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Thread: So I got an M1 Garand

  1. #21
    Site Supporter Trooper224's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by JRB View Post

    @Trooper224, that is one hell of a trio of rifles, sir. I am genuinely envious.
    Thanks. The FAL should be living with my youngest son this time next year.
    We may lose and we may win, but we will never be here again.......

  2. #22
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    Quote Originally Posted by okie john View Post
    I grew up occasionally shooting my Dad's National Match M-1, so they've always had a place in my heart.

    The insider secret is that the Garand will chamber and fire any 30-06 cartridge but it was built to use M-2 Ball, which is 150-grain bullet at 2,805 fps over IMR 4895. That's a fairly fast powder for the 30-06, but using a slower powder changes the pressure curve and will damage the operating rod. You can use heavier bullets but you have to keep velocities fairly mild. If you think of the Garand as basically a long-cased 308, then you'll be fine.

    Also, beware milsurp 30-06 ammo. You can still find it with corrosive priming and not all of it was loaded with due care or stored properly over the decades. At the club where I shoot, a guy blew up an M-1 a few weeks ago with milsurp ammo. I looked at some of the brass but couldn't figure out where it was from. I hear that older Korean milsurp ammo is particularly bad in this respect.

    Several manufacturers load FMJ 30-06 specifically for the Garand (like Federal AE3006M1, PPU PP3006G, etc.). If you can afford an M-1, then you can afford decent ammo. Get a bolt gun if you feel the need to run a 180-grain Nosler Partition up to 2,800 fps.


    Okie John
    I picked up a few boxes of the PPU ammo shortly after getting the rifle. Thus far they seem to be a good pairing, but I haven't had it back out to shoot it again. Hopefully by the time I burn up the rest of it, I can order a case of the stuff for a fair bit less investment.

  3. #23
    Member SecondsCount's Avatar
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    Fun video of a guy running a 308 Garand at a multigun match

    -Seconds Count. Misses Don't-

  4. #24
    Site Supporter TDA's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by okie john View Post
    I grew up occasionally shooting my Dad's National Match M-1, so they've always had a place in my heart.

    The insider secret is that the Garand will chamber and fire any 30-06 cartridge but it was built to use M-2 Ball, which is 150-grain bullet at 2,805 fps over IMR 4895. That's a fairly fast powder for the 30-06, but using a slower powder changes the pressure curve and will damage the operating rod. You can use heavier bullets but you have to keep velocities fairly mild. If you think of the Garand as basically a long-cased 308, then you'll be fine.

    Also, beware milsurp 30-06 ammo. You can still find it with corrosive priming and not all of it was loaded with due care or stored properly over the decades. At the club where I shoot, a guy blew up an M-1 a few weeks ago with milsurp ammo. I looked at some of the brass but couldn't figure out where it was from. I hear that older Korean milsurp ammo is particularly bad in this respect.

    Several manufacturers load FMJ 30-06 specifically for the Garand (like Federal AE3006M1, PPU PP3006G, etc.). If you can afford an M-1, then you can afford decent ammo. Get a bolt gun if you feel the need to run a 180-grain Nosler Partition up to 2,800 fps.


    Okie John
    Oh great. I have like two cases of Korean surplus .30-06 in Garand clips.

    Quote Originally Posted by SecondsCount View Post
    Fun video of a guy running a 308 Garand at a multigun match

    A match I used to shoot was regularly attended by a guy who liked to run it in full WW2 infantry kit with an M1. He didn't win, but it wasn't not competitive. One of those fun things that makes everyone feel like they have too many toys and not enough practice.

  5. #25
    Frequent DG Adventurer fatdog's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by TDA View Post
    Oh great. I have like two cases of Korean surplus .30-06 in Garand clips.
    Some is, some is not. I would pull a bullet and the powder and perform the "nail test"....I can't cite a particular Youtube on that but there are probably a bunch. Basically discharge only the primer on a degreased plain steel nail driven into a board and see if you get quick corrosion overnight.

    In any case, clean the barrel with water, or balistol or both and you don't have to worry if it is.

    I did ruin a Garand barrel about 20 years ago with a particular lot of the Korean milsup stuff, only because I didn't know.

  6. #26
    Site Supporter Trooper224's Avatar
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    Picked up this M1917 Eddystone a couple of weeks ago. Fits right in between the '03 and the Garand.

    We may lose and we may win, but we will never be here again.......

  7. #27
    Frequent DG Adventurer fatdog's Avatar
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    Nice find, I found the whole history of Eddystone and what they accomplished in a short period of time fascinating. My grandfather carried one "over there" until he was wounded. My M1917 is a lot more fun to shoot than any '03, great gun.

  8. #28
    Hillbilly Elitist Malamute's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by fatdog View Post
    Some is, some is not. I would pull a bullet and the powder and perform the "nail test"....I can't cite a particular Youtube on that but there are probably a bunch. Basically discharge only the primer on a degreased plain steel nail driven into a board and see if you get quick corrosion overnight.

    In any case, clean the barrel with water, or balistol or both and you don't have to worry if it is.

    I did ruin a Garand barrel about 20 years ago with a particular lot of the Korean milsup stuff, only because I didn't know.

    From memory, I think the Korean KA headstamp was corrosive, the PS was not. I also seem to recall that the KA stuff was in garand clips, the PS wasnt, but that may vary by source. A friend shot a lot of if, I shot a bit of it about 15 or 20 years ago.

    I havent heard of the old Korean stuff blowing any guns up, was there certainty about that being the case? Just be aware that some was corrosive and clean accordingly. Not sure if reloading the corrosive primed brass causes any problems or not. If its cleaned and neutralized soon after firing it may be fine but I dont know.

    I shot some commercial PMC M2 Ball in the 80s, it was headstamped PS and shot 3 rds in a hair under an inch in a 1903 sporter. It shot pretty well if the barrel didnt get hot.

    Shooters Choice cleans corrosive priming residue well and nasty jacket fouling from the dirty German 308 ball with the black primer sealant that retailed at $2/box. The older Hoppes No 9 would clean up corrosive priming residue also. I had several large bottles from the 70s or before that
    “Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat.”
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