Posted on 12/31/2016 9:29:45 PM PST by MtnClimber
In January 1945, just months before Germany's unconditional surrender in World War Two, George S. Patton famously declared the M1 Garand as "the greatest battle implement ever devised."
The accolade is well-deserved. This semi-automatic rifle served American troops in the fields of Northern France, the coasts of Okinawa, the dry heat of Africa, and the oppressive humidity of the Philippines. And in more ways than one, the M1 Garand helped win the bloodiest war in human history.
THE BEGINNING OF A WORLD WAR WEAPON
Fittingly, the gun that would help to liberate France was created by a French-Canadian—John Cantius Garand. Twenty years after moving to America at age eleven, Garand began working at the Springfield Armory in Massachusetts on a series of semi-automatic rifle designs in 1919.
His timing couldn't have been better. After the nightmarish, bloody demonstration of modern warfare that was World War I, the U.S. military needed to replace its bolt-action rifles with a modern semi-automatic weapon that could vastly increase the average infantryman's firepower. During the First World War the U.S. had seen how useful semi-automatic rifles could be, especially the French-made RSC 1917, the first widely issued semi-automatic military rifle.
(Excerpt) Read more at popularmechanics.com ...
Have your M1 converted to 7.62 NATO/.308 Win -—— easier shooting, cheaper ammo, and same results as the .30-06 at the far end!
I have three two as 30:06 and one rebarreled as a .308 aka 7.62-51. All are wonderful weapons. From a bench rest I can make three inch groups at 100 yards with consistency using military surplas ammo. At three hundred yards I can make consistent kill shots on a silhouette. Unfortunately bad guys do not stand up to make a silhouette unless they be stupid.
However, the Garand can make the shot with assurity of a kill at 300 yards.
ps
The first time I fired my first garand it failed to function. The second round did not chamber and I was most displeased. An old “War Dog” from Korea was at the range and noticed my displeasure. I explained that I had cleaned my rifle well and applied just a little bit of oil to it. He went to his car and pulled out a bottle of milspec and said “lube it garands like being a little bit wet.” My Garands have never failed to function properly since. I tried to give the bottle of milspec back to him but he refused nor would he let me pay for itl
I looked for a video to see how this worked because I’m a visual person and don’t get it and found this little video that might help someone; maybe even me since my eyesight is progressively getting worse.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6a20stHk6k
A cheap, or even free method if you have the clip-on laying around, of getting that sight picture focused in.
Why were they reluctant to fire their weapons?
I believe S Korea has 500,000 that they want to give back.
The pRESIDENT said he was afraid they would "fall into the wrong hands.
Yeah, ours!
Gibs me de M14
I thought the Browning machine gun was the gun that wreaked havoc on the enemy, no?
Amen
Good for supressive fire and making yourself attention
Ed
Not a Marine, but had the M1’s baby brother, the mini 14 bite me hard during factory armorers school. The factory rep. told me it was a self correcting mistake. You never did it again. To this day My left thumbnail is twice as thick as my right, and kind of uneven.
CC
Garand fan ping.
Never having been in combat or even fired a rifle I probably shouldn’t be commenting here but you guys are all experts so perhaps you can help me out.
I have read somewhere that the semi-automatic aspect of the rifle (am I right in saying it was the first semi-automatic issued as standard infantry rifle to any army?) was a drawback and led to tremendous expenditure of ammunition and much less accuracy.
Troops under combat might be expected to blast away emptying clips without proper aim, whereas a well-trained infantryman with a bolt-action will take more care firing fewer and better aimed rounds.
Probably incorrect given that all armies around the world have adopted automatic rifles since WWII but an interesting theory if anyone wants to comment.
I was at a gun shop one day and an old timer brought in an M1, from WWII, in absolutely mint condition, in the original DOD rough hewn lumber case. It was gorgeous. The tool kit in the stock was brand new. It really was something to see; something that old that was in new condition. The owner of the shop was gobsmacked as he went through the contents of the crate. I was pretty impressed too.
When my Dad was drafted into the Army for 2 years, around 1960, between Korea and Viet Nam, he trained with the M1 Carbine.
I know it's a lighter weapon that fires a much smaller .30 caliber round which is much less powerful than the Garand's .30-06 Springfield. I thought this was interesting, though, from the Wikipedia M1 Carbine page:
"Winston Churchill fires an American M1 carbine during a visit to the US 2nd Armoured Division on Salisbury Plain, 23 March 1944."
Beautiful!
o Is as originally issued in Feb 1943
o Reissued to me from Aniston
o Not rebuilt from parts
o No rust, no observable wear, no pitting of any metal surface o Though throat somewhat eroded, still accurate
o I could have rebarrelled it, but choose to keep it as original
o Not shooting it for competition
o Have my own dies
o No lack of brass
o No lack of suitable powder
o If I want 7.62, I can still buy M1A for large detachable mag
You can get a “scout” scope rail that mounts in place of the upper handguard. A long eye-relief scope on a Garand may be unconventional, but it’s better than iron sights that you can’t use.
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