M1 garand loads

[Doco Overboard]

More than likely its not clogged, bet its your gas cylinder at the pads splines a little leaky is all.
It should fit tight and not be able to move/wiggle once the GCL is installed.
A worn barrel/ throat means less pressure as well. More gas escapes past the bullet initially as pressure becomes reduced farther from the chamber. Your trying to get your rifle to function on a light load of 335.
Shooting blanks/ crudding up the system will stop leaks up from being dirty.
I use 4064, 3031 and both IMR/H4895 with 150 gr bullets. Somewhere I may even left over 4320 handloads stashed away.
What you dont want to wind up with , or at least I wouldn't is a pet load at the higher end of published loads for a couple of the same rifle types that the ammo is very similar to the others.
I shoot a lot of Garands -service rifles of the same caliber. When I have to grab a few ammo belts, I dont want to have to look at my notes first. I want to grab and go to the range unless I want to target shoot a specific rifle with a different sighting system on it or something I'm working on.
Good luck and have fun with your rifle.

 

[Park ranger]

About 2300-2400 fps. I’m not trying to load them pissing hot or even as fast as M2 ball.


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Why not? They're not made of bubble gum. Get them to at least 2550 fps and I bet your problems go away.

 

[trickg]

Some food for thought, and things that I may not have thought about on my own. I've mentioned a few times that I got my grubby paws on my Dad's reloading ledgers. Not only did he record what and when, but he also put notations in on certain loads. He had loads notated for 30 carbine where he was working through finding a good load that also cycled the action, and he also made mention of that when working up loads specifically for his Thompson SMG.

I also came across some of that when looking at various possible powders for the AR platform - certain powders don't produce enough gas to reliably function in a full-sized AR, even if they do well enough to propel the bullet down the barrel at reasonable pressures and velocities.

Just a thought. Take anything I say in this thread with a big ol lump of salt because I've never loaded 30-06 for anything, never mind loading for an M1 Garand.

 

[trickg]

Here we go - from Dad's notes, 11/20/1959:

30-06
170 gr lead gas check
39 gr Ball C
Notes: In M1 rifle this load ejects empties & cocks rifle, but fails to pick up fresh round out of magazine

6/13/1960
30-06
150 gr pointed gas check
35 gr 3031
Notes: Testing for feeding in M1 Rifle; not feeding fresh round in chamber; primers not flatted very much. Leading just a little with med. hard alloy

6/15/1960
30-06
150 gr pointed gas check
41 gr 3031
Notes: Feeds ok in M1, but not accurate

12/7/1962
45 Automatic
200 gr semi-wadcutter
3 gr Bullseye
Notes: Just barely works action in Thompson SMG

The "problem" with Dad's reloading ledgers is that they are all over the map in terms of what he loaded - he never seemed to settle in on one specific loading for a specific gun. Even if he was loading 45 Colt with the same 250 gr Keith bullet, although he almost always used Unique for that cartridge, his load varied from 8.0 to 10.0 grains. Sometimes it was 8.5, sometimes it was 10.0, sometimes it was 9.0 - he tended to load 10.0 more often than the others, but I think he liked to switch things up here and there.

He also only really notated a load if there was something specific to notate. If it worked and functioned properly, it didn't get any kind of a notation.

I'm still perusing through to see if I can find a place where he may have noted a load that was both functional and accurate for the M1 Garand.

 

[Augie]

I did have one rack grade that would not fully cycle no matter what load I used, it would fail to eject or eject and not feed the next round. The barrel swallowed a muzzle gauge. Had Charlie screw on a new barrel and rifle functions correctly now with no other changes. Suspect too much gas was escaping the worn muzzle for it to reliably function.

 

[bigmancrisler]

Here we go - from Dad's notes, 11/20/1959:

30-06
170 gr lead gas check
39 gr Ball C
Notes: In M1 rifle this load ejects empties & cocks rifle, but fails to pick up fresh round out of magazine

6/13/1960
30-06
150 gr pointed gas check
35 gr 3031
Notes: Testing for feeding in M1 Rifle; not feeding fresh round in chamber; primers not flatted very much. Leading just a little with med. hard alloy

6/15/1960
30-06
150 gr pointed gas check
41 gr 3031
Notes: Feeds ok in M1, but not accurate

12/7/1962
45 Automatic
200 gr semi-wadcutter
3 gr Bullseye
Notes: Just barely works action in Thompson SMG

The "problem" with Dad's reloading ledgers is that they are all over the map in terms of what he loaded - he never seemed to settle in on one specific loading for a specific gun. Even if he was loading 45 Colt with the same 250 gr Keith bullet, although he almost always used Unique for that cartridge, his load varied from 8.0 to 10.0 grains. Sometimes it was 8.5, sometimes it was 10.0, sometimes it was 9.0 - he tended to load 10.0 more often than the others, but I think he liked to switch things up here and there.

He also only really notated a load if there was something specific to notate. If it worked and functioned properly, it didn't get any kind of a notation.

I'm still perusing through to see if I can find a place where he may have noted a load that was both functional and accurate for the M1 Garand.

Wish I inherited something like that!


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[bigmancrisler]

More than likely its not clogged, bet its your gas cylinder at the pads splines a little leaky is all.
It should fit tight and not be able to move/wiggle once the GCL is installed.
A worn barrel/ throat means less pressure as well. More gas escapes past the bullet initially as pressure becomes reduced farther from the chamber. Your trying to get your rifle to function on a light load of 335.
Shooting blanks/ crudding up the system will stop leaks up from being dirty.
I use 4064, 3031 and both IMR/H4895 with 150 gr bullets. Somewhere I may even left over 4320 handloads stashed away.
What you dont want to wind up with , or at least I wouldn't is a pet load at the higher end of published loads for a couple of the same rifle types that the ammo is very similar to the others.
I shoot a lot of Garands -service rifles of the same caliber. When I have to grab a few ammo belts, I dont want to have to look at my notes first. I want to grab and go to the range unless I want to target shoot a specific rifle with a different sighting system on it or something I'm working on.
Good luck and have fun with your rifle.

Pads splines?


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[bigmancrisler]

Why not? They're not made of bubble gum. Get them to at least 2550 fps and I bet your problems go away.

Cause I like lighter recoil, lower cost per round


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[Doco Overboard]

Pads splines?


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The pads are the opposing surfaces/to the ID of your gas cylinder located on your barrel. The splines are what aligns the GC to the barrel and "pads" w barrel gas port.
If your gas cylinder is loose or rattles a bit, it just means the fit can sometimes be improved upon is all.
May be helpful for what your trying to accomplish with your ammo components.

 

[Park ranger]

Cause I like lighter recoil, lower cost per round


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I've never tried it, but guys like the 125 grain tnt for reducing recoil. 50 grains of your favorite powder provides enough gas to work the action.

 

[Rockzilla]

Sounds a bit light.
One of my standard loads is 46gr of IMR 4895 capped with a 150gr HPBT or 44.2gr IMR 4895 under a 168gr SMK, for more accurate shooting.

these are close to what I use except on the Sierra 168 SMK mine is 42.1

here's some more data from various sources

https://www.handloadermagazine.com/m1-garand-handloads

Age Verification - NRA

Service Rifle Loadings

Age Verification - NRA

.30-06 Springfield Part 2 - Service Rifle Loads — Proven Reloads and Handloads

There's a reverence and a sense of history that envelopes you the first time you hold an M1 Garand (or an M1903, M1903A3, or M1917 Enfield, for that matter). Battle-proven firearms utilized by amazing individuals...many times, in harm's way. In order to truly appreciate them, there's a need to obtai

www.provenreloads-handloads.com

.30-06 Springfield Part 3 - Long Distance Rifle Loads — Proven Reloads and Handloads

OK...you have in your possession a M1903, M1903A3, or M1917 Enfield rifle. If the "Rifle Gods" are smiling, you have a M1903A3 National Match with a "Star Gauge" barrel, or maybe, a match-prepped pre-'64 Model 70 Winchester "Over the Course" rifle. If you're real dammed

www.provenreloads-handloads.com

M1 30.06 reloads. - M1 Garand Forum.com

Here are some loadings that work well in Our M1 or 03 Springfield rifles, now that the CMP is nolonger issuing ammo at the line, enjoy. I use Lake City or Greek

www.m1garandforum.com

and some other.
Reloading-for-the-M1-Rifle-J-Clarke

the links work that say Age Verify

-Rock

 

[Ponder_MD]

Cause I like lighter recoil, lower cost per round


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It's not an inexpensive gun to shoot. I've just accepted that.

 

[dannyp]

It's not an inexpensive gun to shoot. I've just accepted that.

Tell me about it, everyone thinks that they have the golden ticket , m2ball is out of sight.

 

[bigmancrisler]

It's not an inexpensive gun to shoot. I've just accepted that.

I realize that nothing in this hobby is cheap to begin with, but every penny counts and I really prefer to make the most of my powder and not put unneeded wear and tear on the rifle


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[gwfrench]

I've never tried it, but guys like the 125 grain tnt for reducing recoil. 50 grains of your favorite powder provides enough gas to work the action.

I've been using 48.5gr IMR 4064 with the Speer 125gr TNT bullets. Should be just about 2800fps. I've had good accuracy with it.