Reshodding an M1?

[Ragnarok]

My Garand came with a mixed set of wood..all walnut but the buttstock ain't tight..the rear handgaurd is flush with it's little band/spring/clip and has filler..the front handguard is the best piece of wood on it.

I glued some thin strips of wood to the bottom of the buttstock inletting..and got the buttstock fitting tighter. Really the old gun shoots fair/decent. However..I decided to fit some new wood to the rifle(it's a cold-war 5.8 million serial Springfield).

I have new walnut on the way. Any tips or websites with fitting info?

My guess is the new stock will require some work...'cause really!..The old stock required some work...

[FrankG]

The NRA Gunsmithing Guide had an article on fitting and accurizing the M1.You should be able to get a reprint of the article from them .

[Multigunner]

Glass bedding a Garand is probably the easiest of any military rifle. If a stock looks even halfway decent its usually better to salvage it by glass bedding than to fit a new one. A NOS stock would be an upgrade, but aftermarket stocks can downgrade a rifle's collector value more than repairs or bedding of an original issue stock.

If you compete in a match that prohibits any bedding procedures not used by armorers when the rifle was in service, glass bedding might be an issue, even though Navy armorers glass bedded for competition while the rifle was still in service as a primary martial arm.

[Ragnarok]

I'll save my old wood-work...The stock itself is is a 'long-channel' wartime Springfield stock...considerably older than the rifle itself. The rifle is a 1955 and the metal is all later Springfield parts. I don't believe the thing is all matching..but I do think by chance it's rebuilds included mostly post-war Springfield parts.

It ain't like my M1 carbine which has parts from every maker...

[madsenshooter]

It came from the DCM in a stock so worn the receiver overhung at the rear. But Fajen was still in business back then and I got this nice shoe from them. Added some Steel bed, floated and screwed the front handguard as per some old DCM instructions. After 20 years, still less than 2000rds. It was a 1960s rebuild that came to me from Anniston good as new metalwise. Cost 20 years ago, $185.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_12364f18c6b507d28.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=3508)