Buckshot
11-18-2009, 04:54 AM
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Sometime back in the early 90's there was a huge influx of Garands from Korea (?) IIRC. SKS's were also somewhat of a glut on the market at the time. I remember a couple of the big LA gunshows where Turner's Outdoorsman (a local shooting and fishing store) had a big setup at the end of one of the buildings. They had stacks of boxes of SKS, M1 Carbines and M1 Garands shoulder high, and the crowds around them looked like the trading floor of the NYSE. They were selling 'shooter grade' Garands for $250 that were guranteed to shoot, and that was it. This was before California included mil-surp C&R's in the 10 day wait.
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I didn't want to buy one from Turners. J&G Sales in Prescott, AZ had an add in the Shotgun News and they too had the 'Shooter Grade' rifles, but they also much better rifles and they'd hand pick one for you for an extra charge, just ask for Dave. Having a 01 FFL I called them up and asked for Dave. The first thing Dave asked was if I was a collector? I said no, I was a shooter. What I wanted was one in excellent condition for shooting. He asked about matching parts. Again I said I didn't care other then being in great mechanical condition.
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I paid $450 for it in late 1993, and when it arrived it was UGLYYYYYYYY !!!!!!!! Well the stock was ugly. More like putrid, really. The buttstock was a real beat *** Birch, Beech, or some other hardwood that looked to have been soaked in old drain oil, with a big number 14 painted on the right side of the butt. The top handguard was old walnut that had been 'boned' to the point of looking like plastic. The front handguard was a brand new (apparently) piece of unsanded fuzzy Birch or Beech that looked like it'd just been pulled from a duplicater. I simply HAD to shoot it, but was so embarrassed to be seen with it I was going to put a bag around it!
http://www.fototime.com/5B0B7223412672F/standard.jpghttp://www.fototime.com/479603113BC0E62/standard.jpg
However, shoot it I did and without a bag. The only 30-06 I had was hunting loads for my M77 Ruger and I wasn't going to fiddle with cast as I didn't have the time right then so I stopped at K Mart and picked up 2 boxes of R-P 150gr SP C-L's. Danged if it didn't shoot darn well. I'm also happy to report that no one made any disparaging remarks about my stepchild of a Garand.
http://www.fototime.com/0FB381C79CB2E1A/standard.jpg
You would NOT believe the rapidity with which I phoned GPC and ordered a set of surplus Springfield Garand wood! At that time surplus powder was easily obtainable and I had a couple jugs of WC852 on hand so I called up Midway (we didn't have a computer then, but I don't think Midway had a website either) and ordered 500 Rem 165gr PSP C-L bullets. I didn't have to worry about brass, and that was a fact. All these Garands suddenly around, and it seemed everyone who had one would stop at Turners and pick up 4-5 boxes of PMC milspec ball, which was about the cheapest around.
I swear the stuff was drifted up around the benches like snow, and Kenny the range master would scoop it up with a square nosed shovel. I had bags and boxes of the stuff. When we moved to town in 2000 I went through it all and tossed all the stuff with crimped primers. I worked up a good load with those 165gr Rem's and 57.0grs of WC852 for 2620 fps. Groups at 100 yards were very consistent at 2" off the bench. Groups at 50 yards were easily an inch for 5 rounds.
I was loading up those 500 bullets one evening on my Dillon 450 and Donna came in. When she saw all those 30-06 rounds she wanted to know if there was a riot going on somewhere she hadn't heard about. One of the regular guys at the range was really into Garands and I mentioned I had one. He said if I'd bring it the next Tuesday he'd check it out for me. So I found out it had a barrel that guaged as close to unfired as possible, and that the barrel had been made or put on in 1957. I don't remember which now. Oh yeah he said it had 'Fat wood', ha.
..............Buckshot
Sometime back in the early 90's there was a huge influx of Garands from Korea (?) IIRC. SKS's were also somewhat of a glut on the market at the time. I remember a couple of the big LA gunshows where Turner's Outdoorsman (a local shooting and fishing store) had a big setup at the end of one of the buildings. They had stacks of boxes of SKS, M1 Carbines and M1 Garands shoulder high, and the crowds around them looked like the trading floor of the NYSE. They were selling 'shooter grade' Garands for $250 that were guranteed to shoot, and that was it. This was before California included mil-surp C&R's in the 10 day wait.
http://www.fototime.com/FED85F59B5C8BC0/standard.jpghttp://www.fototime.com/7D555CD4F32E5B1/standard.jpg
I didn't want to buy one from Turners. J&G Sales in Prescott, AZ had an add in the Shotgun News and they too had the 'Shooter Grade' rifles, but they also much better rifles and they'd hand pick one for you for an extra charge, just ask for Dave. Having a 01 FFL I called them up and asked for Dave. The first thing Dave asked was if I was a collector? I said no, I was a shooter. What I wanted was one in excellent condition for shooting. He asked about matching parts. Again I said I didn't care other then being in great mechanical condition.
http://www.fototime.com/1D9461136205CC9/standard.jpghttp://www.fototime.com/A73E1227E6D41A8/standard.jpg
I paid $450 for it in late 1993, and when it arrived it was UGLYYYYYYYY !!!!!!!! Well the stock was ugly. More like putrid, really. The buttstock was a real beat *** Birch, Beech, or some other hardwood that looked to have been soaked in old drain oil, with a big number 14 painted on the right side of the butt. The top handguard was old walnut that had been 'boned' to the point of looking like plastic. The front handguard was a brand new (apparently) piece of unsanded fuzzy Birch or Beech that looked like it'd just been pulled from a duplicater. I simply HAD to shoot it, but was so embarrassed to be seen with it I was going to put a bag around it!
http://www.fototime.com/5B0B7223412672F/standard.jpghttp://www.fototime.com/479603113BC0E62/standard.jpg
However, shoot it I did and without a bag. The only 30-06 I had was hunting loads for my M77 Ruger and I wasn't going to fiddle with cast as I didn't have the time right then so I stopped at K Mart and picked up 2 boxes of R-P 150gr SP C-L's. Danged if it didn't shoot darn well. I'm also happy to report that no one made any disparaging remarks about my stepchild of a Garand.
http://www.fototime.com/0FB381C79CB2E1A/standard.jpg
You would NOT believe the rapidity with which I phoned GPC and ordered a set of surplus Springfield Garand wood! At that time surplus powder was easily obtainable and I had a couple jugs of WC852 on hand so I called up Midway (we didn't have a computer then, but I don't think Midway had a website either) and ordered 500 Rem 165gr PSP C-L bullets. I didn't have to worry about brass, and that was a fact. All these Garands suddenly around, and it seemed everyone who had one would stop at Turners and pick up 4-5 boxes of PMC milspec ball, which was about the cheapest around.
I swear the stuff was drifted up around the benches like snow, and Kenny the range master would scoop it up with a square nosed shovel. I had bags and boxes of the stuff. When we moved to town in 2000 I went through it all and tossed all the stuff with crimped primers. I worked up a good load with those 165gr Rem's and 57.0grs of WC852 for 2620 fps. Groups at 100 yards were very consistent at 2" off the bench. Groups at 50 yards were easily an inch for 5 rounds.
I was loading up those 500 bullets one evening on my Dillon 450 and Donna came in. When she saw all those 30-06 rounds she wanted to know if there was a riot going on somewhere she hadn't heard about. One of the regular guys at the range was really into Garands and I mentioned I had one. He said if I'd bring it the next Tuesday he'd check it out for me. So I found out it had a barrel that guaged as close to unfired as possible, and that the barrel had been made or put on in 1957. I don't remember which now. Oh yeah he said it had 'Fat wood', ha.
..............Buckshot