I was always told every American man needs to own an M1 Garand. That's not very inclusive...maybe even discrimination. However, finally I got one too and I have to say, this thing is among the most fun to shoot.

Got one of the CMP expert, 30-06 H&R late receiver 5.8 million, new Criterion barrel and new wood. All other parts on the rifle are around 1942 - 1944. The wood was terrible looking, after lots of sanding and linseeding for 2-3 week I now made it my own and it turned out tremendously beautiful.

Made up some rounds w H4895, broke in the barrel for the first few trips and they hit. I could shoot steel w this thing all day long and have a zen moment. Group at 100 yards w my old eyes through the peep sight (pic of the group tilted, sorry).

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congratulations,

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Larry

Usually the CMP stock sets are pretty good. It’s a beauty. Best of luck with it and good shooting. Here’s a couple of helpful links.
Sighting in your Garand
https://www.nicolausassociates.com/P...easePoints.pdf
Here’s mine that I built at the CMP advanced maintainance class in Anniston a couple of years ago.

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Garand’s are Grand, enjoy.

Every time I pick up a Garand or even an M1 Carbine, I am amazed at how many of those rifles America's workers/craftsmen turned out in such a short period of time. These rifles were crafted by workers on mills, lathes, presses and drill presses using gauges and MkI eyeballs, there were no CNC machines and almost all had parts interchangeability between type. Truly amazing and a testament to "The Greatest Generation".

Nice get. I picked up my 1943 at the CMP as well. Brought back many memories.

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Mike
S&WCA #3065

Patton praised it as the finest combat rifle ever produced.

They are a thing of beauty, no matter what they look like. Welcome to the club!

Beautiful M1 oysterer! Really nice job on the stock! With the new barrel that’s going to be a hammer!

This is how it all starts! Now you’ll need to find the Springfield, Winchester, and IHC.

Oh, really nice, well done on the stock. Very nice...

So true: It is a truly remarkable rifle in every way. Every time I pick up mine I wonder where the trigger group has been storming the beaches in WW2 and what we stood for then and where we are headed now. It's a mystique and I enjoy having a solemn morning w it shooting.

Every American woman needs to own one too. I helped a dear lady friend get her M1 back in the mid-1980s. She was an Air Force Colonel and we were in Air Force ROTC together back in the early 1970s. She had come for a visit and mentioned that she was looking for an M1. It just happened that the Woolworth's store (now I'm showing my age) at one of the malls in town was selling surplus M1s, Swedish Mausers and probably other old military rifles. So I told her I know where we can find one, and we went to Woolworth's and she became the proud owner of her own M1 Garand. I already had one from the DCM or I would have bought one there too.

I ordered two M1-30-06's from Arkansas. One was from 1943 and the other from 1957. I liked that. Sold one but kept the 1943. Pass it to One of my offspring someday.
I have about five .30 caliber ones. Love them also.

Nice rifle you have there........Now go find some 30/06 Greek HXP.

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S&W Accumulator

Welcome to the M1 Garand addiction! You did a very nice job on that stock.

Of all the semi-auto rifles, the M1 is about the easiest to load for. Tested M1 recipes all seem to do well in the old war horse and brass lasts a long time.

If you can find one, General Hatcher's "Book of the Garand" is a good start on understanding the M1 Garand. Canfield's book is also a good tome to find.

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Keep your powder dry.

Nice work on the stock and good shooting. But where is the eighth round on the target? Inquiring minds want to know.

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

Got mine back in the 1990s from the DCM back then. You had to show evidence of shooting the Highpower course of fire, I think 100 rounds, and your gun club had to be DCM affiliated. I recieved a nice Springfield Armory example, with the nice dark green parkerizing. I think it was $300 at the time. Don't know what they are going for today. Shot an M1 the first year I shot the National Matches at Camp Perry in 1997. Properly set up with NM sights, you could do reasonbly well at the 600 yard stage.

Alan, very true. Round 8 went to ring a steel silhouette. The next 8 went there too, all rang I think. That was my second outing, 16 rounds, cleaned barrel very well and now waiting for the 3rd trip.

Loading for it, struck gold w 150 gr Sierras, 42 gr of H4985, ~2400 ft/s, easy light load, gun cycles very well and hits how I like it.

About the stock, I think Dupage makes it, rough, milling marks everywhere and a terrible dry powdery dark walnut stain uneven in places, that all must come off. Started sanding w 320, then BLO soak for 1/2 day, wiping, then sanding, repeat, 400, more BLO, 1000 and been doing it for a while. Now it looks like something. When you get one of these, take the time, it's worth it.

This rifle sold at the cost of 1 day at Disney. 1K. I still had to show competitive shooting results, affiliated club membership, proficiency in this and that and so on. Notary public, little bit of a paperwork but all worth it. Wish I had done it earlier...hope this isn't turning into the next thing...

Look again. There is a double at 11:00 in the inside center ring of the bull. Nice shooting!

Big O keep adding the linseed oil, rubbing it in with your hand until you think your arm is going to fall off. When you have enough on the stock it'll turn a loverly dark cherry brown. A picture of mine to follow over the weekend.

You will not regret that purchase IMO!

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Nice. My favorite rifle. You did a fine job on the stock.

If I may, as one who spent years restoring oil finishes on old guitars I think that is excellent work.

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Music/Sports/Beer fan

I'm not much into Garands. I like them of course but the finer points re history and fine tuning are lost on me. I picked up a 7.62 converted one in Reno (Willey Bros) a few years ago.

I'm fairly certain the stock is from Wenig.

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The front sight is a globe insert type made by Alley, I don't think it's made anymore. Which is too bad. For those of us with good eyes the NM peep rear and "circle in a circle" is an accurate set up.

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The left side is stamped with "DGR" evidently stands for "Dean's Gun Restoration" which from what I can tell is a (late) gunsmith who did good work.

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It was a bit of a challenge getting the gun store to OK using my C&R but they were eventually OK.

I take my milsurps a bit more gnarly.

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Release the Kraken

Got mine while on AD during Desert Storm.
Beat up and had a new barrel change.
Only shoot WW ammo made in Greece in it.
Don't use any of my reloads.
Can't find any pics, but looks like the one they made me carry in
Key West guarding the beach in 1961....

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Only difference Fool/Mule-ears

Only complaint I have with the Garand is that they seem to have the unusual ability to gain weight. My American Legion Post changed from Krags to Garands in 1991 when the government finally ran out of 30-40 blank ammo. I swear those Garands seem to get a little heavier every year.

Deans Gun Restoration did a make over with my June 1944 SA garand a few years ago. Reparked, new Wenig stock and checked all the parts as to be serviceable. DGR is now out of business, a shame that!

[QUOTE=walnutred;141452422 I swear those Garands seem to get a little heavier every year.[/QUOTE]

Don't we all?

All I know is my safe has an eating disorder.

I went to CMP and built my M1.... wow!! it is a beaut... I shoots great and feels wonderful to hold and carry. Love it!!

You did an excellent stock restoration.

My wife and I went to the 2013 National M1 Garand match at Camp Perry with our club's M1's. I bought a nice H&R at the north store and a CMP employee brought out a Winchester to show my wife. She bought it, and as we were walking out a guy followed us out and wanted to buy her Winchester for $200.00 more than what she paid.

I've bought 3 M1's from the CMP, 2 Springfield's from 1944 and an HRA from 1955. One of the Springfield's is gone, but the other two won't ever be sold. Also have a 1911 from the CMP. Never selling that one either. The HRA one came with CMP wood, and it was dry as a bone, but several coats of BLO and it looks way better. The HRA rifle looks like it was barely used. ME and TE are both 0, but the barrel is from 1955.

Are they practical? Nope. But when I hold any of those CMP weapons I feel a real connection to a lost generation. Way more class in an M1 than an AR.

I recently bought my first Garand, and now I know what the fuss is about. Couldn’t believe the joy in shooting that rifle. I shot a 12” gong hanging from chains, having shot it with handguns and .223. I was stunned by the movement when the Garand hit it, nearly swinging it up and over the support bar. Welcome to the club.

I've owned many M1 Garands including a few Springfield glass bedded National Match made in 1955.
Bought a few Blue Sky imports and rebarreled them with original surplus barrels.
All the gun clubs with range had Garands and free ammo.
I wonder if they were turned in,disappeared or are still at the clubs?

The Garand was what I was issued at MC Recruit Depot Parris Island S.C. in February 1961.It was a Springfield.

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NEVER GIVE UP YOUR GUN

Funny you should mention gun clubs. Mine has this brass tag nailed to the stock with some kind of ID number. The guys at Gunboards couldn't say where it gained that tag, but one other rifle with a different number had been seen in auction land.

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Release the Kraken

I was introduced to the M1 Garand in 1953, when I was a high school freshman in ROTC. Soon got to shoot one, and I fell in love.

In my junior year, the city of Phoenix had an annual ROTC competition that included a contest as to who could put together a disassembled M1 the quickest and fire a blank round to signify completion. Contestants had to run 20 yards from the starting point to the guns and assemble them. All Phoenix high school ROTC units competed.

I won.

In 1961, Phoenix had an annual Washington's Birthday match, open to all comers, and the M1 rifle was specified. There were about 200 men entered, including me. I did not have a personally-owned M1 at that time, so I borrowed a rack gun from Arizona State's ROTC. I took it home to look it over, and discovered that the gas cylinder was loose on the barrel - and of course it was the base for the front sight. I staked the splines on the barrel to eliminate the looseness and went to the range early to get it sighted in at the various ranges - 100, 200 and 300 yards.

To make a long story short, I won 5th place overall with that borrowed old M1.

In 1964, I purchased this one - manufactured at Springfield in 1941, and the markings on the barrel verified it. It also had British proofs on the barrel, so I assume it was a lend-lease job during the war. It shot beautifully, and I still own it.

M1 rifles were wonderful creations. John Garand did a great job and helped win WWII as much as anybody and way more than most. Patton was right.

John

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- Cogito, ergo armatus sum -

My oldest son is holding on to mine right now.
I think it is a totally practical rifle. The only drawback is the clips. You can put a vehicle out of action at 300 yards.

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Kind regards, Heinz

My complaint, shooting lefty, is where the clip tends to land - on the top of my head.

"Ping" - count 1,2,3 and "ouch".

You did a nice job on that stock, oysterer! My H&R was done by DGR with a birdseye maple stock, but my other M1s are a bit plainer. I'll always have one or more in the collection - they sure are fun, and have history to boot!

Dean did a makeover on a rifle for me as well before he sold the company, he has since passed away. Man he did great work

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Live long and prosper

I find it interesting that the M1 Garand action cycles much faster than an AR. A whole lot faster. Seems so unusual, since the 30/06 is so much longer than the 5.56. Truly an amazing design. I had the great fortune of meeting Hook Boutin (RIP), a very accomplished M1 armorer in Anniston, AL, and had him set up my M1 for the National Matches at Camp Perry. He was truly one of a kind. Used to tickle me when he would refer to his son as a "Yard Ape".

Years ago I dropped by the CMP South Store in Anniston, AL on the way back from visiting my sister and the kids in Cherry Point, NC while her husband was deployed. I picked up a couple wooden cases of the HXP .30-06 on enblocs and a stripped Winchester M1 Garand receiver. Had a nice SA barrel from the '50s and found everything else I needed on Ebay. Most from someone who probably parted out a '50s era Springfield. I put it together with a CMP receiver wrench and barrel vise, plus a bubble level and a couple steel rods on my Dad's old wooden work table. They are fantastic rifles.

Thanks everyone for your comments, pictures and great stories. Keep the coming! One day I'll have stories to tell about this rifle over the years that I have left. Going to figure out some local Garand matches next.

I made these barrel and receiver wrenches around 1972 when store-bought tools for the M1 weren't commonly available. Probably rebarreled a dozen M1s for friends and for my own use. I soft-soldered copper sheeting inside the receiver wrench to keep the receivers from getting scratched - worked fine.

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I've had one for years. It is rough. Fired cartridges look like alligator hide from chamber pits, but it still shoots well, a true war horse. I finally got around to re-barreling it with a cheap barrel I sourced years ago. Now the bad news. The amateur gunsmith I used over-clocked the barrel. The front sight is 20 degrees past vertical. This looks like an un-recoverable problem. Loosening the barrel to index it correctly would likely loosen it too much. Cutting back the shoulder and re-chambering looks like more trouble than it's worth.

So I have decided to try again with somebody who knows what they're doing. Who is the best source for new barrels and re-barreling?

CMP custom shop will do re-barreling for you

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Old paratrooper in NC

Wow, 20 deg is a lot! I've heard of shimming the barrel, or rolling the shoulder to tighten up draw, but think that that would mess with your headspace at this point. I recommend the CMP also, though outfits like Fulton and Shuff's will also do the work.

If you are new to Garands, Google "M-1 Thumb".

Thankfully, that is one thing I have yet to experience.

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VCDL, GOA, NRA