Are hollow or soft point M2 Ball ammo available in the market

[Bob Womack]

The issue with the Garand is not over-pressure but timing. The propellant used in the the original cartridges burned slower than more modern formulations these days. The old powder allowed the system to work in time. Modern formulations burn faster, causing the chain of actions to proceed faster than the system is capable of. The system inertia causes the op rod to be caught in the middle between the too-fast gas expulsion as the bullet passes the gas cylinder and a still-locked bolt. BONK!

There is a reason why manufacturers offer "Springfield" load .30-06. It is loaded with the old formula powder and a properly-weighted bullet that leaves the barrel within the capabilities of the gas system and won't cause premature gas expulsion. Use ammo marked "Springfield .30-06" or use mil-surp military ammo for pleasant operation without "parts falling off the man."

Incidentally, this problem, timing due to propellant, was also one of the problems leading to the disastrous introduction of the M-16 in Vietnam as documented by Dick Culver. That problem was too-fast ammunition burn breaking up the timing of the rifle. The rifle was spec'd with ammo that reached a high port pressure after the process of obturation occurred and subsided. Obturation is the process of the cartridge case expanding momentarily from the gas pressure to seal it against the walls of the chamber. If the powder burned too quickly, the gas reached the gas key and forced the bolt open while the case was still obturated. The extractor would simply hop the rim of the case and the case would remain in the chamber, converting the M-16 to a brilliant single shot, manual extraction "mouse rifle," to quote Culver. Along the way of implementing the M-16, the modern, expensive powder spec'd for it was replaced with ball round powder left from the prior wars, and thus the mistiming. Of course, that wasn't the gun's only teething problem but they were all related to budgeting. Culver's explanation is HERE. The mention of this problem is on page 2.

Bob