Woot! First gun and its a Garand(Questions)

[Linux&Gun Guy]

My grandparents both have died and my uncle showed me some of the guns he had. Most of them had been claimed but no one wanted this old one in the corner. Much to my suprise it was an M1 Garand! It is an origanal and has a wood stock. I am about the same age as winstonsmith so as you know getting a rifle(or any gun) is very cool. I hope winston will get as lucky as I have.

I took it to a gunshop and got a kleenbore kit and cleaned out the barrel and the outside. I don't know how you go about cleaning the other parts of the gun or infact how you take it apart for field stripping.(Question #1) As so far I have not owned any guns the nitty gritty has been pushed to the wayside in favor of exploring the political side of the gun issue. Now that I have a "freedom stick" I need to know everything about it! On the upper reciver it says Cal .30 but the gunshop owner said its 30.06. As I don't have lots of money to buy a M1A or a FAL in .308 and I want a rifle that is cheap to feed I am interested in getting it to shoot .308 I heard you can get a chamber insert and a clip well blocker that lets you load, chamber and shoot .308 in a 30.06 Garand.(Anyone know anything about this? Question #2) I have not yet fired the gun and don't have any clips or ammo. I do have lots of cleaners in an old ammo can like hoppes No.9

I am of course using good gun safty and following the 4 rules. I also know about "M1 Thumb" However I don't know what sort of iron sights these are(they have a metal ring in the back) or what a good sight pic looks like.(Question #3) I also don't know what the little button thing on the left side of the clip well does.(Question #4)

If its very simple I may know it but might not, if its a normal thing to know then I don't know it. Please tell me everything you know about this gun and how to clean it, shoot it, and take care of it. I do know some of its history.
The guns SN is in the one million area.

Thanks fellow highroaders!

 

[cookhj]

if you can, look for an M-1 Garand manual. you should be able to find them online, or maybe on the CMP's website.

cal .30 is the same thing as .30-06. the ".30" is the caliber and the "06" is the year it was adoped (1906).

i wouldn't go with the chamber insert. you can find fairly inexpensive .30 M2 surplus ball out there. i'm sure some people here can direct you as to where you can get it.

the button on the side ejects the en-bloc clip from the magazine, so if you were trying to unload the rifle, you pull the charging handle to the rear and press the eject button.

good luck. it's a fine rifle and what a wonderful one to have as your first!

let us know if you need any more help!

 

[geekWithA.45]

Congrats!

The manual: http://www.biggerhammer.net/manuals/garand/m1.htm

PDF manual: http://www.biggerhammer.net/manuals/garand_FM23_5.pdf

Also check out http://www.battlerifles.com/

 

[MAURICE]

I dont own an M1 at the moment, but it is number 1 or 2 on the to buy list. Maybe I can be of assistance, anyway.

To answer your first question, visit this link: http://www.civilianmarksmanship.com/
Shows basic field stripping, then detail stripping of different components like trigger group,sights,bolt, etc.

I dont know anything about chamber inserts to convert from 30.06 to .308, but it is possible to rebarrell your M1 to .308, and I was told you can still use the same en-bloc clips.

I will let people more knowledgeable than I answer the other two questions. I dont have access to one at the moment (a friend owns one) so I cant answer them off hand.

Hope I helped.
Maurice

 

[Bartholomew Roberts]

1. http://www.civilianmarksmanship.com/fieldstrip.html

2. It can be done; but not certain how advisable it is. .30-06 can be had cheap and performs about the same without any additional parts needed.

3. These are normal, military iron peep sights (and pretty nice compared to most peep sights). Check here for discussion of sight picture with these sights:
http://www.emilitarymanuals.com/basicmark.htm

4. The button on the left side ejects the en-bloc clip if you decide to unload the gun before you have fired all eight rounds.

 

[Linux&Gun Guy]

Thanks guys! I am finaly part of the gun owning community. Make that 80 million plus 1 gun owners

 

[30Cal]

".30 Cal" used to mean .30-06. People now use it to describe any rifle cartridge that shoots a .308-.310 slug.

Chamber inserts are not a good idea. The Navy tried that idea for a brief time and scrapped it--they had an annoying habit of not staying in the chamber when the empty case ejected. They ended up going with a barrel chambered for 7.62mmNATO. Converting the rifle to .308Win isn't too expensive--just replace the barrel.

M1 thumb is usually earned while cleaning or fondling the rifle (and not when loading a clip). Make sure the oprod is locked before you stick your fingers in front of the bolt (sometimes the bolt is merely sitting against the follower, waiting for your thumb like a beartrap).

Focus on the front sight tip (ignore the protective ears on either side of the front sight). The target will be out of focus. Center the post in the rear aperature. Again, focus on the front sight. Some people use a center hold--put the blade in the center of the target. Some use a 6 o'clock hold--set the target on top of the front sight like a pumpkin on a fencepost. Depends on what works for you. Each click on the windage and elevation knob is worth 1 MoA (1" at 100yds).

Ty

 

[cookhj]

oh! i forgot about the sight picture. the way it is explained in the military manuals is "correct sight alignment is when the clear tip of the front sight post is centered vertically and horizontally in the rear sight aperature."

when you look at the sights, you focus should be on the front sight and it should appear clear. the rear sight aperature should be fuzzy. don't look at the rear sight. it sounds wierd, but it's very accurate and very fast to shoot with. i don't even like using "V" notch sights anymore i've gotten used to them so much.

 

[mustanger98]

I heard you can get a chamber insert and a clip well blocker that lets you load, chamber and shoot .308 in a 30.06 Garand.

NO!!! In a M1, if the chamber insert comes loose it can be ejected with the last fired round and you won't know it till either it hits you in the head, or you fire the next round of .308 which will be unsafe.

I have not yet fired the gun and don't have any clips or ammo.

Clips can be had from several different sources, but check out http://www.ammoman.com for Danish M2 ball in clips and bandoleers. When you shoot up all your Danish ball, you get to re-use your clips and bandos. You can get Korean (KA headstamp) in clips cheaper but it's corrosive and they've been known to have case failures and I wouldn't advise it for you or your rifle. Myself- I picked up a deal on clips from CMP and picked up a case of USGI ball from them too, so I'm loading clips. You can also get details of how to buy stuff from them on their website and you have to show proof of US citizenship to buy surplus stuff from them.

However I don't know what sort of iron sights these are(they have a metal ring in the back) or what a good sight pic looks like.

I've found peep sights in general tend to work better than the leaf type further up on the barrel. You look through the aperture, not at it, and then put the top of the post where you want your bullet to go. The left knob is elevation adjustment. The one on the right is windage.

The guns SN is in the one million area.

If you go to http://www.fulton-armory.com they have a page where you can look up your rifle's serial# and see when it was built. That's provided it's a Springfield or Winchester (WRA). I'm assuming from the 1million serial# it's a Springfield. You got lucky.

 

[jrhead75]

Congrats! For a first rifle, you sure got lucky. I own 21 rifles, and my Garand is my favorite, hands down.

I agree with all the advice above. The Korean ammo mentioned, with the KA headstamp is actually great stuff, just corrosive. It's going for $79, for just shy of 400 rounds loaded in clips and bandoleers delivered from ammoman.com, a great price, considering that shipping will usually run about $25 or so. The Korean PS headstamp isn't corrosive, but a few lots have had problems as mentioned above. I've got some, and have had no problems so far. The Danish stuff is great, just a little more spendy (about $100 for 240 rounds in clips & bandoleers).

Have fun, sounds like you have a good one there!

 

[George S.]

Congrats on getting a fine piece of military history!! There is a tremendous amount of informatin on the Garand and a number of websites devoted to them. As mentioned, check out (and register at) BattleRifles.com. The M1 section has a bunch of really great people with a lot of information.

Garands were made by a number of manufacturers before, during, and after WWII. The top of the receiver will have the name of the company that made it along with the serial number. You can check out your serial number here: http://www.jouster.com/serial/assigned.html to see when your Garand was made.

The various components of the M1 also have numbers on them that can tell you whether or not the components are "correct" in terms of date of manufacturer or even if they are from the same manufacturer. Again www.battlerifles.com will get you a lot of info.

As far as ammo, the best deal is at the CMP where you can get 980 rounds of USGI Lake City Arsenal M2 ball ammo for about $230 delivered to your door. Go to the CMP website www.odcmp.com and go to the E-store. you don't need to fill out any paperwork for ammo or for parts like you would if you were buying an M1.

AFAIC, stay away from the Korean milsurp ammo that has a "KA" stamp on the case. It is corrosive and you need to clean the rifle immediately after shooting or you will find corrosion in no time. If you do use it, spray the bore and bolt face with some Windex with Ammonia until it's soaked. Then clean as usual. Korean ammo with a "PS" headstamp is non-corrosive. Most of the ammo sold in bandoleers and clips is the Korean corrosive stuff. It's a good way to get clips and the OD cloth bandoleers but be sure to drench the rifle with the Windex immediately. Try this site for information about milsurp 30-06 ammo: http://www.100megsfree4.com/airground/ammo/ammo.htm

I just got an M1 from the CMP and it's a Springfield Armory pre-WWII version. It was made in April of 1941 and was loaned to the Daniish government at some point. I would like to think that this rifle saw some action in WWII and from what I have read, nearly all of the M1's loaned to the Danes did see some action. My rifle has a Danish VAR barrel and is quite accurate with 3" groups at 100 yds. It's an absolute hoot to shoot and people at my range are always coming up to ask about it or see if they can shoot it. I always carry a few extra clips of ammo just for that. It's fun to see really young guys and some of the older guys cook off a clip full and watch their reaction when the clip ejects with that neat piiinnnggg sound.

 

[thumbtack]

Linux&Gun Guy,

PM Sent

 

[ACP230]

Before thinking about rebarreling your M1, check to make sure it isn't a collectable rifle. All original Garands are collectable, of course, but some are of more interest to collectors. You could make a $1,000 rifle into a $500 rifle by making it into a .308.

Reloading for the M1 isn't too difficult, and it would be one way to get safe, non-corrosive ammo for it.

Besides the manuals listed the NRA has one on target shooting with the M1.

I bought my M1 back in the mid-1980s to shoot in NRA High Power Rifle Matches. It is an old veteran rifle that came back from Korea. The wood is two different colors and is dinged and beat up. The rifle shoots well though, lots better than you might expect.

Be safe and have fun with your rifle.

 

[Tamara]

Congratulations!





(Remember: Converting inherited war relic Garands to .308 makes the Baby Jesus cry. )

 

[Slimjim]

Stay away from corrosive ammo!

 

[GunGoBoom]

Most of them had been claimed but no one wanted this old one in the corner. Much to my suprise it was an M1 Garand!

Wow - gun enthusiast's dream come true. Lucky indeed. The others passed up probably the best one, sounds like. Congrats. Yeah, watch out for that Garand thumb. Your new motto: Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, PING! Enjoy. [Why can't this sort of thing happen to me? :banghead: ]

 

[Malone LaVeigh]

I wouldn't want to make any dieties cry, but couldn't he just keep the old barrel for future collector value?

 

[mustanger98]

couldn't he just keep the old barrel for future collector value?

I'd thought of that, and Midway sells Wilson .308 barrels, but there's issues with headspacing with the current bolt too. No, all things considered, I'd have to advise to keep it as is.

Tell you what I did about ammo- two options. I mentioned CMP's deal- $230/960rds- and I did that to have plenty of GI ball on hand. But, I've also run reloads. You just have to stay away from bullets over 180grains and Hornady's 5th Edition manual list a 178grainer, IIRC. But, I was thinking of a hunting load so with IMR4895, I have a 165grain SP running 2400fps and it cycles the action without beating myself up or abusing the gun. I'm fixing to look into a 150gr BTSPs and BT-FMJs over that same powder to run 2500 and see how that does.

Another thing about shooting corrosive ammo- I'd heard the advice that if you shoot corrosive in a gas gun, such as the garand, you'll have to clean the gas system out every time or it'll eat out the inside of the cylinder and piston.