Your M1 rifle 30.06 or 7.62mm

[Phil McGrath]

What have you done too your rifle too make it a better shooter, the Devil is in the details. You can also throw in your pet rifles load data.

[leadbug]

If converted to .308/7.62, do you have a special enbloc clip, or does the rifle have a magazine? I know I have asked you before Phil.

[Phil McGrath]

The only differences between American 30.06 M1's and the 7.62/.308 M1 is the chamber and the size of the gas port. The 7.62mm barrels rate of twist was changed too 1/12 for USGI tubes. The Italian made 7.62mm conversions use a 1/2in shorter barrel and op-rod, 1/2in shorter main stock and rear handguard. The front handguard is the same as USGI, I don't know if they adjusted there barrels ROT for the 7.62mm round.

Commercial barrels made by Criterion use the old USGI barrel drawing number but there rifled with the original 30.06 1/10 rate of twist.

En-bloc's are unchanged 30.06 or 7.62/308 same same doesn't matter.

[TJT]

Trigger time and reload.
Jon

[Phil McGrath]

Trigger time and reload.
Jon

Ahhh, Jon I was thinking about any mechanical enhancements.
pic shamelessly, stolen from levisdad.

[Orlando]

IMO what I think the most overlooked area of accuracy on the Garand is stock fit. Even with a new barrel your rifle may still pattern like a shotgun if the stock has loose lock up.The action must have no fore and aft movement in the stock with the trigger group removed. Also the trigger guard should stop hard with the tip not touching the housing when closing ,the further away from the housing the better. Then it takes force to snap it closed the rest of the way
Although I am a big fan of USGI wood , for accuracy I usually lean towards a commercial stock as most USGI wood is compressed. Of course commercial also stocks need some mods for best function and accuracy but thats a post for another day.
Just my opinion

[Phil McGrath]

IMO what I think the most overlooked area of accuracy on the Garand is stock fit. Even with a new barrel your rifle may still pattern like a shotgun if the stock has loose lock up.The action must have no fore and aft movement in the stock with the trigger group removed. Also the trigger guard should stop hard with the tip not touching the housing when closing ,the further away from the housing the better. Then it takes force to snap it closed the rest of the way
Although I am a big fan of USGI wood , for accuracy I usually lean towards a commercial stock as most USGI wood is compressed. Of course commercial also stocks need some mods for best function and accuracy but thats a post for another day.
Just my opinion

I couldn't agree more the stock fit has too provide a solid foundation, I've been lucky my USGI stock fits real well but it is a Overton replacement not the stock the rifle was born with. After stock fit and there are plenty of areas even with a GI stock you have too at a minimum look over, I start working on the front end.

[TJT]

Epoxy bedding, free-floating the barrel as much as possible, enlarging the rear ring on the gc, peening the barrel gc slots, unitizing band/front hand guard, adding NM hooded rear sight, and NEVER pick it up by the front hand guard--EVER!!!!
Jon

[bruce]

Bought a SG SA-M-1 from the CMP... SA 5.9 LEAD. It had a saw cut gas cylinder and a birch stockset. The buttstock is a driving tight fit. Zeroed the rear sight and put on 10 clicks. Loaded up and put the first five rounds in the nine ring at 9 0'clock. A click or windage and the next five rounds hit the nine ring at 6 0'clock. Loaded up again, added a click of elevation and paid better attention to my position. Next ten rounds were between the X/10 ring. Maybe a fluke, but that rifle has not ever needed anything done to it at all. The initial shooting was done w/ Danish M-2. Ran out of that a number of years ago. Have found selected lots of HXP M-2 that produce nice round 2 1/8 inch ten shot groups. I don't waste those lots of ammo fiddling around and practicing. Remarkable rifle!

I have some other M-1 rifles that have needed a bit of attention. I have used hardwood veneer from Hobby Lobby to shim/bed loose stocks to get the best possible fit of my rifle. Once while trying to diagnose a problem w/ a rifle I drove a business card between the gas cylinder and barrel. I then wrapped it with a heavy rubber band. Believe it or not, with the shimmed stock, that rifle started shooting nice round groups... no flyers. Once I got the gas cylinder properly tightened up, it would keep a ten shot string under 3 inches. Maybe not outstanding by some estimates, but to my eyes... very wonderful.

I've found that the triggers of most M-1's are very usable w/o a lot of fiddling around. However, the nice crisp triggers of match prepared rifles certainly make them easier to use, especially in off-hand.

I've not had any rifles with problematic rear sights.