M1 Garand, or Dragunov Clone?

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According to gun-deals.com, which has been really good for me in the past, the cheapest .30-06 available online is 49 cents per round for greek m2 ball from CMP.

The cheapest 7.62x54r available is 15.9 cents per round for Russian surplus. That's a pretty big difference over the course of a couple spam cans. Ammo cost is a big consideration for me, I don't know if it's a big consideration for you, but in my case the PSL would make more sense.

I shoot both calibers, BTW, but I send way more 7.62 down range than I do .30-06. Every stripper clip out of that garand is a fast food value meal, every four is a sit-down lunch.
 
I can't shoot a PSL. They mount the scope offset to the left a little, and I shoot lefty. I'd have to be a giraffe to use that scope! But that issue aside, I'd go for the Garand anyway. I've been around them for over 50 years. They're the best battle rifle of their era.
 
No doubt about it.
Garand. I own 3.
2 CMP's
1 Fulton Armory With NM trigger and Kreiger barrel. Man, I love that rifle. :D
 
According to gun-deals.com, which has been really good for me in the past, the cheapest .30-06 available online is 49 cents per round for greek m2 ball from CMP.

The cheapest 7.62x54r available is 15.9 cents per round for Russian surplus. That's a pretty big difference over the course of a couple spam cans.
Click to expand...

Yeah, there's a big difference in price, but I've fired the 30-06 from CMP and 5 or 6 different types of surplus 7.62x54r. There's no comparison in quality. The HXP from the CMP is good stuff and groups well. The surplus x54r goes bang and usually puts a hole somewhere in the paper.
35W
 
I would go counter to most and get the PSL. Cheeper ammo,less complicated action, less picky on ammo, comes with scope mounts and everyone and thier dog has a M-1. Plus the PSL will probably be more accurate out of the box. Best bet would be get both.
 
Accuracy will cost you whether it is one system or the other. In the end of the day it will come naturally with the Garand and a nice set of dies w/o braking the bank.
Don't buy Romanian junk yard systems. If cannot afford a good russian or yugoslavian original then get the Garand and be done or as I said convert a saiga .308. you
even have some timbersmith furniture that will look nice.
If accuracy is not a concern then get the cheap stuff.
 
If you want a great shooter get the PSL. Out of the box, it should be more accurate than a Garand. I have heard that the gov standard for accuracy was 4MOA with the Garand. You should be able to do around half this with good ammo from a box stock PSL. And with work, you might be able to go sub MOA. I get about .75 with mine. I would get the PSL thats built on the nodakspud receiver since you cant get Romanian built receivers anymore, which is not a big deal because they werent that great anyway.

The PSL is not really a clone of anything. Its a DMR rifle just like the yugo m76, dragunov, or even those specialized m-14's that our military uses.

People dont call Yugo M-76's Dragunov coppies even though they function the same as a PSL. Its just because it has a skeletal stock like the Drag... The stock which i might add, is a little short for us tall Americans.

Even though the Garand is really cool in its own right, its really not much more than a novelty now.

If you really like the Garand but want the convenience of magazines, get a M-14 instead.

The biggest problem I find with my PSL is getting really high quality ammo. I have found the tolerances of some surplus to be huge and they shouldnt shoot accurately in anything. The wolf 150gr has the largest deviations i have tested yet, and thats not even surplus.

There is not many bullets in .311 caliber, so reloading for the 54r is frustrating.
 
I learned the Garand in Army R.O.T.C. and fired about 3000 round while in the Navy. Just a great gun with a great cartridge. It is fun to shoot, eacy to break down and reassemble(I did it blindfolded) and if I could have just one weapon it would be a Garand.
 
+ 1 one the Garand...own a piece of history..pass it Down to the Grandkids..
 
OC,
did you get a preban at a good price?
If it is a century they do replace the barrels and the receivers with US made parts right? I might be wrong but this is my understanding.
I only have russian originals so I don't know about the others and the reports from Romanians are mixed here at the local ranges. Some people get lucky some don't.
 
Garand...I bought a CMP Field Grade, put new CMP wood on it, with the Greek HXP I sighted it in at 110 yds....it was 9 clicks up. I shot at a steel triangle at 540 yrds at 16 clicks up an hit the dirt way in front, moved it up to 19 clicks, an fired an hit the gong on that shot....I freaked!! An so did the other 2 guys!! I hit it 2 out of 8 shots, thats open sights. It had a MW 2.0 an is a WWII SA with a 51' HRA barrel. I also have a 1955 HRA with a scope mount.
 

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OC,
did you get a preban at a good price?
If it is a century they do replace the barrels and the receivers with US made parts right? I might be wrong but this is my understanding.
I only have russian originals so I don't know about the others and the reports from Romanians are mixed here at the local ranges. Some people get lucky some don't.
Click to expand...

I didn't get mine at a good price since I got it during the Obama election price increase. The "Sporter" version of the rifle was made from a hodgepodge of parts and a crappy no-name American made receiver. That's probably what your talking about. Those didn't even have the bolt hold-open. But even those did have 100% Romanian parts in them, they were just not numbers matching. It is my understanding that this gun does not fall under 925(d)(3) or 922(r) and is imported as a complete rifle. Its just not imported that way right now since the surplus of originals has dried up. Someone please correct me if im wrong.

Mine is from Century, but its not their 'Sporter' version. These guns were never made in Russia, only Romania.
 
You are right. Only preban could be imported as original at the time. Today that window is closed. Now it has to come 'sporterized' (monte carlo stock) and be then to be 'desporterized' here either by the distributor or by a company or private/enthusiast conversion.
The only two that do that I am aware that keep the Russian pedigree right now are Saiga sporters (RRA) and AKs form izmash that are prepared by Legion LTD to import via Arsenal but it is unclear how they actually come in and what they do to them.
So the Saigas are very popular right now as they are still reasonable in price (my first one cost me $175 years ago, now $575) and make great conversions. The last ones I have come with the same receiver and barrel stamps as the mill spec AKs. I found a couple blogs in a Russian website where they posted the comparative.
So the U.S. made barrel is not necessarily a bad thing. It could be actually good and definitely would take a new one in some systems over a leftover from a junk yard in Romania or somewhere and they call surplus here. Most of the good stuff is long gone.
I have a friend that took the M76 from century (US barrel) and he is super happy but other guy I know the same one from century only issues, canted sights, and doesn't shoot straight, so go figure.
So I am quite happy with converting a saiga any day and also just enjoy the awesome accuracy of the 16" converted. This was a really pleasant surprise for the AK type. Far more accurate than any dragunov original or knockoff or any other AK for that matter, even the .308 in 21" cannot touch this.
Engineers in Russia have been commenting of the advantages of the Eastern ammo in their systems and they cannot explain why they are so good but the consistency and reliability of the .308 NATO is very hard to beat by any standards across the board.
I have been looking like crazy for a Russian Tigr in .308 but I cannot fin them here and they will not come here any time soon. The reports from some they have them in Europe is superior accuracy than the Dragunov itself something I am not surprised based on the groups I am getting with the saigas.
All this I can tell your from having shooting some of these systems A LOT and not form the opinions from others....

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=567005

But also a good Garand in good condition is hard to beat. A good grade barrel is key like any carbine.

Nothing really good will end up being really cheap. I think that the saiga is the only exception.
 
Seems like an apples and oranges comparison, but I would and HAVE gone with the Garand. I liked it so much I bought 3 more. I don't know why everyone is terrified of getting an adjustable gas plug for a Garand. I have one and it works well and YES I have fired commercial ammo through it. If you are that concerned, get into reloading. People don't give the Garand enough credit. If you are that worried, get the adjustable gas plug. It is not rocket science.

The Russian Surplus ammo is junk. It is Berdan primed, steel jacketed crap that goes bang. Most of it I have seen in the price point many are talking about is corrosive. The PSL is a POS. Have you read some of the stuff concerning the rifle? Canted sights, poor fit and finish, poorly manufactured. Not to mention, it has the mark of the beast Century Arms on it.

If you get a Garand, you have something. If you get one from the CMP, you can sell it for more money than you paid for it in a few years. Try saying that about the PSL/POS from Century Arms. I know guys who see that Century made a firearm and won't look at it anymore SIMPLY because Century produced it.

With the Garand, you are capable of shooting heavier bullets too. Up to 174 grain, some have said 180, but that is pushing it. You are limited with the Russian.

Brass is also much easier to obtain with 06' if you get into reloading. I haven't even touched the match modifications you can do to a Garand. And what can you do for the POS WHOOPS I mean PSL? Nothing as far as making it shoot.
 
Last edited:
61chalk said:
Garand...I bought a CMP Field Grade, put new CMP wood on it, with the Greek HXP I sighted it in at 110 yds....it was 9 clicks up. I shot at a steel triangle at 540 yrds at 16 clicks up an hit the dirt way in front, moved it up to 19 clicks, an fired an hit the gong on that shot....I freaked!! An so did the other 2 guys!! I hit it 2 out of 8 shots, thats open sights. It had a MW 2.0 an is a WWII SA with a 51' HRA barrel. I also have a 1955 HRA with a scope mount.
Click to expand...
What scope mount is that?
 
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