Garand purchase query

[ShooterAZ]

My J pet load for decades has been 46.5 gr of IMR 4064 with either the Hornady or Sierra 168 gr HPBT Match. LC cases and CCI No.34 primers. If I don't have the #34 I will use WLR. Am I reading that your new to you CMP Garand has a rubber buttplate?

[starnbar]

Garands are **** good rifles got a couple of em myself my one son can clover leaf the springfield at 50 yards all day long.

[texasnative46]

starnbar,

Frankly, I'm surprised that the Armed Forces haven't pulled some out of depot storage & issued them to skilled marksmen for service in the mountains of Afghanistan.
(The M4 is nearly worthless out past 400M.)


Even now, I think that the scoped National Match Garand (as used by the 2nd most deadly US sniper of RVN) still would be VERY DEADLY, just as it was in the 1970s.

yours, tex

[texasnative46]

ShooterAZ,

It's hard to find a better load than yours for general use with Garand rifles..

Fwiw, I use NOTHING but Lake City once-fired cases (that I get FREE from a local Garand match shooter) for reforming into 9.3x62mm Mauser in the Model 760 that JES reformatted for me.
(285 grains of .368 GCCB at 2,000 FPS will slay most any creature & certainly any game animal in the Western Hemisphere.)

yours, tex

[georgerkahn]

ShooterAZ: Yes-- I did in fact write that, while not writing my being either a bit blind or stupid or both . The buddy who drove came over for us to each check out the others' find, and it turns out that several manly wipes with a Shooters' Choice dampened paper towel -- took quite a few sheets -- removed all traces of what I thought was a rubber plate -- instead it being but a coating. Under it, complementing the brand new stock is a brand new METAL butt-plate, but it was indeed coated with a black, looks-like-rubber, coating. Stupid me thought it was a rubber plate -- now, happy I was wrong. My friend's IHC had original furniture, so no comparison with his. Our guess is, perhaps, a rust-preventative coating, and/or something to keep it standing for friction and/or scratch-prevention? Anyone's guess -- but I am ever so happy to "find" the "military" metal butt-plate. I sincerely apologize for wrong descriptive info -- while being delighted to learn it was wrong.
geo

[garandsrus]

Could have been dried Cosmoline.

[pworley1]

Nice rifle. I hope you enjoy it.

[georgerkahn]

range report : I field stripped my new toy, and did some cleaning and lubing. The card attached to the rifle from CMP indicated both muzzle AND throat measured "2", and barrel looks as if its been hardly shot at all. It took very little with Holland's Witch's Brew, followed with Isopropyl alcohol; then Butch's Bore Shine to get 100% clean Otis pull-thru patches to come out! I did replace the op spring with one of Orion7 (Tony Pucci's) stainless steel ones, and used MolyGraph grease (from Harbor Freight) and a good gun oil to lub it as directed in the CMP book which accompanied it. I had loaded four enblocs each with military ball ammo.
At range, it took eight rounds to get elevation set, using sand bags (11 clicks) at 75 yards; the windage was right on. I then fired two more enblocs at a leisurely pace, and my spotting scope revealed a group about the size of a small dessert-size paper plate. Two holes were out of the tight group, and in retrospect I reckon perhaps each was the first shot of each en bloc? Don't know. Gentle rain decided to turn into a down-pour, so I called it a day.
I'm (still) happy!!! I'm thinking of using my iPhone to record shots net time, if there's an out of group shot, to see it's placement. I was cognizant of the weight of this Garand -- happy I was seated shooting at bench; must've been a real challenge for the G.I. with a heavy pack and extra ammo carrying it over rough terrain all day. On the other hand, it sure seemed to "kick" less than the Springfield 1903 I have.
geo

[country gent]

My garand was the last shot out of the group when the bolt locked back and the clip ejected. The bolt lug op rod cam it was recommended plasti lube a very thick tacky grease. To thin a grease and functioning lubes your glasses

[lefty o]

oil keeps an M1 from rusting, grease keeps it lubed.

[georgerkahn]

oil keeps an M1 from rusting, grease keeps it lubed.

I love this line -- ever so true! I degreased and cleaned my new treasure as best as I could, using several solvents -- with isopropil alcohol rinses between to not risk interaction between products. I used Butch's gun oil on pretty much all that rotates. On anything shiny that slides, plus the lugs, channels, and everywhere else in booklet from the CMP I used Molygraph grease -- highly recommended to me.
As I wrote, the one almost-flyer in each group -- only about 2 3/4" "out" from other seven -- was, and still is thought perhaps to be the first or last shot in each clip. I'm thinking that I'm new to the firearm, as well as it's first firing in ??? how long... so I'm hoping things will be better next trip... albeit I'm impressed with the overall results. Locally, we're getting hurricane remnants with high winds (for us) and heavy rain predicted through the week-end. First nice day I need to mow grass... and then I hope to get back to the range. I'm shooting HXP Greek military ammo I picked up from a fellow who bought it -- in sealed Spam cans -- from the CMP. So, the ammo should be consistent. Regardless, the one and only "bottom line" is IT IS FUN!!! Re that famous line quoted as the best rifle ever made for battle -- fortunately I'm not in that venue -- but can now clearly see how it earned these accolades!
geo

[Outpost75]

The HXP is very good, as is also the brass. Be sure to save it for reloading.

If you have alot of it the Dillon Auto Swager is the best to use on the primer pockets.

[georgerkahn]

I have the privilege of being a range officer at annual CMP clinics at a range/club I belong to, so a shortage of military (CMP) brass has never been an issue -- rare, indeed, is a student who loads and wants it. I DO have the Dillon tool, so I'm all set. Albeit I have a small/fair amount of Greek brass, I've yet to reload any -- I reckon I'd do a water-content check first, to see if I need deviate from my loadings for American made military brass from decades past. I also have a Giraud annealing machine, and -- 'specially for the old brass -- am a firm do-er and believer of the benefits of annealing -- which I do, every 2nd firing.
BEST!
geo

[goryshaw]

The only thing I've ever had to do to HXP primer pockets is a quick pass with a case mouth chamfering tool to remove the three stab crimps. No need to swage the pockets.