I have a Garand....

[Murphy]

Everyone should own a Garand rifle.

Way back in 1973 I was issued a U.S. Navy match grade International Harvester made M1 Garand rifle to shoot for the all Navy rifle team. I won my distinguished medal with that old rifle. When we switched over to the M-14 (yes it was an M-14 receiver) and the 7.62x51 round I was able to buy that Garand rifle from the Navy. Well as often is the case I fell on hard times and was forced to sell that fine rifle so I could make my mortgage payment (back when we had to do that, before any bailout money was available). Well when things picked up, I was able to buy a few different Garand rifles but never kept them as they were not what I wanted in that rifle. Here recently I was able to purchase an M1 Garand from a friend who won one in a raffle. He sold me the Garand so he could buy an M-1A so everyone was happy.

My M1 is an HRA, Harrington and Richardson, post WW-II manufacture Correct Grade gun from the CMP. Oh, how I have missed those lovely rifles. I know why we won the war. Back then, Americans could shoot a rifle and we carried a fine battle rifle into battle against our enemies.

It has its weak points but it is battle proven and it is in a real caliber. Just shoot 'em once, move to the next target. Very rugged, very reliable, quick and easy to clear, clean and repair. Just the way it should be. The M-14 was a good modification of the Garand but it was short lived as a battle rifle. Then we left the 10 pound battle rifle and went to the small caliber palstic gun when we should have bought the wonderFAL rifle, the Right Arm of the Free World. If I had to go into battle in a theater such as that of WW-II Europe, there is no doubt I'd take the FAL in 7.62x51. But, looking back at the battle tactics and the functionality of the M1, it would take a helluva battle rifle to beat the Garand.

[LeonardC]

Bang, Bang, Bang, Bang, Bang, Bang, Bang, Bang..Ping! Got to love the Garand! Went through SD boot camp in '71 and we shot the Garand. I've had a mild "match" Garand, but now mostly shoot "as issued" with only a trigger job. Shooting a "Garand Match" is very laid back and fun.

[.338 mag.]

me too!

San Diego boot camp. 1969. Top shooter in the company and 2nd in the battalion. Yup, 8 bangs and a ping. A great memory. Thanks for the reminder. I no longer own a .308 battle rifle, what the hell is wrong with me?

[marshall]

I was at the range trying out a few light recoil loads for my 40'S yesterday to make sure they would function and make major.

There was a father and son duo having a shoot out on the lane next to me. The father had a Garand and the son had a Mosin Nagant Russian rifle. The fit and finish of the Garand was far superior to the Russian bolt rifle.

They were shooting at 50 then out to 100 with open sights, the Garand with the father won with ease. I expressed interest in the rifles and they promptly let me take a couple shots with each one. It was my first Garand shooting experience. I took a shot at a 24" steel plate at 300 yards with the garand. I held at the top of the plate as best I could with open sights and the loud dong was heard, that ammo shoots fairly flat. The sound of that last shot and empty clank will be forever entrenched in my mind.

The Russian rifle had the worst trigger I've ever felt. It must of been a full inch of travel and very hard to pull. I'm not sure if that's typical or just this particular rifle.

The head stamp on the surplus Garand ammo was (HXP 70). After they were done with their shootout the father shot a 10 shot string through my chrony. That stuff had a large ES of 148. The average velocity was 2730.

Murphy give us some information on that ammo. Is 70 the year?

The ammo that they were shooting through the Mosin averaged 2700fps with a tighter ES.

[Doc]

My fondness is for the M-14, but I am happy for your acquisition Professor Murphy. My love affair with the M-14 started at MCRD San Diego in 1970. I was the regimental high shooter and set the range record that month with that wonderful rifle. I never bonded the same with my M-16.

[LeonardC]

There is a lot of Greek ammo out there. My US issue ammo is LC (Lake City). I've been told what the club has on hand is the last of the LC we'll get and it'll all be Greek in the future.

I don't have a lot #, but I ran some LC across the screens one day years ago and the AV was 2588 and ES was 41.8

I placed at least third in our Garand Match today...only had three of us shooting. I was shooting my H&R. It has a SA trigger group, but the rest is H&R. I'm sure it would shoot better if I'd change the trigger group.

[Amigo Will]

Boot in Dago in 65 we had the m-14 but for ITR we had the Garand.

[Darreld Walton]

We got

the "Plastic Fantastic" introduced to us in 1973 at Lackland AFB. I didn't get my hands on an M-14 till six years later when I was asked to join the Idaho National Guard Hi Power team. That was back when you could get ONE Garand from the DCM, and that through a lottery that I think some people are still waiting for their rifles on! The team captain, a Sergeant Major, received an absolutely gorgeous, new looking, fresh from overhaul and placed in storage Springfield Armory M1 Garand and brought it to the range. I had a chance to put twenty rounds through that rifle offhand, and the weight forward was a big plus over the 14 for that chore. At 200 yards, the unmodified Garand shot as well as my match-tuned 14. Without ammunition on a par with the 7.62 NM that we were using, the Garand didn't fare as well at extended range, at least on a bullseye target, BUT, would keep 'em on a full-size silhouette out to the thousand yard butts.
I finally got my 'own' Garand about seven years ago, a 'rack' grade from the North CMP Store at Camp Perry, hand picked by a friend who lives in Michigan. It's an H&R, and with the HXP Greek ammunition shoots really well, inspite of what the chronograph told me. My H&R doesn't much care for the LC 69 that was recently released by CMP. That stuff was de-linked machine gun stuff, and just 'isn't there' for accuracy, though it makes beautiful brass for reloading. I have a few hundred rounds of LC 52 dated M2 that the H&R gobbles up, and THAT lot shoots very well.
I'm headed out next weekend to try yet another match load for the H&R, it doesn't seem to like what I'm feeding it, I can get the Hornady 168's and an occasional box of Speers in the same weight, but the Sierra Match Kings always seem to be just out of reach.
IF you have an M1 that you load for, or want to, try to match the burn-rate, or stay in the vicinity of 4895-Varget-4064 so you don't bend the op-rod! An adjustable gas plug will allow you to use slower powders without parts damage.
Oh, by the way, if you have a shot-out barrel, CMP offers a Criterion short-chambered, otherwise finished barrel that comes out of Krieger's facility for right at $180, and is perhaps the best of the replacement barrels for the money....
Just received yet another H&R for a just-returned Irag war Jarhead vet who for some reason has taken a shine to me. Dad, a Korean war vet, just ordered his, and he also specified an H&R.
The 'off-brand' M1's, the H&R's, Cornbinders, late Winchesters and SA's have the best chance of having the least wear and better barrels unless they were abused.
Also, Dad took mine in hand one day, and demonstrated how quickly a Garand could be reloaded, pretty much de-bunking the myth about being rushed at reload time after hearing the legendary 'ping'.......he's fast, and just turned 80!
I like my Garand a lot! Almost as much as my '03's! I just don't like looking like a rocking horse from recoil when shooting prone!!! The Gut has GOT TO GO!!!

[swedeshooter]

garand

God I love this site,
no military background, grew up with a demilled 03 for playing Army in the 60's before it became 'militaristic and warmongering'.
Black and white tv with war movies, John Wayne, etc
Took me many years to afford one, got it about 15 years ago for 300.00. The gunsmith took pity on me when I went back after the range and could not understand the 4inch groups at 100.
I guess he put a better barrel in, no charge, 2-3 inchers for me now for a clip full of the Greek stuff.
I will pull it out of the bag and notate what it is, 1951 Springfield I believe.
Can't talk to anyone around here about this stuff, it is really wonderful reading all of your threads.
Anyone up there willing to admit to owning a Nylon 66? And enjoying it?

[swedeshooter]

garand

AND, I am very sorry to say I sold my FNFAL for bills, 19 magazines along with it, am still wondering if I should bite the proverbial bullet and order a replacement stg58 from dsa>

[LeonardC]

Yes on the Nylon 66. Put a peep on the back and a straight blade on the front so I could practice with it. Sight picture was only so-so, gun was way too light, and the trigger was completely different...but I didn't have to reload ammo to go shooting.

[Daveintheburbs]

Got my Garand from the CMP in 1990. What a great shooting classic, run it to the range a few times and it becomes obvious how much it helped us win WWII.

On the side thread, got My Nylon 66 in about 72 or so and have put a bazillion rounds through it. Love it! Alaskan Fishermen use it to keep marauding sea lions out of thier nets doncha know.

[Smitty of the North]

MURPHY:

You, and your Garands and 1911s.

Well, more power to ya.

Smitty of the North

[AlaskaBob]

My Garand story

My Dad fought in WWI (Army) and WWII (Marines)...came out with ultimate respect for the M1 Garand. For his 87 birthday I bought him an M1 Garand and a History of the Marines... he died suddenly two weeks before his birthday.

Since I had the Garand, I started reading up on it and was jazzed. From this I decided to earn a DCM Garand and went through the routine.

When I sent in my paperwork I just mentioned what I said in the first paragraph... when the Garand came in the mail... it was a 28xxx serial number... the first run of M1's.... about Feb 1940. More shaken than anything... I wrote back and thanked the Army.

The Garand speaks living history of the brave soldiers who saved us from 1) Japanese as a second language, 2) German as a second language and the rest of the world from 1) Japanese as a first language or 2) German as a first language.

It is an insurance policy with the 2nd Amendment so that we can keep America from repeating the mistakes that led to Soviet Gulags, present day Chinese Laogai, and the re-education camps in Viet Nam.

It is also a great rifle to learn to shoot. Just watch out for M1 thumb.. ouch...

[ADfields]

Just watch out for M1 thumb.. ouch...

Closed the bolt on the ole thumb did ya?:eek:

I guy learns quick to hold it as the clip goes in!!