Scope or Red dot your M1 Garand?

[Snapshot75]

I'm starting with the Mini-Scout Mount which replaces the rear handguard and will accomodate all red-dot and holo-sights, as well as scout scopes or pistol scopes. I am looking for advice.:banghead:

 

[Sport45]

Welcome to The High Road!

Scope or Red dot your M1 Garand?

Never on mine!

I'm a bit of a purist when it comes to the M1 and would never consider such a thing. Have you tried the M1's peep sight yet?

That said, it's your rifle and beauty (and function) are in the eye of the beholder. I don't think a red-dot would be appropriate for a rifle as accurate as the Garand. I'd suggest a long eye relief rifle scope. Get a good one to hold up to the recoil and take advantage of the rifle's potential. Filling the buttstock with lead tames the recoil impulse a bit.

 

[TenDriver]

Leave it alone!

 

[Tim the student]

Egad!

Kidding. It's not for me personally, but it may be one day. Maybe if I wanted to hunt with it. There are scopes that are specifically made for scout rifles. They all have super long eye relief.

Welcome to THR.

 

[NG VI]

I am going to go wash my mind's eye out with 90 proof Visine, good Lord man have you nothing else you could scope?

The Garand is an iron-sighted rifle, now and forever, minus the occasional oddball sniper variant.

Sport how could you reccomend he do something like fill its stock with lead!

Ok, maybe that wouldn't be so bad.

Sorry I have no help, but I hope to buy a Garand sometime in the future and use the crap out of the iron sights.

 

[Sport45]

Sport how could you reccomend he do something like fill its stock with lead!

Maybe because I have lead filling the holes in mine?

Weight is your friend if you aren't toting the thing around all day.

 

[NG VI]

Oh it's got holes like the M16 stock?

Fill away, fill away.

 

[Snapshot75]

It's nice to see posts are actually read on this forum. Thanks for the replies. If I do anything with my M1, it will be reverseable.
Yes, I've looked through the peep a few times...for 2yrs in Korea, where it saved my bacon a few times. Lead in the stock, huh? It's funny, when your firing your M1 in anger, you don't seem to notice the recoil. Thanks again, and
carry on gentlemen.

 

[C-grunt]

Scope maybe but a red dot?

thats like a 4 cylinder Z06. Its just wrong thinking about it.

And this is from a young AR generation guy who loves red dots.

 

[Sport45]

I've looked through the peep a few times...for 2yrs in Korea, where it saved my bacon a few times.

Thank you for your service!

 

[DMK]

Fulton armory has a Scout rail that would work great for an Aimpoint or LER scope. It doesn't require any permanent modifications.

It's about halfway down this page:
http://www.fulton-armory.com/MParts.htm

Handguard, Rear, Rail, for "Scout Mounting," Aluminum, Fulton Armory Super Scout Mount

Now you can get the fastest target acquisition possible on this proven battle rifle by using a modern sight system. Use the iron sights or mount an Aimpoint®, pistol or scout scope, ACOG, Holo-sight, red dot, etc. This rugged aluminum and stainless steel unit bolts on in minutes with NO modifications required. Will fit all standard weight US made mil-spec barrels. The optional Fulton Armory Super Scout Accessory Rail allows quick and secure mounting of lighting devices or laser sights, including the 450 offset so popular with three-gun shooters for their CQB optics.

The Super Scout Handguard Rail affords much greater heat dissipation compared to those shorty "scout mounts" you may have seen. Nor more "cooked" scopes!

 

[wombat13]

Here's a link to the company that manufactures the mount sold by Fulton Armory:

http://www.amegaranges.com/faq/faq.htm

I've taken my M1 hunting and concluded that the iron sights are less than ideal. I had two problems with the irons:

1. The peep sight tends to get clogged with snow/rain. Yes, the aperture is narrow enough that the natural surface tension of water will allow a drop of water to adhere and fill the aperture. I found myself blowing into the aperture to try to clear it. That's noise I don't want to make when I'm waiting on bambi.

2. I found it very difficult to identify and stay on a deer while looking through the peep sight in low light. The deer was in the open but close to brush about 100 yards away. We all know that low light is when deer present themselves for harvest.

If you want to take your M1 hunting, recognize that the iron sights will prove challenging. If the challenge is what you're after, have at it. If you want/need to use it as a modern hunting rifle, you should probably buy one of the scout mounts and mount some kind of optic.

I like the idea of playing around with a scout mount for the M1 and I particularly like the idea of using a red dot. I've got an accurate rifle with really nice scope, so putting the red dot on the M1 would offer something different. I won't do it anytime soon, however, because $150 for the mount plus $300-$700 for the red dot equals real money that I could use for something higher on my purchase list. In the meantime, I'll take my M1 hunting again, but I won't use it until I've already gotten a deer with my regular hunting rifle.

 

[hangman7]

M1 with scope

I put a scout type scope on an M1. My eyes are not what they used to be and this setup works well. Plus the mount does not permanently alter the rifle.

This is a Burris Scout Scope and Nigerian stock.

 

[Dookie]

I think a nice 2x red dot would really make the Garand a super shooter. I know a guy locally who shoots a Garand in matches against AR people and does very well against other iron sighted rifles, and wins a lot, but does not do very well at all against the red dot AR's.
Even he admits he has been thinking about going with a RD to help his shooting.

No one can tell me that tradition will trump technology. Given a choice of a red dot with BUIS or just a straight RD on you Garand in battle what would anyone choose? Faster acquisition, more accurate, those irons are not target peeps after all, WAY easier to use, easier to train with, easier to see.

It's your rifle, do whatever you want to. Heck, I have a nice RD on my Henry. Screw those crappy irons.

 

[wombat13]

I put a scout type scope on an M1. My eyes are not what they used to be and this setup works well. Plus the mount does not permanently alter the rifle.

This is a Burris Scout Scope and Nigerian stock.

I've heard others say that a red dot would be too high on a Garand, i.e., it would be hard to have a good cheek weld. How does your setup work? Does a red dot sit higher than a normal rifle scope?

 

[hangman7]

Re. Cheek weld...

The Nigerian stock has a higher comb than stock. The cheek weld on this setup is OK, but a standard stock would require a raised cheekpiece, like the one from Karsten. A sight like the Burris FastFire sits a little lower.

 

[Snapshot75]

Wombat13;
I can relate to your experiences with hunting w/peep sights. Now picture yourself in combat with targets 100-150 yds out in front, only to find your peep with a gob of rice-paddy mud covering it. Your only solution is is firing in a 45 degree arc 'field of fire' feeding in clips as fast as you can. What I would have given for some of today's technology or even open iron sights. A RD would have been perfect for these average distances. Anything further was usually handled with mortars or snipers, who did an excellent job with scopes and Springfield 03's.
I've ordered the Mini-Scout-Mount. I'll try a RD, a LER scope and a Scout scope and see which suits me best. What's nice about this mount, is the fact that it doesn't alter the piece. I can replace the rear handguard, hang it on the wall and let it bring back memories, good and bad.

 

[Snapshot75]

Sorry, don't know how to delete.

 

[Snapshot75]

Hangman7;
Real nice setup. Goes to show...You start with quality...You can't screw it up! BTW, what height are the rings on the Burris?

 

[Andrew Wyatt]

Hangman7: nice setup. how well does it shoot?

 

[hangman7]

I think they are medium rings. Low rings might work. This scope has a small ocular bell. As for shooting it's a Springfield 1.7M with a HRA '52 barrel in pretty good shape. I have a couple other Garands with better barrels and are possibly more accurate but that scope lets me hit the 200 yard gong 6 out of 8.

 

[Ian]

I also have one of the AmegaRanges mounts on my M1, which is a .308 Tanker. I've met the Amega guys at a couple gun shows, and they're good people.

Anyway, I mounted a Burris 2-7x pistol scope on mine, with excellent results. The cheek weld is a little high, but still ok without a riser. I shot this rifle with irons for a couple years before adding the rail (including a couple IPSC rifle matches), and I really like the scope. The rifle is accurate enough to make 600-yard hits on silhouettes, but it's hard to see them that far out without any magnification.

 

[benzy2]

I have no problems with a work rifle, M1 or not, getting a rail and scope. I would personally go for either a pistol scope or a scout scope in the low magnification range, something in 1-4x range or at most 2-7x. It will let you stretch out the legs of the .30-06 yet still be quick for closer shots. I would also buy a check riser. While it may not absolutely be needed, getting a good cheek weld is critical. Buy something slip on and you will stay with the non-permanent mode.

I wouldn't do this to a range rifle or a safe queen, but for a work rifle I think it makes great sense. The red dot, while good out to maybe 200 yards, is going to let you down on anything further and, depending on the size of your target and the size of the dot, may not get you out that far. A good scout scope would work perfect.

 

[dmazur]

I have an Eotech on a scout mount on my Garand. It works fine at 200 yds, probably because it is the model with the 1MOA dot.

I usually shoot it with the iron sights. I notice a slight shadow at the edges of the sight picture from the sides of the scout mount. It doesn't prevent use of the iron sights, but it is definitely visible.

I don't have trouble with cheek weld with the Eotech, even though it is quite high, as the Eotech works as claimed...it is a true holographic sight. All I have to do is touch the stock with the side of my chin and I can see the target nicely. Head position doesn't affect POI, believe it or not.

I don't have a LER scout scope to try, but I'm intrigued by the Burris. I'll have to add it to my long list of things to do "some day"...

 

[Hatterasguy]

From a functional standpoint it makes sense, but IMHO keep the red dots on the AR's.

IMHO its the same as putting a Honda V6 into a Shelby Mustang to make it run better...