M-1 Garand for apocalypse rifle?

[pistolpete95]

Been saving for ar-type rifle in 308 for when the lawless bands of marauders are roaming the streets. A guy shows me an M1 Garand 1942 production rifle. The wood appears to match, & that's the extent of my knowledge of this type of rifle. Would this weapon be a reasonable substitute for a semiauto 308? What would I look for when giving this rifle a second look?

 

[flatwins]

Been saving for ar-type rifle in 308 for when the lawless bands of marauders are roaming the streets. A guy shows me an M1 Garand 1942 production rifle. The wood appears to match, & that's the extent of my knowledge of this type of rifle. Would this weapon be a reasonable substitute for a semiauto 308? What would I look for when giving this rifle a second look?

Perplexed will hopefully be along soon to provide some guidelines.

 

[MoBoost]

Would this weapon be a reasonable substitute for a semiauto 308?

No it won't. But then again, you can't substitute coolness factor.

What would I look for when giving this rifle a second look?[/QUOTE]

Most likely garand thumb!

 

[Perplexed]

If you really are looking for a SHTF firearm, a M1 Garand would not be a very good choice. You'd be far better off with an AR15 or a shotgun, IMHO - do you really want to be engaging targets at long range?

If you're looking at this M1 Garand mainly for the "cool" factor and the history, then look first at the markings on the heel of the receiver. If it's 1942 production, it'd be either Springfield Armory with a S/N between about 462XXX and 1090XXX, or Winchester with a S/N between about 144XXX and 165XXX or 1200XXX and 1276XXX (Winchester switched S/N blocks in mid-1942). If the stock is correct, it could have a cartouche on the left-hand side, below the receiver, that looks like a round-cornered square with two rows of markings inside: SA GHS or SA EMcF; or WRA WB or WRA GHD. Probably those markings will not be visible or will be faint; if they're clear and crisply stamped, watch out for a fake as those are fairly common. If the stamp shows an eagle with three stars overhead, it's a post-war stock. Next, look at the barrel markings (usually on the right side, visible between the stock and the hand guard when you lock back the op rod) - it'd be several groups of alphanumeric characters. Look for SA-X-42 (where X is a month number) or a WRA stamp (looks kind of like an oval around a W over P). Any other dates shown like 5-53 or a LMR stamp, likely indicates a post-war barrel. After this, release the bolt (watch that thumb!), remove the trigger group, pull the stock off the upper assembly, and look at the components (trigger housing, hammer, op rod, etc.) for manufacturer stamps (SA, WRA, HRA, IHC). The more the stamps match the manufacturer on the receiver heel, the better for a "correct" project. Also, check the bore and try and get a sense of muzzle wear - if you or the owner do not have a muzzle wear gauge, use a USGI 30-06 round inserted point first into the barrel with the rifle standing straight up. Just let gravity do its job, don't jam the round into the muzzle - then see how much of the bullet is visible between the crown and the neck of the casing. A pristine barrel will show about 1/4" of bullet, while one with moderate wear will show about 1/8" of bullet. If the round drops into the muzzle up to the neck, the muzzle is worn out and accuracy probably will be lousy. A commercial 30-06 round won't work for this since the ogive will probably be different than that on a USGI round.

If you can post pics of the rifle - both sides, receiver heel, barrel markings, trigger group, op rod, etc. - we can help more. Good luck!

 

[ssgrock3]

heavy bastage for a shtf rifle, but it has been used to kill many folks from many countries, so it would work, but ammo will be expensive, even milsurp is up there these days.

 

[aeropb]

Similar but worse

 

[SMS]

If you know nothing about Garands...the only place to buy one from is directly from the CMP.

That being said, comparing a WWII era .30-06 Garand to a modern .308 AR variant is apples to oranges.

 

[Perplexed]

If you know nothing about Garands...the only place to buy one from is directly from the CMP.

You'd miss out on some good M1's if you limit yourself to CMP purchases; granted, I do know a thing or two about M1's, but my best two M1 purchases to date came from private sellers. If a potential buyer does the homework, it's not difficult to make a learned decision about a private purchase. The prices may not be as good as at the CMP, if one understands that the rifles coming from there are going to be mixmasters unless one springs for a post-war Correct Grade. The CMP auctions for the juicy stuff are, alas, as bad as - if not worse than - other firearms auctions when the gavel comes down on the final bid.

Don't get me wrong - the CMP M1 sales are a great option especially for a novice, and I've bought a number of their rifles. Do the homework though before buying anything, and your opportunities will open wide up.

 

[SMS]

You'd miss out on some good M1's if you limit yourself to CMP purchases; granted, I do know a thing or two about M1's, but my best two M1 purchases to date came from private sellers. If a potential buyer does the homework, it's not difficult to make a learned decision about a private purchase. The prices may not be as good as at the CMP, if one understands that the rifles coming from there are going to be mixmasters unless one springs for a post-war Correct Grade. The CMP auctions for the juicy stuff are, alas, as bad as - if not worse than - other firearms auctions when the gavel comes down on the final bid.

Don't get me wrong - the CMP M1 sales are a great option especially for a novice, and I've bought a number of their rifles. Do the homework though before buying anything, and your opportunities will open wide up.

We're on the same page. I'm just talking about an uneducated buyer who knows zip about the rifles...choice between buying a Garand that "A guy shows me" or ordering one from CMP , I'd recommend CMP so at least you don't get stuck with some import marked, rewelded rifle with humped parts.

 

[Perplexed]

We're on the same page. I'm just talking about an uneducated buyer who knows zip about the rifles...choice between buying a Garand that "A guy shows me" or ordering one from CMP , I'd recommend CMP so at least you don't get stuck with some import marked, rewelded rifle with humped parts.

If the uninformed buyer doesn't get help with the potential purchase beforehand, I agree - the CMP is the safe and sound route. Still, there are some choice M1's out there in private hands until a lucky buyer comes along