# M1 Garand as only center fire rifle



## mooman (May 19, 2008)

I'm not a huge gun collector and with many other projects (garden, livestock, orchard) I'm not looking to spend a ton on my "prep arsenal". I currently have: remington 12 gauge and a .22 bolt action.

I will eventually get a semi auto pistol as well but would like to get a higher caliper semi auto rifle first. I may go deer hunting with it, I will certainly target shoot with it but I really just want a reliable semi auto rifle that shoots 30-06.

I'm looking at the Remington 750, BAR and a M1 Garand. I like the idea of owning a piece of history, but also want a reliable, usable rifle that can take down a deer and be used in a SHTF senerio.

give me pros and cons please

ps im looking at M1s for the civilian marksmanship program that seem to go for about the same price as a new 750


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## Pops2 (Jan 27, 2003)

Pros
Bloc clips for fast reload
Can break engine blocks
Long range accuracy & performance
Lots of potential to upgrade all the way to sniper rile accuracy
Ammo readily available
Can kill anything that walks the North American continent
Can mount a bayonet
Heavy enough to be a good weapon if you run out of ammo

Cons
Heavy
Age may cause a lot of parts breakage until it all gets replaced
Not as simple to take apart as newer designs
Long for in house CQB


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

Just my thoughts on it... I'm sure different from everyone else's...

I really like the Garand.. I love the 30.06 too, but the Garand is a really heavy weapon.. It's a lot to lug around for much time... Also, the 30.06 is a very shoulder punishing round... I'm good to get out more than 30 or so shots before I'm done for a day.... Even a couple days... 

Also, say you decide to go with a scope... I know very well about eye relief and I've still gotten hammered over the eye a time or two.. either a round that was a little hotter than the last, or you get in a hurry and forget what's about to happen... 

Also, 30.06 is starting to get harder to get, and it's also getting pretty pricey... 

I'm really wanting to get a 1903 Springfiled.. but the prices of the 30-06 is part of what has kept me from it... 

I've got a 7mm Mauser which is less power than the 30-06 but it's a little more accurate, and a lot easier on the shoulder to shoot all day plus almost half the weight of the Garand.

Not trying to talk you out of a Garand, but if I was getting one, it would because I want it as a range gun.. not something to lug around hunting, or relying on for SHTF...

Something that shoots a NATO round like 308 or 7.62 would be a much wiser choice... Lighter guns, ,and much easier and cheaper to get ammo for.


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

Oh.. BTW, you said you weren't looking to spend a lot? I guess you haven't looked at any decent examples of Garands? A very good condition one will set you back quite a bit, depending on who and where it was made.. and if you could be so lucky as to find one with all original number matching parts, you better have one heck of a savings account you can drain.. 

Same goes with a Browning....


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## TomYaz (Oct 5, 2010)

FWIW If your looking for something cheap, effective and can take abuse during SHTF scenarios, I would consider a SKS or Mosin-Nagant.


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## Darren (May 10, 2002)

M1A scouts aren't cheap but they are effective. And they can use those big ed magazines. The barrel is 18" which makes iit more handy.. The .308 chambering is still up to the job.


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

My SKS is my go to...... Great very reliable guns... Prices on them have been rising though, but you can still get one in decent condition for around $300 or maybe a little less.. 

There are however a lot of different variations of them, and if you know what you're looking for while looking at them, ,you can get a good deal on something if someone doesn't know what it is exactly they have.


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## oth47 (Jan 11, 2008)

Unfortunately,I didn't have the money to buy a hundred sks rifles when they were 89 bux each..I could have gotten rich.


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

Tell me about it.. When I bought mine, I was lucky I could even afford that... I may have even put off the power bill an extra month or so.. I got mine before the ban on Norinco went in place.

What I'm looking for now is another Norinco pre ban 1911... The ones they are selling now in Canada aren't even close to the same thing... you can find them, but they are either stupid expensive, or they have been modified too much for me.. I'm trying to find one in as close to original condition as possible...


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## dkhern (Nov 30, 2012)

i would opt for the grand or browning jmo


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

If I was wanting a piece of history, and a good useable gun in 30-06, I'd be leaning real hard towards the 1903 Springfield.... That's just personal preference though.. Granted it's not semi-auto, but it's very reliable, and lighter than the Garand... 

A BAR would be nice too, but man are those getting expensive..


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## mooman (May 19, 2008)

can you give me some tips on what to look for in an SKS?


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## Old Vet (Oct 15, 2006)

the first time I went to the range in the Army I qualified on a M1,30 caliber carbine, and the BAR (Whitch stands for Browning Automatic Rifle). The secion time I qualified on a M14, and a M60. The fifth time I qualified on the M16A1. So I know something about every one of them. They are all good for what their objective is. The M1 is for long shooting of a 30-06 round. the 30 caliber carbine is good for short fighting like on a jungle. the BAR is a automatic weapon in 30-06 to take care of keeping heads down while other guns can come up and do what they need to do but only had a 20 round clip.The M14 has a select fire mode in the you can have a semi autio or full automatic in one rifle and the 308 round is a little bit less heaver than the 30-06 round but still have a 20 round clip. The M60 is a belt fed 308 and is only full automatic. The M16A1 shoots the 225 round shell either on semi or full. The M16A2 or A3 only shoots semi or 4 round at a time never qualified with one but it was coming out when I was retiring and so did the SAW.


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## Pops2 (Jan 27, 2003)

simi-steading said:


> If I was wanting a piece of history, and a good useable gun in 30-06, I'd be leaning real hard towards the 1903 Springfield.... That's just personal preference though.. Granted it's not semi-auto, but it's very reliable, and lighter than the Garand...
> 
> A BAR would be nice too, but man are those getting expensive..


That doesn't make sense. You say the 06 kicks more than you like but would opt for a lighter bolt action over a heavier semiautomatic.


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## zant (Dec 1, 2005)

I love the Garand...buy a Navy model-.308,easier on the shoulder or you can convert if you wish.....or stick with .06.....


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

Pops2 said:


> That doesn't make sense. You say the 06 kicks more than you like but would opt for a lighter bolt action over a heavier semiautomatic.


If I was going to have a 06, I'd rather have something lighter to carry around and deal with some added kick.. I enjoy the thrill of the bang more than the weight of the weapon.. 

I was saying for a SHTF, I'd rather have a smaller round like 308 or 7.62... Cheaper and more plentiful.... 

I'd love to have a 06 for hunting and target time.. If I was only hunting, I'd want the 1903. If all I had it for was a range gun, then I'd really like the Garand.


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

mooman said:


> can you give me some tips on what to look for in an SKS?


Here's a good board to read up on them... Lots of good info.. 
http://www.sksboards.com/smf/index.php

I prefer Norinco over other brands and countries. China used a harder steel in theirs. They are worth more too.

One thing to look at is where the barrel is attached. You want the trunnion to be long, not short... You want the earlier screw in barrel and not the later pressed and pinned.. 

There is a whole lot to look at like with other guns.. it just takes some reading.

This site here will give you more great information than you can want.. Click SKS on the left side, then scroll down to all the links... This guy knows his stuff.. 
http://www.yooperj.com/


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Might want to check your state hunting regs. Currently in Ohio it's illegal to use a centerfire rifle for deer hunting. Really put a damper on my visions of owning a centerfire that shoots .45 colts.


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## mooman (May 19, 2008)

Found some Chinese sks type 56. All original first year of production. Pretty dinged up stocks but described as mechanically excellent. Selling for 300 - 350. Ready to pull the trigger on one but wanted to see if these were a good deal. Opinions?


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## Dutch 106 (Feb 12, 2008)

The major problem withn the M1 Garand is its habit of after 8 shots locking open and ejecting the clip(yes its really a clip) with a loud distintive ting! Not a problem if your with your rifle squad, but its really bad if a knowledgeable bad guy rushs you and is busy shooting you while you fumble the reload. 
I can tell you I would be grumpy! I like my M1a with 20 round box magazines, or the dang mouse gun with 30's.
If all else fails keep it s weakness in mind!
Dutch


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## Ozarks Tom (May 27, 2011)

Dutch 106 said:


> The major problem withn the M1 Garand is its habit of after 8 shots locking open and ejecting the clip(yes its really a clip) with a loud distintive ting! Not a problem if your with your rifle squad, but its really bad if a knowledgeable bad guy rushs you and is busy shooting you while you fumble the reload.
> I can tell you I would be grumpy! I like my M1a with 20 round box magazines, or the dang mouse gun with 30's.
> If all else fails keep it s weakness in mind!
> Dutch


A little trick dreamed up in WWII was to "ping" and empty clip against the receiver in close combat. Surprise!


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## Old Vet (Oct 15, 2006)

Ozarks Tom said:


> A little trick dreamed up in WWII was to "ping" and empty clip against the receiver in close combat. Surprise!


 Another suprise ie whan you have 3 or 4 clips laying on the ground or on the shoulder strap. You and load one in a remarkably short time. All you need to do is get your thumb out of the way or you will have a M1 thumb that is about 1/2 inch short.


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## zant (Dec 1, 2005)

You also could spend 90-120 to have a Garand professionally converted to use M1A magazines..


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## ace admirer (Oct 5, 2005)

Wonder how anyone could hear the "pring" of a Garand emblock after they have been deafened by the blast of 30-06? With hearing protection it can be heard 

M1 thumb is very unlikely to happen with correct loading procedure.

by the way, the Gar-ann (thats the proper prounaction per his grandson) was designed to be box magizine loaded, the war department wanted the emblock design.

you will not be disapointed with either the garand or 1903 both are like money in the bank.


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## cyrsequipment (Jun 6, 2011)

Go with an SKS, they are relatively cheap, ammo is still relatively cheap as well. From your original post, that weapon will serve you well and you can get the gun with almost 2k rounds for the price of a half decent Garand alone. 

That said, there is nothing wrong with a Garand as long as you can feed it.

Guns are a personal choice and it is very difficult to choose the right gun for someone else. Best to get expereince with a variety of weapons and then make your own choice based on your own expereince.


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## Malamute (Sep 15, 2011)

The Garand is best not used with commercial ammo unless one uses an adjustable gas plug. The original military ammo used a faster powder at a slightly lower velocity, modern sporting ammo, even 150 gr, has different port pressure because of the slower powder, which can lead to bending the operating rod. Not a huge issue if one loads their own ammo, or uses the adjustable gas plug, just something to be aware of. The M-1 has vastly better sights than SKS's. There's no comparison. The M-1 is also heavy to carry, and very thick in the middle, meaning it isnt handy to carry in hand. May not matter to many, but some of us like to carry a rifle in hand (not hands). 1903's are much easier to carry, lighter, but have a bit more felt recoil. The 03-A3's have very good sights and are generally very accurate. The M-1 is pretty easy to shoot, and comfortable. The gas action and weight soaks up some of the recoil.

I think the BAR mentioned is the commercial sporter, which I beleive is an outstanding gun. I wouldn't consider a Rem self loading sporter for any serious purpose, there's just been way too many of them that dont work that well. No offense if anyone likes theirs, but just realize your gem that never failed isn't the norm in the later model Rem self loader world. I think the old model 8's and 81's were more reliable, but none are in common calibers for todays use.


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## bigmoose (Apr 1, 2010)

The M1 is the finest military weapon ever produced on this planet. It was made at a time in our nations history when men were real men. It is a true riflemans rifle. It won world war two for us. My grandfather carried one all over europe and I never once heard him say anything about the weight. My father praised the rifle,still dose from his time in the Marine corp. He was a shooitng coach and on the rifle team. He always qualified expert with it. He taught my brother and I how to shoot with his and he still owns it. Its all a man needs to defend his family. I know this will draw comment from both sides, but its the truth.


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## wannabechef (Nov 20, 2012)

I'd forget the Garand and get a newer Springfield Armory M1a in 308


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

mooman said:


> Found some Chinese sks type 56. All original first year of production. Pretty dinged up stocks but described as mechanically excellent. Selling for 300 - 350. Ready to pull the trigger on one but wanted to see if these were a good deal. Opinions?


I looked at that... I'd be careful... beat us stocks can easily mean a beat up gun... Those pictures almost seem like they were taken the way they were to be deceptive. Hard to tell much from them at all...

If at all possible, I'd look in person before I bought a gun... I can't imagine buying any gun I couldn't hold.. unless it wad brand new in the box..

On those old SKS's, they had a lot of corrosive primer ammo put through them, and didn't get cleaned proper. One thing to look for... pull the gas tube and remove the plunger. Take a look down the gas tube, and look at the plunger rod.. I've seen a lot of those that were pretty pitted from not being cleaned with a lot of corrosive stuff put through them.


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

I would get the cmp garand , learn to cast and load for it collect brass and eblongs , practice a lot with it, maybe compete in local matches , learn it inside and out get spare parts , and you will have done more than just purchased a solution , you will have an education you will know how to work on it , how to load for it , and how to diagnose problems that could come up, you will be intimately familiar with it.

or buy whatever , buy a case of ammo and toss it in the closet and forget about it and be a so so shooter when the time comes to use it

cause the truth is ,it is more important you know how to use it well and are well practiced, than what IT is


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