M1 Garand

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shrekdaddy

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Robesonia, Pa
I'm looking at getting an M1 in the next few weeks. Is there ammo I should stay away from? What should or can I shoot thru it? I'm a rookie to owning an old firearm. I'm basically going to shoot it a couple times a year and put it back in the safe. I just wanted to own a piece if history but I also want to shoot it. Thanks in advance.
 
I'm a Garand newbie myself, but it sure is a hoot to shoot! Most advice I read is to stick with surplus M2 ball military ammo, or handloads to that equivalent power, with 150 gr. bullets. That's what the rifle's gas system was designed for, and commercial or hunting ammo will likely be too powerful and could damage the gas system. You can get all the correct ammo you want/need from the CMP, which is also a great place to get your M1.
 
You can get all the correct ammo you want/need from the CMP, which is also a great place to get your M1.
Click to expand...

As for surplus ammo, you will find some Korean headstamped "KA". It is corrosive, and should be avoided in favor of other surplus.

The best ammo out there now is the HXP (Greek surplus) from CMP.
 
I am not sure where you are getting your Garand, but here is a great option:

1: Start out going NORTHEAST on S ROBESON ST toward E PENN AVE/US-422/BENJAMIN FRANKLIN HWY. 0.0 mi
2: Turn LEFT onto W PENN AVE/US-422/BENJAMIN FRANKLIN HWY. Continue to follow US-422 W. 3.1 mi
3: Turn SLIGHT RIGHT onto NORTHVALE BLVD/PA-419. Continue to follow PA-419. 6.1 mi
4: Stay STRAIGHT to go onto REHRERSBURG RD. 0.6 mi
5: REHRERSBURG RD becomes GODFREY ST. 0.7 mi
6: GODFREY ST becomes REHRERSBURG RD. 1.8 mi
7: Turn SLIGHT RIGHT onto LANCASTER AVE/PA-501. 1.2 mi
8: Turn LEFT to stay on LANCASTER AVE/PA-501. 0.3 mi
9: Merge onto I-78 W via the ramp on the LEFT. 12.1 mi
10: Merge onto I-81 S via EXIT 1B on the LEFT toward HARRISBURG. 37.3 mi
11: Take the US-11 exit, EXIT 52, toward I-76/PENNA TURNPIKE/NEW KINGSTOWN/MIDDLESEX. 0.3 mi
12: Take the PA-11 S ramp toward PENNSYLVANIA TURNPIKE. 0.1 mi
13: Merge onto US-11/HARRISBURG PIKE. 0.9 mi
14: Merge onto I-76 W/PENNSYLVANIA TURNPIKE toward PITTSBURGH/EXITS 201-2 (Portions toll). 196.8 mi
15: Keep LEFT at the fork to go on I-76 W (Portions toll) (Crossing into OHIO). 53.4 mi
16: Take I-80 W toward CLEVELAND (Portions toll). 100.0 mi
17: Merge onto MILAN RD/US-250 N via EXIT 118 toward CEDAR POINT/SANDUSKY. 6.5 mi
18: Merge onto OH-2 W via the ramp on the LEFT toward TOLEDO. 24.2 mi
19: Turn RIGHT onto OH-358. 0.5 mi
20: OH-358 becomes NIAGRA. 0.2 mi
21: End at Camp Perry, OH

Total Time: 7 hours 24 minutesTotal Distance: 446.21 miles

The requirements to go pick out your own M1 Garand are not too bad. Check them out at www.odcmp.com

These days, I would call to make sure they will have some before you make the trip. They will run out one of these days.

And be sure to try the Perch at the Jolly Roger in Port Clinton!

:)

The operating rod can be damaged by shooting modern powders out of a Garand. The OP rod is very spendy to replace.

So pick up some surplus ammo while you're at Camp Perry.:D
 
"...going to shoot it a couple times a year and put it back in the safe..." HAHAHA!!! Not after you shoot it once.
The CMP is the place to go for a rifle that you know is safe to shoot. There are hoops to jump through though. Shoot the matches even if you don't have to. Match shooting is great fun and you'll meet some great people. Loaner rifles are usually available, but most shooters won't think twice about letting you shoot their rifle. They tend to bend over backwards to help new shooters.
"...That's what the rifle's gas system was designed for..." Nope. The rifle was designed to use .30 M1 ammo with its 174.5 grain bullet at 2647fps, 48,000 psi. Not .30 M2 ammo. .30 M2 ammo didn't exist until 1938. In 1940, its MV was upped to 2800fps, 50,000 psi to match the ballistics of the .30 AP's 168 grain bullet.
If you're not reloading, the CMP surplus will do. You can get ammo on the clips you'll need too. However, Federal is loading 150 grain FMJ's and FMJBT's under their American Eagle brand. Plus 168 grain Matchkings under their Gold Medal brand and 165 grain Nosler Partitions under their Vital-Shok brand. For fun shooting, either 150 will do nicely without costing a fortune.
If you're reloading, any bullet weight between 150 and 180 grains will do using IMR4895, IMR4064 or Varget and regular large rifle primers. You don't need CCI #34 primers. The rifle loves 165 grain hunting bullet and 168 or 175 grain match bullets with those powders. No Hornady Light magnums.
Buy a copy of Hatcher's Notebook and Hatcher's Book of the Garand. Lot of good info in both, but the latter has a trouble shooting chapter. Free .pdf TM and FM manuals are available here. Note the need for the provided UN & PW. http://www.biggerhammer.net/manuals/
 
Ok, I'm sure it won't ever get back in the safe. I feel like an ass because I spent 10 years in Lima, Ohio and never new anything about CMP. I just feel stupid, now with the interest, love and respect of the garand. Thanks for the info, I'll be getting my rifle monday, all I know is, it's cherry and an international harvester manufacture. My boss was looking to get rid of it and hasn't shot in 10 or 11 years. Is $900 a good price? Too late, I guess, I committed to it already. Rifle, bayonet, shoe box of clips, and " the papers", whatever they are. Thanks again. What does he mean by "papers"? I am honestly clueless, I'm not playing dumb.
 
Probably the "papers" he got when he purchased it from the CMP.

I think you did all right price wise being as you got the rest of the stuff. What kind of shape is it in?
 
I never figured an old battle rifle would be so much fun to shoot, but my '43 Garand is just a blast! The recoil is much less than my Rem 700 .30-06, and I'm really surprised how well I do with the open sights. Even my 12y.o. grandson can shoot it well. Not so sure I'd want to tote that heavy mother around for days/weeks at a time though. I love it so much I plan to hang it on the wall over my gun bench when I get the basement remodeling done. Photos will follow, of course.
 
Garands are great! I've only had mine for 2 weeks and have to get another one now because I let my son shoot it and he's addicted to it too. He prefers the M1 over his AR15 now.
 
I'll try to get a picture of it and post monday when I get it, but it's in great condition. I'm laughing cause, I haven't even shot one before, I haven't even seen it yet, and I won't another already. I want to give one to each of my sons when they are old enough. Oh, thanks again for the info on CMP, I spent about 3 hours looking at all the stuff from their website, already called my dad and some friends about a ROAD TRIP! I did see I have to complete a class of somekind and join one of the organizations they list in order to buy stuff from them. I took the NRA safe defense course at my gun club when I lived in ohio but I have no card or record of it. The Lima Sabers Shooting Association put on a good program but that was about 7-8 years ago when I lived out there. Thanks Again.
 
I have one that my dad (God bless) got about 30 years ago from the CMP. My son has already started saving toward his own CMP Garand. I might have to help, you know how teenagers are with $$$. Of course if I had the $$$, I would have one in all available calibers(243,308,25-06,270,35 Whelen). Yes even Tanker models in the same cals.
 
Slade,

Save another $100 and get the service grade, furniture is better or new and the ME and TE are tighter.
 
You should ask the CMP, but I believe that you can use pretty much any organized shooting experience or training that involves shooting to qualify for buying from the CMP. I believe they accept a note signed from the instructor or range-master.

You probably could have shopped around and found a deal, but $900 is not too bad at all for a IH Garand if it's in good shape.

One quick test...take a 30-06 cartridge (or just a bullet if you have it). Insert the pointy end of the bullet into the muzzle of the Garand (where the bullets come out).

Post a picture here if you can. The less the bullet goes into the muzzle, the better. This is a quick way to check "muzzle erosion". It is ONE way to see if the barrel has been shot a lot and needs replacing.
 
How do I post pictures, I don't have a clue? I've got the rifle and want to put a few pics on so you guys can help me with what's what. How far down the muzzle will or should the bullet go to check for "erosion". Thanks
 
I found that the rifle is from 1954. There is a Little stamp on the left side of the stock that looks like a little eagle with wings spread and three stars above it. There is the words, Blue Sky/Arlington, VA, on the left side of the barrel to the rear of the front sight. I think I read somewhere that that means it was imported form Korea. Any info would be great. Thanks again.
 
Blue Sky imports are not particularly desirable. I have one and it shoots better than my CMP guns, but that may be luck. Take a good look at the barrel and make sure it isn't ovaled where they stamped it... some apparently are. the stock is GI.

If it runs well and groups well it's a great shooter/keeper. You might look at the trigger group, bolt, safety, etc and see if the parts are from the same mfg or from different ones... likely it's a mixmaster like mine. If they all match (very unlikely) and the barrel matches the receiver it could be worth a bit more, but likely it's just a run-of-the-mill blue sky and good for shooting.

Which is fine. :cool:

A .30 cal bullet should stick up 1/4" or more away from the edge of the case mouth at the muzzle. If it goes in all the way your muzzle wear is extreme.
 
I got a Blue Sky '45 Springfield about eight years ago for $500. Beautiful shape, perfect finish, Korean sling, refurbed. I was then horrified to read all the stuff about Blue Sky, and indeed that stamp is AWFULLY deep. But it shoots very accurately and I don't see ovalling. Only complaint is frequent stovepiping of the seventh round. I'll eventually find the right loads.
 
I have been looking for an M1 Garand made by International Harvester. I know it was sold by CMP sometime in the middle to late 1990's.

I would just like to know about it now. The ser# is 4472048

I was issued it in Marine boot camp and carried it with me for three years.

I will never forget the Number. and it was a good shooter!!

Bill
 
Carried one for 3 years in the Army. Absolutly the best combat rifle of it's day. However, get somebody in the know to show you how to load that clip. I don't know how many times I got M1 thumb before I got fast enough to get it out of the way before the bolt slammed home. Huuuuurts.
 
The accepted way to load the M1 Garand is to rest the edge of your R hand in front of the op rod handle as you use your thumb to insert the clip. If the rifle is properly timed, it won't release the bolt until you release pressure with your thumb.

If your hand is still in front of the op rod, the op rod handle will kick your hand clear as it moves forward. (The instructor used to tell us, "Think of it as executing a salute...")

With worn (improperly timed) actions, this can occur earlier than it should, which can make clip insertion difficult, or later than it should, which means you have to pull the op rod handle back at the same time as clip insertion.

Possible to do, as this is what you do with 2-rd or 5-rd clips, or when releasing the bolt with no clip, but definitely a little trickier to perform than the original 8-rd clip load procedure, which was quite simple if performed correctly.

I was always taught it was a matter of technique, not of speed, to keep your thumb clear of the bolt. :)
 
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