi-auto version of the BAR, if you have your heart set on a 20-30 round .30-06.
 
The BAR magazine conversion was done by several small shops. The problem is that so much metal has to be machined away that the receiver is seriously weakened, and many bent or cracked. At that time, the demand for big magazine semi-autos was so great no one cared much; if the gun blew, it was the customer's tough luck, the "gunsmith" was long gone to some other business. The same was true of building M1 receivers out of cut up parts (the so called "cut and weld" receivers). Some seemed OK, but some cracked; again, no one cared.

Today, there are high quality semi-auto M14 and FAL clones available at reasonable prices so there is no need to take unnecessary risks with ground down or welded up junk. I still see some of them at gun shows, often billed as "experimental" rifles or "made special for Patton" or some such nonsense.

Jim
 
Magazine fed M1 Garand

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The OP asked about 30-06 - but this one is .308 Winchester. It takes M-14 magazines.
 
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About 20 years ago, I bought a Fed Ord "Tanker" for relatively few bucks. It was .308 caliber, and the conversion was done the right way...barrel setback and rechambering...not by using a chamber adapter.

The little rifle worked perfectly. It was scary accurate with handloaded ammunition and more than acceptable with PMC and Winchester 147-grain ball.

A friend of mine found its twin at a show and based on my experience...snapped it up.

No joy for him, though. Pretty much anything that could go wrong with a Garand went wrong with his, and the trouble started straight outta the gate.
 
I know of atleast one company that do the 30.06 mag conversion but I wont recommend them because they are still working out bugs.
I know of two guys that built there own, the issue seems to modifying mags to feed reliably.
 
For 1911Tuner: Here is a Garand chamber.... Let's see if anyone spots the 'feature'...

GarandChamber001.gif

Ray
 
The late WWII T-guns started out with BAR magazines but soon went to dedicated mags for the M1 action. I think there was one T magazine that would work in a BAR but not vice versa.
 
Shuff's never sold the 30.06 mag conversion, he did some testing not long ago but not for sale as of yet. Fingers crossed as if anyone can do it he can
 
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