New Garand Owner

[Amsdorf]

Hey guys, I just bought a M1 Garand yesterday, something I've been wanting to do for a LONG time.

Big question: I've been reading about the issue of which ammo to use in it....

Is it possible to use any commercial ammo, or should I only shoot M2 ball, available from CMP, at what appears to be a decent price.

If I shoot commercial, is there any brand/load I can just shoot without doing the whole gas gauge thing?

Thanks.

Information

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[Amsdorf]

Just spoke to the gunstore that sold me the M1. They said that a man brought it in, it is in excellent condition. It has the original arsenal tags on it and he told them that his grandfather gave it to him after serving in WW II.

[browningautorifle]

Rather than get involved in this whole arguement about ammo again I won't tell you about my personal experiences. CMP ammo is available at an exellent price in the US and if I was there that's how I would do it. The exception is if you reload your ammo you can taylor your loads to suit your rifle. By the way, we need pics of this rifle because you never know what it actually is and we would love to see it.

[Amsdorf]

Sorry, I'm not trying to get any fight going, just honestly asking about this.

I will post pics as soon as I can.

[browningautorifle]

No, it's not a problem just that some people who cruise by here don't seem to believe personal experience. They take it as opinion and tell you your wrong. For example, here in Canada we had no idea you couldn't fire civilian ammo in your M1 until very recently. Apparently it causes explosions of various parts. Sorry, never heard of it. We don't have those choices here. No M1 culture. We do have M1s but not nearly the numbers the US has. I have two. Several members I know of have a dozen or more. We also don't have any source of adjustable gas cylinder lock screws here so you go with what you have. Again, no problems. There's a thread here or maybe a sticky in the M1 section reference ammo which may be worth a read to you.

[Amsdorf]

OK, I was just looking for a quick answer to:

Which commercial ammo can I shoot in my M1 without problems?

I'll keep poking around.

[Dad]

I would go with the CMP ammo as first chice, but if you must shoot commercial then you could try the Federal America Eagle.

Federal American Eagle Ammunition 30-06 Springfield (M1 Garand) 150 Grain Full Metal Jacket Box of 20 - MidwayUSA


D.

[Amsdorf]

Thanks for the information. If anyone else has experienced good results with any commercially produced 30-06 I'd appreciating hearing about it.

[Harlan (Deceased)]

Hi Amsdorf. Welcome to our forums.

We seem to be caught in a loop here. Have you tried the search feature in the upper right hand section of this page? As you seem to already know this is a long debated topic with many opinions. It has been covered, discussed, debated, argued, friends lost, new friends made, etc. etc. many times over and you'll find a lot of information reading the search findings.

Honestly, this subject is very near asking for opinions of shooting a 'low number' 1903. If by chance you aren't familiar with that debate it's a whopper that's been covered a thousand times over on every military weapon forum too.

So far in this thread I think the advice is good, and fairly balanced across the board - The CMP ammo is reasonably priced and designed specifically for this use. 'Dad' is correct about the Fed commercial ammo supposedly being in spec if you must have a commercial ammo, but of course M2 is safer choice. Many people have used all kinds of commercial ammo with no issues, and others would not shoot any commercial even with and adj plug, and everything in-between.

Personally, for what it's worth (not much) I'm very near the latter extreme and only use M2 ball because I want the least chances of hurting my valuable Garand though I've never experienced a problem with commercial ammo (and don't intend to) and don't know anyone who has.

Reloaders have their preferences, but that doesn't seem to be part of your concerns.

Is there a specific reason why you need other commercial ammo and recommendations for it at this time? Just curious. Is it that you don't have time to wait for CMP M2?

Personally I'm more intrigued by the second post you made just after your first post. Does the store owner or shop know what's original or not, etc, and are they implying it is in original condition? There's a lot to learn about your new M1 and there's a wealth of experience from the members here. They'll gladly help you ID what you have and can give you very quick things to look for or look 'out' for. In this subject there's not a lot of debate, and more a sharing of knowledge with right and wrong answers among generous individuals all working for a common goal.

I think the main thing at this time is to get a real idea of what you just bought from unbiased experts. With a little investigation you might be able to find out if you are getting a screaming good deal from a seller or not. You should really get to know what you bought before you move forward. If you can take some basic photos of your new M1 and post them it really will jump start the process.

I hope this helps. We all know the excitement of getting our first M1 and we're here to help.

~ Harlan

[Amsdorf]

Is there a specific reason why you need other commercial ammo and recommendations for it at this time? Just curious. Is it that you don't have time to wait for CMP M2?

Because I'm new, stupid, and don't know much yet about the M1??

I'll post pics when I get the M1 and we'll have it expert-analyzed from there, right now I'm still enjoying basking in the glow of relative ignorance enjoying the thought I got a SA made during World War II, the same rifle my Uncle carried during WWII when he got his leg blown off during the Battle of the Bulge.

I know I have a lot to learn, had no idea asking about commercial ammo was a big deal.

Must be like asking what has better stopping power .45 ACP or 9mm.