How accurate are your CMP Garands?
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molonlabe
Member
Floated the front hand guard, Did a trigger job, Added NM front and rear sights but did not bed it on the advice of an armorer (since it fit into the stock like a glove and was difficult to remove) and he felt it would shoot OK. End result 3 inches at 200 yards. That was with military surplus ammo. Mine was purchases in 89, Springfield issue in pristine condition rebuilt in 63. The stock was a little dinged up.
Andrew Wyatt
Member
3 inches at 100 with m2 ball. stock greek service grade.
George S.
Member
Last spring, I got one of the last SA Danish-return Service Grades with the VAR barrel. The barrel looked near-new and the first range outing gave me 4" groups at 100yds from a sandbag rest using Korean PS-headstamped milsurp ammo. I thought that was pretty decent for the military iron sights.
I would thing that Garands in good overall condition should be able to shoot 4-6" groups at 100 yards with a decent barrel. Match grade barrels and some tuning can reduce groups to much less.
I would thing that Garands in good overall condition should be able to shoot 4-6" groups at 100 yards with a decent barrel. Match grade barrels and some tuning can reduce groups to much less.
mustanger98
Member
The Ordnance requirement for acceptance was 4MOA (4" @ 100yds). Most I hear about will do better in the right hands.
My SA SG Dane (serial# dates to Dec. '43) will give me a fist sized group from a sandbag at 50 and 100yds. But, from standing and wrapped into the GI web sling, I can bust clay birds and shards of clay birds on the 100yd bank with it. This is with CMP surplus LC69. No modifications.
Springfield Armory, 1951 replacement barrel, shot just under 2 inches with a 5 shot group this weekend. Simple rest of a caldwell shooting bag, 100 yards. That's about as good as I can shoot with iron sights right now, but I got a few groups like that, not bad at all. Ammo was Lake City surplus, 1975, from the CMP.
I don't shoot off benches, so I can't give you group sizes in inches. I do compete in various venues involving steel plates and milsurp rifles. I do know that out at 400 yards the accuracy starts to go south. In other words, I fire a good solid shot that I call and the bullet doesn't strike where I called the shot. This would probably fit right in with the design specification. If the mil-spec called for 4" at 100 yards, you figure that best case, it might shoot 16" at 400 yards.
That is with a service grade Greek H&R.
Using a commercial Springfield Armory rifle I have gone five for five at 700 yards. The above mentioned CMP rifle isn't up to that.
Contrary to a lot of internet rumor from those who don't own one, the M1 rifle is not a super accruate tack driver. That spec of 4" at 100 yards is a lot closer to the truth the vast majority of the time. In order to make an M1 shoot about as good as a run of the mill commercial bolt action rifle that you buy at Wal-Mart takes a pretty good chunk of change. For confirmation on this, do an internet search for gunsmiths that do accuracy work on M1 rifles. See just how much you have to pay to get an accuracy job guarenteed to shoot 1" at 100 yards. I will give you a hint: the numbers are four figured.
I own four M1 rifles and really enjoy the crap out of them. I shoot them quite a bit. But, I am realistic about them and I don't try to make them something they are not. If I want a one hole, target rifle, I will start with something else. If I want a milsurp rifle with tons of history behind it, the M1 is my pick.
That is with a service grade Greek H&R.
Using a commercial Springfield Armory rifle I have gone five for five at 700 yards. The above mentioned CMP rifle isn't up to that.
Contrary to a lot of internet rumor from those who don't own one, the M1 rifle is not a super accruate tack driver. That spec of 4" at 100 yards is a lot closer to the truth the vast majority of the time. In order to make an M1 shoot about as good as a run of the mill commercial bolt action rifle that you buy at Wal-Mart takes a pretty good chunk of change. For confirmation on this, do an internet search for gunsmiths that do accuracy work on M1 rifles. See just how much you have to pay to get an accuracy job guarenteed to shoot 1" at 100 yards. I will give you a hint: the numbers are four figured.
I own four M1 rifles and really enjoy the crap out of them. I shoot them quite a bit. But, I am realistic about them and I don't try to make them something they are not. If I want a one hole, target rifle, I will start with something else. If I want a milsurp rifle with tons of history behind it, the M1 is my pick.
natedog
Member
Roughly 4" at 150 yards, a little wind, 70*, prone without a sling. Greek Rack Grade H&R. Love her dearly 
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Steve in PA
Member
CMP SA/SG, #2,728,xxx with 11-43 SA barrel, 168gr Hornady BTHP, 46.5gr IMR-4895, Remington cases, CCI 200 primers, from the bench at 100yds.
The cirlce just outside the "10" is about 3" in diameter. Not too shaby for a 60yoa rifle that I haven't done anything to. Darn flyer though.
The cirlce just outside the "10" is about 3" in diameter. Not too shaby for a 60yoa rifle that I haven't done anything to. Darn flyer though.
Steve in PA
Member
cracked butt
Member
I haven't shot any ball ammo through mine- the closest to ball ammo I've used was winchester white box FMJs which it shot about 4" groups with. I put the gas cylinder on really tight by slightly peening the barrel splines, and now with handloads, it will shoot 2" or less 5 shot groups.
Swamprabbit
Member
I have a SG Springfield - a late '44 receiver and a '53 barrel. The only work I did was to sand some wood away from the stock, where it touched the barrel, as well as some from the rear handguard. I also tightened up the front site. The best I can get it to do is about 3.5" at 100yds. Even then I'll get, out of an 8 shot group, a couple of wild fliers that I can't explain.
So far, I can't get any reload to shoot any better than M2 ball. I've tried both 150 and 168 grain SMKs with several different loads of IMR 4064 and IMR 4895. Still working on it though and will be trying some different powders.
So far, I can't get any reload to shoot any better than M2 ball. I've tried both 150 and 168 grain SMKs with several different loads of IMR 4064 and IMR 4895. Still working on it though and will be trying some different powders.
kaferhaus
Member
get a magnifying glass and inspect the barrel crown carefully... I had the same problem, ended up re-crowning the barrel and voila! no more flyers
Swamprabbit
Member
Quote:
get a magnifying glass and inspect the barrel crown carefully... I had the same problem, ended up re-crowning the barrel and voila! no more flyers
Thanks! I wondered about that so I'll give it a check.
get a magnifying glass and inspect the barrel crown carefully... I had the same problem, ended up re-crowning the barrel and voila! no more flyers
Thanks! I wondered about that so I'll give it a check.
Sam Adams
Member
Molon Labe
How much improvement did the trigger job, the handguard work and the sights give you? Some Garands were quite accurate right out of the box (though the really accurate ones were turned into M-1C or M-1D sniper models - yours might have just missed the cut and been pretty good to begin with).
How much improvement did the trigger job, the handguard work and the sights give you? Some Garands were quite accurate right out of the box (though the really accurate ones were turned into M-1C or M-1D sniper models - yours might have just missed the cut and been pretty good to begin with).
molonlabe
Member
Sam Adams
I can't really say. I already owned an M1A so I took it right from the box to the Armorer to have the match work peformed on it. That was in my single days when I had more dollars than cents (sense). Also before dining rooms sets and betroom sets, washers, dryers you get my point.
The trigger job is similar to my NM M1A. The armorer who did the work was going to put a Douglas barrel on it but after he shot it he told me he wouldn't touch it since it was shooting 3 inch groups on the 200 yard range he was shooting on. (Lake Elsinor CA) He told me it would be best to shoot the barrel out as is before I ever consider a re-barrel. To this day it is still hard to get out of the stock and you really need to press the trigger guard to get it to snap in place.
I like it better than my M1A except the M1A has a scope on it and it is easier on my aging eyes.
It seems to me to have less felt recoil than the M1A. It was the best 174 bucks I ever spent. I run custom 168 gr MK through it today. It shoots better than I can hold and bench rest it holds the 10 ring. I have popped clay birds at 100yards at our annual 4th of July bring a military rifle day.
BTW The liner on the front hand guard was removed since it helps grouping. The front hand guard is not free floated as described in The M1 Rifle (NRA provides reprints). That describes relieving all palaces where the barrel contacts
wood.
I can't really say. I already owned an M1A so I took it right from the box to the Armorer to have the match work peformed on it. That was in my single days when I had more dollars than cents (sense). Also before dining rooms sets and betroom sets, washers, dryers you get my point.
The trigger job is similar to my NM M1A. The armorer who did the work was going to put a Douglas barrel on it but after he shot it he told me he wouldn't touch it since it was shooting 3 inch groups on the 200 yard range he was shooting on. (Lake Elsinor CA) He told me it would be best to shoot the barrel out as is before I ever consider a re-barrel. To this day it is still hard to get out of the stock and you really need to press the trigger guard to get it to snap in place.
I like it better than my M1A except the M1A has a scope on it and it is easier on my aging eyes.
It seems to me to have less felt recoil than the M1A. It was the best 174 bucks I ever spent. I run custom 168 gr MK through it today. It shoots better than I can hold and bench rest it holds the 10 ring. I have popped clay birds at 100yards at our annual 4th of July bring a military rifle day.
BTW The liner on the front hand guard was removed since it helps grouping. The front hand guard is not free floated as described in The M1 Rifle (NRA provides reprints). That describes relieving all palaces where the barrel contacts
wood.
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jefnvk
Member
My newly acquired CMP US Rack, with a MW of 1.5 and TE of 4, just shot CMP Ball ammo with a 3 shot group of 1.5" and one of 1.75". The whole clip was more of a 4-6" group.
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