M1 Garand ammo

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carlrodd: I have seen M2 ball variously described between 147-152 grain bullets. I have some Core-Loct's (sp?) that are 165, and are noticably shorter in overall length. Must be some combo of bullet construction, seating depth, etc.

Larry: "Service Grade" have the best muzzle wear/throat erosion numbers, so should be the best shooters. I believe they are all in issue-able condition, regardless of Grade.
 
Also, plan on buying one of the new stainless op rod springs. One of my Garands had a lot of problems until I got a new spring. Thinks like the multi-tool and GI cleaning kit are useful as well.

Make sure you look up some sites on properly cleaning and greasing the rifle. They use grease, not just oil.
 
There is some newly-manufactured .30-06 that is loaded at M2 ball levels. American Eagle .30-06 springs to mind.
 
There is some newly-manufactured .30-06 that is loaded at M2 ball levels. American Eagle .30-06 springs to mind.
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The red box Federal American Eagle commercial/retail ammunition has not been officially confirmed by Federal to be equivalent to M2 as far as velocity and pressure curve are concerned. People have noted that when they called Federal to see if Federal American Eagle .30-06 ammo is M1 Garand safe, Federal recommended that it should not be used in M1 Garands. Federal does make a special run of new ammo for the CMP that is Garand safe. This ammo is only available through the CMP since it is a special order item.
 
According to an email I received from Ron Ives at ATK / Federal Cartridge regarding this very question: the American Eagle 150gr FMJ load "isn't made specifically for [the M1 Garand] but many people use it." He also states that the .30-06 Gold Medal Match has a propellant suitable for use in the Garand.

FWIW, straight from the horse's mouth.
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I posted the above in this thread. Federal American Eagle isn't loaded exactly to M2 ball specification. (Not to be contradictory, just info I got from Federal Cartridge.)

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Edited to add: Well, I'll be. In the 3 minutes it took me to find the old thread and type this up ocabj beat me to it. ::p
 
The most likely reason why Federal doesn't approve Fed AE ammo for Garand use is because they most likely use different powders from lot to lot. Most people don't understand that ammunition manufacturers mainly load for a specific velocity within SAAMI pressure limits. So for one month of production, Federal may be using powder X for their Fed AE ammo. But when powder X is gone, they may switch to powder Y the next month.

While this is perfectly fine for bolt guns and most gas guns, it is a problem for Garands because Garands need a very specific pressure curve to operate safely.

So while Fed AE may be loaded to M2 ball velocities, the pressure curve could be unsafe depending on what powder is in the ammo.
 
so are we saying that regular old, run of the mill, remington 150gr. FMJ 30-06 is a no-no?
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According to the previous posters, yes...... and I tend to agree with that assessment. When the manufacturer itself gives warning about their products "not being suitable" for a particular purpose I tend to heed the warnings.... especially since I really LIKE my M1's and don't see any need to shoot suspect ammo when I don't have to. Perfectly suitable M2 ball IS available, even if it's not down at your local Wally World, and proper reloading procedures for the M1 are easy enough for anyone capable of loading in the first place.

BTW, ocabj's short treatise above about differing powder lots in commercial ammo hits the nail on the head.

Just my thoughts,
Swampy

Garands forever
 
Handloading is just a good deal, overall, ...but especially so for the Garand. My H&R really likes the Sierra 168 grain Matchling bullet and 47 grains of IMR 4895. In fact, out of the 10 or so Garands I've loaded for they all shot that load better than any other I tried. With M2 ball starting to dry up...or at least getting older by the day...handloading makes even more sense.

I've alternated shooting groups with the above handload and LC M2 ball and...there was just no comparision (I mean, group differences in inches larger with ball at 200 yards). I only shoot ball when forced to by match rules.

I know lots of folks who load 190 grain Matchkings in their Garands for the longer ranges and have no problem. They all use either 4895 or 4064 powder and I think the correct burning rate of the powder is more important than the bullet weight. Remember that when the Garand came out in the late 1930s it was with M1 ball which had a heaver bullet (173 grain?) than M2 ball.
 
I understand the plain ole run of the mill Remington 150 FMJ green box is M-1 safe.
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Remington themselves won't confirm this..... and they DO go out of their way to say, "not recommended" when asked.

Some folks have had no problems with this load, sure...... and the contention all along by folks who know how commercial ammo is made is that different powders are used. Some will be safe for the M1, some won't.

What's that next lot of ammo you buy going to be loaded with???

Best regards,
Swampy

garands forever
 
Here are the replies I got from some of the ammo manufacturers a couple weeks ago when I wrote to ask about using their 150 grain FMJ loads in a Garand.

Federal - We hear of many people that use it but it is not Mil Spec ammo with the correct primers or propellant.

Ammo is available from the CMP which we produced under contract to them.

Rem-UMC - The powders we use in the 30-06 are slower and we don?t recommend using our 30-06 products in a Garand.

Winchester - Yes you can shoot it in this firearm
 
My Garand loves my loads of 47.5 gr. of W-748 and the Sierra 168 gr. JHP, in LC72 brass. (Federal brass is just as good, too.)
Granted, my Garand has only been glass bedded and had a trigger job done to it, but, it shoots this load incredibly well.

Just my 2¢ worth.
 
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Korean Ammo

I just recently purchased Korean military ammo from the Sportsmans Guide described as:

70's production ( mine was stamped 73 ) military ammo produced at Korea's Pusan government arsenal..."KA" headstamped 150 grain FMJ boattail bullet...boxer primed and mildly corrosive ( ? ) already loaded in Garand enbloc clips 8 round per...35 clips...280 rounds packed in a 30cal can for $49.97 ( 17.8 cents / rnd )...which shoots great out of my NOV 1944 built Springfield M1 Garand. I purchased $500 worth ( 10 cans )...and have already put 280 down range without a hiccup...the left over ammo can holds my bulk purchased WOLF .223 ammo for my M4 OLY...I recommend it ! :evil:
 
eclancy. I just read most of the files on your outstanding web site. Thank you for all of the cool information about the Garand.

I got the feeling that at least one of the previous posters was thinking that the "old" Garand just wasn't up to the pressures of modern .30-06 ammunition. That's not the case, rather it's a case of the pressure curve of most current factory .30-06 ammunition not being within the design parameters of the Garand's operating system. Just buy tons of IMR 4895. That powder has proven over the decades to be safe for the Garand and has been the choice for accuracy of countless match shooters (OK, there are other brands of proven powders too).
 
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