|
My M1 Garand was given to me by my father when I
returned home from the United States Marine Corps. This was his M1 from
years ago when he first got out of the United States Marine Corps so it
is a bit of an heirloom at this point. Having this family historical
value I have to say I would not give this up for anything and as far as
personal possessions go I can say it is the only thing I own that has no
price on it.
But does it shoot? For those of you who have not been
indoctrinated into the M1 Garand family let me say this. It’s a beast.
The M1 Garand kicks like a mule on steroids and wont let you miss your
target. Seriously you have to actually try to be off the paper with this
beast within 200 yards. After 200 yards, well, this is where practice
and time come in to play. All the books say its accurate to about 750
yards. Im sure it is but don’t expect to be able to hit out that far
without some time and effort.
The M1 Garand is not a scoped out 22 Long that you can
plink away for days with. I can handle about 100 rounds at a time before
the arm and shoulder start to turn to jello. The next day there will be
no heavy lifting. You will be sore. There are no buffer springs in that
hard wood stock and if you kept it original, as I did, there is nothing
but a solid steel plate between you and that hard wood. Kicking that
.30-06 FMJ is like being hit by a brick every time.
And then there is the M1 Garand thumb. There is an old joke about M1
Garand shooters that goes something like this. “There are two types of
M1 Garand shooters... Those who have gotten their thumb crushed by the
bolt and those who will get their thumb crushed by the bolt”. Im part of
the former group. Ouch! That bolt slams down like a Mack truck. This is
why a proper “sled” is so important when loading one round into the
chamber. Many have been tempted to just load the round in and drop the
bolt but a slam fire is very likely with disastrous results if it does.
For one of the best articles about slam fires and the proper use of the
sleds I have ever found please read:
Slam Fires, Mags &
SLEDs; Clint speaks out!.
The M1 Garand has seen a lot of active combat duty
throughout its life and in many parts of the world still is. Those who
fought with this monster have few complaints. Maybe the weight. Few
military rifles have seen the years of service the M1 Garand has and few
command the same respect. Time and time again it has proven that a light
weight high capacity rifle is not the absolute answer. After all with a
bayonet and its 11.2 lbs of solid steel and hard wood it’s a formidable
weapon even when unloaded.
If you own one of these beauties or are thinking of
buying one then I highly recommend checking out the
Fulton Armory M1
Garand FAQ. Fulton Armory is simply the first stop for all things M1
Garand.
|
