86,000 M1 Garands to finally come home...

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No word on actual date yet though. I've bought a number of Garands and surplus ammo from the CMP. (Unless the Garand is modified, it's a bad idea to shoot modern 30.06 ammo.) I really like shooting the Garand - a real sense of history. Buying from the CMP is a bit involved but the prices are pretty fair. I've seen guys reselling Garands at gunshows for about $200-$300 above the CMP price. What I'm waiting for are the 1911's that they've had in storage for years. But that will take an act of congress to get those released.


Tony
 
It will be good for the rest of the Military Surplus rifle prices when they do drop. That Mosin Nagant I'm looking at is sure to drop in price :)
 
The Garand sure is a nice rifle... firing a real caliber war round (I despise the 5.56mm).
I also love my Mosin... :) If you have never fired a Mosin, you are in for a shock... FIREBALLS!!

but... my favourite 'plinker' has to be my Tula SKS.... If i had to get rid off all the rest of the rifles and keep just one, it would be the SKS.... and I would lie about the numbe of SMLE's that I have.... :)

Mosin Fireballs
[video=youtube;0pAl86o7bkM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pAl86o7bkM[/video]
 
I will probably pick up another Garand when these come home. The rougher of the two will be my primary shooter. I love old war rifles in all their incarnations. I still need to add a Carcano just because.
 
I've always wanted one of these- but the process put me off. For the effort, why not just drop the coin and get an M1A?
 
I've always wanted one of these- but the process put me off. For the effort, why not just drop the coin and get an M1A?

Different rifles.. different histories... some collectors will want ALL the versions from ALL the armories.
 
I've always wanted one of these- but the process put me off. For the effort, why not just drop the coin and get an M1A?

The M1 and M1A are two fairly different rifles even though they share some parts and similar looks. The M1 Garand uses an 8 round enblock clip and uses the 30-06 cartridge. The M1A is the civilian version of the M14 full auto rifle using the 7.62×51 Nato cartridge (aka .308 Winchester) and a removable box magazine.
Besides the sound the enblock clip makes as its ejected once empty is immediately recognizable.
 
Besides the sound the enblock clip makes as its ejected once empty is immediately recognizable.

I shot one an had the clip land on my forehead.

I remember hearing that they carried an empty clip - tossed it to make the enemy think they were reloading . . .
 
I shot one an had the clip land on my forehead.

I remember hearing that they carried an empty clip - tossed it to make the enemy think they were reloading . . .

The sound of the empty clip ejecting and bouncing was so distinctive that it was a signal for the enemy to charge while the GI's were reloading. So the GI's would toss an empty clip to fool the enemy into charging while they still had loaded rifles. Loading the enblock clips could result in "M1 thumb" which is pretty darn painful when the bolt slams closed on your thumb. The clips were loaded from the top of the action into a blind mag well, sort of similar to an SKS.
 
Different rifles.. different histories... some collectors will want ALL the versions from ALL the armories.

The M1 and M1A are two fairly different rifles even though they share some parts and similar looks. The M1 Garand uses an 8 round enblock clip and uses the 30-06 cartridge. The M1A is the civilian version of the M14 full auto rifle using the 7.62×51 Nato cartridge (aka .308 Winchester) and a removable box magazine.
Besides the sound the enblock clip makes as its ejected once empty is immediately recognizable.

Well yea... to a collector very different but to me, functionally similar.

Also- its more likely the empty clips were carried to be able to load loose rounds. Push in the empty clip, then you can load less than 8 rounds or 8 if you're a weirdo i guess.

I love army videos- [youtube]ixwNAuKavN4[/youtube]
 
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The sound of the empty clip ejecting and bouncing was so distinctive that it was a signal for the enemy to charge while the GI's were reloading. So the GI's would toss an empty clip to fool the enemy into charging while they still had loaded rifles. Loading the enblock clips could result in "M1 thumb" which is pretty darn painful when the bolt slams closed on your thumb. The clips were loaded from the top of the action into a blind mag well, sort of similar to an SKS.

Edit: The enemy hearing the ping may or may not be urban legend and is fairly well debated, the source may well have been a History Channel documentary.
 
I don't ever remember seeing anything about the clip on the History Channel.
Them are the kind of shows I watch.
I can't imagine in a battle the enemy actually hearing a PING of a clip over mortars, rifle fire, explosions, yelling and screaming wounded.
Consider the fact that to hear the PING of the clip it has to be louder than the muzzle blast that is in front of it.
Maybe your buddy right next to you could hear it, but I highly doubt the enemy could.
 
Consider the fact that to hear the PING of the clip it has to be louder than the muzzle blast that is in front of it.
Maybe your buddy right next to you could hear it, but I highly doubt the enemy could.

This makes sense, but isn't the case. It's not just the volume of the sound, but the frequency. I've been at our most popular outdoor range when there's a wait for tables. I believe there are 80-100 tables, and everyone seems to be shooting something different. It may not be the cacophony of battle, but when a Garand at the other end goes empty, I can pick up on the sound.
 
I don't ever remember seeing anything about the clip on the History Channel.
Them are the kind of shows I watch.
I can't imagine in a battle the enemy actually hearing a PING of a clip over mortars, rifle fire, explosions, yelling and screaming wounded.
Consider the fact that to hear the PING of the clip it has to be louder than the muzzle blast that is in front of it.
Maybe your buddy right next to you could hear it, but I highly doubt the enemy could.

Would have to be in a close combat situation to be true - like taking a building, etc. It landing in the dirt won't make much noise either.
 
Would have to be in a close combat situation to be true - like taking a building, etc. It landing in the dirt won't make much noise either.

The pings I have heard were from the clip being ejected from the rifle, they can but don't always make noise when landing.
 
The pings I have heard were from the clip being ejected from the rifle, they can but don't always make noise when landing.

Gotcha. Was several probably 10 years ago that I shot one, so I don't remember when the noise was made. I think we standing were in grass now that I think about it, so that makes sense.
 
Shot one once and I remember immediately loving the Garand. I will get one when available!

Per the "don't shoot modern 30-06 ammo through it" comment above, why exactly? Have specs changed over time?
 
Shot one once and I remember immediately loving the Garand. I will get one when available!

Per the "don't shoot modern 30-06 ammo through it" comment above, why exactly? Have specs changed over time?


has to do with the gas system and the pressure curve. specs have gotten hotter over time. The gun can be modified for current ammo
 
Shot one once and I remember immediately loving the Garand. I will get one when available!

Per the "don't shoot modern 30-06 ammo through it" comment above, why exactly? Have specs changed over time?

There are special Hornady loads for the M1 or if you reload there are special loads recipes for the M1. As Dave said its the pressure curve, too much pressure too fast and you bend the operating rod. You want a slower burning powder like IMR4895.

For a while CMP had surplus Greek 30-06 for the M1 but I suspect that's all gone now (haven't checked in a while). Reloading your own is the way to go for shooting the M1, can also get very accurate that way. Mine shoots 4" groups at 100yrds with my 58 year old eyes and the iron sights.
 
Shot one once and I remember immediately loving the Garand. I will get one when available!

Per the "don't shoot modern 30-06 ammo through it" comment above, why exactly? Have specs changed over time?

That is not true. What is true is there bullet weight. Stay is the 147-150 Grain range. This is the weight of 30-06 ball ammo, which the Garand was designed for. It is a matter of velocity, and the timing of the gas hitting the gas port.
 
Do not mod these. It is one thing to put new springs in etc to get them to spec, but modify. Evil.
OK, calm down everyone. I generally agree that a Garand should not be permanently modified. But you also should not shoot modern ammo through them as the pressures are higher and can damage the rifle. The solution is simple:

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/7...s-plug-with-wrench-m1-garand-steel-parkerized

Allows for a non-permanent modification that allows the owner to shoot a variety of ammo. Much better than damaging the rifle.

I bought a bunch of the Greek surplus ammo that was loaded in en bloc clips and then those were in bandoleers. My UPS guy hated me for having to haul all those heavy boxes up in the Texas heat. The surplus ammo that is currently available is still Greek but loose in ammo cans. I have a fair amount of that as well. The price has gone up considerably from when I last bought some ($98 for 200 rounds in 2012 vs $160 today) but it's still a good deal. However the rounds should be inspected as some may show signs of corrosion.

Of course if you buy a Garand, you need a Mil-Spec GI Model 1911 to go with it.

https://www.personaldefenseworld.co...rican-tactical-firepower-xtreme-military-1911

Not all of those listed are still available but several are.


Tony
 
OK, calm down everyone. I generally agree that a Garand should not be permanently modified. But you also should not shoot modern ammo through them as the pressures are higher and can damage the rifle. The solution is simple:

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/7...s-plug-with-wrench-m1-garand-steel-parkerized

Allows for a non-permanent modification that allows the owner to shoot a variety of ammo. Much better than damaging the rifle.

I bought a bunch of the Greek surplus ammo that was loaded in en bloc clips and then those were in bandoleers. My UPS guy hated me for having to haul all those heavy boxes up in the Texas heat. The surplus ammo that is currently available is still Greek but loose in ammo cans. I have a fair amount of that as well. The price has gone up considerably from when I last bought some ($98 for 200 rounds in 2012 vs $160 today) but it's still a good deal. However the rounds should be inspected as some may show signs of corrosion.

Of course if you buy a Garand, you need a Mil-Spec GI Model 1911 to go with it.

https://www.personaldefenseworld.co...rican-tactical-firepower-xtreme-military-1911

Not all of those listed are still available but several are.


Tony

I am not for modding them, but if you buy one it is yours to do with as you will. The Evil part was meant as sarcasm.

I already have a 1911 based pistol, but something much better than a GI model- Springfield V16😀.
 
It's not a wiz bang 1911, but a few of us deployed types just bought a few of the attached GI versions that Colt was kind enough to customize and sell for a song. May not be my IDPA Single Stack gun, but I will keep it forever. It's also my third 1911 now, so I may have a 1911 problem. Now, back to the regularly scheduled M1 Garand channel...

View attachment AFCENT 1911 Design Mockup.pdf
 
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