new springfield armory m1 garand .308? or 30-06?

[TriggerHappy_Monky]

Im going to buy a new one of these but I want to know weather I should get the .308 or the 30-06. If I get the 30-06 can I shoot regular wal-mart ammo loads or do I have to load my own? What will be more accurate 30-06 or .308?

 

[ocabj]

You need to shoot M2 spec .30-06 loads. This pretty much means any M2 surplus ammunition including the Lake City and Greek HXP ammo sold by the CMP.

Avoid all commercial ammo to be on the safe side. PMC makes self-described 'M2' spec ammo that people claim works. Olympic Ammunition makes what they call 'M2' spec ammo as well, but it is known to be way too slow burning for Garands.

As far as your choice in a new Springfield Armory, Inc Garand, that's up to you. Most people prefer a true USGI produced M1 Garand and not an aftermarket built rifle like the ones sold by SA Inc. I guess the benefits of an SA Inc Garand is the warranty. But if you feel comfortable working on your own rifles, get a Garand from the CMP.

If you go the CMP route, don't wait too long. They'll sell out soon. People like me aren't helping either. I just had two more Garands delivered today (a service and field grade) and a bare receiver last week.

 

[Eightball]

M1s tend to not like civvie loads; in fact, they probably shouldn't use the modern hunting loads, due to a difference in SAAMI specs between that and the milsurp .30-06. Milsurp .30-06 tends to be corrosive anyway, so you might contemplate a chrome-lined barrel? I get most of my ammo through www.ammunitionstore.com --great people, good prices.

There's merits to both ways. .30-06 is the "standard" garand, but ammo's expensive. .308 is far more plentiful, but then you couldn't shoot it in any "John C Garand" matches, either. As for more accurate, it's almost a moot point--it depends on the bullet, if you have a brand-new barrel. .30-06 garands shouldn't be used with over 180 gr ammo--and i'm reading that straight from the CMP manual in front of me, so don't say i'm crazy.

Personally, I'd get a new .308 garand from SA, and get a .30-06 one through the CMP. Best of both worlds. But then again, most of my rifles are .308 anyway, so there's my logic.

 

[monsternav]

ocabj: Are those service grades? If so, how do you get so lucky, both of my CMP purchases were nasty things (service grade M1 and an 03A3).

OK, now I see, Service and a Field grade.

THM: What do you want to do with the rifle? I think 308 will be cheaper in the long run, but as has been said, no JCG matches for you.

I'm pretty sure the only corrosive Mil-Surp on the market now is the Korean. The CMP Lake City stuff is from the late 60's to early 70's.

 

[Blackfork]

308 Caliber Garands aren't legal for CMP Garand matches.

 

[ocabj]

ocabj: Are those service grades? If so, how do you get so lucky, both of my CMP purchases were nasty things (service grade M1 and an 03A3).

That field grade in the second photo has a pretty nasty stock actually. It looks like the Greek soldier who it was assigned to went at it with a knife etching in stuff. Rifle barrel gauges good though with 3.5TE / 2 MW. It's got all the correct parts except for the stock. The barrel looks original (3/55 stamped, chamber in white), but I don't really care much for that. I'm probably going to send this one to DGR for another package rebuild for a second JCG match gun. Doesn't really matter what I do to this rifle. I'm going to order another one in a couple months anyway. I've been making it an effort to get a rifle and/or receiver every couple months.

 

[Swampy]

Guys,

Ammo issues exist for the M1 rifle regardless of 30-06 or .308 chambering....

Commercial .308 ammo is just as "bad Ju-Ju" for the M1 as is commercial 30-06. The powder burn rate is the culprit here. The ONLY way to get the advertised velocities that ammo makers show for .308 loadings is to use powder that is way too slow for the M1's gas system.

In either 30-06 or .308 chambering, stick to milsurp ammo (7.62 Nato for the .308) or handload appropriately.

Best regards to all,
Swampy

Garands forever

owner Swampworks Inc. / JLK Bullets
http://www.swampworks.com

 

[mainmech48]

FWIW, an adjustable gas system vent plug available from several sources can help compensate for differences in projectile weight and/or powder burning rate to some degree. They are often used on competition weapons to optimize function with 170-odd gr. Match loads.

While it won't extend one's options to include every commercial variety of .30/06 or .308 ammo out there, it will expand them to include a good deal more than M-2 ball or NATO-spec surplus.

Personally, I opted for 7.62x51 when I purchased my present Garand, an Arlington Arsenal rework, several years ago. As I no longer compete in Service Rifle matches formally, my primary reason for doing so was the greater availability and reduced cost of surplus/commercial generic ammo in that caliber.

With the adjustable plug I was able to utilize the 165 gr. JSPs I purchased a sizable lot of at an auction for less than $0.02/ea for virtually all of my plinking/practice loads in .308, 7.62x51, .30/06 and 7.5x55 Swiss, reducing my handloading costs by no small amount. Having the means to "tailor the rifle to the load" to some degree increases one's load development options for a semi-auto enormously.