M1 Rifle fans?

[clang444]

I borrowed a CMP Garand for a month to see if I liked it enough to get one. I didn't, at all.
As battle implement it was one war too late. By 1944 other armies already transitioned to widespread issue of assault rifles and submachine guns.
The Korean War, ouch. From Wikipedia on the PPSh-41.
"Though relatively inaccurate, the Chinese PPSh has a high rate of fire and was well-suited to the close-range firefights that typically occurred in that conflict, especially at night.[29] United Nations forces in defensive outposts or on patrol often had trouble returning a sufficient volume of fire when attacked by companies of infantry armed with the PPSh. Some U.S. infantry officers ranked the PPSh as the best combat weapon of the war: while lacking the accuracy of the U.S. M1 Garand and M1 carbine, it provided more firepower at short distances.[29] As infantry Captain (later General) Hal Moore, stated: "on full automatic it sprayed a lot of bullets and most of the killing in Korea was done at very close ranges and it was done quickly – a matter of who responded faster. In situations like that it outclassed and outgunned what we had. A close-in patrol fight was over very quickly and usually we lost because of it."[29]

You might not know it, but the M1 Garand was originally designed to fire the .276 Pedersen in 10 round enbloc clips. It was beefed up to handle .30-06 because we had millions of rounds of ammo sitting around after WWI along with BARs and light Machine Guns and the military didn't want another cartridge in the supply line.

The .276 Pedersen is pretty close to the modern 7mm-08, and would have been an excellent intermediate cartridge. The 2 extra rounds would have been a plus. Oh, and the rifle would have been 1.5 lb lighter too.

It wasn't one war too late so much as redesigned by bureaucratic decisions. It's still a fine rifle in .30-06, a rifleman's rifle as they say. Just on the heavy side.

 

[shamrocker]

Before GCA '68 my best friend in high school and I hunted coyotes (there pelts were popular for coats then)
We used the money to buy Garands out of the ads in "shotgun news", we liked them cause they were what we had in school for ROTC "drill team".
The school gun racks had at least a 100 or more donated by the army.
There were many collectables in those racks.
Anyway we bought several, shot them a lot and I even sport-a-rised one as a poor boys semi auto hunting rifle. Shot a lot of mule deer in Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana with it.
I just have one now, a CMP Springfield. can't remember what happened to the mail order ones, traded I suppose for something else I thought I had to have.
Yeah, you had to sign the little order slip that you were 21, etc. but nobody ever checked and the mail man brought it to the door.

 

[packrat2]

Quote"I bought this rifle through the DCM program, the precursor to the CMP, back when you could only purchase one M1 rifle per lifetime. Back in the late 1980's it was not uncommon to get a unissued or fresh from the arsenal Garand."

I received my M1 from the DCM about the same time as you did..I remember I had to go the police station and get fingerprinted and send the form in with the $165.00 and a long wate of about a year..

 

[kscharlie]

Indeed, back in the "olden days" not only did we have to submit fingerprints, we had to qualify by shooting DCM authorized matches before we could actually order one. Mine was delivered in the box and was leaning on the door when I got home from work. This was on April 24, 1985. It was a Springfield made in May, 1945. Cost me $165. Came from the Anniston Army Depot in Alabama. Still have the gun and all the paperwork that came with it.

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

Well, as the noted philosopher "Yogi" Berra once noted, "the future ain't what it used to be".

The Garand started development in the mid 1920s, the M1 Carbine in the late 1930s, and the Thompson had been used since the early 1920s (not to mention the WW I BAR). If we had military-issue crystal balls, US soldiers and Marines in Korea would have all been issued submachine guns with drum magazines too, except for the ones who had to engage the enemy at more than 50 yards...and your opponent always get a vote as to how battles are fought.

Wars are always "run what you brung" affairs. The Garand may not have been the perfect tool for Korean close-up firefights but it served well by all accounts.

Yep. And if shocker had studied the Garand was NOT one war too late. It was the first successful semi-auto 30/06 on the battle field in WWII.....I Hate when a train looses a couple of it's cars.

 

[triaxle]

I had a mint Oct 1941 I think 960xxx number , sold it and have a CMP gun now .

 

[Muddyboot]

This one is mine, Springfield 463xxx range. Shooting an old M-1 is very near to a religious experience.

 

[kbm6893]

I borrowed a CMP Garand for a month to see if I liked it enough to get one. I didn't, at all.
As battle implement it was one war too late. By 1944 other armies already transitioned to widespread issue of assault rifles and submachine guns.
The Korean War, ouch. From Wikipedia on the PPSh-41.
"Though relatively inaccurate, the Chinese PPSh has a high rate of fire and was well-suited to the close-range firefights that typically occurred in that conflict, especially at night.[29] United Nations forces in defensive outposts or on patrol often had trouble returning a sufficient volume of fire when attacked by companies of infantry armed with the PPSh. Some U.S. infantry officers ranked the PPSh as the best combat weapon of the war: while lacking the accuracy of the U.S. M1 Garand and M1 carbine, it provided more firepower at short distances.[29] As infantry Captain (later General) Hal Moore, stated: "on full automatic it sprayed a lot of bullets and most of the killing in Korea was done at very close ranges and it was done quickly – a matter of who responded faster. In situations like that it outclassed and outgunned what we had. A close-in patrol fight was over very quickly and usually we lost because of it."[29]

Come on! The PPSh was a far weaker caliber weapon. Not all battles are caught close in and the Garland excelled at further distances often fought in a war. I wouldn't want a Thompson if I had to shoot at any real distance. Short barrel firing a pistol round? No thanks. Platoons had different weapons for a reason. The M1 dominated WWII and was equally impressive in Korea. The STG44 didn't come out until 1944 when Germany was already on the ropes. And the MP44 was even less powerful and with less range then the Thompson. 9MM submachine gun is a short range weapon. Very WWII documentary shows long range firing. WWII vets spoke highly of it.

 

[AManWearingAHat]

Come on! The PPSh was a far weaker caliber weapon. Not all battles are caught close in and the Garland excelled at further distances often fought in a war. I wouldn't want a Thompson if I had to shoot at any real distance. Short barrel firing a pistol round? No thanks. Platoons had different weapons for a reason. The M1 dominated WWII and was equally impressive in Korea. The STG44 didn't come out until 1944 when Germany was already on the ropes. And the MP44 was even less powerful and with less range then the Thompson. 9MM submachine gun is a short range weapon. Very WWII documentary shows long range firing. WWII vets spoke highly of it.

Ummm.... I think you're a bit confused. The Mp44 was not a 9mm it was a 7.92Kurz. It had an effective range of 250 - 300 yards in a cartridge that is SIGNIFICANTLY superior to the .45ACP in terms of ballistics and muzzle energy at all ranges. The 7.92 Kurz out of an STG-44 is carrying more energy at 300 yards than a .45ACP has at the muzzle.

You may be thinking of the MP-40 which entered service in 1940.

 

[OldK22]

I have owned several over the years but was down to just a 1945 vintage M1D from the CMP that I kept. Well that all changed Saturday morning. A local Elks club was having their first gun show about 30 minutes from the house. I got a table so I could get in early hoping something would come out of the woodwork. I got there at 7:30 for set up prior to the 10AM opening. Several tables were already set up. One gentleman had seven 1903 Springfield Rifles, one Winchester Model 12 trench gun, and five M1 Garands. 1941, 1942, 1943, 1944 with the WWII barrels still in them (no import marks) and a post war 1955 vintage (no import marks). Prices were good but me being me popped off with "what would you take for all of them?". A couple minutes of back and forth and we hit a number I liked.
Tried to purchase some of the 1903s but he liked them more than the Garands. Still some good stuff out there if you look hard enough.

 

[growr]

Sadly, I only have three....two Springfield Armory and one H&R, would like to get a Winchester and IHC....just haven't found them yet...

Randy

 

[22lrfan]

Got my first Garand, a 1954 International Harvester, from DCM on 3/14/84 for $121.96. I've had several more since then but currently have four, another IHC and two Springfields. The last Springfield I got is a CMP Special with a new CMP stock and a Criterion barrel. This picture was from a while back when I was trying to figure out the correct way to use the stacking swivels.

 

[Hondo44]

Until a year ago I never owned an M1. I shot my dad's M1s and liked them. When he passed away he was down to one; his favorite, an original Tanker Garand. My younger brother wanted it worse than I did and I took my dad's WWII take home souvenir, a Persian marked Broomhandle Mauser with wood buttstock/holster, and leather strap hanger for wearing it, that he took off a German Col. in Italy. That's a whole 'nother story.

My # two son sells and rebuilds RVs, camping trailers, equipment trailers, bike trailers, etc., etc. He's often offered old firearms as part trade. He's not into guns like my other son so he'll snap a photo with his I phone, send it to me and ask what the resale may be. I've rarely suggested he accept the guns offered as trade material because most were junk brands, worn out, or whatever. But last year he sent a photo of a very nice M1. I asked what the name was on the back of the action and he said Winchester. I said bring it home I need to see it. And how much are you asking for the trailer? He brought it to me and said it was just a little utility trailer he wanted $800 for.

As soon as I saw it, I told him to tell the buyer it's worth more than the trailer but I had no real idea how much. Buyer said; "I'll take a straight across trade." So we did.

The upper stacking swivel was missing and an adjustment knob on the rear sight. I knew little about M1 details just that they were very collectible so I turned to a friend with a book. To make a long story endless it was a true 'Whinny' with all correct code stamps on all the marked parts. Plus it was never refurbished at any armory. I don't know how it came back from across the big pond but not likely thru official channels, if it ever went overseas. It showed a little use but the stock and barrel with excellent bore were original.

It's not in front of me now but IIRC it's a 1944 vintage. Correct parts for those missing weren't hard to find since my friend had them as well as a proper sling. It's a very good shooter!

I've been offered several thousand from 6 to 8 for it. But when I go to the big range in the sky where every shot is a bullseye, it'll go back to my son.

 

[rwsmith]

I really like Garands......

....especially the rotating mechanism. The en bloc clip is very fast to load with a little practice. They are really great rifle. My problem is that they are so front heavy. Maybe I'd do better if I were younger, but after a few shots the front end starts to droop and I have to take a break before I shoot more. If it weren't for that, I'd have one.

 

[Sistema1927]

"original Tanker Garand" ?

https://www.luckygunner.com/lounge/m1-tanker-garand/

 

[rich5674]

My Garands

Love Garands. My eyes not so much. Astigmatism makes open sights tough. I have a Type I National Match that I inherited. Sold it once during hard times. Bought it back about 10 years later. It's with me for life.
From the CMP bought a CMP Special (rebuild) in 308. Excellent rifle in a better caliber. Took a 160lb hog with it. Not being able to shoot it in certain Garand competitions because of the caliber, I sold it to somebody needing it more than me. In the future I'll be buying another in 06

 

[Ignatz]

I shot NRA service rifle in the early 90's with a club loaner M1 rifle. Lake City ammo for the entire match was $3.00, and you kept the brass. With getting my NRA classification, I got a rifle through the DCM. Mine is a International Harvester with my birthday stamped on the barrel....12/54
Still have it!

 

[mikerjf]

Ok, just got this story recently from my cousin.

My uncle was in the Battle of the Bulge. They were on the high ground overlooking a small occupied town they were soon to attack. While waiting they decided to mess with the Germans by plinking at the bell in the church tower.

He said the Garands were hit and miss, but one guy in the unit that had a 1903 Springfield could nail it every time. They all considered the Springfield as more accurate.

After a while the Germans got tired of this and returned fire with a mortar round... that hit a manure pile and showered them all with manure!

Uncle was eventually wounded and partly disabled, but made it home and had a great life. Lost him at a good old age a few years back.

 

[THREEDFLYER]

The M1 Garand is just plain SEXY!!!!

My U.S Military collection goes back to the Civil War and I treasure all of the fine battle weapons I have, but the Garand is at the top of the list!

 

[Glashaus]

I have always liked the 03 better then the M1, my two current 03's, top a 42 Remington 03, bottom a 1918 Springfield that was barreled in 32. I am pretty sure that both were Greek returns to the CMP.