I know nothing about this Garand.

[Idaho45guy]

My dad recently passed and I acquired this Garand. I have never shot one. He also had a bunch of .30-06 ammo marked "Garand".

What can anyone tell me about this rifle?

314457

314459

314460

314462

314463

[schutzen-jager]

#1850063 makes it a august 1943 product of the Springfield Armory - case + stock marking show that it was purchased from the Civilian Markmanship Program - in recent past - if he was original purchaser he should have kept the certificate issued with it -

[Texas by God]

Be prepared to be impressed with controllable 30-06 power.
There’s nothing like a Garand!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Der Gebirgsjager]

And that certificate might be under the foam padding in the case--better look. A few random observations: If you've never fired one you may be about to fall in love. I've got 5 of them, and had the chore of lugging one around for many miles in the Army. Heavy, but I would have had nothing else. If they have a good barrel, which I'll bet yours does, they can be highly accurate. Looks like yours possesses a target rear sight and is set up to have a barrel mounted scope should you desire to install one. Assuming that it's in the original .30-06 caliber/cartridge it's highly effective. Many have been converted to .308 Win./7.62mm NATO and are equally as effective. Since yours is a CMP rifle it has been thoroughly gone through and reconditioned as needed and is virtually a brand new rifle. Replicas of the original training manual can be easily found for instruction on field stripping and cleaning. One more thing--your Dad had excellent taste in firearms!

DG

[BLAHUT]

Beautiul rifle, I have a NM, 30/06 grand, very accurate, once you find how to load and shoot it, you will love it. Be very careful when you reload for it, check the reloading books, learn to clean and care for it, if you want to hunt or compete with it, you will be impressed with the accuracy... I lugged a m14 (m21) or a m24, for many years, the m14 was the next step up in the progression, the m24 was a step back, all wonderful, accurate 1000yd rifles, now you have the m16, a 300 meter gun. unless you get into the 300 mag or 338 lupa or 50 bmg.

[Winger Ed.]

Beautiful.

Look up the GI loads for the Garand- they are not quite as hot & heavy as other .30-06.
Shooting factory 180 gr. .30-06 ammo is said to be hard on a Garand and will eventually trash out the operating rod.

[Hick]

The Garand is also a great cast bullet rifle, although the 1:10 twist limits max velocity a little. Optionally, you can get a gas plug with a valve in it so that you can 'turn off' the semi-auto function for lighter cast loads (when it won't cycle reliably), or as some of us have done, buy an extra gas plug and just drill it out. That way, with loads which you want to cycle you use the proper gas plug and for loads that you don't want to cycle you use the drilled out plug. Because the gas system is just a small hole n the bottom of the barrel near the muzzle, it is very tolerant of lube, lead, PC, etc.

[Mk42gunner]

If that rear aperture is true to the original match sights, you have ½ minute elevation adjustments. Just rotate the peep 180 degrees. If the base is also NM, the windage knob will have very fine threads (64tpi IIRC) to give you ½ minute windage adjustments.

Robert

[45workhorse]

Beautiful rifle!
Have a "Garand" time shooting your dad's Garand!
Der Gebirgsjager, I agree very good taste in rifle and pistols.

[LeonardC]

Nice Rifle! I always enjoy shooting "family guns".

I have an Amega Mounts scope mount for my one of my Garands. They say the mounts from CMP were their's in case you need a part or instructions. Do you have the stock part that the mount replaced? Not needed, but I like to keep all the parts.

The rear sight does not look right in the picture. Does it have a lens?

Consider joining the Garand Collectors Association. They put out a great magazine and membership only costs $25/year.

[deces]

It looks to be a national match grade from the CMP with that peep sight, but I guess it could have been added by anyone. A joy to shoot :-)

[georgerkahn]

For what it's worth, the listing I have suggests your gorgeous rifle was produced in November of 1942. Be it then, or as suggested in another post as August of '43 -- still a rifle VERY much worth keeping!
I am curious re the 314489 UltiMAK photo. As far as I know (generally, not much ;)) -- UltiMAK is a 'scope mount? Just curious....
geo

[Wag]

Nice looking rifle. I have two Garands and love them both. I'm betting you'll love yours!

--Wag--

[schutzen-jager]

For what it's worth, the listing I have suggests your gorgeous rifle was produced in November of 1942. Be it then, or as suggested in another post as August of '43 -- still a rifle VERY much worth keeping!
I am curious re the 314489 UltiMAK photo. As far as I know (generally, not much ;)) -- UltiMAK is a 'scope mount? Just curious....
geo
# 1850063 number -
1943 date taken from Springfield Armory records - - currently own a Sept. 1942 _ serial is 937XXX - 1942 serial numbers end at 1,090,310 -

[georgerkahn]

# 1850063 number -
1943 date taken from Springfield Armory records - - currently own a Sept. 1943 _ serial is 937XXX - 1942 serial numbers end at 1,090,310 -

Thank you, shutzen-jager! I, some years back, purchased a Fulton Armory M1 Garand (with a new Kreuger barrel) which was advertised as, "Springfield Armory Garand M1 – .30-’06 S/n 1,007,xxx -- November 1942 manufacture -- with NM trigger and John Garand mods." The listing went on to state, "M1s manufactured by the Springfield Armory with serial numbers between 940,251 and 1,008,899 were made in November 1942." Your data shows, "1942 serial numbers end at 1,090,310 " -- which does fit mine in at Fulton's stated date.
I (foolishly) simply Googled the number of OP's, and that's where I got the (0bviously, thanks to you, incorrect) date.
Is there an accurate source on Internet for Garand manufacture dates? Again, obviously, when one Googles -- results are not always (duh!) accurate. I checked OldGuns.net Military manufacture date reference (https://oldguns.net/sn_php/mildateslookup.php) and they, too, confirm your 1943 dating -- but provide no month.
Sorry vis pasting a wrong year, and thanks for correction! Again, if you know of an accurate site?
geo

[schutzen-jager]

Scott A. Duff site + books with info he obtained directly thru Springfield Armory, Winchecher, IH,H+R, + government records - i also made a mistake + typed 1943 + not 1942 in my reply -

[schutzen-jager]

https://www.nps.gov/spar/learn/historyculture/u-s-m1-garand-rifle-production.htm#:~:text=Below%20is%20a%20list%20of% 20serial%20numbers%20for,A.%20Duff%2C%20The%20M1%2 0Garand%3A%20World%20War%20II.

[Kestrel4k]

Those Ultimaks are the best scout rail; have two myself. Pretty spendy @ $200 but well-worth it.

[RudyN]

You have a very nice Garand. As the others have said it is probably a NM Garand. Enjoy it, as they are gret rifles. Mine was made in February of 1943 and shoots quite nicely.

[pworley1]

"Garand thumb" is a real thing. If you are unfamiliar with loading the Garand watch your thumb and enjoy the rifle.

[wv109323]

The rear sight has the NM aperture. Rotation of 180 degrees changes elevation 1/2 minute. the rear sight base could be regular issue or National Match. The "clicks" of the NM sights are less than regular sights . If you lock the op rod back you should be able to see info on the barrel. You should be able to see a date and manufacturer. CMP sold several grades of Garand Rifles. The op-rod, trigger group, and bolt should be marked as to the manufacturer. Of course collectors are looking for rifles with matching parts.

[405grain]

As Winger Ed pointed out in post #6, the M1 Garand was designed for 30-06 ammo in a specific pressure and bullet weight range. Too much pressure, or too heavy a bullet, and you risk bending the operating rod. Read up on reloading for the M1 Garand and select loads that it will like. Generally, you can't go wrong with 150 grain bullets and IMR-4895 loaded to around 2700 fps. Don't shoot bullets heavier than 180 grains, and don't use higher velocity factory loads.

[Baltimoreed]

Don’t be this guy.314719

[Idaho45guy]

Don’t be this guy.314719

I wish I was that guy, lol.

My bolt is currently locked backoV6ut and I'm trying to figure out how to release it without injury.

[georgerkahn]

I wish I was that guy, lol.

My bolt is currently locked backoV6ut and I'm trying to figure out how to release it without injury.

Hold the op rod handle back with your right hand and depress the follower using fingers of your left hand. As long as you hold follower back -- no harm!
My first suggestion is to click on, https://archive.org/details/gunmanual_Cmp_M1_Garand/page/n1/mode/2up and read this wonderful pamphlet. They clearly explain all operation you need to know vis the M1 Garand.
A supplemental suggestion, too, is for you to, in your Browser, type in " m1 garand operation ", and the, third or fourth result is McLeagueLibrary.org's "Maintenance Guide For Non-Military Organizations" mini-book ;) on pretty much any/all you might need to know vis operation of your rifle, as a second source.
Best!
geo

[johnho]

There are a couple of good posts here from knowledgeable folks. for further info I'd suggest registering on the CMP website and posting what you have there in the Garand and Bolt Action sections (for that rifle) and see what they have to say also. https://b34da70920f9-006155.vbulletin.net/ Oddly that is the website link, they recently changed it.

[schutzen-jager]

it's a shame but fwiw the CMP forum website is currently a horror story since they improved it well over a month ago - - can't register. can't sign in, can't post, can't receive notifications, + etc. - participation has dropped drastically

[johnho]

I know a lot of folks have had problems with it. For some reason I didn't. I did have to sign off and open the new site and log back in and it's been ok. I'd love for John Beard to comment on that 1903.

[alamogunr]

Nice Rifle! I always enjoy shooting "family guns".

I have an Amega Mounts scope mount for my one of my Garands. They say the mounts from CMP were their's in case you need a part or instructions. Do you have the stock part that the mount replaced? Not needed, but I like to keep all the parts.

The rear sight does not look right in the picture. Does it have a lens?

Consider joining the Garand Collectors Association. They put out a great magazine and membership only costs $25/year.


Be prepared for erratic delivery of the magazine. I joined up a few years ago and did not renew because I wasn't sure that they were still active. Also the content didn't fit my interests well.

Such is the problem with organizations publications that rely on volunteers to put out the magazine.

[Digger]

# 1850063 number -
1943 date taken from Springfield Armory records - - currently own a Sept. 1942 _ serial is 937XXX - 1942 serial numbers end at 1,090,310 -

Thank you also for the reference ... with that , my receiver is june ,1941 ..:smile:

[Idaho45guy]

I found the ammo for it, and the CMP paperwork.

314847

[LeonardC]

Looks like you are all set to go shooting!

As to the Garand Collectors Association: I think it is a wonderful group. These are people that care enough to volunteer their time! The Journal comes out quarterly; I don't think I've ever not gotten an issue since I joined several years ago. I don't wait for it but I always enjoy reading it when it comes.

Today I was reading the current Journal, Spring 2023. Things that caught my eye right away were "The 25th Anniversary of Saving Private Ryan: An Interview with Captain Dale Dye (USMC Retired)" and "From the Armorer's 'Workbench - Short Stroking". 42 pages total.

Our gun club had a military shoot several years ago and GCA sent me several back issues of the Journal to hand out. I still have copies of Fall 2018, Winter 2018, and Spring 2019. If the OP would like to read them so he can see for himself what's inside I'd be happy to send a set. Drop me a PM with a snail mail address. I don't see a SLED in your ammo box; I will include a SLED blueprint so you can make one.

I think if you buy "stuff" from the CMP you have to be a member of an affiliated club. GCA is such a club.

[Rickf1985]

Yes, You do need to belong to one of their listed affiliate clubs in order to purchase guns or ammo. I would never purchase ammo from them since it is triple normal cost but they use that money to support their megadollar ranges. The funny part is that the NRA is not considered as one of their qualifying clubs! As far as the GCA goes, If you have a Garand or even an interest in Garands you need to belong the GCA.

[wksimple]

The Garand is also a great cast bullet rifle, although the 1:10 twist limits max velocity a little. Optionally, you can get a gas plug with a valve in it so that you can 'turn off' the semi-auto function for lighter cast loads (when it won't cycle reliably), or as some of us have done, buy an extra gas plug and just drill it out. That way, with loads which you want to cycle you use the proper gas plug and for loads that you don't want to cycle you use the drilled out plug. Because the gas system is just a small hole n the bottom of the barrel near the muzzle, it is very tolerant of lube, lead, PC, etc.

I just found this old thread and would like to know how you "drill out" the gas plug. I want to shoot light cast loads and hand-cycle the action. What size drill,etc? Thanks..