I contacted SA about Garand Ammo

[sta500rdr]

So I decided to give S.A. a call and see what they had to say about modern ammunition in an M1 Garand. The woman said that you cannot shoot all modern ammo as we all know, but there are some out there that fit the bill. She said it has to be less than 180 grain bullet weight, FMJ are acceptable. Do not shoot soft lead points. She also said steer away from steel cases. She recommended Hornady and Federal ammunition. I have a box of Remington UMC 150gr. WC ammunition. According to her that fits the bill. However I am still a bit weary. What do you guys think?

 

[highorder]

The UMC will be fine.

The CMP still has the best deal going on ammunition though.

 

[dmazur]

Without elaborate lab equipment to measure the pressure curve, together with a published curve for military spec ammo, you don't know.

Unless you have a box of ammo (like Hornady's Garand match ammo) that states it is for use in the M1 Garand, you are gambling with your operating rod to assume anything else is OK, regardless of who told you.

As adjustable gas cylinder lock screws (gas plugs) are only $30 or so, why not just get one of these and adjust it so the Garand functions with the ammo of your choice?

OR, handload ammunition to published specs which have been proven safe in the Garand. (These closely copy the pressure curve of the military ammo.)

 

[Slamfire]

When the CMP first issued 150 gr Federal ammo to use in the 2000-2001 Garand Match, the stuff was made to commerical specs. I shot up mine, but friends who chronographed the stuff told me it was smoking around 2900 fps.

That stuff caused all sorts of malfunctions. The retired USMC I was scoring for, his rifle jumped the eight round clip out of the mechanism and caused a jam. He was disgusted, because it is a no alibi match, and he packed up and went home. There were all sorts of malfunctions, operating rod dismounts, etc, caused by that stuff.

It is also hard on the rifle. That bolt is coming back faster than it was designed. The back of the receiver is the rebound plate, and on CMP there was discussion of a guy whose Garand receiver heel had cracked off at the Garand Match. No one knew why, but someone saw the picture. These old rifles don't need more pounding than necessary.

These rifles were last made around 1955, and shot with ammo that did not exceed 50,000 psi. If you shoot old 50's vintage GI ammo, it clocks out of a Garand around 2650 fps. That is mild compared to the magnum level stuff sold across the counter.

So shoot your ammo, save the brass, and reload. I have shot 150 FMJ's with 47.5 grain IMR 4895 LC cases CCI#34 primers. That stuff shoots just around 2700 fps. Cutting the load by a half grain won't hurt a thing.