School me on .308 Garands

[m14brian]

Don't know anything about these but they seem interesting to me as a fan of .308 Win. Are they just conversions from military receivers, and are they done well, or commercial, or both. What are the pros and cons? Is one worth getting or staying away from? Any best maker? Thanks in advance, looking forward to the responses.
m14brian

[Phil McGrath]

Take your M1 Garand and swap out the 30.06 barrel, screw on a quality .308 barrel ream it for correct headspace, load it, shoot it and enjoy. You can go as crazy as you want with a full blown NM build or just a barrel swap and enjoy as is Its all up too you. All USGI made 7.62mm M1 barrels SA or Rock Island are all rifled with a 1/12ROT same as a M14. Big name barrel makers anything under the sun within reason is available. Criterion barrels are tuff to beat for price and accuracy and while they come with the early Navy barrel drawing number on the barrel, they are rifled with a 1/10ROT.

Personally I would not fire a M1 converted with a chamber insert 30.06 down too .308 as there known too pull out, the Navy referenced these rifles as M1 Garand MKII Mod 0 or M1 Garand MKII for short, These converted barrels have the same ROT as the original 30.06 and being a converted chamber will have a mile long jump before the bullet enters the rifling. Not good for accuracy so do it right and use a quality .308 barrel from the start. SAI for a short time offered there commercial M1 Garand's that used both GI and commercial 30.06 barrels with USGI and Italian made parts with a 1/10ROT all of there .308 barreled M1's were Wilson made tubes with a 1/11ROT. (IIRC)

Early 7.62mm SA made barrel drawing number #11010457 5/65 the gas port was made .079 and later opened too .1065 max for function somewhere a long the way SPL was added too barrels made in 9-10-12-65 made barrels, I suspect the SPL reflected the G/P change too .1065 so SA wouldn't have too resubmit a new drawing number too reflect the G/P change. These barrel were delivered too H&R and AMF for M1 barrel conversion and will be stamped as such after the work was completed. These barrels have a 1/12ROT with NATO chamber and are the std. M1 barrel contour.

Late 7.62mm SA made barrel drawing number #11686514 3/66 there were all air gauged by Don McCoy and Charlie Frazer of the Navy's Rifle Team and will not have the H&R or AMF stamps as they were converted by Navy personnel at the SAMCU not by a contractor. Same 1/12 ROT with NATO chamber and are the std. M1 barrel contour..

All Navy rifles with 7.62mm barrels were named M1 Garand MKII Mod I weather they were converted by the Navy's SAMCU or there Contractors, and for brevity reason I will not get into A and B grade rifles other than too say the only difference between the two is a few parts and about 1moa at 300yds with LC Match ammo or Navy Team loaded ammo. According too Gus Fisher, the Navy 7.62 M1 rifles were tuff too beat and the Marines didn't catch up too them until the advent of double lugs and McMillian stocks on there M14's,. That's pretty high praise in my book for the rifles accuracy.

Rock Island 7.62mm made M1 Garand barrels were done for the USAF Rifle Team and will have the drawing number # 11686320 SPL 6/69 M118 in there legend all were rifled 1/12ROT with NATO chamber and are also the std. M1 barrel contour. G/P diameter will be .0995 they were made on SA machinery placed in storage at RI. They were most likely the very first and the vary last made M1 Garand barrels made at and after Rock Island secured from barrel making operations after their 03 rifle production ended.



Say away from Italian made type/typo 2 conversion parts they just muddy the waters and add too the confusion......The barrel, op-rod and there stocks are shorter than US made rifles.

[m14brian]

So, the receiver isn't shortened? .308Win is about .495" shorter than a .30-'06 cartridge, right?
m14brian

[Phil McGrath]

The receiver is the same as the day it was made, only the chamber is shorter 30.06 = 7.62 x 63mm and .308= 7.62 X 51mm or simply put the brass under the bullet is shorter.The overall length of the 7.62x51mm barrel is still the same as the 30.06 tube at 24in measured from the bolt face too muzzle.

[m14brian]

How do the clips work then, it seems weird with the extra space not taken away and there would be a huge gap in the action from the size difference of the rounds. Something doesn't make sense, I guess I'd have to see one in person.
I guess my mind is stuck on short and long action like on 700s if that makes sense.
m14brian

[Orlando]

Brian, dont over think it They work the same as the 30.06
I actually prefer shooting my 7.62 Garand over 30.06

[m14brian]

Nice rifle there!
m14brian

[Jersey Devil]

If you like shooting an M14 you'll LOVE shooting an M1 Garand chambered in .308.

[m14brian]

It's a little heavier, right? Would help take up some of the recoil.
m14brian

[Phil McGrath]

.308 ammo in the M1 enblock does fit/grip a little snugger because there a little fatter than the 30.06 case, but not enough too cause concern. Personally I feel that the shorter and fatter .308 case feeds easier than the longer slender 30.06 case. Rim size for both are the same. Recoil is very soft the weight of the weapon doesn't hurt either not that it weighs a ton but the biggest advantage is that the G/P is 8.5inches farther down the barrel than the G/P on the M14 is, that's the BIGGEST reason they shoot so soft, That is comparing the same load fired from each rifle.