Problem with my Garand - Require THR expertise

[aspree]

Hello, everyone -

I recently received my Garand from The Garand Guy. Since I opted for the .308 barrel, I went out and bought a .308 snap-cap.

Today, when I loaded the snap-cap, it felt a little snug. Being an idiot, I (gently) slammed the op-rod home and dry-fired the rifle.

Sure enough, when I pulled the op-rod back and locked it, the snap-cap was jammed in the barrel. I eventually had to take apart the rifle and use a screwdriver to pry the snap-cap just enough so that I could ram my cleaning rod muzzle-first and pop the snap-cap out. I know, I know - making repeated jamming motions with my cleaning rod while going muzzle-first is probably the worst thing I could do with my Garand. But in all honesty, there was simply no other way that lodged snap-cap was coming out. I tried prying it with my screwdriver, but the damn thing wouldn't budge more than a few millimeters.

Thus, the problem: a snap-cap that won't come out, unless you apply brute-force and ignorance.

The possible ways I went wrong:
1. Did I get a larger-than-normal snap-cap?
2. Did I get a Garand in .30-06 instead of .308?
3. Am I not supposed to use snap-caps in a Garand?
4. Is my extractor broken or worn down?

Any help would be much appreciated!

 

[Don't Tread On Me]

Hmm...

Not an expert but,

You could try this. Get some good penetrating oil. Something that will seep into the thinnest cracks and spaces. Spray it in there good. Then go to the store and buy a long wooden dowel. One that fits in the bore, but is not too loose (won't flex or break).

Then hammer away till you get it out. One key thing to note. Secure the action or barrel. This way, you aren't wasting the energy of the hammer blows by having the barrel sliding back or moving.


Don't use a cleaning rod. Synthetic ones have too much flex, metal ones can damage your muzzle.

 

[wayne in boca]

Maybe the snap cap was labelled wrong.Anyway,glad you got it out.You don't need a snap cap to dry fire a Garand (or most other military rifles).Snapping in (dry firing at targets) is a standard part of training with the Garand and M14.

 

[Dr. Dickie]

Do you have some .308 to match up with the snap cap?
Since the .308 is shorter than the .30-'06; generally, the biggest danger of a .308 Garand is trying to put a .30-'06 cartridge in to it (they sell a block that will prevent this from happening, don't know if your's has this installed or not).

 

[Neo-Luddite]

I (gently) slammed the op-rod home...

Don't Tread on Me is offering sound advice. Plastic snap cap, right? It probably was an .06 one mislabeled. Anyway, don't get mad at the rifle. I'm guessing a broken shell extractor would be of no use at this point.

 

[jack the toad]

IMO, take it (snap cap) out and throw it away (don't use it).

 

[ScottsGT]

My advise, disassemble the rifle and REMOVE the bolt. Drop a .308 into the chamber and see how it fits, and how it pulls out. Place the bolt back into the rifle without the op-rod or trigger housing and out of the stock. Close the bolt on the round and make sure it closes all the way. Won't tell you your head space, but will let you know if the problem is the snap cap or not. Then call Tony and tell him the problem. He's a great guy to work with.

 

[30Cal]

It should be really obvious if you're trying to get a 30-06 snapcap into a .308Win chamber--the bolt will be about 1/2" to the rear of the chamber.

 

[Mr White]

+1 on what 30Cal said. Its very easy to tell if your gun is chambered for .308. An '06 case won't let the bolt even come close to closing.

As for snap caps, don't bother with them. You won't hurt a Garand by dry firing it. If you're really worried about it, buy 2 extra firing pins and you'll be covered forever.

 

[Crimper-D]

What Mr. White said!...
FORGET Snap Caps! An M1 can be dry fired a LOT! = I'm old enough to have had an issue M1 (30-06) and we dry fired them all the time. Never had to turn one in to the armorer for a broken fireing pin that I recall.

 

[aspree]

Thank you everyone for your advice. When I get home I'll double-check to make sure I'm dealing with a .308 barrel instead of a .30-06.

It's good to know that dry-firing the Garand won't cause it much harm over the years. When I get around to firing my rifle, I'll know pretty quickly if it's an extractor problem or not. I'll keep everyone posted.

 

[Titan6]

M1 Garands are like tanks. Unless you are competing with it I wouldn't worry about some modest dry firing.

 

[30Cal]

And if you're shooting it in competition, you should be doing some major dryfiring.

 

[Mr White]

Again, +1 on what 30Cal said. That was my first thought: In the weeks leading up to a Garand match, I dry fire from position hundreds of times for practice.

 

[cracked butt]

Dry firing- Here's a neat little trick that allows you to dry fire and recock the hammer with very little effort so that you don't need to break your position- very handy in prone position.





I can't remember the the specifics, but I think it was 1/2 ID conduit that I used, cut it to a length just long enough that the trigger trips so that you only have to pull the operating handle back a fraction of an inch to reset it.

 

[Bushrod]

Not to get off topic here, but I'm considering getting an M1. I came across the "Garand Guy" and his prices seemed to be pretty reasonable. Several posters here seem to have firsthand experience-how are the rifles-wait times-customer service?

 

[ScottsGT]

Honestly, his E-mails sometimes seem that he's a little forgetful, but he always comes thru. I didn't buy a rifle from him, but had him install a citadel barrel and got a few other parts from him for mine. He's top notch in my book.