Yesterday's Weapons Forums

ya know ? there is a reason why nobody likes you...............


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.............................. .....................peabody

Yeah.....I kinda sorta have to rub it in sometimes

But hey look at it this way......I don't have one in .308

Garand all the way.
I've owned one Garand, a basketcase I spent some time but suprizingly little cash in rebuilding.
When I finished it though it just didn't feel right.

When I first got it the bore was pretty much shot out and caused excessive pressure signs. I lucked into a lightly used Matchgrade stainless barrel for 40 bucks, and a friend supplied everything else I needed for his parts bin and did the rebarrel for me.
Problem was the original early war barrel was much lighter than the replacement, and I suspect much lighter than most Garand barrels. The rear ring of the gas tube left a wide gap on the original barrel but fit tight on the replacement barrel, leading me to believe the original barrel (a Springfield i think)had a much slimmer profile than the average GI barrel.The rifle had weighed at leasty a half pound less than any other I've hefted, probably closer to a pound less.
The Receiver also appeared to be much lighter.
I ended up letting that rifle go because the balance and feel no longer suited me.
Only way I'd want another is if it had the same lighter weight receiver and barrel.
Still every Garand i've held felt far better to the hand than any M1A I've held or fired.

One day I'd like to get another GI Garand and also build a Custom Garand with Laminated stock and in 7mm Express (.280 Remington) caliber, maybe a ventilated handguard but otherwise stock. Perhaps with a quick detachable swing over side mount, though the standard rear sight is fine for my purposes.

The Enbloc Clip has advantages when firing from the prone position.
Not only can you hug the ground better, it requires a great deal less movement to reload. You can fire the first twenty from an M1A faster but once that mag is empty shucking the empty and digging the spare out of a pouch takes up enough time that in expended firing the Garand quickly catches up and surpasses the box mag in number of rounds fired in the same length of time. All with much less movement on the shooter's part, which results in far quicker return to firing position and quicker target aquisition.

Be nice if someone began manufacturing a clone of the Original Garand .276 10 shot design. Stainless steel and synthetic stock would be perfect for that design. Chamber it for the 6.8 remington and they'd sell a million easy.

Garand, it's the real thing.

I like that.

my picks
1. M1
2. socom II

both have a place in my safe.I like the socom as it is short compact and 20 rd's of blast like a M44 .I am very impressed with the accuracy of my stubby 308.
pete


5 RD group @ 50 meters as the G.I.'s at fort hood were shooting their M9's.
throw the flyer out and its not to bad for the first time out with it.


not my pic but this is how short it is.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bF932wj8-nw

gotta love them short ones

Wow. This thread goes back a ways! I didn't have an M1A back then when it first started, only an M1. (Still don't, have an Armscorp M14). Now It's the rifle I have been shooting the most. Been getting ready for an upcoming postal shoot. Team practice this Sunday also.

hmmm seen that gear somewhere before

I have fired both rifles extensively and they compare equally in most areas. However, like most of you know the M1A/M-14 is a modified version of the Garand and uses 308 ammo, which is a more efficent and adaptable round with similar power to the 30.06. Both Firearms have earned their respect and the Garand was one of the major reasons that our soldiers during WWll were succesfull. It is the progenitor of the M-14. Ultimately, I would favor the M-14, mostly due to it being the rifle I was militarily trained with an used during most of my tour in exotic southeast asia Oct.1966 to Nov.1967. To add another element to this, in my opinion, both of these great rifles are better in many respects to the M-16/AR-15,M-4, when it comes to power, distance and accuracy, everything being equal.
Respectfully, Ron