The Almighty M1 Garand

scalabro · Post by **scalabro** » Sun. Feb. 15, 2015 12:37 pm

It's cold.

It's windy.

It's nasty.

I'm thinking of summer days at the range, blowing holes in my buddy's 1/4 steel plate targets

Who else is a freak for them?

Post by **coaledsweat** » Sun. Feb. 15, 2015 5:10 pm

That and the BAR.

unhippy · Post by **unhippy** » Mon. Feb. 16, 2015 3:42 am

I never really got to be comfortable with the M1 Garand I had years ago.....being a little guy I found the Garand to be a bit to front heavy....lol i'm 5'6 without the orangatan length arms needed hold a rifle that long with its weight centered between the butt and where I could reach to on the forgrip.

Plus it was far too long for deer stalking in the type of country (swamps and lowland bush) I was hunting in at the time....

However it never let me down when I pulled the lanyard and man did it wollop things....the furthest I had an animal move after I hit it was was two body lengths......i was commercial hunting part time at that point got and alot of animals with it.

It taught me a couple of things......size your tools to both the job at hand AND yourself.....and those stupid magazine blocks hurt if they come back down and hit you on the head

stovepipemike · Post by **stovepipemike** » Mon. Feb. 23, 2015 9:05 am

Always have had an appreciation for the M1 since boot camp. Something else [raising family] always got the nod for the dollars. Now a decent one is about out of reach due to the upsurge in pricing. I have to say many men owe their lives to this weapon [works in reverse too] because John Garand certainly did get it right. Mike

BrotherDave · Post by **BrotherDave** » Mon. Feb. 23, 2015 11:12 pm

I got one. It is a Korean import I bought at Cabelas. Was looking at the M1A's and asked if they had any Garands. This was the height of the gun buying craze 6 years ago. The salesman said they had one in the back. When he brought it out, a crowd formed around my wife and me, most people had no idea what it was. I bought the M1A and the Garand. I like the M1A but love the Garand. The Garand just looks and feels like a kick-ass rifle. My Dad's eyes lit up when I brought it over to show him. Dad was in the 17th Airborne Division, glider pilot at the end of the War.

scalabro · Post by **scalabro** » Tue. Feb. 24, 2015 7:24 am

stovepipemike wrote:Always have had an appreciation for the M1 since boot camp. Something else [raising family] always got the nod for the dollars. Now a decent one is about out of reach due to the upsurge in pricing. I have to say many men owe their lives to this weapon [works in reverse too] because John Garand certainly did get it right. Mike

Check out the CMP Mike. I think "Rack Grade" examples are a good deal. Better yet search out small gun shops or pawn's, because lots of times folks get rid of them at these places. I got a beautiful one that had come out of Springfield Armory's shop in 1965 for $600.

Kids today want black guns, so they are out there you just gotta look.

Brother Dave....nice!

You are a lucky man owning both!!!

Walnut or Birch stock on the M1?

BrotherDave · Post by **BrotherDave** » Tue. Feb. 24, 2015 8:57 pm

It has the original(?) walnut stock. Funny you mention birch because l thought about getting a birch stock. It sure would look different. I would like to send the receiver and barrel to DGR for a proper restoration. Have you seen the pics of the bastogne hybrid stock on a garand? I think it's gorgeous but out of my price range.

tjnamtiw · Post by **tjnamtiw** » Tue. Feb. 24, 2015 11:07 pm

Me? I'm in love with the Thompson, having put about 10,000 rounds through one.

Now THAT'S a neat little gun! Short bursts or you're shooting holes in the sky, though.

scalabro · Post by **scalabro** » Wed. Feb. 25, 2015 7:13 am

BrotherDave wrote:It has the original(?) walnut stock. Funny you mention birch because l thought about getting a birch stock. It sure would look different. I would like to send the receiver and barrel to DGR for a proper restoration. Have you seen the pics of the bastogne hybrid stock on a garand? I think it's gorgeous but out of my price range.

Yes that is some beautiful furniture right there!

I just purchased a NOS birch stock set from a guy in Texas, that has never been fitted to a reciever.

I'm gunna give it a go

johnjoseph · Post by **johnjoseph** » Wed. Feb. 25, 2015 8:28 am

scalabro wrote:
BrotherDave wrote:It has the original(?) walnut stock. Funny you mention birch because l thought about getting a birch stock. It sure would look different. I would like to send the receiver and barrel to DGR for a proper restoration. Have you seen the pics of the bastogne hybrid stock on a garand? I think it's gorgeous but out of my price range.
Yes that is some beautiful furniture right there!

I just purchased a NOS birch stock set from a guy in Texas, that has never been fitted to a reciever.

I'm gunna give it a go

I don't own a garand..but have shot many...they are very accurate. ...plus I really like the feel of them and the sound of them when they eject the magazine

samhill · Post by **samhill** » Wed. Feb. 25, 2015 8:49 am

Just wondering if anyone else got in on the sale of M1s back in the late70s early80s I believe? In a nutshell all I had to do was go to a gun range when the Gov. instructor was there sit thru a short talk & then safely fire a few rounds. I think they were concerned about people breaking their thumbs for the most part but the price then was super low (can't recall the odd amount), fill out paper work, write the check (check only) & you would get one delivered in a few weeks if you passed the background check.

BrotherDave · Post by **BrotherDave** » Wed. Feb. 25, 2015 8:23 pm

Scalabro, that sounds awesome. Come you put some pics when you are done? Would love to see the birch stock. I have to find the pic of my dad holding the Garand, it is priceless.

scalabro · Post by **scalabro** » Fri. Feb. 27, 2015 10:43 am

Here's how I found it on consignment from a local gun shop.

She is a WWII SA gun, S/N 358xxx.

It went through SA for a rebuild sometime in 1965. I know this because the barrel is date coded 65. This also accounts for the mixed birch stock and walnut hand guards. From measuring throat erosion and muzzle wear, it appears to have had almost no use since. The barrel is effectively new USGI SA. I completely stripped it, cataloged all the P/N's and their wear specs. All are at new or near new tolerances. The only non SA part is the HRA P/N bolt and the Shuster muzzle brake & adjustable gas plug. They are my additions and easy fix though!

What a find

Sorry the pics aren't better Dave.

The Almighty M1 Garand

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