What is it about the Garand?

I own a quite a few rifles - bolt, lever, pump and semi-autos. I shoot them all at one time or the other and I like them all or I wouldn't own them. But I LOVE the Garand! No other rifle that I own puts a smile on my face like the Garand. The rifle just fits me somehow. It's easy for me to shoot it well out to 200 yards and the ping of the clip is music to my ears. When there is several of us Garand shooters at the range it's magic. By far my favorite rifle and inspite of it's weight, the weight of the ammo, and the 8-shot capacity, it will be the rifle I have with me when the zombie hordes come a-callin. (ok, my son will be backing me up with a Colt AR-15 and the wife and daughter will be carrying M1 carbines but I'll have the Garand)

Anybody else feel this way or is it just a cool historic rifle that you like to shoot on occassion?

John

you're sick you know. Aberated as well. In a good way though.

For a generation, the M1 Garand was ubiquitous in photos of WWII. It was the basic fire stick that we all saw everywhere, in movies as well. As a result of that and its "soft kick," I think it has just earned a special emotional bond with us loonies that love it.

Bob

You probably like old Rock n' Roll, like "In the Still of the Night" too. So do I :)

As much as I love the M1, I'd go to war with my M1A, its younger brother. I don't need selective fire, I aim.

Like the Man said.

Plus it was WAY ahead of it's time in design and function.

It's fast, it's durable, it points like a good-fitting shotgun, and it forgives technique errors better than any other gun.

You can always count on the Garand to blow up an oxygen tank in the mouth of a great white. Remember, if you ever plan on doing this, you must say, "Smile, you son of a bit#+!!!"


Mike

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Originally Posted by ltcboy

You can always count on the Garand to blow up an oxygen tank in the mouth of a great white. Remember, if you ever plan on doing this, you must say, "Smile, you son of a bit#+!!!"


Mike

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Um, that wasn't a Garand.

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Originally Posted by rondog

Um, that wasn't a Garand.

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It was on Mythbusters...(I never saw the movie, so I have no idea what weapon was used originally.)

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Originally Posted by rondog

Um, that wasn't a Garand.

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It absolutely was a Garand. Lockbar rear sights and everything. Someone even said that was Roy Sheider's personal firearm but I don't know if that is actually true.

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...sGarand5-1.jpg

They also used it in the scene when the Coast Guard guys pointed guns at the kids wearing fake shark fins.

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...sGarand1-1.jpg

Here is more of the firearms in Jaws.

http://www.imfdb.org/index.php/Jaws

I got my first one in the early 90's. When I see one I can't resist buying it. It a sickness!

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Originally Posted by joem

I got my first one in the early 90's. When I see one I can't resist buying it. It a sickness!

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When the guys lose me at the gunshow they just continue walking until they get to the next Garand (or the last one) - that is where they will find me. I cannot say that I need to buy every one, but the late ones coming out of the CMP recently are really something. Whew.

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Originally Posted by rondog

Um, that wasn't a Garand.

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Note to self: 1)Pay attention to detail when watching Jaws.
2)Remember that if I ever meet Ltcboy when I am out
& about, I will buy him a beer because I was wrong.



:madsmile:


:rofl:

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Originally Posted by ltcboy

You can always count on the Garand to blow up an oxygen tank in the mouth of a great white. Remember, if you ever plan on doing this, you must say, "Smile, you son of a bit#+!!!"


Mike

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Let's not forget "Get off my lawn!"

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...w300h239-1.jpg
The stacking swivel wasn't closed in the movie. Bet some art department joker couldn't stand the looks of the split loop.

Bob

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Originally Posted by Bob Womack

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...w300h239-1.jpg
The stacking swivel wasn't closed in the movie. Bet some art department joker couldn't stand the looks of the split loop.

Bob

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Bob, look at the gas cylinder plug ????

As I said, in the movie... When this came up before, I actually went from frame to frame and verified that the stacking swivel was split. Perhaps the dummy they used for the still shoot was less realistic.

Bob

Of course it was a Garand that killed Jaws.

Didn't Tom Laughlin carry a Garand in "Billy Jack" too? Of course, he didn't need it with all that kung-fu stuff. Also there is the Gene Hackman movie that I can't remember the title to where he went back to Vietnam to find his son - he carried and used a Garand after their modern gear was confiscated. There were also Tommys and a BAR if I remember correctly?

What other movies were post-Korean War modern but where the hero used a Garand?

John

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Originally Posted by levallois

Didn't Tom Laughlin carry a Garand in "Billy Jack" too? Of course, he didn't need it with all that kung-fu stuff. Also there is the Gene Hackman movie that I can't remember the title to where he went back to Vietnam to find his son - he carried and used a Garand after their modern gear was confiscated. There were also Tommys and a BAR if I remember correctly?

What other movies were post-Korean War modern but where the hero used a Garand?

John

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Yes Billy Jack did have an M1 and Gene Hackman, aka., Col. Rhodes (Korean Marine vet) went back to Vietnam with Sailor (Randall "Tex" Cobb) to get his son in Uncommon Valor. Great Movie it was from 1983.

Mike

Our Sarge in Vietnam still carried a Garand. He was a great rifleman. I guess that was my first exposure to it.

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Originally Posted by bd1

Our Sarge in Vietnam still carried a Garand. He was a great rifleman. I guess that was my first exposure to it.

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Very interesting.

Mike

nothing sounds quite like the 'ping'

Went to the range yesterday, after playing hookie from work, and shot the SA and the HRA with LC ammo - found out that my range doesn't rent out spotting scopes anymore so I had to keep my practice at 50 yards in order to see the hits on target. Surrounded by AKs, ARs and Glocks but in my own little world. It was a wonderful day of "pings." There is nothing like a Garand to make your troubles melt away.

And I ordered a spotting scope over the internet when I got home so I can shoot out to 200 yards again.

I coulda swore it was a Garand Roy S. used to blow up the sharrk, what rifle did he use then?

Uh, it's been a lot of years but I thought it was an M-1. What was it?

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Originally Posted by rondog

Um, that wasn't a Garand.

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Um...yes it was. Jaws with Roy Schieder

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Originally Posted by Bodyman

It absolutely was a Garand. Lockbar rear sights and everything. Someone even said that was Roy Sheider's personal firearm but I don't know if that is actually true.

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...sGarand5-1.jpg

They also used it in the scene when the Coast Guard guys pointed guns at the kids wearing fake shark fins.

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...sGarand1-1.jpg

Here is more of the firearms in Jaws.

http://www.imfdb.org/index.php/Jaws

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No kidding? :eek: Wow, I apologize!!! :( I would have sworn on a bucket of '06 brass that it was a bolt-action rifle that he used in the movie! I'm so sorry! Last time I saw the movie I didn't own a Garand then, but still, I was sure that I remembered Roy working the bolt on the rifle. All these years, I've been sure it was an M1903 or something very similar.

I stand humbled, and shall crawl back in my hole now.....

Does that mean I get my beer?

Schlitz is fine.

3 more pages of posts

levallois,

This link will answer your question from my point of view:

My Pair - Military Surplus Collectors Forums

so you like the ping?? I like it sooo much I made a key chain out of a enbloc clip(you just drill a hole and voila!) Now when I need the ping I just tap it on something(Metal or forehead your choice) good story, a guy I know saw my key chain and said he had a rifle his dad gave him after he died (4xx,xxx)
that was cool to look at but i was new to M1 g's. funny story....my son wanted one and carried it all through high school(the key chain not the rifle) ha ha! note if you drill it on end your key or keys fit inside the enbloc

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Originally Posted by rondog

Um, that wasn't a Garand.

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Sure was. From the M1 Magazines Article "Hollywood's Superstar" , "Smile you S.O.B.! BOOM ! Roy Scheider's Sheriff Brodie blows up the giant, seemingly unstoppable shark in the climax of Spielberg's breakout hit JAWS with a well placed shot from USS Indianapolis survivor Quint's M1 Garand".

Rondog, sorry about jumping on the bandwagon. I have to remember that when I see something not to be so fast on the keys. Thought I was first on this, then saw that there was about 3 or 4 more pages, with pictures, no less.

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Originally Posted by bob seijas

You probably like old Rock n' Roll, like "In the Still of the Night" too. So do I :)

As much as I love the M1, I'd go to war with my M1A, its younger brother. I don't need selective fire, I aim.

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Just finished re-reading 'The Doom Patrol" in the Aug. 2010 "Leatherneck" magazine. Story about 8 Marines who, following Operation Pursuit in Feb. 1968, volunteered to go back to the location of an ambush and retrieve the body of a marine KIA. There is a picture of the eight marines taken after the successful accomplishment of the mission. They are pictured with M14's. Under the picture it is noted that "most of the patrol opted to trade their M16's for the M14 service rifle." There is no mention in the story as to why they opted for the M14. A bit strange in that there orders were "to make no enemy contact, travel by stealth in the dark, get the body and return. If they had run into a superior force, they were to abort, split up and get back any way they could."

Bodyman:
A friend bought me my first Garand at Camp Perry a few weeks ago during his match (I'm 55). Anyway, he has over 10 of his own, therefore knows which combination of TE/ME etc to look for, and the bore in my Service Grade has quite a shine.
This friend retired from the Navy Marks. Team, set AR iron sight records (200/600), and so I trust him "110%" on any gun or reloading issues.

bd1:
Did your Sargent in Vietnam have any trouble finding 30-06 M2 ammo at base camp etc?
It's a dumb question, but since many of our early Pacific troops in early WW2 carried the Springfield '03, were some of these available in Korea or early Vietnam, in order to have the most reliable guns?

What was it?

Laufer...

Not Bodyman. but I was in 'Nam in 1963 and 1964.

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...Did your Sargent in Vietnam have any trouble finding 30-06 M2 ammo at base camp etc?...

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He shouldn't have, as MAAG issued M1 rifles and .30-'06 (M2 Ball) -- as well as tracer, AP, and all the rest -- to the Vietnamese Army (ARVN). My experience was with a .30 Carbine. issued by the ARVN battalion to which I was attached, and I had no problem whatsoever with ammunition supply. The ARVN Infantry types were issued M1 Rifles; in some cases the rifles were taller than the troop...or so it seemed.

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...It's a dumb question, but since many of our early Pacific troops in early WW2 carried the Springfield '03, were some of these available in Korea or early Vietnam, in order to have the most reliable guns?

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I don't recall ever seeing an '03 Springfield. That's no proof of anything, of course; absence of evidence is not evidence of absence after all. My best guess? I'd be inclined to think very, very, very few, if any.

HTH

Ben Hartley

That's quite interesting Ben. Thanks. Absence of direct proof also applies to Black Hole theory etc, and nobody can prove that they don't exist.

Whenever I return from a business trip there is a strong urge to peek into the safe, at my first Garand:bow:, in order to verify that it is real.
Isn't this a sign of a hopeless nut case:madsmile:? You can be quite frank.

Frankly Laufer yes it is. Some say it can't be cured though there are a few rare cases where the infected person had had a temporary remission from this dreaded malady. Eat 2 cookiees and go to the range as soon as possible.