Disassembling your Garand

[elktrout]

I have several information sources showing how to strip a Garand down to a pile of individual parts. My question is: How often or when should we do it?

Even if I had mine out in a pouring rain storm for a day, it appears that some of the parts "groups" are so open (when the stock is removed) that I could simply use a good water-displacing spray lubricant and hose it down good and wipe off the excess.

What is your experience in this regard?

 

[jpwilly]

In my opinion anytime your out in the rain with your M1 take it down and oil / lube it up. A good coat of WD-40 isn't going to hurt anything either. You can also use automotive waxes such at turtle wax to coat and prevent water from damaging your M1 if you live in humid places. I'm sure you already knew this but just confirming it.

Regards

 

[rcmodel]

Field stripping into the major components is how the Army did it on the M-1, M-14, etc.

Nobody had the authorization, or need, to dissemble the trigger group into an individual pile of parts for cleaning.

We used to take our M-14's apart into the basic groups (Trigger group, barreled action, bolt, op rod) and take a hot soap & water shower with them before inspections.
Perfectly fine as long as the Drill Sargent didn't catch you doing it.

And we didn't have the luxury of water displacing spray oils when we got done.

Just dry the parts with an old t-shirt, and oil with patches & GI issue oil.

Complete detail stripping was for an ordinance level repair depot, or getting all the cosmoline out of a DCM mil-sup the first time.

rc

 

[krs]

And...If you've got a good shooting rifle it's best to avoid even the above field strip because the fit of the stock and the amount of "squish" required to close the trigger guard will be affected.

At a minimum your zero will change, in a worst case the accuracy you've enjoyed will disapear.

Clean the bore, use a minimum of oil (use grease instead and only small amounts), and the rifle will give you good service. It was designed to keep working in the worst conditions even when used by the laziest most ignorant or dense troop to whom it might be issued. That's part of the genius of John C. Garand.

 

[rcmodel]

+1
Thats a very good point too Krs.

Our glass bedded match & sniper M-14's were never removed from the stock for cleaning for any reason.
Wet, dusty, both, it didn't matter.

They came in for rebuild after every match season and got cleaned inside then by us idjits that built them.

Even then, trigger groups were not broken down and molested unless the trigger pull had went south and needed an attitude adjustment.

rc

 

[Slamfire]

Even if I had mine out in a pouring rain storm for a day, it appears that some of the parts "groups" are so open (when the stock is removed) that I could simply use a good water-displacing spray lubricant and hose it down good and wipe off the excess

During the Nationals at Camp Perry, I have been caught in downpours so violent that I have blown air through my rear aperature to clear it.

That's why I carry a blow drier with me.

The trigger group comes apart easy, but unless you know the trick, it is hard to get it back together.