Accurizing the Garand

[Scott2K]

Any steers on good sites, advice, etc. on how to maximize accuracy from your Garand short of things like glass bedding, etc.? I've seen little comments about fitting certain parts of the stock. What's important here other than the obvious stable fit of the metal into the stock? Something about the top handguard shouldn't touch the receiver and the front handguard should be a little loose?

They showed me at CMP how to take the trigger assembly out and try to jiggle the receiver by pushing/moveing the rear sight housing. No movement is good.

Want to tweak the stock a bit if needed before first shooting. I do want to keep it original and legal for the John C. Garand competitions.

-Scott

Information

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[Badger]

Here's an article I found laying around on my hard disk.

It's titled "IMPROVING THE Ml RIFLE'S TRIGGER" BY J. B. ROBERTS, JR.

He says:

... IS A TASK THE OWNER OF THE TYPICAL SERVICE RIFLE CAN PERFORM WITH A FEW HAND TOOLS.

Unfortunately, I don't know which publication it came from in order to provide appropriate credits besides the author.

Hope this helps ...

Regards,
Badger

It's an Adbobe PDF file, so just click on it and it should open to read if you have Adobe Reader installed.

[Charlie59]

Check this link, then check with CMP.org for the Garand Match Rules. Accurizing An M-1 Garand see also: nationalmatch.us

[AKA Hugh Uno]

FIRST, do NOT even think about tweaking a Garand trigger to get a lighter pull (i.e. by doing what the article recommends) yourself unless you have a couple extra trigger units around, because you will very likely mess up a couple and create a dangerous or even non-functiong trigger. It isn't rocket science, but it does require a lot of SLOW and deliberate hand work and much testing;

SECOND, you basically asked how to maximize the INHERENT accuracy of your STOCK (non-match tweaked) rifle. The link to the accurization article seemed to be a how to fully "match prep" an M1 via bedding, unitizing etc.

ACTUAL ANSWER:

1. don't expect too much in ANY untweaked rifle. If you are getting anywhere even close to 3MOA off a rest with USGI or Greek Ammo, you are doing FINE.

2. A properly set up, non-op rod rubbing, tilt test passing, clean rifle in a reasonably tight stock is about all you can do without changing components or match prepping.

3. A decent trigger job is helpful of course also/

4. No matter what you do, some rifles shoot better than others. This tends to be most apparent when you have all the above PLUS a nice tight barrel with a muzzle in the ZERO to ONE range.

I have owned more M1s than I can possibly even remember, and the very best shooting "stock" rifle I have is a RRAD rebuild with a 1965 USGI barrel in a USGI unmarked stock I handpicked from Gun Parts Inc. in NY many years ago. With match reloads, it shoots very consistent 2MOA 8 shot groups, but that is REALISTICALLY about all you could ever HOPE to get. I have another stone cold MINT VAR rebuild (all matching including the walnut stock) that shoots very well, but not as well a the RRAD rebuid.

Just maks sure your rifle passing the tilt test. is properly lubed (I like to put a smidgen more grease on the ,mainspring than is standard), the stock and trigger is tight, and you are DONE. Otherwise, just keep buying CMP rifles, mix and match parts, until you get a sweet shooter.

There are of course some blarney spreaders who will try and convince certain people they can "build" you a (more or less vaguely stated) "MOA" JCG match legal rifle, but they are in fact full of much doo-doo. Ask them how many times one of their $2500++ rifles actually WON a significant national level JCG match ?(little hint = NEVER).

Again, a legal trigger job is nice and there are a good number of folkks who can do this OK (inluding moi), but it is not a do it yourself thing.

[Mark in Rochester]

Here's an article I found laying around on my hard disk.

It's titled "IMPROVING THE Ml RIFLE'S TRIGGER" BY J. B. ROBERTS, JR.

He says:

... IS A TASK THE OWNER OF THE TYPICAL SERVICE RIFLE CAN PERFORM WITH A FEW HAND TOOLS.

Unfortunately, I don't know which publication it came from in order to provide appropriate credits besides the author.

Hope this helps ...

Regards,
Badger

It's an Adbobe PDF file, so just click on it and it should open to read if you have Adobe Reader installed.

The M1 Rifle

Handling, shooting and accurizing the first gas operated U.S. Service rifle.

this is a portion of a National Rifle Association Publication

Scott

The procedure outlined is a do it yourself - to quote from the article "Best of all there is only a minimum risk of ruining the trigger or, worse, rendering it dangerous"

Reading a little further in the article we find that this is the procedure used by Mike Gingher and it will not decrease the weight of pull – but will yields a lighter final stage.

If you want to lighten the pull I suggest you read the The M1 Garand Complete Assembly Guide From Scott Duff publications. Scott Duff Publications & Historic Martial Arms: M1 Garand, M1 Carbine, M1903, Krag, M1911A1

Both procedures require a careful reading of the text – but can be done at home (I will disagree with Hugh on this point)

One simple test is to shoot your rifle with out handguards – this will remove all deflection forces applied to the barrel from ill fitting handguards.

As Hugh stated the tip test is critical.

Another critical point is the fit of the gas cylinder on the barrel. Any play in this area will yield a larger group. Penning the barrel splines is used to improve this fit.

The M1 Garand Complete assembly guide is a good resource – if you want a little deeper study The U.S. .30 Cal. Gas Operated Service Rifles: A Shop Manual by Jerry Kuhnhausen


HTH

Mark

[AKA Hugh Uno]

The procedure outlined is a do it yourself - to quote from the article "Best of all there is only a minimum risk of ruining the trigger or, worse, rendering it dangerous"

Reading a little further in the article we find that this is the procedure used by Mike Gingher and it will not decrease the weight of pull – but will yields a lighter final stage.
*********
Agree mostly with the above.

BUT, the NRA book procedure does not reduce (measurably anyway) EITHER the first or second stage. It (usually) just takes the grittiness out of the trigger and makes it feel smoother. It is essenatially what I do as PART of the overall trigger job.

Perhaps if I had a ultra precision digital trigger guage, the NRA method might reveal some incredibly minor reduction (maybe <1/10th lb?), but my spring guage would not.

The reason why I strongly recommend NOT lapping etc. on those hammer hooks is that there is a very critical period in the process when the trigger goes from ZERO reduction to SOME. That point (for me) can take between 5 minutes (rare) and 10+ minutes of careful hand work. Once you hit that point, the difference between 4.75-5.0 (which is where I stop) and a ruined two pound dangerous trigger is very minimal. Even after doing this many times (including for a good number of milsurps and Jouster folks), it is still something I do with a sense of caution and deliberation (like spraying a yellow-jacket nest).

[paul1440]

I followed the directions given to me by Larry aka lapriester over at the CMP forums to the letter and it is very close to the above process, IIRC.

It isn't that hard. But you do have to be careful because like Hugh says you reach a point where the LBs start to come off more quickly. I would make 10 passes check the pull, repeat, and then when I saw the pull drop I'd do 5 and then check until I hit 5 LB. It started at over 6.5 LB.

It isn't hard and it isn't dangerous, but you also can't go at it like a crazy beaver in a coffee lake.

[Mark in Rochester]

Once you hit that point, the difference between 4.75-5.0 (which is where I stop) and a ruined two pound dangerous trigger is very minimal.

Hugh

I Agree but if you increase the dimension the sear has to push off you add weight to the pull - this is done by removing material off the back of the trigger with emory cloth as pictured in the NRA proceedure. It yeilds a lot of lattidude if an error is made.

Mark

[LavaTech]

The companion article "Accurizing the M1 Rifle" and the M1 Trigger article are in my shared folder on MediaFire. ---->LavaTech's shared folder

[Scott2K]

The companion article "Accurizing the M1 Rifle" and the M1 Trigger article are in my shared folder on MediaFire. ---->LavaTech's shared folder

Thank you. Nice shared folder - very useful.

-Scott