M1 Garand - Page 3

jbour13 · 03-28-2006, 00:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by Smokin Joe

A couple years back I was digging through my dad's gun closet when I came up an unmarked plain jane grey box (dad's gun closet used to be grandpa's gun closet). I opened the box and there sat 3 rifles. 1 was an M1903 with a custom stock and a very old Leopold attached...basically an M1903 converted into a Deer rifle. Next in the box were 2 plain jane M1903's. In also in the box were a few bandolers of ammo in stripper clips.

My father and I pulled the 2 plain jane 1903's out to have a look see, we looked down the barrel and saw a redish/orange color in the barrel, my heart sank thinking it was rust. So we threw a patch down the barrel to make sure.... it wasn't rust....it was cosmoline! Firt thing to pop into my head was holy crap! dad verbalized my thought. We had uncovered 2 brand new in the box M1903's with cosmoline still in the barrel.

We cleaned one and took it to the range the next day. The sights would only click up to 800 meters but with a little hold over we were ringing the 1000 meter bell. Straight out of the box we didn't even need to zero it. We took it home, cleaned it, and put it back in the box with its twin...were they sit today. Its brother still has cosmoline in the barrel.

Next time I'm home I'll snap some photos.

Well, if there were a way to top gun porn I guess classic gun porn will do!

Share away SJ!

I've been eye-balling a rebuilt Garand at the shop and can't decide if I should give in to nostalgia. I've got very little knowledge on the weapon and only have one family member that used one. That was in ROTC, the basic course and some competition use (Ft. Sill Rifle Team) back in the early 60's. He's received 2 from CMP. One is a bone stock M1, the other is fitted with a scope. I've got a Remington 1100 coming in this week and have two more pistols to take care of.

We'll see if the itch gets me!!! Hope so!

**Pete** · 03-28-2006, 04:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gene Econ

0-3 or 03 A-3? Have a original 03 with a C Stock. ....
Gene

Hey Gene;

Its an 03 with an S stock. Straight WW I looking. You kinda' order with one eye half closed never knowing what condition the rifle will be in. I think they well understate the condition on the web site.
It has been through the factory for a rebuild at one time or another as some of the finish is slightly different on a few parts. The wood is dark (of course) but no cracks. Lots of grease/oil on the wood but I'll work on that when I get the metal off.
Pin fall seems a little slow but may be due to gunk on the inside of the bolt. Should be fixed with a good cleaning.

Pete

PS - Since a lot of the people who visit this site are not from around here I'll explain "Hey Gene". That's the soft southern "Hey" used in greeting as in "Hey Gene", "Hey There" or just plain "Hey" with a nod of the head. A person should never type something on the web that they wouldn't say to a person's face.

Gene Econ · 03-28-2006, 06:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pete

Hey Gene; Its an 03 with an S stock. Pin fall seems a little slow but may be due to gunk on the inside of the bolt. Should be fixed with a good cleaning. Pete PS - Since a lot of the people who visit this site are not from around here I'll explain "Hey Gene". That's the soft southern "Hey" used in greeting as in "Hey Gene", "Hey There" or just plain "Hey" with a nod of the head. A person should never type something on the web that they wouldn't say to a person's face.

Pete:

More than likely cosmoline and or parkerization in the bolt. Of course if you shoot a modern bolt rifle of decent manufacture then you aren't imagining a slower 'pin fall'. Hammer fall is slower, firing pin is slower. Noticeable for a bolt gunner.

As for the 'Hey' thingee. Spent years in the South and South East. Never really thought about it any. Can't see how anyone would think it to be anything but polite.

Oh well -- load up with some of that surplus corrosive M-2 Ball, a bottle of Windex with Ammonia D for neutralizing the powder fowling, some of that black/ brown colored RBC that is toxic as hell, and some Sweets to remove the copper fowling and blast away.

Gene

**Pete** · 03-28-2006, 07:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gene Econ

As for the 'Hey' thingee. Spent years in the South and South East. Never really thought about it any. Can't see how anyone would think it to be anything but polite.

Gene

There are the people who say "Hey" as in "Hey Gene" and there are those who say "Hey" as in "Hey you, Yeah you, I'm talkin' ta you."

I know you knew how I was saying it, this was just a reminder to the "other" people.

Pete

HOLLiS · 03-28-2006, 11:23

There is a bunch of Korean 30-06 in Garand clips on the market right now, pretty cheap but corrosive if you find that a problem.

**Pete** · 03-28-2006, 11:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by HOLLiS

There is a bunch of Korean 30-06 in Garand clips on the market right now, pretty cheap but corrosive if you find that a problem.

I picked up a few cans of that at the last gun show. Fairly cheap and worked well in the Garand. Had no jams or missfires. I'll pick up a few more cans at the next gun show.

The 8 round clips are not that hard to reload, just takes time and two nimble fingers to hold the first few rounds in place. The rest just fall in except the last one.

I also picked up an old bottle of military RBC and one of LSA.

Pete

**Peregrino** · 03-28-2006, 12:10

OK - Since this is the ongoing discussion for nostalgia guns I've got a question for the cogniscenti about the ammo to feed them. A good friend just gave me a bag of 30-06 M2 ball (42/43 headstamps still in 20 rd boxes) with some tracer mixed in. All total it fills most of two ammo cans. It is all corrosive, some of the primers have leaked, most of the boxes are in "disintegrating" condition. Since my 30-06 Garand is a match rifle I have NO intention of firing it as is. My question (finally) - I'm planning on dismantling the rounds and reloading the salvageable brass/bullets with new primer and powder. Has anybody ever used the Iosso liquid brass cleaner? I need to know if it will remove the corrosion (after dismantling) so I can do a preliminary sort before I tumble the brass in media. Will I need to neutralize the brass first (kill the corrosive)? I know it's a lot of work but I need to dump the powder anyway just to make it safe for disposal. So why not reuse the components? Looking for some advice here.

Peregrino

**The Reaper** · 03-28-2006, 12:23

I believe that you can reuse the bullets, but not the brass. IIRC, the mercury in the primers eventually weakens and embrittles it to the point where the cases do not have the elasticity required to be worked. If the primers are leaking, the brass is shot as well.

I have fired corrosive 7x57 Mauser ammo dating back to the 1920s, and the brass would almost crumble in your hands. I do not want to get into the hangfires. Nothing like waiting five or ten seconds for the BANG, though you can work on your flinch and follow-thru with it.

TR

**Pete** · 03-28-2006, 12:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peregrino

OK - ...I've got a question for the cogniscenti about the ammo to feed them. ...It is all corrosive, some of the primers have leaked, most of the boxes are in "disintegrating" condition......

Peregrino

I'm the wrong one to ask about reloading so we'll wait for the experts to chime in. I do shoot a lot of surplus ammo in my rifles. None of the rifles are museum pieces so I'm not to picky about the ammo. Anything for semi-auto use has to look good or I won't use it.

The worst I ever got was some mixed lot 8mm Mauser ammo from the middle east (Egypt?). I feed it all through my 8mm Mausers and the only problem was about 1 or 2 rounds per 100 would fail to fire after the primer was hit. No big deal for plinkers. Big problem if you're working with it.

And for those of you who worry about a round half way down the barrel, don't worry, you'll know by the kick that the sucker is gone down range.

I like cleaning guns so corrosive ammo is no problem.

Pete

**Peregrino** · 03-28-2006, 13:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Reaper

I believe that you can reuse the bullets, but not the brass. IIRC, the mercury in the primers eventually weakens and embrittles it to the point where the cases do not have the elasticity required to be worked. If the primers are leaking, the brass is shot as well.

I have fired corrosive 7x57 Mauser ammo dating back to the 1920s, and the brass would almost crumble in your hands. I do not want to get into the hangfires. Nothing like waiting five or ten seconds for the BANG, though you can work on your flinch and follow-thru with it.

TR

I'm almost positive you're right about the brass - at least the ones with obvious corrosion - that's why I threw it out for input. Even without that some of it is pitted badly enough that I'll discard it on general principles. It's part of a cache recovered from an estate that included a quantity of .45 from the same era. Apparently it was stored in the cardboard boxes (no other protection) in a barn for 60+/- years. The .45 had a 30%+ failure rate (no, I did not shoot any of it in my Kimber - I do have problems with routine use of corrosive ammo) so I won't even speculate about the quality of the 30-06. If I had a beater bolt action I'd take it to the range and see what happens. It would save a lot of effort and like you said - great practice for IADs and basic marksmanship skills. Oh well - I've been needing to get a collet bullet puller for years anyway (I don't think I want to use my kinetic puller on this stuff). Back to work while I wait for more input. Peregrino

HOLLiS · 03-28-2006, 15:28

My thoughts is that Brass is cheap actions are not. I shoot black powder metalic cases and reload them, I don't use corrosive primers and they are cleaned after being used in a nuetralizing cleaning solution, dried, then trumbled.

Sdiver · 10-28-2008, 16:14

Finally got some pics of my Garand.

Trip_Wire (RIP) · 10-28-2008, 19:56

Nice Garand M-1! A great Battle Rifle!

**Peregrino** · 10-28-2008, 20:04

Holy Necropost Batman! Nice rifle. Spent last Saturday at a local J.C.Garand match doing "Arrrrrrmy Training, Sir" (raining, cool, muddy, etc.). Had a blast. I love shooting mine. Watch your rear sight - sometimes with the early model the lock nut (bar thingy on windage knob) gets loose and causes problems.

grog18b · 10-31-2008, 08:06

I bought my M1 through the CMP program. What a beautiful rifle. I'll post some pics when I get the camera working. It cost me 320, and it was the best investment I've ever made. Best part about M1s is you can research the serial numbers and get a lot of info on them. Mine was made in June 1944, M1C, and was sent to Greece on the lend, give me back later, program. Apparently, they decided to give it back, so now it has returned "home". There are no import marks on it, and most of the parts are original Springfield Armory. The barrel rifling looks like it came out of the Springfield plant yesterday. The wood is dark, very dark, and has some marks from storage with other rifles. Overall, it looks fantastic. Shoots fantastic too, no sight adjustments needed.

Although it fits very well into the old hands, I couldn't imagine trying to handle the club at 17, let alone trying to swim with it back in June 44...