M1/m14
- Thread starter Joe Kent
- Start date
Grayfox
US Veteran
I left the Army in 1975 with a total dislike and distrust of the M-16. We had the early A1 models and they sucked! Never could bring myself to buy an AR even though I know they're improved greatly.
Back in the late 90s I found an early Federal Ordinance M-14A (4 digit serial number). One of the good ones before Fed Ord went to crap. Good reciever with everything else G.I. surplus. Mostly H&R with a few TRW parts. Great rifle, shoots just as well as any military issue M-14 ever did. I fell in love with it.
A couple of years ago I made the trip to the CMP South Store and picked up a Danish return Service Grade Springfield M1 Garand. Fell in love all over again.
As much as I like these two rifles, Not long ago I came to realize that age, bad joints and torn muscles have taken their toll on me. They were fine for range use, but in the defense rifle role I needed something lighter. I looked at ARs, but still couldn't bring myself to buy one.
So I got a M1 Carbine instead.
Back in the late 90s I found an early Federal Ordinance M-14A (4 digit serial number). One of the good ones before Fed Ord went to crap. Good reciever with everything else G.I. surplus. Mostly H&R with a few TRW parts. Great rifle, shoots just as well as any military issue M-14 ever did. I fell in love with it.
A couple of years ago I made the trip to the CMP South Store and picked up a Danish return Service Grade Springfield M1 Garand. Fell in love all over again.
As much as I like these two rifles, Not long ago I came to realize that age, bad joints and torn muscles have taken their toll on me. They were fine for range use, but in the defense rifle role I needed something lighter. I looked at ARs, but still couldn't bring myself to buy one.
So I got a M1 Carbine instead.
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The M1 is the greatest military rifle ever!!! Mine are all WWII and Korea vintage. They still shoot great and are much more fun that anything else in the gun room.
The .30 Carbine is a great little rifle also.
Black rifles are OK, but a .30-06 will drop 'em as far as you can see 'em.
The .30 Carbine is a great little rifle also.
Black rifles are OK, but a .30-06 will drop 'em as far as you can see 'em.
I prefer the M1/M14 over the AR's.
I had the M14 in Nam.
I had the M14 in Nam.
ACP230
Member
I bought an M1 in the 1980s to shoot High Power matches.
Switched to an M1A after a couple of years and did my best match shooting with it. It is my most consistently accurate rifle and is easy to make accurate handloads for.
Bought an AR clone the first time the Congress tried to ban them (before 1994).
There's a three gun match this weekend and I am still deciding which one to shoot in it. It's between the M1A and the AR at the moment. I still have some cheap .223 I could shoot but, after reading this thread, the M1A is calling my name.
Switched to an M1A after a couple of years and did my best match shooting with it. It is my most consistently accurate rifle and is easy to make accurate handloads for.
Bought an AR clone the first time the Congress tried to ban them (before 1994).
There's a three gun match this weekend and I am still deciding which one to shoot in it. It's between the M1A and the AR at the moment. I still have some cheap .223 I could shoot but, after reading this thread, the M1A is calling my name.
sipowicz
Member
I get bored fast shooting AR/M4s....not so with the M1A...my friend has about a dozen in all configs and I can't get enough of them.
NFrameFred
Member
I like the AR, but if you want to hit something hard and right and only once to guarantee the job gets done, I like the Garand or the M1A. If you can see it you have a real good chance of hitting it.
Humping an M4 over hill and dale is certainly preferable to lugging "old rollin' thunder (Garand)" [as one of my buds used to refer to it], but if the situation is bad guys shooting back, the 30 cals would be my pick.
Plus, there is just something intangible about that 9 pound rifle when it's loaded up and pointed downrange that is . . . . just bad. ( as in bad-***)
Humping an M4 over hill and dale is certainly preferable to lugging "old rollin' thunder (Garand)" [as one of my buds used to refer to it], but if the situation is bad guys shooting back, the 30 cals would be my pick.
Plus, there is just something intangible about that 9 pound rifle when it's loaded up and pointed downrange that is . . . . just bad. ( as in bad-***)
It's funny; I have a lot of Gun Digests and American Rifleman's from the 1940's and 50's, and it's amazing how much negative press the Garand, and especially the M14, received in the day. I like them a lot, and love shooting them (and almost everything else, really), but the patina of time seems to add value to everything.
NFrameFred
Member
I read a book one time ( I wish I could have kept it but it belonged to someone else and the edition was out of print) that was written just prior to WWII and there was much discussion about "if the new-fangled Garand semi-auto would hold up as well as the venerable 1903 in service". The author seemed to indicate that the Marines, in particular, were loathe to give up their '03's for the "new" gun.
I guess WWII settled the question . . . . .
Yeah Joe, put me in that group, and you know how old I am.
sipowicz
Member
It's interesting to see the types of people that are into different types of guns. When I go to the range, there are lots of young, inexperienced shooters burning up 223 round in their black rifle....on the other end, the older guys with their M1As and Garands are more laid back, more learned about their guns, and a hell of a lot more fun to hang with...
CW3PA
US Veteran
M-1 Garand
I'll vote for the M-1. It may be a bit on the heavy side, but it has the range & knock down power for almost any occasion. It will punch through most barriers with the right ammo.
As an aside; when I was in Group I carried everything from the M16A1 to the BAR & found the CAR15 to be the handiest. The absolute worst was the G3 (.308) with the collapsable butt stock & minuscule butt plate.
I'll vote for the M-1. It may be a bit on the heavy side, but it has the range & knock down power for almost any occasion. It will punch through most barriers with the right ammo.
As an aside; when I was in Group I carried everything from the M16A1 to the BAR & found the CAR15 to be the handiest. The absolute worst was the G3 (.308) with the collapsable butt stock & minuscule butt plate.
GatorFarmer
Member
I read a book one time ( I wish I could have kept it but it belonged to someone else and the edition was out of print) that was written just prior to WWII and there was much discussion about "if the new-fangled Garand semi-auto would hold up as well as the venerable 1903 in service". The author seemed to indicate that the Marines, in particular, were loathe to give up their '03's for the "new" gun.
I guess WWII settled the question . . . . .
Surprisingly, it did not. Military History magazine had an article on the subject once. Some diehard old Marines didn't like the M1 Garand right up through Korea, complaining that it would freeze up and just become a single shot anyway.
Plenty of people didn't like the M1 during WW2 and not just die hard bolt action fans, taking an M1 carbine or SMG of various types in preference if at all possible. Of course the real hot ticket for the "operators" of the day was a captured Stg 44 in the ETO.
In the Pacific, you were the "cool guy" if you laid your hands on a Thompson or even an M3 Grease gun.
The happy switch was a popular accessory in WW2, to the point that people were field modifying M1 carbines for full auto fire. (See Richard Matheson's autobiographical novel of late war infantry combat in the ETO.)
High capacity weapons were also sought after by some Marines who'd modify their Springfields to take BAR mags. This seems to be a forgotten/lost modification but shows up in some period accounts and war time combat paintings. I belive that there is also a passing reference to it in "The Thin Red Line" (the novel, not the movie) which was written by an Army veteran who served on Guadalcanal.
By 1945 it was hoped to replace the M1 Garands with a selective fire weapon taking 20rd box mags that could interchange with the BAR for the invasion of Japan. When the invasion never happened, and budgets were slashed, the Garands lasted longer, not being phased out of some National Guard units until the early 80s. Contemporary accounts of the Army from that phase viewed the National Guard poorly with references to "the National Guard and their old M1 rifles". See "At War with the Dragons" about a series of field training excercises circa '81 or '82 against the mock Soviets at that national training center for reference and an interesting view of the Army in the early Reagan years in general.
Bah. New fangled repeating rifles and smokeless powder. Who needs 'em. Lazy kids today. First with their fancy show off percussion caps, then around '60 or so, showing up with those Henry repeating rifles and tearing the ranges all up. Sharps carbine was bad enough, then they had to go and get repeaters.
Sir, I'm just a callow youth of 43, but the M1 is my favorite rifle, hands down. It's hard to find a better combination of trigger, sights, accuracy, balance, power, and comfort. I shoot M1s competitively in both NRA high power and JCG matches. The AR is easier in the rapids, but doesn't fit me as well as the old wood gun, especially in offhand. The '14 is fine, but that big expensive box mag is always getting in the way.
That said, though, the M1 would not be my first choice for running and gunning and fast shooting at short ranges. ARs and AKs are better suited to that sort of thing. Different tools for different jobs.
JMHO, FWIW.
Hope this helps, and Semper Fi.
Ron H.
That said, though, the M1 would not be my first choice for running and gunning and fast shooting at short ranges. ARs and AKs are better suited to that sort of thing. Different tools for different jobs.
JMHO, FWIW.
Hope this helps, and Semper Fi.
Ron H.
Hey, if this guy liked the M1, who would argue?
I first handled an M1 Garand in 1953 as a member of my high school ROTC unit. I can still field strip and reassemble one blindfolded. I still put a few rounds downrange now and then with both of these beauties:
I first handled an M1 Garand in 1953 as a member of my high school ROTC unit. I can still field strip and reassemble one blindfolded. I still put a few rounds downrange now and then with both of these beauties:
I went through Basic and AIT with the M-14. I would still like to have one. I do have an EBR because I got a good deal on one several years ago. Also have a Garand I got from the CMP.
TXSWFAN
Member
Does anyone here own a full auto M1 or M14?
The Last Standing Knight
Member
I read a book one time ( I wish I could have kept it but it belonged to someone else and the edition was out of print) that was written just prior to WWII and there was much discussion about "if the new-fangled Garand semi-auto would hold up as well as the venerable 1903 in service". The author seemed to indicate that the Marines, in particular, were loathe to give up their '03's for the "new" gun.
I guess WWII settled the question . . . . .
"Chesty" Puller was not fond of the Garand and prefered the M1903. Now look at what is considered a "Marine's Rifle", an M1 Garand with bayonet. Just look at 8th& I's silent drill team!
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