M1 Garand barrel question

[evan_nugget]

Hey everyone. I have an M1 Garand and Im trying to identify the different manufacturers of parts of the gun. The only one I haven't been able to nail is the barrel. With the op-rod retracted all I can see is ".30-06" and "8 96". I haven't taken off the top handguard to see if there's any manufacturers stamp underneath the wood. Anyone know what kind of barrel this could be? Any help is appreciated!!:banghead:

 

[rcmodel]

A date that new would almost have to be one of the new Criterion barrels the CMP and others are selling.

http://criterionbarrels.com/barrels/m1

It certainly isn't an original M1 barrel with that new date on it.

rc

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

Unless


Also a GI barrel would never have the caliber stamped next to it just the date manufacturers code and drawing number.

 

[evan_nugget]

Thanks for the responses. I had assumed it was an "aftermarket" barrel. From what I understand, Criterion barrels are somewhat expensive, but the guy I bought the rifle from didn't mention anything about the barrel at all, plus I got the rifle for a good deal. Are there any other places on the barrel that I can look for to help identify it?

 

[rcmodel]

Look for markings on the right side of the barrel under the OP rod.

Should be visable with bolt locked open.

rc

 

[Reloadron]

Thanks for the responses. I had assumed it was an "aftermarket" barrel. From what I understand, Criterion barrels are somewhat expensive, but the guy I bought the rifle from didn't mention anything about the barrel at all, plus I got the rifle for a good deal. Are there any other places on the barrel that I can look for to help identify it?

That's about it. Aftermarket barrels generally only have a date and the caliber, much like this one:



I also have a 308 Criterion sitting here which is labeled Short Chamber and below that 1 10 (1 in 10 twist) 308 Win (The Caliber) and finally 4-97 (April 1997 Manufacture). You can also see the contour by removing the upper handguard. Some are GI contour and some are Full Contour.



For what it is worth original GI Winchester barrels were marked on the top so nothing is visible with the op-rod locked back but that's another story.

Ron

 

[criterionbarrels]

I don't think that is one of our barrels. Normally we roll stamp ours with CBI, a print code, date of manufacture, and a heat code. That, and our company wasn't founded until 1999.

 

[Reloadron]

Well that rules out Criterion. The barrel was bought in June of 97 from Brownells and never installed on a rifle. Full contour and since it was close to 20 years ago I haven't a clue who made it. I currently have a Garand chambered in 7mm-08 Remington and I always said someday I would put that barrel on it. So here it has sat. Now I get to wonder who actually made it.

Ron

 

[Slamfire]

Well that rules out Criterion. The barrel was bought in June of 97 from Brownells and never installed on a rifle. Full contour and since it was close to 20 years ago I haven't a clue who made it. I currently have a Garand chambered in 7mm-08 Remington and I always said someday I would put that barrel on it. So here it has sat. Now I get to wonder who actually made it.

Ron

Looks like a Barnett barrel. Gene Barnett took barrel blanks and turned them into match barrels in his Mom's garage. Gene did that for decades, for a time the most common match barrel on a M1a or M1 Garand was a Barnett barrel made from a Douglas barrel blank. If you sent a Garand or M1a to Champion's Choice, it was rebarreled with a Barnett barrel, and many were rebarreled by Ronnie Morris. Ronnie barreled a number of my match Garands and M1a's and the barrels were Barnett. I taled to Gene on the phone and he was a wealth of information. I had him make a match M1a barrel from a Wilson barrel blank. He stamped his barrels with the date, twist, caliber just as your barrel is marked. I don't ever remember a short chamber stamping, but maybe that is something he did.

Barnett barrels are good.

This is a 20 round group, fired slow fire prone with a sling, in a Club Match, on the 5V target. I shot this with a 30-06 Barnett barreled Garand.



This is a different year, same distance, Club Match, but with a 308 Win Barnett barrel on a Garand.

 

[Reloadron]

SlamFire, thanks for the enlightenment. During the 90s my brother-in-law and I would take these various gun smithing courses at Montgomery Community College in Troy, NC. One year we took the M1 Garand course and we each had a rifle and parts to drag down to NC. I remember I ordered 2 EA of 308 Barrels from Brownells. The barrels arrived two days before we were heading to NC but they sent the wrong barrels. They sent 7mm-08 Garand barrels. With less than two days nothing could be done so we used the barrels we were sent. Brownell's was so cool about it they later sent the 308 barrels free gratis. I gave Mike one and I kept the other. I have to believe this is likely where this barrel came from. Good looking barrel and as can be seen a full contour. Incidentally, the 7mm-08 versions shoot great.

Thanks again for sharing that information. Really appreciate it.

Ron

 

[evan_nugget]

Here's a photo of the markings on the side of the barrel. Maybe this can help with identification. I haven't taken off the top handguard to see what's under it.