Going to shoot an M1 Garand for the first time Saturday.

[Idaho45guy]

I inherited a bunch of firearms from my father when he passed in May. I know nothing about most of them. One of them is a CMP M1 Garand that I posted on here about earlier.

I began doing videos on my YouTube channel featuring one or more of his firearms and me shooting it for the first time, giving my impressions, and asking for info on the firearm. Last one was his S&W Model 29, I believe.

Tomorrow, I'm headed to the range to shoot his M1 Garand. I watched a couple of videos on how to load the clips, and how to load the rifle, and how to avoid "Garand Thumb". So I should be able to make it go boom at the range.

I bought a few pumpkins and some cheap sparkling water for fun targets to shoot.

For ammo, I found a locking ammo case with 21 loaded clips. I also found another 300 or so rounds of reloads marked "M1 Garand" so will have plenty of ammo specific to the rifle. Unfortunately, he did not mark any of the ammo with the recipe, so have no idea what he used.

Any last minute advice before I shoot a Garand for the first time?

[fastdadio]

Sounds like you're on your way. You're a gun guy, and as such will figure out the rest as you go. A couple things do come to mind though.
1, Don't ride the bolt forward when charging a round. Let the action do the work of chambering a round. These rifles can fire without the bolt fully locked into the lugs and this is not good.
2, check for high primers on every round you handle, making sure every one is fully seated to below case head depth. You're shooting reloads that you did not load. High primers in the M1 can lead to a slam fire. This, again is when the round is fired before the bolt is fully locked into the lugs.
Other than that, have fun. We'll be needing pics of course.

[DougGuy]

Got one of them PACT shoulder pads? They work!

[Hickok]

Search proper method of loading 8-round "clip"......the thumb on your right hand will thank you.

[fastdadio]

Got one of them PACT shoulder pads? They work!

Not needed imho. I've put hundreds of rounds through my Garand wearing a tee shirt. It's a heavy rifle and the action absorbs a lot of the recoil.

[Wag]

Can't wait to hear your thoughts on it.

--Wag--

[schutzen-jager]

enjoy it - keep it tight to shoulder + recoil should be no problem -

[fastdadio]

Can't wait to hear your thoughts on it.

--Wag--

He's gonna find out what a fine shooter it is, fall in love with it, and spiral down the M1 rabbit hole like the rest of us....

[Winger Ed.]

You'll shoot your eye out kid.
For your own safety---
Ya better let one of us older guys have that incredibly dangerous thing.

[1Hawkeye]

Your going to get hooked an accurate well running M1 is a thing of beauty.

[15meter]

Recoil is not an issue with a M1.

A dozen years ago my daughter brought her best friend to the range on military rifle shoot Saturday. She wanted to try shooting, so when the match was over I set her up with my daughters 30 carbine. Katie rattled off a magazine or two and thought it was cool.

Then she said she really wanted to try the Garand that I had shot in the match. I asked if she was sure she wanted to try the Garand and she was adamant that she did. I loaded a single round and handed her the rifle, she shot that and turned around with a big grin on her face and asked if she could do it again. I loaded a two round clip and gave it back to her. Bang, Bang and the grin was even bigger. Loaded up a full 8 round enbloc clip and the grin got bigger with a "can I do it again, can I do it again" after emptying the 8 rounder. Multiple 8 round clips later and Katie was offering to come to my shop and help me reload for the Garand. At that point she was about 19 and weighed 110 pounds, maybe. Recoil isn't an issue with a Garand.

Later on I taught her future husband how to reload. I think Katie keeps him busy at the reloading bench. She liked pistols just as well.

I like teaching lessons learned in a misspent youth. It's so Politically Incorrect.

Corrupting the youth of America, one day at a time.

[1Hawkeye]

Something else about an M1 is the sound they make not just the enbloc being ejected but they don't sound like any other rifle on the line they almost roar when they discharge. Then of course there is that whole sence of history thing.

[porthos]

never had a issue with recoil using ball ammo.

[Winger Ed.]

I used to know a guy that fought in the Pacific and someone asked about the sound of the ejecting clip.
If they heard it, the bad guys knew your rifle was empty and they'd charge you.

He told us that if there was any enemy soldiers close enough to hear it, they were already dead.

[Texas by God]

I haven’t shot a ton of different 30-06 rifles; but the M1 remains to be the coolest one that I have shot.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Idaho45guy]

Success! Shot the rifle successfully and all limbs are intact. Did NOT get Garand thumb and found it to be a fun rifle to shoot. The only disappointment was that the pumpkins did not explode as I had hoped, even with hollow points. Working on the video now, but did take a couple of pics...

[WILCO]

Glad you got out to enjoy the rifle!!!!!

[Baltimoreed]

M1 is the bomb for sure.

[Winger Ed.]

Way cool.

I think the thumb thing is when you push down the follower to drop the bolt (using only one hand)
and don't get your thumb out of the way fast enough. The bolt closes with much 'authority'.

When I had a Garand, I held the bolt handle with one hand, and push the follower down with the other.
Then eased the bolt past the magazine follower

[Idaho45guy]

Video is done...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4X97sZ7UgGo