M1 Garand Safe Ammo Question

[Equitum]

So, I'm sitting here with my CMP order form to get my first M1 Garand and I find myself looking ahead to order ammo as well. The simple answer would be to order some HXP M2 from CMP as well, but there's a problem: almost no range in the area (DFW, TX) lets me shoot FMJ rifle rounds, and the ones that do are at least an hour away.

So, as I see it, since I don't reload (yet), I have two options:

1) Buy the surplus M2 and drive an hour either way to the range to shoot my Garand.

2) Find commercial, Garand-safe, non-FMJ .30-06 ammo, and shoot it at the closest range available.

I've done a little bit of research, and Fedral Hi-Shok 150gr. Soft-Point might do the trick for #2, but they also might cause a FTF or overseat the bullet while feeding and create the pressure issues I'm trying to avoid.

Does anyone know of any Garand-safe commercial ammo off the top of your head that uses HPs around the 150gr. weight range? Depending on how much I shoot in a range session, paying $1-$1.25/rd. for such ammo might actually end up saving me money over shooting surplus M2 and driving an hour either way to the range...

Edit: As a sidenote, I do plan to start reloading sometime, this summer most likely, so are there some good non-FMJ ~150gr. bullets anyone would recommend for reloading for the Garand?

 

[9H_Cracka]

Re: M1 Garand Safe Ammo Question

No range lets you shoot FMJ? Then what DO they let you shoot, since all the normal center fire pistol and rifle ammo used nowadays is FMJ (gilding metal with a lead core)????

Me thinks you got some terms mixed up here.

 

[NorthernBorn]

Re: M1 Garand Safe Ammo Question

Isn't there an adjustable gas block you can install on the Garand to allow for safe operation with modern ammo?

 

[Rainier42]

Re: M1 Garand Safe Ammo Question

Best bet is to handload your own.

 

[Equitum]

Re: M1 Garand Safe Ammo Question

They don't allow FMJ. It's weird, IMO, but their reasons are the potential for ricochet, starting a fire by the bullet hitting a rock and starting a spark, damage to the berms, etc.
It just means I have to use hollow points, soft points, etc. which isn't a huge problem for .308 since that includes SMKs, AMAX, and others, but for .30-06 I'm a bit lost on the bullet offerings. I think there's a <span style="text-decoration: line-through">Hornady 150gr. AMAX ammo offering made specifically for the Garand on the CMP website, but it's something like $40/20 rds., prohibitively expensive.</span>
Edit: The Hornady ammo is 168 AMAX, but tuned to be Garand safe. It's $230/200, so not prohibitively expensive, but still a little more than I want to pay if I can find something cheaper with a bullet weight closer to 150gr.

When it comes to the gas plug, I know that's an option, but to get the right setting for the screw for each ammo is, from what I hear, a PITA and, for those new to the platform like myself who wouldn't know what to look for, it coild be potentially harmful to the oprod or action if improperly tuned.

I wish I had a reloading setup, but that's for another day.

 

[azimutha]

Re: M1 Garand Safe Ammo Question

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: NorthernBorn</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Isn't there an adjustable gas block you can install on the Garand to allow for safe operation with modern ammo? </div></div>

Close, but on the M1 it's called the gas plug. Get a Schuster's adjustable and you'll probably be able to fire any .30-06 you want. I even use it with the HXP because it's a little hot of a load. They only run about $35.

 

[9H_Cracka]

Re: M1 Garand Safe Ammo Question

Buy the Greek ammo, pull the projectiles, sell them on the web, stuff a compliant bullet in. DONE.

Truthfully, the Greek bullets are under sized and have a very low potential of shooting accurately.

It has been a matter of course for me to do this routine for an as-issued rifle match where I want to shoot cheaper ammo (not full handload match) but have increased accuracy with minimal effort.

RCBS makes a nice cheap collet type puller that goes in a standard C or O press. The Hornady had a lever but is a tad more coin.

 

[Equitum]

Re: M1 Garand Safe Ammo Question

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: _9H_Cracka</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Buy the Greek ammo, pull the projectiles, sell them on the web, stuff a compliant bullet in. DONE.

Truthfully, the Greek bullets are under sized and have a very low potential of shooting accurately.

It has been a matter of course for me to do this routine for an as-issued rifle match where I want to shoot cheaper ammo (not full handload match) but have increased accuracy with minimal effort.

RCBS makes a nice cheap collet type puller that goes in a standard C or O press. The Hornady had a lever but is a tad more coin.</div></div>

I feel like slapping my forehead... That makes a heck of a ton of sense. Ill look up a replacement bullet to use- shouldn't be too bad to find some hollow-point that'll work. Of course, with this solution I do need to have a press... Might as well start buying a reloading setup. I was planning on getting a K31 and a nice 91/30 before I plunged into reloading, but, what the heck. Ill save money on gas by pulling the M2 bullets and seating new ones to shoot at a closer range, and I can reload the brass afterwards.

 

[Tx_Flyboy]

Re: M1 Garand Safe Ammo Question

Equitum,

Go to garandgear.com, and click on the link on the left hand side that says "shooting commercial ammo in your garand".

That page contains the ONLY EXTENSIVE testing of various popular factory ammo along with a comparison to mil-spec garand ammo and its effect on the garand op-rod.

Be sure to purchase the ported gas plug sold on that website. It reduces the peak pressure encountered by the op-rod to levels below that of milspec ammo. It does not require any adjustments, just plug and play.

There is a lot of crap/old wives tales on what ammo is safe to shoot in a garand and what's not.

When you ask people warning you of the evils of bent oprods for any sort of details, you find out one or more of the below:
1. No one has ever had the incident happen to them despite shooting commercial ammunition.
2. No one knows of anyone (internet posts dont count) that owns a garand who has had this incident happen.
3. No one can definitively say that it was the ammo alone, and not other factors such as say an op-rod with so many cycles on it that it's approaching the end of its useful life.
4. No one who claims to have had this happen has a pictures to show the damage.

That said, i own a ported gas plug from garandgear.com. I bought it because reducing the peak pressure on the oprod increases the life of this part of the rifle.

Hope this helps.

 

[Equitum]

Re: M1 Garand Safe Ammo Question

I saw that website while I was researching, and I admittedly only glanced over that daunting report of commercial ammo testing. Ill give it another read, a thorough one. I think the pressure curves that varied so much from the M2 scared me off a little, but ill look at it some more, and ill look at their ported gas plug. If it doesn't require any adjustments, that'd make life simple... I'd just have to find any old .30-06 ammo that uses HP/SP/etc. bullets.

Edit: I read the article thoroughly this time- I was misreading the pressure curves, for one thing! Their gas plug seems to be a great solution! Ill probably order it and use it even if I do end up just buying the HXP surplus and pulling the M2 ball bullet to replace with some HP/SP.
Thanks for the advice!