Keeping The Garand Running

General George S. Patton called United States Rifle, Caliber .30, M1 (most commonly known as the M1 Garand), "The greatest single battle implement ever devised by man." I agree, as there was nothing to compare with the Garand manufactured during the course of World War Two. Today, these rifles are often worn and in need of parts replacement.

The rifle is often accurate and accurizing is a concern but there are basic considerations that need to be covered with the Garand before we begin firing the rifle for accuracy. If the rifle isn’t functioning correctly then a loading program isn’t going to help. We will get the piece up and properly functioning before we do anything else. Most Garand rifles are over sixty years old, notwithstanding the new production Springfield M1 rifles that are basically identical to the originals.

A hard used Springfield would certainly show some of the same problems the original did. Some Garand rifles in circulation are made up from new parts with older parts in kits used to put the rifle together. As such, performance may vary. It is generally agreed that the later model production, from the Korean War forward, is the most desirable and consistent as a shooter versus a collectible. Even the end run production rifles and the Beretta versions, both nice peacetime rifles, are getting pretty old.

Some are tired and in need of replacement parts. 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 like the idea of deploying steel and walnut with a little history.

Whichever rifle you choose, Garands are firearms we all like to shoot and shoot a lot, however, many shooters desiring Garands don’t always know what to look for in used rifles and a gun show pick may leave them disappointed. This report will help in servicing a fine old rifle, as the information may have been lost save for the resurgence of popularity of this old warhorse.

I have done considerable research—which I enjoyed a great deal—and now better know how to keep my modest battery of Garand Rugged and reliable, the action seldom gives trouble. rifles operating as well as any others that I am called upon to service, examine, or modify. Let’s go straight to the problem areas of the Garand, learning how to detail strip the rifle and how to handle shooting problems.

As is common with many firearms, there may be several possible causes for a given malfunction and a single design may have several faults. Wartime Garands had more than one gas cylinder design during the course of production. They all work basically the same but the later versions are the more desirable from a shooting standpoint. The potassium chlorate priming compounds used in World War Two-era military ammunition combined with environmental issues often caused corrosion.

The Pacific and China Burma India theater of operations were particularly harsh. When this corrosion attacked the gas cylinder, the result was often short cycles as allowed gas to flow past an eroded gas piston, resulting in less energy to operate the rifle. There were several stop gaps used during the war which were

Treat them with respect if you attempt to polish the action. The hammer hooks may be polished if necessary but quite often the two stage trigger is smooth enough for service use as issued. basically field expedients. One was to cut perhaps 3/8 inch at a time off the operating rod spring to allow more exuberant recoil and a greater likelihood of function with less gas pressure.

Another fix often used in wartime—and I admit no personal experience with this one—was to clean up the corroded piston, weld up the front and 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. Just the same, it can be done and rather quickly.

As for the dimensions of the gas cylinder, they are exact. The gas piston should be 0.527 in diameter and the cylinder 0.5320 inside diameter. Occasionally an oversize gas cylinder will be encountered causing the same problem as a corroded piston. Gas runs around the oversize cylinder and pressure is lost. The only thing to be done is to change the gas piston. Note the 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 for far more common than battering but a too tight Simply check for the places the bolt rides and you will be on the money. The operating rod spring may be modified to an extent but care but be taken in addressing this spring. piston and cylinder could batter the rifle. A similar battering problem can be caused by too hot handloads.

A bent ammunition follower is another source of malfunctions, commonly caused by an attempt to jam the loaded en bloc clip into the magazine. The clip cannot be jammed into place and must be carefully lined up. The follower should be replaced if bent, however, I have enjoyed some success in carefully straightening the follower with a

The others deserve careful study but the operating principle is all the same. The clip ejector sometimes gives trouble and may be addressed. pair of needle nose pliers. A sure tip off of a bent follower is ejecting the clip on the seventh round instead the last eighth round. 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 and a simple wipe down won’t do. You cannot use gun oil as gas piston and cylinder must be thoroughly cleaned with bore cleaner and inspected. An often overlooked step is drying the gas piston after cleaning. Leaving the parts wet with lubricant may cause short cycles. In its proper place, lubrication of the Garand is essential but the gas piston runs dry. As for the proper lubrication, certain areas need attention or the rifle simply will not function.

They are the locking lugs on the bolt, rear of the bolt and 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 and varnished lubricant entering and becoming encased in the locking recesses of the receiver. This foreign matter prevents proper action of the bolt. Clear- They seldom give any type of trouble. It must be properly loaded.

If the bullets stick out too far in the cartridge case and run forward, they will not feed. ing 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 but seems to work. Old timers swear by this technique. This procedure must be performed at the firing range and done while observing all safety rules.

With hearing and eye protection in place, triple check the rifle to be certain it is unloaded. Lock the bolt to the rear. With a fully

A good hand will give a shooter with a box magazine rifle a run for their money. assembled rifle, two to three drops of oil are poured in the muzzle and allowed to seep down over the rifling and past the gas port. Load and fire two rounds. The oil is forced through the gas port and cleans the port. Clear the rifle (depress the clip release on the left side of the receiver if more than two rounds were loaded) 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, the port may be cleaned without firing. Taking care not to enlarge the gas port, carefully use a small rod to clean it out. The normal dimension for the gas port is 0.0805 and if it is enlarged the action of the rifle will be adversely affected. Remember, rearward action and the cocking stroke is controlled by gas pressure. Accidentally enlarging the port results 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 but damage results. Finally, do not neglect gas piston alignment. If dropped, the piston may have been damaged. If out of alignment proper gas seal is not 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 under the ejector, congealed powder and other sticky things that prevent proper function. Replace the ejector if needed. Loading Procedure When firing the Garand it is imperative that the proper ammunition be used. Handloaders know that me-

The parts are not difficult to work with. dium burning powder works fine and attempts to hot rod the Garand results in a bent operating rod. Slow burning powder cannot be used in this action. At present, the best ammunition for the Garand is the Hornady Match Z#81170 using the 168 grain A Max bullet and clearly marked M1 Garand on the box. 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 with the eight round en bloc clips. And these are true clips, although most folks persist in calling magazines clips as well. Since most Garand shooters today have not been exposed to formal training, a primer is sometimes needed to prevent warped or bent parts. A skilled Garand shooter with a bandolier of ammunition can give a shooter with a detachable magazine rifle a run for his money. To load the Garand, begin with the bolt locked to the rear.

The hand moves to the bolt with the eight round en bloc clip held between the thumb and forefinger. 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 and the bolt releases, flying forward to load the rifle. Without this proper sequence internal parts related to the magazine may be damaged and the rifle will not function properly.

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. The tip of the ejector may be filed or ground if this is the case. More frequently, debris in the magazine causes problems. 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. Hooks on this catch must be examined for breakage and replacement with anew part is the only cure. 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 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 M 1 Garand, but things happen with the best of rifles. Concerning trigger action, there are obvious problems with the Garand hammer.

When the hammer will not stay cocked, the hammer hooks are probably broken and the only recourse is replacement of the hammer. As for trigger action, there is a means of working it 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, just make the hooks smoother for a lighter release.

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 its history 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 well. AG