My first M1 Garand

[rmatchell]

I have been wanting to get a M1 Garand for the last ten years or so but have never had the money when a clean rifle comes around or I can only find ones that are to rough to even think about buying. I was stuck out of state for work for the last month and finally came across a good rifle and was able to make a deal. The picture quality is a lil rough but its the best my phone can do.







Just picked it up from a gunsmith today he gave it a good cleaning, lubed it up, and said that I found a very good rifle. So now with the questions. Right now i'm looking at trying out a lee 309-150-f, lyman 311291, lyman 311440, and an Ideal 311413. Just wondering what has worked well for others

[Jack Stanley]

Nice looking rifle , I had an H&R that had been through a rebuild and had birch wood like that .

I had good results with a Lyman 311334 .

Jack

[ShooterAZ]

The Lyman 311299 is a proven winner in the Garand as well. I use with 32 grains of IMR4895, cycles perfectly.

[rmatchell]

I forgot to say, but it is a H&R

[Scharfschuetze]

Nice! You should have fun with that.

[Le Loup Solitaire]

Conrats and good luck with your new Garand. In your choices of cast bullets, you might consider the following; Lyman 311413 will shoot well but if driven much faster than 1500fps (not enough to cycle the action) it will not do as well. #311440 is kind of blunt and may present feeding problems,,,it is also a bit on the light side. 311291 is an excellent design and can work in the M-1, but it might also be a bit light. No info on the Lee, but again 150 grains may be a bit light. 291 at around 173-175 grains might be the best choice of the lot. Lyman 311299 and especially 311284 are known to do much better even though both are 200 grains or more. 311334 (190 grains) is a good choice, but has been out of production for quite some time so finding one is the problem. Powder 4895 is the best choice although 3031 does very well too. H&R garands are of the Korean War period and many of them are of high number and in good shape. You can check production numbers and years by looking them up at Milsurps.com which has informational links. LLS

[zomby woof]

Best results come from the 311284 vs 311299, 312299 and LEE 180 for me.

[Desertbuck]

Nice M1 Garand you have their! My M1 is my favorite rifle, more than likely from here on out it will stay that way. With the lee .312 160gr tumble lube boolit gas check installed then powder coated with HF red using the ASBBDT method, I have been getting around 2500 2600 fps with IMR 4895 with good results. No leading!

[Jtarm]

Congrats on your find, after the long search!

[1Shirt]

My first Garand was the one issued to me on Paris Island in 1957. Served me well on my first hitch. Crossed to Air Force for 2nd hitch, and when they handed me an M-1 Carbine, to qualify, I actually thought it was a joke! Patton had it right! Great rifles, just can't satisfy a need for one in my rack at this stage in life.
1Shirt!

[Stoats]

I run 314299, sized 312 or 311. The bore is not tight enough on mine to support a normal 311 bore rider, although saying that the 160gn Lyman runs fine at about 1600fps (16gn N110 in 308 win) even though the nose is unsupported.

[guicksylver]

FYI The Lyman 311334 is still around. Lyman's current production 311332 is the old 311334.
Al at NOE has the 311332 which is also the old 334. Whew!

[John Allen]

I have two HR Garands that will be passed down when I am gone. They are by far my favorite military rifle.

[DisinterestedThirdParty]

I am currently looking for a Garand as I continue to kick myself for selling one 10+ years ago. The one thing I've always liked about them is there's absolutely NOTHING Mickey Mouse about that weapon.

At the time, CB information in the Garand was non-existent, and although I tried I wasn't able to come up with a decent, cycling load.

I've noted the boolits and loads listed here for future reference, so when the gun fairy visits me one night, I'll be a happy old guy.

[dualsport]

Congratulations! Nice find. For a lot of good info search "BobS load" here. All you want to know and then some. My M1 loves the Bob S load. I will be checking out the NOE site for that 311322 copy of Lyman's 311334.

[LOBO]

To the OP, congrats on a wonderful rifle! My Dad and I just shot ours (H&R via the CMP) for the first time a few months ago. You should have seen the smiles we were wearing afterwards!

I am currently looking for a Garand as I continue to kick myself for selling one 10+ years ago. The one thing I've always liked about them is there's absolutely NOTHING Mickey Mouse about that weapon.

At the time, CB information in the Garand was non-existent, and although I tried I wasn't able to come up with a decent, cycling load.

I've noted the boolits and loads listed here for future reference, so when the gun fairy visits me one night, I'll be a happy old guy.

They take a while to get, but you might want to try http://www.thecmp.org/Sales/m1garand.htm

[StratsMan]

FYI The Lyman 311334 is still around. Lyman's current production 311332 is the old 311334.
Al at NOE has the 311332 which is also the old 334. Whew!

I have to take exception with this comparison of the -332 and -334... while the lower boolit shape is the same (GC shank, driving bands and grease groove), and the tips are the same, the bore ride is not the same... it is longer on the -334, which makes the -334 heavier (190 grains) than the -332 (180 grains)... and both have the same basic shape as, but are lighter than, a -335 (206 grains)

As stated by others, I too prefer the heavier boolits in my Garands... easier to get the action to cycle...

When you take this to the range, be sure to bring extra ammo as there will be others who will ask "Is that an M1 Garand??" I always invite folks to shoot mine... Half the fun of having a Garand is talking to folks and letting them shoot 'em....