The M1 Garand: A Troubleshooting Checklist

We’ve all seen many articles over the years on accurizing the Garand rifle. (I wrote one myself that appeared in these pages back in December 07.) In this report, however, I’m going to take a step backward and deal with common problems and basic troubleshooting of the Garand. After all, if the rifle isn’t functioning properly, it can’t be accurized until the problems are corrected. In other words, we have to get the piece up and running first.

Remember, most of the Garand rifles are over 50 years old, and many are quite "tired" by now. Some are made up from various "new" parts with older "kits" used to put them together, and even the high-quality Beretta version’basically a well-puttogether peacetime rifle’is getting pretty old. The new production Springfield M1 is a fine rifle, but given enough use this version can also suffer from a problem or two.

So let’s get straight to the problem areas of the Garand and the various possible causes for each type of malfunction. Keep in mind that any given rifle can have several faults, which can, of course, confuse the issue and disguise the source of the trouble. The first thing I should mention is proper loading. Since most Garand shooters are not ex-military people in this day and age, you might have to show your customer the proper loading procedure for the Garand so that they don’t warp or bend parts.

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. The bolt then releases, flying forward to load the rifle.

With any other sequence, internal parts related to the magazine can be damaged, with malfunctions being the eventual result. In wartime Garands, there were several different gas-cylinder designs. They all work basically the same, but the later versions are the more desirable. The Chlorate priming compounds used in military ammunition This is one part that is seldom a source of trouble. often caused corrosion.

When corrosion attacks the gas cylinder, this causes short cycles as gas is allowed to flow past the piston. A stop-gap cure used in wartime was to cut about 3/8 inch at a time off the operating rod spring to produce more exuberant recoil and a greater possibility of function with less gas pressure. Another wartime fix’and one I have no experience with’was to clean up the corroded piston and weld up the front, then polish to a .527inch diameter. With the availability s ger necessary.

Just the same, it can be done and done rather quickly. The gas piston should be .527 inch in diameter. The cylinder measures .532. Occasionally an oversize gas cylinder will be encountered. This situation causes the same problem as a corroded piston. Gas runs around the piston and pressure is lost. The minimum tolerance between the piston and cylinder is .005 inch. Don’t attempt a tighter fit; there must be a certain amount of blow-by or the action will cycle too vigorously, result-

Above center: This is a bird’s eye view of the gas port. The port is visible just ahead of the gas piston. ing in battering. A similar battering problem can come from overloaded or too-hot handloads. A bent ammunition follower is another cause of malfunctions. A common cause of a bent follower is an attempt to jam the loaded en-bloc clip into the magazine. The clip can’t be jammed into place; it must be carefully lined up.

The follower should probably be replaced if it is bent, although I’ve successfully straightened a few with needle-nose pliers. A sure tip-off to a bent follower is the ejection of the clip on the seventh round. (The Garand en-bloc clip holds eight cartridges.) This leaves a single unfired round in the ejected en-bloc clip. The fol- One is a disassembly pin; the other is actually a line-up pin that is not removable.

Also note the sharp, well defined edges of these hammer hooks’a sign of a rifle that’s in excellent condition. lower guide that sticks can sometimes cause malfunctions. A thorough cleaning and lubrication might solve the problem. If not, replace the part. Other malfunctions can result from a dirty gas piston. A simple solvent wipe-down doesn’t usually work with gas pistons. Gas pistons should be thoroughly cleaned with bore cleaner, which should also be used to clean the cylinder. Be sure to dry the gas

piston after cleaning. Leaving the parts wet with lube can cause short cycles. In its proper place, lubrication of the Garand is essential. While lubrication is not an art form, certain procedures must be followed. Put a light film of oil on the locking lugs on the bolt, the rear of the bolt, and the cocking-lug recess that lies in the operating handle. If a light oiling doesn’t keep these parts moving properly, you need to look elsewhere for the problem; more oil isn’t going to help.

Another cause of malfunction is dirt, brass shavings, and/or varnished lubricant 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 can be cleaned after removing the gas cylinder. The Army method of cleaning the gas port sounds a bit rough, but it seems to work and old timers swear by this technique.

With the rifle fully assembled, two to three drops of oil are poured in the muzzle and allowed to seep down over the rifling and past the gas port. The rifle is then fired twice, and the oil is forced through the gas port. Clear the rifle and lock the bolt to the rear after this procedure, then check the cylinder and swab the oil out. This can be repeated if necessary. If you can’t fire the rifle, the port may be cleaned manually.

You can use a small rod to clean the port, taking care not to enlarge it in the process. The normal opening for the gas port is .0805 inch. Remember, rearward action (the cocking stroke) is controlled by gas pressure; enlarging the port would result in accelerated action and battering. You could 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 these gas ports.

Whatever might have been used, I’m sure the idea seemed good at the time. While we’re on the subject of gaspiston problems, don’t neglect the piston alignment. If the rifle has been dropped, the gas piston may have been damaged, and if it’s out of alignment, a 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 can cause feeding problems. A sure sign of a too-long ejector is the point of the bullet 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 for debris under the ejector; congealed powder and other sticky things can prevent proper function. Replace the ejector if needed. The clip ejector is another part to be aware of.

It is not unknown for a clip ejector to have a sharp point. It might have come that way from the arsenal and the sharpness could have developed from wear. The ejector may not allow the clip to be fully depressed into the magazine if the ejec- Left top: The Garand receiver has grooves and guides that can store lots of dirt, debris, and congealed oil. Old lubricant can turn into varnish and stop the rifle from operating. Toward the rear of the receiver you will see two guides, one on each side.

These guide the loaded en-bloc clip into the magazine. Left bottom: This is the bottom view of the Garand magazine. The follower and clip ejector should be examined for excessive wear and sharp edges.

tor is too sharp. The tip of the ejector can be filed or ground off if necessary. More frequently, it’s debris in the magazine that causes problems, but if that’s ruled out, take a look at the clip ejector. I should insert a few words on function here. The clip latch moves the operating rod out of engagement as the rifle is loaded. If the rifle doesn’t load properly, something is obviously wrong in the loading apparatus. The operating-rod catch may be sticking.

There are hooks on this catch that should be examined for breakage. Anew part is the only solution I know of for broken hooks. As for ejection difficulties, there are several possible causes. A rough chamber is always a possibility that should be considered. For several reasons, the Garand’s chamber is more prone to corrosion than that of a boltaction rifle. Camming action in loading is not as strong with an automatic as with a bolt-action.

A copper brush and a liberal dose of bore cleaner will remove any fouling in the chamber. Another tip for proper function is to polish the bolt. The bolt can be polished at the rear with a polishing cloth. The forward bolt lugs can be stoned for function and ejection. Extractors should also be checked at this point. Extractors are usually trouble free in the M1 Garand, but things happen, even with the best of rifles. There are some obvious problems with the Garand hammer.

When the hammer will not stay cocked, the hammer hooks are probably broken. The only recourse is replacement of the hammer. As for the trigger feel, the action can be smoothed 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 can be filed with a needle file just until they’re smooth. You’re actually reducing engagement, so go easy with the file.

The Garand is a rugged and reliable old warhorse, but like any piece of machinery, it will wear eventually with use. To me, it’s an honor to help keep such apiece of our history healthy and running strong. I