M1 Garand Help

[SGT K]

My Department has recently received M1 Garands that we plan to use for ceremonial rifles. The rifles have tube-type blank firing adapters screwed onto the barrel.

We would like to work the action between rounds fired as part of the ceremony and I would like to remove the blank adapter. I have attached a photo, and it appears to me that the gas cylinder lock has been removed to install the blank adapter. If the gas cylinder lock has been removed I do not have them.

I will be the first to admit I don't know a lot about the Garand and I am new here. Am I going about this problem the right way? Do you have any other suggestions?

I can not alter the rifles so they can not be put back in the condition I received them.

Thanks for any help.

Paul

Information

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[Maple_Leaf_Eh]

If you got them from CMP, contact them for questions and advice.

[P. Greaney]

You doubtless received these rifles from the Army.
The barrels have been drilled out and tapped to enable the blank firing device to screw on.
As you can see there is a place on the end of the blank firing device to use a wrench to unscrew the device.
However, it is not necessary to remove it to enable having to work the action between shots.
You can obtain aftermarket gas cylinder plugs that can be set to bleed off the gas from each shot, which then require the bolt to be drawn rearward to eject the spent cartridge and release the op-rod handle to strip the next cartridge from the magazine.
As you either know or will find out, the barrel cannot be cleaned without removing the blank firing device.
I suggest you leave the blank firing device in place except for cleaning the barrel.
I also suggest you contact your POC with the Army and discuss the matter with them.

[Sarge]

That is a civilian BFA commonly advertised in World War 2 magazine, VFW & DAV mags and on the internet. They are commonly used by reenactors.
NOTHING was done to the rifle to install it! The gas cylinder lock was removed and the BFA installed and the gas plug put back in.
To do what you want to do you may have to buy the lock, don't know if you can get them from the Army or not, but it is worth asking.
I think you would be better off to use the rifles as is instead of doing the manual cycling for each shot. I would guess you got that idea from watching modern military funerals where they hand cycle the M16.
Sarge