M1 GARAND 30-06

[Singer B]

I believe you’re thinking of 276 Pedersen.

Regardless, definitely don’t shoot 270 in a 30-06. You probably won’t hurt anything but it would be wildly inaccurate and completely pointless.

Yes, thank you! I couldn't remember the exact caliber.

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[jamie5070]

I would wonder if the rifle would function properly with such an undersized bullet

[rugersworld]

The .270 Winchester cartridge may not even chamber because the shoulder is slightly longer to prevent mis-loading it in a .30-06 chamber.
You ask "any 150gr 30-06" ?? If you are talking about commercially loaded 150gr ammo the answer is NO.
Unless it is marked Safe for use in M1 Garand, then you risk bending your op rod and damaging the rifle and or yourself and others around you.
M1 Garands were built with a limit to the amount gas pressure they can handle for safe function.
Only use M2 ball ammo or ammo that is marked safe for M1 Garand. PPU makes M1 safe ammo, and there is alot of M1 safe ball ammo for sale on the internet.

[Ex Crab]

PPU makes M1 safe ammo,

PPU makes two grades of M2, one normal and one for the Garand. I know from experience that the normal one works fine in the M1, I've fired over 1000 rds of it, but it does throw the empties around 15 to 20 ft!

[Bob Womack]

The biggest issue with commercial, non-Springfield ammo is timing. The military ammo used an older formulation propellant that burns slower than the modern propellants. There's a sizable amount of timing involved in the feed system of a semi-auto rifle. The brass cartridge needs to expand at a predictable time to fill the chamber and seal it and then contract in time to be properly extracted. The extraction process is timed by the predictable expansion of gasses down the barrel and into the gas system to move the op rod. Change the burn rate and the parts of the system can cease to interact properly. It can be a little like a timing belt breaking in a zero-valve-clearance automobile engine. In the Garand, the light end of effects can be failures to extract. The extreme end of the bad interaction can be bent op rods and damaged receiver heels. There are lots of examples of people getting by with it. It seems to work fine... until it doesn't. The odd time it doesn't work and we hear about that too.

Complicating this situation are hand loaders that can use the original propellant formula but accidentally overload their shells and cause the same results. Undocumented or poorly documented cases of hand load accidents on the Internet can be conflated with accidents from commercial loads And that is complicated by the fact that a hand loader might not want to let on that he screwed up his load. So, who knows how often it is commercial ammo vs. hand loads popping off a Garand?

Bob

[EddieM]

The biggest issue with commercial, non-Springfield ammo is timing. The military ammo used an older formulation propellant that burns slower than the modern propellants. There's a sizable amount of timing involved in the feed system of a semi-auto rifle. The brass cartridge needs to expand at a predictable time to fill the chamber and seal it and then contract in time to be properly extracted. The extraction process is timed by the predictable expansion of gasses down the barrel and into the gas system to move the op rod. Change the burn rate and the parts of the system can cease to interact properly. It can be a little like a timing belt breaking in a zero-valve-clearance automobile engine. In the Garand, the light end of effects can be failures to extract. The extreme end of the bad interaction can be bent op rods and damaged receiver heels. There are lots of examples of people getting by with it. It seems to work fine... until it doesn't. The odd time it doesn't work and we hear about that too.

Complicating this situation are hand loaders that can use the original propellant formula but accidentally overload their shells and cause the same results. Undocumented or poorly documented cases of hand load accidents on the Internet can be conflated with accidents from commercial loads And that is complicated by the fact that a hand loader might not want to let on that he screwed up his load. So, who knows how often it is commercial ammo vs. hand loads popping off a Garand?

Bob

Hey Bob
Your feedback is very interesting I really appreciate it
Regards

[Sarge1998]

There was an article in the GCA Journal a while back, the exact article I can't re-read as we moved and when downsizing I gave all my older Journal's to members of the gun club I belong to. Using the GCA Journal searchable spread sheet I believe it was Issue 34-1-23 Winter 2019 first key word "M2 Ball Facts vs. Myth". It was a controversial stance but well researched, if you have access to the article it can provide additional insight.

[EddieM]

There was an article in the GCA Journal a while back, the exact article I can't re-read as we moved and when downsizing I gave all my older Journal's to members of the gun club I belong to. Using the GCA Journal searchable spread sheet I believe it was Issue 34-1-23 Winter 2019 first key word "M2 Ball Facts vs. Myth". It was a controversial stance but well researched, if you have access to the article it can provide additional insight.

Hey Sarge,
Unfortunately, I don´t have access, thank you.
Regards

---------- Post added at 01:14 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:13 PM ----------

Can you? Probably yes. Should you? You pays your money, you takes your chances. Will it blow up? Smaller bullet, not likely. Cant fire because of the shoulder? Nonsense. 270 case length (OAL) is the same as the 30-03. Something like 0.10" longer than the 30-06, not enough to prevent chambering. Accurate? No data to prove yes or no. Shooting any 150 grain 30-06, probably OK but a 150 grain at 2,700 fps is definitely OK. If it was 3,000 fps you might want to think about it in an M1 as a steady diet. A 180 grain at 3,000 fps is probably too hot for an M1 day in and out.

Dave

Thank you Dave
Cheers

[Wineman]

Can you? Probably yes. Should you? You pays your money, you takes your chances. Will it blow up? Smaller bullet, not likely. Cant fire because of the shoulder? Nonsense. 270 case length (OAL) is the same as the 30-03. Something like 0.10" longer than the 30-06, not enough to prevent chambering. Accurate? No data to prove yes or no. Shooting any 150 grain 30-06, probably OK but a 150 grain at 2,700 fps is definitely OK. If it was 3,000 fps you might want to think about it in an M1 as a steady diet. A 180 grain at 3,000 fps is probably too hot for an M1 day in and out.

Dave

[ArtPahl]

The headspace specs for the .270 Winchester cartridge are identical to the .30/06 and so is the .25/06, the .35 Whelen, and the semi wildcat .338/06. I believe you may be thinking of the .280 Remington which has the shoulder moved forward .050" to prevent forced chambering in a .270 rifle.