.308 M1 Garand vs .30-06

[mrb7]

I was looking at the CMP web site today. I figure that if I'm going to buy an M1 I'd better get cracking because the worlds best gun salesman has just about everything flying off the shelves everywhere else.

Hell, even plain old 91/30s are gone.

But irrespective, I noticed that they had them listed as available in .308 as a special grade. .30-06 was a choice as well.

What gives with this? I thought 30-06 was all there was. Is .308 a legitimate configuration they issued? Or some thing they just made up out of parts?

If I did spring for some extra buck for a sniper (C or D) is there any chance in the world of finding period correct parts? I tried reading about the scopes and got hopeless confused.

[Junk Yard Dog]

The Navy issued 7.62x51mm M1's, some with a chamber insert, others with a rebarrel, the ammo is expensive and harder to find than .30-06. I do not know if the CMP's rifles are Navy originals or something they made up.

[mrb7]

So really .30-06 is the way to go for a traditionalist is what I'm hearing. I may have been a sailor in real life, but I'm not looking for a collection of Navy weapons. Where am I going to keep the torpedoes?

I do have the delusions that I could put one of the R-Guns PUs next to an M1, but as I asked, is there any prayer the one could find the correct parts to reconstruct an M1 sniper? Realizing that it won't be an armory build like the R-guns, but at least it's completely reversible.

[Junk Yard Dog]

That would be very expensive and require a barrel swap, USGI M1 C and D snipers are not as numerous as PU's. You could buy three PU's ( real ones) for what a M1 sniper of any sort goes for.

[mrb7]

That would be very expensive and require a barrel swap, USGI M1 C and D snipers are not as numerous as PU's. You could buy three PU's ( real ones) for what a M1 sniper of any sort goes for.

It's as expensive as crap, that true. In fact, it's more expensive than crap.

Here's the CMP link, and they clam that the D is ready with out a barrel swap. http://www.odcmp.com/Sales/m1garand.htm#M1C

My lack of understanding is whether he rest of the stuff is available anywhere. OK, so it's "ready for a user's scope" to be mounted. Well, goody for that. But if it will take from now 'till I'm dead to find a proper scope that's useless. Just save the money for more 91/30s.

But if the stuff is actually out there for a persistent hunter, then I'm game to give it go. You gotta do something, and a group of Allies snipers is something to do.

[Junk Yard Dog]

'"The scope base that is part of the barrel assembly is included and ready for a customer supplied scope and mount"

The scope and mount are not easy to find or cheap.

[mrb7]

'"The scope base that is part of the barrel assembly is included and ready for a customer supplied scope and mount"

The scope and mount are not easy to find or cheap.

OK, so it sounds like the advice is find the scope first. Then if, and only if I ever find one, worry about a rifle. If I never find a scope, then I don't have a useless host hanging around sucking up money that could be buying perfectly good other stuff. And if I do run across a scope then a rifle can be had.

I know, I know. I can start by looking on the ground for rolled up baggies. I'll check on the way out to the parking lot after work tonight. Maybe a unicorn dropped one after lunch.

[Junk Yard Dog]

The advice is get as nice a grade infantry Garand as you can, note that these Garand snipers are all pretty well used, they will never perform as they would have with perfect barrels, and in the 50's these would have been retired and rebarreled . You would end up spending near two grand or more and have a rifle that shoots as well as a counterbored 1943 Soviet M91/30 with worn lands. These rifles are aimed at collectors who want to fit a slot in a collection and may already have a scope and mount, but have no intrest in shooting the rifles.

[mrb7]

The advice is get as nice a grade infantry Garand as you can, note that these Garand snipers are all pretty well used, they will never perform as they would have with perfect barrels, and in the 50's these would have been retired and rebarreled . You would end up spending near two grand or more and have a rifle that shoots as well as a counterbored 1943 Soviet M91/30 with worn lands. These rifles are aimed at collectors who want to fit a slot in a collection and may already have a scope and mount, but have no intrest in shooting the rifles.

Hell, I already have two 1943 not counterbored 91/30s with good lands that I can keep in the black with iron sights at 200 yards on a 100 yard small bore target. My Mosin problem is that I only had about 3 crates of surplus ammo before Sandy Hook. Now it's nowhere to be found. I still have a bunch, but I fear it will be banned as "military" ammo. Right, 1940s ammo. Real high tech stuff.

I want an R-Guns PU to put with the other two as well.

And sounds like just ordering a regular M1 is the smart thing. The whole .308 thing was very confusing for a little while. I didn't expect to find that, but clearly that isn't a good choice. Just get a good soldier's rifle.

Maybe one day I'll get a receiver and homebuild one.

[Ironnewt]

I do know that at one time the USNA used M-1's chambered in .308 as competition rifles.

[Junk Yard Dog]

The advice is get as nice a grade infantry Garand as you can, note that these Garand snipers are all pretty well used, they will never perform as they would have with perfect barrels, and in the 50's these would have been retired and rebarreled . You would end up spending near two grand or more and have a rifle that shoots as well as a counterbored 1943 Soviet M91/30 with worn lands. These rifles are aimed at collectors who want to fit a slot in a collection and may already have a scope and mount, but have no intrest in shooting the rifles.

Hell, I already have two 1943 not counterbored 91/30s with good lands that I can keep in the black with iron sights at 200 yards on a 100 yard small bore target. My Mosin problem is that I only had about 3 crates of surplus ammo before Sandy Hook. Now it's nowhere to be found. I still have a bunch, but I fear it will be banned as "military" ammo. Right, 1940s ammo. Real high tech stuff.

I want an R-Guns PU to put with the other two as well.

And sounds like just ordering a regular M1 is the smart thing. The whole .308 thing was very confusing for a little while. I didn't expect to find that, but clearly that isn't a good choice. Just get a good soldier's rifle.

Maybe one day I'll get a receiver and homebuild one.

Last I checked Copes still had spam cans, call them.

[Philf]

I sent in the order on December 19 and got a notice that the order was received on 1-02-13.
Feb. 13,2013 was when they put it together and was shipped on Feb. 15.
After i got it I took it apart to see if it need some cleaning. There was powdery rust in the gas cylinder to be cleaned out
and the barrel needed cleaning, and I am happy with it.
It has Springfield Armory mark on it and the trigger housing has numbers with WRA on it.
New walnut stock that is nice looking.



It has the criterion barrel with a 308 block in it so you cant accidental put a 30-06 in it.






I got my 308 special this past Monday

[desdem12]