Shooting the M1 Garand

[Gil Martin]

The local gunsmith rebarreled an M1 Garand for a fellow who wanted a classic rifle from WWII like his father carried in Europe. The guy was an ex-policeman and is now a salesman working in New York City. He needed some instruction and I spent a few hours this afternoon helping him get his rifle sighted in. The fellow was an avid student and shot very well with military CMP ball ammo. He has agreed to shoot his M1 Garand next weekend in our first National Match Course event. I like it when a story has a happy ending. We need to recruit more like-minded folks into the shooting and collecting arena with us. All the best...
Gil

[Adam Helmer]

Gil,

A great post. Today I chatted at the local club with a guy, like yourself, who runs CMP high power matches at a nearby club. The first CMP match is April 23 and last year only one shooter out of 14 shot the venerable Garand. I told him I will be at the club on 4/23/06 with a Garand.

Ok, the .223 may be a good gun, but thankfully the offhand stage is the great equalizer! I will have my circa 1964 Garand to run the course. That fine .30-06 got me onto the NH High Power Rifle Team in 1982 and 1984 and on to Camp Perry.

We both got our first Matel 16s in 1965 as E-4s and I am still not impressed. I do not own a .223. Garands are better, but I have no bias. 10-4.

Adam

[Gil Martin]

I adore the M1 Garand and the 1903 and 1903-A3 Springfields. Perhaps you should shoot and AR-15 because I am convinced that most folks shoot them better than the M1 Garand or the M1A at 100 yards. Over the last five years, I have seen a total of 500 individual shooters on the line firing the National Match Course using ARs, M1 Garands and M1As. The highest scores were shot with AR-15s or Bushmasters in 5.56mm or .223. The M1 Garand is grand, but the ARs shoot higher scores at 100 yards. Things can change at 300 or 600 yards where the heavier bullet of the .30-06 or .308 has an advantage. All the best...
Gil

[BILLY D.]

Originally posted by Gil Martin
I adore the M1 Garand and the 1903 and 1903-A3 Springfields. Perhaps you should shoot and AR-15 because I am convinced that most folks shoot them better than the M1 Garand or the M1A at 100 yards. Over the last five years, I have seen a total of 500 individual shooters on the line firing the National Match Course using ARs, M1 Garands and M1As. The highest scores were shot with AR-15s or Bushmasters in 5.56mm or .223. The M1 Garand is grand, but the ARs shoot higher scores at 100 yards. Things can change at 300 or 600 yards where the heavier bullet of the .30-06 or .308 has an advantage. All the best...
Gil

gil

i wouldn't own or have any intentions of owning an ar-15 or anything remotely resembling the m-16 family of firearms. i'd rather have an sks or ak-47.

i don't care if the ar's shine your boots and whistle dixie i still wouldn't own one.

my .02 worth. and while i'm in a really good mood, how come there ain't no damn cent sign on these pee pickin' keyboards?

[DogYeller]

Billy, I agree with you on the m-16 but I sure would like to have a Stoner SR-25.


Oh Billy, by-the-way here's your $.02.

[ltcboy]

The M1 Garand is grand, but the ARs shoot higher scores at 100 yards. Things can change at 300 or 600 yards where the heavier bullet of the .30-06 or .308 has an advantage. All the best...

While I will agree with you that the AR has become very popular in match competition, I will say this. The Garand has things that the AR will never have- class & character. I have also seen many people outshoot others shooting an AR with the M1 Garand. As far as your statemnet on the ammo- the 30.06 is probably the most versitile round out there. You take a USGI M1 recevier, use NM parts and put a Krieger barrel on it--that rifle will give any AR a run for its money. I think that it also has to do a lot with the skill of the shooter.


MIke