Navy Garand MK1MOD1

Navy MK2 MOD 1 Garands (My Nomenclature is incorrect in the title)

How many of you Garand fans were ever able to shoot the Navy MK2 Mod1 Garand in competition? In 1967 I was a systems engineer on the Navy TALOS program at White Sands Missile Test Facility. One of the Naval officers was a member of our local rifle club and was able to borrow a couple of MK2 MOD1 rifles from a friend of his – CWO Frazier (I believe) who was building Navy Match rifles. The officer and I were friends so he let me borrow one for a while. I managed to shoot them in five matches over a two month period.

The rifle was a MK2 Mod1- Grade ”B”. I knew nothing about the differences of the various Navy 7.62 Garands until I bought the Book of the Garand. Unfortunately I failed to record the S/N. I believe that it was a Grade “B” because it had no magazine block, was glass bedded, and came with standard service sights. I installed front and rear NM sights and was able to use it in five matches. I was primarily a bolt gin shooter with micro adjustable receiver sights and a front hooded aperture sight so I was probably not the best tester to be found. I had used the M1 sights on My NM M1 so was not totally unfamiliar with M1 sights.

For the testing I used FA65- Lot 25- M118 -7.62 ammo, as I was not allowed to use handloads. I managed to shoot the rifle in five matches. One of the matches was terminated for rain after the 200 yard stage so averages for 200 yards cover all five matches but the averages for 300 through 600 yards and total cover only four matches:
200 yard OH avg 86 Hi 91-0X
200 yard Rf avg 92 Hi 96-6X
300 yard RF avg 90 Hi-93-1X
600yard SF avg 186 Hi 192-2X
Match avg 452 Hi 459-3X
FWIW

My father shot first in his class and earned the Sharpshooter award at Great Lakes induction center in, I think, '43, using the Garand. Would that have been a 7.62 or a 30-06 Garand, do you suppose?


Bob

Bob,... I suppose it would have been in .30-'06 as 7.62 NATO didn't come into being until the mid 1950s...

My photo shows the white tip 7,62mm "low recoil" cartridge developed for Viet Nam, both a 82 gr and later 90 gr steel bullet were used.

The second cartridge is the early AMU 7,62 NM cartridge that used both the 180 gr and 200 gr bullet. The cartridge in the photo has the 200 gr bullet and is single loaded into the M14 chamber as this cartridge is too long for the magazine. Headstamp is WCC 58Attachment 102012

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bob Womack

My father shot first in his class and earned the Sharpshooter award at Great Lakes induction center in, I think, '43, using the Garand. Would that have been a 7.62 or a 30-06 Garand, do you suppose?


Bob

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Are you sure it was a Garand? I've been pulling a lot of Navy docs and they really didn't get them in number till they adopted the M1 in 1945.

In 1943, the M1903 was still the official Navy rifle.

Also at this time they didn't have 7.62 Cal till post WWII. I think it was developed in the early 50's.

The 7.62 Garand was later than that even.

---------- Post added at 10:30 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:28 PM ----------

In fact I didn't know this, but most of training they just used those Parris Dunn Training rifles. The Navy bought a substantial amount in WWII.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by cplstevennorton

Are you sure it was a Garand? I've been pulling a lot of Navy docs and they really didn't get them in number till they adopted the M1 in 1945.
In 1943, the M1903 was still the official Navy rifle.
Also at this time they didn't have 7.62 Cal till post WWII. I think it was developed in the early 50's.
The 7.62 Garand was later than that even.
---------- Post added at 10:30 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:28 PM ----------
In fact I didn't know this, but most of training they just used those Parris Dunn Training rifles. The Navy bought a substantial amount in WWII.

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Yep. The last time he came over to my house I brought out my Garand and he smiled and said, "Now, that is what I shot sharpshooter on." Now, this is a man who personally owned a 1903, Kar88, and M1 carbine. He knew his military weapons and he knew the manual of arms of the Garand and how to close the bolt without getting Garand thumb.

Bob

Yes, I have. M-1Mk.II grade "A" and grade "B". The only difference between the "A" and "B" grades was the "A" had match sights and the "B" did not. Also, the paperwork states "A" or "B". The only rifle that I had with a mag block was one that was built by AMF and it was a "B" grade.

If you want the full and complete story on these rifles, hunt up the Fall 2012 GCA Journal and read the 7-page article that explains and shows photos of them all.
Attachment 102049
If there were some way to post the article in pdf form, I would do it.

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Originally Posted by bob seijas

If there were some way to post the article in pdf form, I would do it.

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Bob, have you seen this? https://www.milsurps.com/showthread.php?t=22

MK2 MOD 1 Navy Garand
At one time when I was shooting in the Far South West, we used to sometimes shoot the Long Range course (B):
I shot the MK2 MOD 1 in two of these matches
Ammo FA65 M118 Lot 25

LRC (B) 200OH/200RF/300RF/600SF/1000SF (10 Rounds per stage)

Matches

1……………86-0X……92-3X….......95-1X…......86-1X………45- 4V…..404- 90 avg


2……………77-0X ....91-1X….......92-1X…......99-3X……...47-5V…..406- -90 avg

When I first started using the MK2 MOD1, I had difficulty inserting the 8 round clip because the 7.62 MM round is larger at the front than the 30-06. I found that if I polished the clip on a wire wheel I avoided the problem.