Keeping Garands Running

Then Lieutenant General George S. Patton Jr. said of the U. S. Rifle, Caliber .30, M1 (more fondly known as the Garand after it’s designer) in a January 26, 1945 letter to Major General Levin Campbell, Chief of Ordnance at the War Department, "In my opinion, the M-1 Rifle is the greatest battle implement ever devised." I agree, there was nothing to compare with the Garand manufactured during the course of World War Two. Today, the rifles are sometimes worn and in need of parts replacement.

M1s are often accurate and accurizing is a concern, but there are basic considerations that need to be covered before we worry about that. If the rifle isn’t functioning correctly, a hand loading program isn’t going to help. Most Garand rifles are over sixty years old, notwithstanding the new production Springfield M1 rifles that are basically identical. Some Garands in circulation are made of combinations of new and older parts in "kits" used to put the rifle together. As such, performance may vary.

It is generally agreed that later model production, from the Korean War forward, is the most desirable and consistent as a shooter. Just the same, even rifles from the end of that production run and other rifles such as the Beretta versions—all of which were nice peacetime rifles—are getting pretty old. Some are tired and in need of replacement parts and there is always the possibility of a rifle put together with less than first quality parts.

Even though the new production Springfield M1 is a fine rifle, high round count versions just may give the same problems as older Garands. There is nothing wrong with the Springfield, but some of us prefer deploying steel and walnut with a little history. Whichever rifle you choose, Garands are firearms we all like to shoot and shoot a lot. Many shooters desire to own and shoot them but don’t always know what to look for in used rifles and after picking up an example at the gun show they may be disappointed.

I hope this report is a help in servicing a fine old rifle, as the information may have been lost save for the resurgence of popularity of the old warhorse. I have done considerable research, and I have to admit I enjoyed it a great deal. Plus, I know how to keep my modest battery of Garand rifles operating and any others that I am called upon to service, examine, or modify. We will now go straight to the problem areas of the Garand, including how to detail strip one and handle shooting problems.

As is common with many firearms, there are several possible causes for each malfunction and a single rifle may have several faults. Disassembly Clear the rifle and be certain it is not loaded. Remove the sling. Pull the trigger guard down until it clicks and locks open. A small pry bar of some type is often needed to nudge the trigger assembly out. The trigger assembly is then pulled out and down from the rifle. Pivot the barreled action up and out of the stock.

Little effort is needed but some stocks are tighter than others. Press the follower rod forward and unhook it along with the action spring. The forks easily

come free. Note how the operating arm and other parts hook and fit together. A pin is removed as is the inner guide; be certain to remember how it fits. The bullet guide sets in notches in the receiver. Remove it toward the receiver along with the follower arm. Remove the follower assembly. Push the operating rod toward a notch in the receiver, allowing a tab to clear the receiver channel. Pull the operating rod from the gas cylinder. Rotate the bolt to clear the receiver.

The clip latch isn’t difficult to remove, however, be careful not to bend it. The clip latch pin is removed by depressing the clip latch with the thumb to remove the pin. The assembly is then freed from the receiver. The stock will keep this assembly in place when you are firing so it isn’t difficult to remove. A gas wrench is helpful when removing the gas cylinder from the gas plug. Too much force on the cylinder will affect barrel splines. This is all that is needed for normal assembly.

Loading Procedure Garands demand proper ammunition be used. Handloaders know medium burning powder works fine and attempts to hot rod the Garand results in a bent operating rod. Slow burning powder cannot be used. At present, the best factory ammunition is Hornady Match (#81170) using the 168 grain A Max bullet and specified for use in the M1 Garand. Using ammunition that is too lightly loaded will result in a short cycle while ammunition that is too hot will damage the rifle.

It is critical to learn the proper procedure for the Garand with en bloc clips. These are true clips, although most folks persist in calling magazines "clips" as well. Since many Garand shooters were never exposed to the procedure taught when it was issued, a primer is sometimes needed to prevent bent parts. Begin with the bolt locked to the rear. Holding a filled en bloc clip between thumb and forefinger, move to the bolt.

As the hand lines the clip up with the slots in the receiver, the thumb presses down as the back of the hand nudges the bolt back. The clip locks in place just as the back of the hand nudges the bolt to the rear, releasing the bolt to fly forward and load the rifle. Without this proper sequence, internal parts related to the magazine may be damaged. Clip Ejector It is not unknown for a clip ejector to have a sharp point, sometimes from the arsenal and sometimes from honest wear.

The ejector may not allow the clip to be fully depressed into the magazine if the ejector is too sharp and its tip may be filed or ground if needed. More frequently, debris in the magazine causes problems. A few words on function. The clip latch moves the operating rod out of engagement as the rifle is loaded. If the rifle doesn’t load properly something is wrong in the loading apparatus. The operating rod catch may be sticking. There are hooks on this catch that must

be examined for breakage. Anew part is the only answer. As for ejection difficulties, there are several possible causes. A rough chamber is always a possibility. For several reasons the M1 chamber is more prone to corrosion than a bolt action rifle. Camming action in loading is not as strong with an automatic as with a bolt action rifle. A copper brush and a liberal dose of Shooter’s Choice MC-7 Bore Cleaner may be used to clean the chamber. Another tip for proper function is to polish the bolt.

The bolt may be polished on the rear with a polishing cloth. The forward bolt lugs may be stoned for function and ejection. Extractors should also be checked at this point. Extractors are usually trouble free in the M1 but things happen with the best of rifles. Trigger Action There are obvious problems with the Garand hammer. When the hammer will not stay cocked, the hammer hooks are probably broken. The only recourse is replacement. As for trigger action, there is a means of working the action to an extent.

When the rifle is cocked, the hammer hooks to be filed are those toward the front of the engagement. These forward hooks may be filed with a needle file until they are smooth. We are actually reducing engagement so take care. Do not change the angle but only make the hooks smoother for a lighter release. Gas System Wartime Garands had more than one gas cylinder design, but they all work basically the same.

Potassium chlorate priming compounds used in military .30-06 Springfield ammunition along with environmental issues often caused corrosion. The Pacific theaters were particularly harsh. When this corrosion attacked the gas cylinder, the result was often short cycles as corrosion allowed excess gas to flow past an eroded gas piston. The result was less energy to operate the rifle. There were several stop gaps used during the war, which are more or less field expedients.

One was to cut perhaps 3/8" at a time off the operating rod spring to allow more exuberant recoil and a greater likelihood of function with less gas pressure. This kept warworn Garands in action. Given in 1942-43 that many M1903 rifles remained in use while Garands were relatively scarce, scrapping one for malfunctions wasn’t an option.

Another fix often used in wartime—and I admit no experience with this one—was to clean up the corroded piston, weld up the front, then polish to 0.527 diameter. This was an expedient when spare parts were not available near the front line. If done properly there is no reason it would not work. With the availability of good quality parts from Amherst Depot (Amherst-Depot.com, and others, such work is no longer necessary. The gas piston should be 0.527 in diameter and the cylinder 0.5320 in inside diameter.

An oversize gas cylinder may occasionally be encountered, a situation that causes the same problem as a corroded piston. Gas runs around the oversize cylinder and gas pressure is lost. The only thing to be done is to change the gas piston and/or cylinder. Note, minimum tolerance between the gas piston and cylinder is 0.005. Do not attempt a tighter fit! There must be a certain amount of blow by or the action will cycle too vigorously.

Short cycles are far more common but a too-tight piston and cylinder may batter the rifle. A similar battering problem can come from overly hot handloads. A bent ammunition follower is another cause of malfunctions. A common cause of a bent follower is an attempt to jam the filled en bloc clip into the magazine; it must be carefully lined up. Bent followers should be replaced, however, I have enjoyed some success by carefully straightening the follower with a pair of needle nose pliers.

A sure tip off of a bent follower is ejecting the clip on the seventh round when using standard eight-round en bloc clips, leaving a single cartridge in the ejected en bloc clip. The follower guide may sometimes stick, causing malfunctions. A thorough cleaning and lubrication may help. If the cleaning and lubrication is not successful in restoring function the part may simply be replaced. Other malfunctions may occur because of a dirty gas piston but don’t use gun oil or just any cleaner.

Gas pistons must be thoroughly cleaned with bore cleaner as well as the gas cylinder. Inspect before reassembling. A step often over looked is drying the gas piston after cleaning. Leaving the parts wet with lubricant may cause short cycles. Proper lubrication of the Garand is essential but the gas piston runs dry. Regarding proper lubrication, certain procedure must be followed or the rifle simply will not function. Areas of interest include

the locking lugs on the bolt, rear of the bolt, and the cocking lug recess that lies in the operating handle. A light oil film will suffice to keep these parts moving properly. This is the baseline for function. Another cause of malfunction is dirt, brass shavings, varnished lubricant, and similar corruption entering and becoming encased in the locking recesses of the receiver. This foreign matter prevents the bolt’s proper action. Clearing and cleaning is the proper cure for this problem.

The gas port may be cleaned after removing the gas cylinder. There is an old Army method of cleaning the gas port that sounds a bit rough at first but old timers swear by it. This procedure must be performed at the firing range and done while observing all safety rules. With hearing and eye protection in place, check the rifle is unloaded. Lock the bolt to the rear. With a fully assembled rifle, put two to three drops of oil in the muzzle and allow to seep down over the rifling and past the gas port.

Load and fire twice. The oil is forced through the gas port and cleans the port. Clear the rifle and lock the bolt to the rear. Check the cylinder, swab the oil out, and repeat if necessary. This field expedient seems to work well enough, however, it may not be the best way to clean the port. When cleaning, take care not to enlarge the gas port. The normal dimension is 0.0805. If the port were to be enlarged, the action of the rifle would be adversely affected.

Remember, rearward action, the cocking stroke, is controlled by gas pressure. Accidentally enlarging the port would result in accelerated action and battering. You may even damage the rifling if you clean too aggressively. I mention this because power drills and all manner of improper tools have been used to clean the gas port. I am sure the idea seemed good at the time… Finally, do not neglect gasp is ton alignment. If dropped, the piston may be damaged.

If out of alignment, proper gas seal is not Far possible even if all parts are in specification. Moving to the bolt, the ejector must lay flush across the face of the bolt until the cartridge has been fired. An ejector that is too long or that is blocked by debris may cause feeding problems. A sure sign of a too-long ejector is the point of the bullet nose contacting the area at the top of the chamber during cycling rather than cycling into the chamber properly. The first round must feed freely into the chamber.

Check first for debris, congealed powder, and other sticky things under the ejector that prevent proper function. Replace the ejector if needed. Variations The Tanker Garand did not actually exist save for a few prototypes, none of which seem to have survived. This is a shortened Garand that seems to have much appeal among shooters. The same concerns apply. The rifle will function normally with standard gas tubes. Regular lubrication is all that is needed and the piece, if properly set up, will work well.

The Garand is a rugged, reliable, and worthwhile rifle. But like any machine it will wear with hard use. Whenever I bring this rifle to my shoulder I respect the history of it and the men who used it. When I place one on the bench, it is with genuine affection I attempt to cure its ills. I feel that it is an honor to keep such an old warhorse healthy and running! AG