First time loading, M1 Garand

[travellingJeff]

I've been saving my brass from the range with the intent of loading it. Yesterday I accessed a friends press and knowledge and loaded up about sixty rounds of thirty-ought for my M1 Garand.

I used 150g Hornady FMJ/BT on top of roughly 50g (+/- 2g due to my learning curve) and CCI Benchrest Primers (only primers available at BPS).

The problem occurred with seating the bullet. The gentleman kind enough to lend me his bench for a few hours was in possession of a very nice micrometer.

I cited this article; http://carnival.saysuncle.com/002449.html

One note about Maximum Cartridge Length: the limit for the ’06 is 3.340”, but I’d keep the length to 3.330” or less just to make sure nothing gets hung up in the magazine.

That in mind, I loaded them to a 3.330 length. Just a WEE bit too long, apparently, as they didn't properly feed into the chamber. The clip fit in (barely) but the bolt just jammed a round in. I didn't want to play with it and attempt to make it fit or fire. The loaded rounds were a bit longer, perhaps twenty five hundredths, than the 150g SuperMax rounds I also brought.


Any ideas as to the malfunction? Could the micrometer be off? User error? A misprint? Any idea as to how far I should seat those particular bullets?


Thanks in advance.

 

[cougar1717]

The Hornady reloading manual has Garand specific loading data. The source you are quoting is recommending that 3.330" be the maximum COL. I would first get Garand specific loading data to figure out the maximum length and then make a dummy round starting at the maximum and working down to figure out the length at which your firearm cycles reliably. Bullet shape and ogive has an effect as well.

 

[USSR]

I used 150g Hornady FMJ/BT on top of roughly 50g (+/- 2g due to my learning curve)...

travellingJeff,

What powder, and why a 4gr spread? Reloading is a precision operation, and surely you can hold closer tolerances than that. As to your cartridge jamming problem, it has nothing to do with the way your bullets were seated. The problem is with the resizing of the case. You need to screw your FL resizing die down more to bump your shoulder back further.

Don

 

[Slinger]

Jeff,

Hornaday's manual with "Garand load" data says to seat the 150 gr FMJ/BT at 3.185. I measured some M2 Ball ammo, it measured at 3.310. I have seated the Hornaday 150's at 3.310 with out any feeding problems in my M1. The 3.340 depth sounds a little on the long side, but I do not claim to be an expert. Check out the Hornaday manual for some good reloading data for your M1, she requires careful feeding!

 

[Steve in PA]

3.240" is what I reload my 150gr FMJ bullet to.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

The Maximum COAL for the 30-06 is 3.340" so your OAL of 3.330" is too close to the Max IMO, especially for a semi-auto like the Garand. With a 147/150gr FMJ bullet when loading for my Garand I use a OAL of 3.250" without any problems.

BTW, which powder are you using for those Garand loads? Since you are new to reloading for the Garand I want to warn you not to use too slow a powder. Most reloaders use 4895 since it seems to be the perfect burn rate for the Garand.