Hey guys,
I installed the barrel and finish-reamed the chamber using a PTG headspacing pull-through reamer. It went pretty smoothly!
I haven't drilled the gas port yet. I'll probably end up just going to the range with a bunch of bits and slowly stepping it up. However, thanks a lot for the load data. I reported it to Criterion so they can set their spec when they begin their production run.
I plan to switch the furniture out for a new walnut or hackberry set, so I can put the USGI wood on something else, but haven't made any moves yet.
I'll post updates once I get it cycling!
Steve
How much was the barrel????
It was a sample from a company that intends to manufacture them. I guess they considered it would be cheaper to send me a barrel and see how it goes than to do their own testing. I did have to buy the finish reamer because I couldn't find anywhere that would rent a pull-through. That was a little pricey, but I'm an FFL, so I'll probably be able to charge some money for barrel installations once they go into production.
IT LIVES!
I took my 6.5x55 Garand to the range today and tried firing the rifle with just a pilot hole drilled through the barrel. It fired perfectly but did not cycle. I took the hole up to a #50, which I expected to be significantly too small, but it functioned perfectly. I fired at least 40 rounds, if not more!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83bG9HwmUIk
She's now wearing a new CMP walnut stock.
The ejection was very inconsistent, and I'd like to get some input on it. I think it's just very undergassed, but the slightly larger rim diameter and thickness might have some impact as well. Most cases landed just in front of the rifle, maybe 2 feet from the muzzle. Most went to the right, but some crossed over to the left, with the one occasionally coming rearward. The rest were in a neat little pile 5-6 feet from the muzzle at the 1:00. Do these symptoms tell you guys anything? I tried to get some of the ejection in this video while my buddy was shooting it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPJUv4j_BS8
My theory that it's undergassed might be confirmed as the weather gets colder, but I'd like to check in before I do any further shooting. I may just bring my Schuster plug next range trip and see how many clicks it takes before it won't cycle anymore. There were no extractor or ejector marks on the case heads or rims, and there were no dents in any of the cases that I checked. I'll go back and have a closer look at them tomorrow if these details are inconclusive.
Thanks for the input!
Steve
The hump on the op-rod changes the ejection Pattern on the M1 Garand, ejector spring tension/ length will also change where brass lands
Last round will go a total different direction then the prevous rounds
My garand has brass marks on the hump, with a older ejector spring with most brass going forward
with the oprod hump hitting the brass on ejection using a brass pattern is hard
You need to run your rounds over a chrono .. do not worry to much about 100 function .... .... you are breaking new ground with that caliber
load / Shoot your round to find out where your best accuracy is ../ or brass life.. too hot and the brass will take a beating and so will the oprod
then load a reduced load using that data and you want that load to just function the action 100%
then you have a range from min to max that will function
I have a 308 garand and one of the first min loads I made for it just the +- of 0.2g (thrown charge) would either function the action or not.
when the clip was full ... first round would not function 2nd maybe the rest would
Next loading added more powder 0.3 g and every one would function
Also if the action is tight it might not work 100% till it has broken in some
also I do not know what your experience is with the M1 Garand / M1A/ M14..
you said you put a new stock on it .... have you done a tilt test to find out if anything is rubbing ?
rubbing will slow down the oprod and give you problems
Thanks for the reply. I try to keep my load standard across my 6.5x55 rifles, so that's why I'm trying to size the port to the load and not vice versa. I've had a lot of luck with several rifles in terms of accuracy with a casefull of WC872 under a (usually Nosler CC) 140gr HPBT in a primed Swedish military case (with Swedish military primer). It only does 2550 fps, but it's easy on my rifles, very accurate, and I think it matches the graduations on the sights fairly well, since it's only a little slower than M41 ball.
I think what I'll do is just bring a Schuster adjustable gas plug with me next time, and see how many clicks until it starts failing to cycle. If it's more than 1 or 2 clicks, then I'll just keep an adjustable plug on the rifle.
I'm fairly experienced with the Garand, but haven't done a tilt test on this one yet. I wasn't feeling any resistance at all when assembling, but I'll take it apart, inspect everything, and do a tilt test before I go back out.
6.5x55 is for sure one of the best rounds ever developed for accuracy and effectiveness. I always wondered why it has never been more popular in the US. You have interesting project.
What do you have against the adjustable gas valve? I’m not much into auto loaders, but have always loved my Garand, which is now my sons. I’ve been working with a friend trying to get his M1A shoot subsonic and cycle. We are considering an adjustable gas valve. Any reason not to?
Agreed on 6.5x55. I think it would have been much more successful if it had the standard .473 case head and rim instead of the larger, thicker .480. But it’s still easily my favorite military caliber ever.
I only shoot one load, so I don’t need a whole lot of adjustability. I figured I’d save myself the $45 and just get the gas port to the right dimension. Otherwise they’re great as long as you’re treating them as a “set and forget” kind or device. The screws wear pretty quickly and lose their “clickyness” if you crank them up and down regularly, and it’s not particularly easy to do because you usually end up with a fair amount of carbon fouling that prevents the screw from being turned easily. Schuster will replace a worn screw, but I don’t consider it something I’d adjust often.
It’s very challenging to get factory semi-auto .308s to cycle with subsonic ammo. Normally when you want subsonic to cycle, you use a super heavy bullet to keep pressure up despite the low velocity. As far as I know, M1As have a twist rate of 1:11. This is representative of most .308s, which rarely have twist rates tighter than 1:10. You’d be hard pressed to stabilize a bullet any heavier than 160gr-175gr with that twist rate at subsonic velocities. Stabilization is critical because you can easily get a baffle strike assuming that you’re using a suppressor. 300 BLK rifles designed to fire 208-220 subsonic projectiles usually have 1:7.
I think your friend would be better served by an AR in 300 BLK. If he really likes the M1A look, he might like the Mini 14 in 300 BLK. Just getting a threaded sight base for the M1A would cover a decent amount of the cost of buying a new rifle that's better suited to it.
Just my thoughts based on my experiences trying to convert .308s to shoot subsonic. Here's one of my projects that was successful. It was a bubbad Ishapore 2A1.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k71PYW6IWnQ
Steve
Last edited by s11033; 10-07-2019 at 05:36 PM.
I think you are seeing the legacy of the 6.5x55 in new cartridges like the 6.5 Creedmoor and the 6.5-284
6.5-06 has been out for awhile and basically mimics the 6.5x55 but it too never caught on in popularity.
This is definitely an interesting project, I love seeing Garand’s and swapping to new calibers is just awesome.
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Check out my website http://www.theballisticassistant.com/
welcome to the Heretic's Club. I own a 7x57 M1 Garand that I had rebarreled a few years back. I opened my gasport up to the same diameter that is used on the 308 Win Garand Barrels and then installed an adjustable gas plug as well which I used to tune up the rifle for proper ejection of empty cases and the right amount of accuracy I was working for.
Because I know that I only own one 7x57, I use load data from the 7mm-08 entries in my loading manuals to bring the cartridge up to modern standards.
If the bore ever gets worn to the point of replacement, i'm considering have a beater 30-06 barrel rebored and refreshed into a 8mm-06
Would love to see how your targets are doing. We share the same flashhider idea so we can't all be heretics.
I Cast my Boolits, Therefore I am Happy.
Bona Fide member of the Jeff Brown Hunt Club
Regarding the popularity of of the 6.5x55 in the US, I think we Americans have been in love with .30cal since the 1903 Springfield. 7mm Rem Magnum had a brief popularity, but I don’t think it has lasted. It was only when .223s and ARs started to become popular, that we said to ourselves, maybe there’s something interesting besides .30cal. Maybe we are starting to think now, that there can be something in between too.
What twist rate did you use for your 6.5x55 Garand barrel?
What twist rate did you use for your 6.5x55 barrel?
BP | Bronze Point | IMR | Improved Military Rifle | PTD | Pointed |
BR | Bench Rest | M | Magnum | RN | Round Nose |
BT | Boat Tail | PL | Power-Lokt | SP | Soft Point |
C | Compressed Charge | PR | Primer | SPCL | Soft Point "Core-Lokt" |
HP | Hollow Point | PSPCL | Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" | C.O.L. | Cartridge Overall Length |
PSP | Pointed Soft Point | Spz | Spitzer Point | SBT | Spitzer Boat Tail |
LRN | Lead Round Nose | LWC | Lead Wad Cutter | LSWC | Lead Semi Wad Cutter |
GC | Gas Check |