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Could be a number of issues, or may not even be the whole truth. Hot factory or hunting rounds aren't recommended for the Garand but you won't have any trouble in a Mosin or an Enfield provided the headspace is good. I've launched plenty of modern projectiles from my Mosin's of varying age and a selection of WWI Enfield actions, scar free. :)
With the bolt properly in battery, the M1 Garand is pretty impervious to "blowing up" with any commercial ammo, hot or not. The Operating Rod can bend (I have never seen one) from excessive use of "light Magnum" type ammo (heavy bullets and large charges of slow powder). There are plenty of modern loads that are just fine in the M1 (Hornaday, Federal, CMP surplus M2 Ball, etc.). An internet search will turn them up. Your rifles with rimmed cartridges the Mosin and Enfield 303 completely support the entire case and will be fine with any commercial ammo. I do not own a 303 but I have shot many rounds of surplus 7.62x54r in my Mosins with good results (corrosive ammo so clean immediately and properly). The "accidents" of blown up guns are usually plugged barrels, wrong ammo, poor mechanical maintenance, or improper reloads. If in doubt of the safety of the rifle, have them checked by a good gunsmith. A few dollars can go a long way to calming your wife. And remember a happy wife is a happy life.
Dave
Interesting insights.
What's that mean?Quote:
Originally Posted by pasvorto
It just means that I'm learning a lot from you folks. I am slowly trying to get a collection of WWII rifles. The Garand was on my list (if I had the $$) .
When you get one, don't worry about the RUMOR you first mentioned. Just don't worry about it...
I saw a guy blow an M1 Rifle up with a high primer many years ago. It fired out of battery, took a chunk out of the bolt runway at the right-front, cracked both sides of the horseshoe at the middle and up about 1/2" and blew the extractor out but held. His bell was rung but he still had his head! Quite a testament to the strength of the action. He would never admit to a high primer handload but I'm sure that's what it was. I knew another guy who blew up a transferable Colt M16A1 with a high primer reload. It didn't even scratch the receiver but blew the magazine out in pieces and broke the bolt in half. Another testament to strength and the fact that one should always strive for quality not quantity if reloading your own ammo!
As we've found out here time and again, you seldom get the truth about what happened when an individual's own hand is involved...
John Garand was pretty adamant that his design was very strong and claimed that 70k psi was not an issue (don't try this at home!!!), even the case head has more support than some other rimless designs. These are 50+ year old rifles and the Mosin and Enfield even older so a health checkup is never a bad thing. Reloading is a fun and safe pastime if common sense and healthy dose of be careful are used. For the Mosin and M1 Garand there are no significant issues reloading and full length sizing the cases. The 303 (again I don't own one, but do a 30-40 Krag with similar issues) can have somewhat loose chamber tolerances, fine for commercial but reloading may require a different approach. Anyway stay warm (we have had glorious weather here in Northern California but will pay for it with the lack of snow for our yearly water supplies) and enjoy your rifles.
Dave
High tomorrow is expected to be about 12 below! I do not do loads. I rely on the expertise of the commercial loaders, even if it means I pay more. I do no pack my own parachute either. :-)
I just got a Nagant M1895 pistol last Friday. I am working on getting the cosmoline off it right now. Ammo on order.