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Picked up my new-to-me M-1 Garand today. Didn't get to fire it, as I have no ammo loaded. Tho' I have a lot of brass, but lack proper bullets.
Serial # places it in 1942 production... SA... with the only replacement parts being a NM operating rod and a 1946 NOS barrel. It's been fired, as evidenced by the copper still appearing in the bore, but not a lot. As those are nice and sharp lands and grooves!
Last edited by Griff on Tue Sep 27, 2016 10:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Griff,
SASS/CMSA #93
NRA Patron
GUSA #93
There is a fine line between hobby & obsession! AND... I'm over it!!
No I ain't ready, but let's do it anyway!
FYI - I loaded a variety of 125 ~ 130 gr SP bullets using both IMR & H 4895 at reduced velocity to more or less duplicate SKS loads. My arthritic shoulder sure appreciated it.
As mentioned, be SURE to use loads intended for the M-1 as only certain powders are safe (or at the very least wise) to use with this gas system.
This is my 2nd M-1. I have a few clips... about a half doz. I have 4350 and will get some 150 gr spire point boattails to use initially in determining just how good the rifle is. Then, I'm going to work on a cast load. I have a line on a mold that might work. I plan on powder coating the bullets. Hopefully this will prevent contaminating the gas system with lead. Or, I might just stick with the 150s, as they proved very good in my other'n.
Griff,
SASS/CMSA #93
NRA Patron
GUSA #93
There is a fine line between hobby & obsession! AND... I'm over it!!
No I ain't ready, but let's do it anyway!
Griff,
I shot my 1953 NM a lot (around a K) with a 175 Saeco g.c and a mess of 5744. Functioned fine and cleaned up fine. Save yourself aggravation by eliminating the powder coating.
But that baby will really smoke the steel plates with any decent 150 jkt bullet and a medium burning powder such as Varget, 4895, BL-C2, or RL-15.
Stay away from the slow burning powders...they bend the operating rod.---6
I shoot a lot of cast in my Garand. My favorite load is the 312-160-FN Ed Harris bullet over 40 gr of IMR 4064 for most of the year, 41 gr for January and February. Harris recommended starting at 36 gr and working up to reliable functioning, a good idea. I cast them of 50-50 WW-Lino and lube with the old NRA lube of beeswax/alox. As Six said, don't worry about the gas system. I ran a test with the above load combo where I fired 1200 rounds without cleaning anything. I had intended to let it go until it balked but I cracked and had to clean it. The gas system cleaned up by spinning (with my fingers) a nylon 410 bore brush in it for about 30 seconds preceded by a damp patch and followed by a dry patch.
Nice! My son has a SA about the same age as yours we were shooting last weekend. Mine is
an Korean era H&R. They are a great rifle and a blast to shoot.
The best money you can spend is for a Schuster gas plug. It will give you more leeway on your loads
and take it easy on the op-rod.
"Oh bother", said Pooh, as he chambered another round.
Sixgun wrote:Jay, ...a schuster gas plug?? I gots to look into that. Everyday, I learn somethin' new! Sometimes it just ain't easy being a white guy. -----6
Hey Jack,
Yeah,they work great. Looks like the factory plug with an Allen screw in the middle. You can adjust the blow by with the screw.
I did my son's last week. Back it out and it doesn't cycle, then just turn it in gradually till it just reliably cycles.
They make them for your M1A too but it's not as critical as with the M1.
I'm not home or I'd post a pic.
OK bud, here's a pic
Last edited by OldWin on Sun Sep 25, 2016 9:24 am, edited 1 time in total.
"Oh bother", said Pooh, as he chambered another round.
I need to shoot mine more. Mine is an Aug '43 CMP rebuild. Haven't taken it apart yet. But the wood is new/late and the gun has been re-parked.
Maybe next year I will use it for elk...
Last edited by Old Ironsights on Sun Sep 25, 2016 5:46 pm, edited 1 time in total.
C2N14... because life is not energetic enough. מנא, מנא, תקל, ופרסין Daniel 5:25-28... Got 7.62?
Not Depressed enough yet? Go read National Geographic, July 1976 Gott und Gewehr mit uns!
OldWin wrote:Nice! My son has a SA about the same age as yours we were shooting last weekend. Mine is
an Korean era H&R. They are a great rifle and a blast to shoot.
The best money you can spend is for a Schuster gas plug. It will give you more leeway on your loads
and take it easy on the op-rod.
My Ruger 10-22 was number one on my list of "Fun Guns" until i got my Garand. I had little interest in a "collector" and just wanted a shooter (I watched "Combat" every week when I was young), so I got a CMP "Special" Grade. New Criterion barrel, new stock, some mismatched parts. Excellent shooter! I started out with HXP surplus ammo from CMP and 90% of my reloads is with HXP brass. I started reloading with some 147 gr. pulls, but soon put those bullets on the back shelf and then used Hornady and Nosler 150-155 gr HPBT over IMR4064. Have some Nosler 168s ready to load and a box of Sierras, but so far I'm getting acceptable accurach with some Hornady 150 A-Max bullets. I shot 16 PC coated lead bullets I cast, but having fun with the jacketed bullets and haven't tried much else. The pressure "limits" have not posed any problems with me so I don't need an adjustable gas plug, just watch my loads.
A "Manly Man's" rifle...
Mike
Vocatus atque non vocatus, Deus aderit...
I've learned how to stand on my own two knees...
I've got one of those plugs. Haven't installed it yet because it and my torque wrench are still buried from last Feb's move...
Hey Griff, you need to make sure your Garand is properly UnPC and make sure the special snowflakes can say you are "compensating" for something... so if it can't have a big magazine and a thing that goes up, get one of these:
C2N14... because life is not energetic enough. מנא, מנא, תקל, ופרסין Daniel 5:25-28... Got 7.62?
Not Depressed enough yet? Go read National Geographic, July 1976 Gott und Gewehr mit uns!
I have an M1A, and thus never had much interest in Garands until I saw the movie "Gran Torino" with Clint Eastwood where his M-1 was the co-star of sorts
-- LOL--- I don't need much more reason than that to want another gun but have yet to do so
The only thing I wish I could have gotten instead is a Tanker... in .308.
Eventually I'll turn this one into a .308 but I like the balance of the Tanker better.
C2N14... because life is not energetic enough. מנא, מנא, תקל, ופרסין Daniel 5:25-28... Got 7.62?
Not Depressed enough yet? Go read National Geographic, July 1976 Gott und Gewehr mit uns!
Old Ironsights wrote:The only thing I wish I could have gotten instead is a Tanker... in .308.
Eventually I'll turn this one into a .308 but I like the balance of the Tanker better.
It would balance better without that frog sticker out front. Take it off and sent it to me!
The "Tanker" a gun that never was!
Griff,
SASS/CMSA #93
NRA Patron
GUSA #93
There is a fine line between hobby & obsession! AND... I'm over it!!
No I ain't ready, but let's do it anyway!
Old Ironsights wrote:The only thing I wish I could have gotten instead is a Tanker... in .308.
Eventually I'll turn this one into a .308 but I like the balance of the Tanker better.
I had my DCM piece turned into a 'Tanker' in 308 because the muzzle was more like 8 mm and it shot 12" groups. It is a nice 'go-to' gun, although a full-size Garand does just feel like "a man's rifle".
It's 2025 - "Cutesy Time is OVER....!" [Dan Bongino]
M. M. Wright wrote:Mine likes the 165 grain Sierra Spitzer Boat Tail pushed by 47 or 48 grains of 4895. No. 2 Son has it now.
My Winchester is very fond of that same load. Did well at Camp Perry years ago. Nothing to get real excited about but made me happy, especially at the 600 yd target.
jb
jasonB " Another Dirty Yankee"
" Tomorrow the sun will rise. Who knows what the tide could bring?"
Problem is, everyone knows it, and though many millions were made, that was SOME time ago. More and more of these are getting squirreled away to collect dust in someone's collection. Good to get them now.
I just pulled it's younger brother (the M1A) out of the safe to make sure it was handy in case of any spill-over from the rioting in Charlotte.
Y2K saw this and immediately responded, "GET OFF OF MY YARD!".
The Garand is a Levergun! Pulling down on the trigger guard cocks the hammer. Some War Department wag was worried that racking the op rod on a FTF was a waste of ammo, and insisted on a hammer cocking system.
The SA I humped for two years was 5424950, my personal M-1 is an April '43 SA with a Criterion barrel, it shoots better than I can!
I thought the adjustable gas plug was for shooting slower powders. Their pulse is closer to the muzzle, which causes the bent op rod.. With the plug you can shoot heavy bullets with stuff like 4350 and still be gentle on the op rod, by bleeding off the extra gas pressure! Though it may not be all that accurate, or might be ! Faster powders move the pulse toward the chamber and bolt, with is not the weak part of the system!
You mean I could be wrong.. it won't be the first time
John
Gettin old ain't for sissies!
There just has to be dogs in heaven !
Sixgun wrote:Griff...use that new thing-a-ma-nig and take a picture of the throat and the muzzle. Is the rifling just a sharp there?----6
On the muzzle end you have hold it out away from the muzzle a very precise distance. It's really hard with one hand to get this thing positioned right so it's fixed focus point is right on the muzzle, the fuzziness is all my fault:
The leade is a bit easier, here're shots from either end; as you can see from the chamber shot, the narrowness of the focus is such that while the bottom lands are in focus, those at the top are out:
So, did I get took?
Griff,
SASS/CMSA #93
NRA Patron
GUSA #93
There is a fine line between hobby & obsession! AND... I'm over it!!
No I ain't ready, but let's do it anyway!
Griff,
Yea.....you got took...by me when I come down to Tx to rob you of that.
That baby looks like it gonna shoot match accuracy. Lands all look sharp with perfect edges. Obviously, after rebarreling the gun just sat........until NOW.........go load that baby up and test her out. The ones I have tested, including my own love 150 gr. flat base bullets with a medium rate powder......in other words, the ammo the gun was built around.------6
The Garand, M1-A, and AR's are very fun guns to shoot. Probably more so than leverguns as you just "point and shoot" out to 500 meters and the bullet gets there fast and accurate......round after round even when it's smokin' hot.
My all time vote for the "funnest" gun goes to a quality AR with a 1-7 to 1-9 twist with quality glass on top. Even the average guy can afford to shoot 2-300 rounds in an afternoon, especially if he reloads.------6
Griff wrote:This is my 2nd M-1. I have a few clips... about a half doz. I have 4350 and will get some 150 gr spire point boattails to use initially in determining just how good the rifle is. Then, I'm going to work on a cast load. I have a line on a mold that might work. I plan on powder coating the bullets. Hopefully this will prevent contaminating the gas system with lead. Or, I might just stick with the 150s, as they proved very good in my other'n.
I've had good luck with powder coated cast bullets in my Garand, very clean. Still trying to get the perfect combination of accuracy and function of the action. Seems to be somewhat fickle. You'll want at least a 200 gr. bullet and a velocity in the 1800-1900 range.
4350 and 4831 are slow burning powders and you will run the risk of bending the operating rod since these deliver higher pressure at the muzzle. The Garand will work better and not damage anything using a mid-range powder such as 4895. Good luck.
OPS
He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.
I've used 4350 for over 30 years in my other'n. Ain't bent the op rod yet. IIRC, the load was published in the AR back in '78 or '79; and used by the AMU. I left most of my stuff with my buddy in CA when I moved to TX, both he and his son are shooting in DCM matches on a fairly regular basis.
Griff,
SASS/CMSA #93
NRA Patron
GUSA #93
There is a fine line between hobby & obsession! AND... I'm over it!!
No I ain't ready, but let's do it anyway!
Bronco wrote:I thought the adjustable gas plug was for shooting slower powders. Their pulse is closer to the muzzle, which causes the bent op rod.. With the plug you can shoot heavy bullets with stuff like 4350 and still be gentle on the op rod, by bleeding off the extra gas pressure! Though it may not be all that accurate, or might be ! Faster powders move the pulse toward the chamber and bolt, with is not the weak part of the system!
You mean I could be wrong.. it won't be the first time
John
Not sure which 'speeds' of powder bent op-rods, but bleeding off gas pressure and adjusting for the 'bare minimum to cycle reliably' should help regardless.
It's 2025 - "Cutesy Time is OVER....!" [Dan Bongino]
The adjustable gas plugs probably even make shooting faster powder loads safe for the gun.
Not sure which 'speeds' of powder bent op-rods, but bleeding off gas pressure and adjusting for the 'bare minimum to cycle reliably' should help regardless
That was my point Doc.
Sorry if I was not clear about it !
Gettin old ain't for sissies!
There just has to be dogs in heaven !
I can understand if someone needs an adjustable gas plug if factory 30-06 is the only ammo available (but there is M1 Garand 30-06 ammo available), but in my research during my waiting period, I figgered I'd just get powders between IMR 3031 and IMR 4320. There's a lot of powders to choose from in that burn rate group and IMR 4064 and IMR 4895 weren't too hard to find (I have 6 lbs. of 4064 and 1 lb. of 4895). I haven't any need for pushing the velocity above 2750 fps (who does?) so I've settled on the two powders mentioned, although I also have a little Varget.
I normally don't get into "what if" thinking and just prepare for what works best...
Mike
Vocatus atque non vocatus, Deus aderit...
I've learned how to stand on my own two knees...
C2N14... because life is not energetic enough. מנא, מנא, תקל, ופרסין Daniel 5:25-28... Got 7.62?
Not Depressed enough yet? Go read National Geographic, July 1976 Gott und Gewehr mit uns!
Old Ironsights wrote:I've got one of those plugs. Haven't installed it yet because it and my torque wrench are still buried from last Feb's move...
Hey Griff, you need to make sure your Garand is properly UnPC and make sure the special snowflakes can say you are "compensating" for something... so if it can't have a big magazine and a thing that goes up, get one of these:
ohh...my...a trip down memory lane...
if you think you're influencial, try telling someone else's dog what to do---will rogers
Old Ironsights wrote:The only thing I wish I could have gotten instead is a Tanker... in .308.
Eventually I'll turn this one into a .308 but I like the balance of the Tanker better.
I had my DCM piece turned into a 'Tanker' in 308 because the muzzle was more like 8 mm and it shot 12" groups. It is a nice 'go-to' gun, although a full-size Garand does just feel like "a man's rifle".
I just remembered, Fulton Armory makes 'Tanker' Garands currently - in regular and 'scout' versions:
Go over to the castboolits website and check out the military guns section. Don't think you need to powder coat. I believe plenty are shooting the Garand with regular cast gas checked boolits and no worries about fouling on the gas plug.
The meek shall inherit the earth, but I reserve the mineral rights!
All the knowledge in the world, is of no use to fools! (Eagles-long road out of Eden)
mikld wrote:I can understand if someone needs an adjustable gas plug if factory 30-06 is the only ammo available . . . . . . I haven't any need for pushing the velocity above 2750 fps (who does?). . .
Understood, and if you use the original 'spec' powders all is well, however reloaders who bend op-rods aren't necessarily ones just looking to 'push velocity'.
[b]GarandGear[/b] wrote:
"For example, if two bullets are fired and each reach the gas port with the same barrel pressure but different velocities, the slower bullet will produce higher peak pressures in the gas cylinder."
It seems like the testers of the GarandGear should have put the pressure transducer on the gas cylinder so it would be in the same place with each plug; seems like unless they stuck it out 'in front of' the cup they milled into it, the transducer would be more removed from the gas-jet and thus read artificially lower peaks with their unit. The concept of enlarging the cylinder volume makes sense though.
Perhaps measuring op-rod velocity makes most sense though.
It's 2025 - "Cutesy Time is OVER....!" [Dan Bongino]
Griff wrote:I've used 4350 for over 30 years in my other'n. Ain't bent the op rod yet. IIRC, the load was published in the AR back in '78 or '79; and used by the AMU. I left most of my stuff with my buddy in CA when I moved to TX, both he and his son are shooting in DCM matches on a fairly regular basis.
Just got an email back from him... IMR 4320, not 4350! ...but never fear... I have that on hand also! Last batch of .30-06 ammo I loaded was in 1995!
Griff,
SASS/CMSA #93
NRA Patron
GUSA #93
There is a fine line between hobby & obsession! AND... I'm over it!!
No I ain't ready, but let's do it anyway!
C2N14... because life is not energetic enough. מנא, מנא, תקל, ופרסין Daniel 5:25-28... Got 7.62?
Not Depressed enough yet? Go read National Geographic, July 1976 Gott und Gewehr mit uns!
