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|March 20, 2011 – How to date an M1 Garand. This 1956 example is a fine piece of craftsmanship, this is a matching number example with exception of the trigger group which dates to 1945.
February 9, 2012 – This is a short video of M1 Garand serial numbers to help you determine when your Garand was built.
October 18, 2012 – Hello everyone, I made this video to go over the basics about the M1 Garand. This video needed to be made a long time ago, but here it finally is. This video is the first in a series of Garand videos because there’s a lot to go over. Here’s the CMP link I promised in the video. Buy a great Garand for real cheap here: http://www.odcmp.com/Sales/m1garand.htm
HISTORY The M1 Garand was produced by the United States Government from 1936 to 1957, and served our troops in combat during World War II, the Korean War, and in the early days of Vietnam. Springfield Armory, Winchester, Harrington and Richardson, and International Harvester manufactured the Garand in various quantities, totaling with a little over 6 million rifles produced. Later on, several other manufacturers made (and still make) remakes of the M1 Garand, including Century Arms, Fulton Armory, and Beretta. The M1 was loaned by the United States to a multitude of NATO countries and is still used in honor guards all over the world.
It was originally chambered in 30.06 Springfield, but was later modified for U.S. Navy use in the 7.62mm NATO. Other 7.62mm variants or re-builds are somewhat common on the market and are primarily used for match or competition use. After the wars, skilled gunsmiths found ways to accurize and perfect the M1 Garand, making it a staple of the Camp Perry shoots and other accuracy competitions. Today, the Garand is still seen in the hands of modern marksmen, but its later version, the M14, now dominates marksmanship circles in the version of the M1A, the modern civilian version.
OPERATION The rifle is a full-stroke, gas piston-operated semi-automatic rifle. Some of the gases from firing a round are used to push the operation rod reward, which unlocks and pulls back the bolt, thereby extracting and ejecting the spent brass. The recoil spring launches the bolt forward, stripping off a round from the internal clip, feeding it into position, and locking the bolt on the new round. A unique feature about the Garand is the loading system, which is all internal. The rifle is loaded via an eight-round en bloc clip, which self-ejects upon the firing of the last shot (which produces the famous “PING” noise). Upon the firing of the last round, and the en bloc clip self-ejecting, the bolt is locked reward and ready for another clip to be inserted through the top. The front sight can be set for windage, and the rear sight can be adjusted for both windage and elevation.
One click is equal to one MOA of shot pattern movement. Most rifle companies in the U.S. Military zeroed their M1s for a “battle zero” of 200 or sometimes 300 yards. Aiming at an enemy soldier’s belt line meant either a chest-area strike at closer ranges, or a belt-line strike at farther ranges. This kept things simple and effective without having to continuously adjust the sights and mess with soldiers’ zeroes depending on the range of the enemy. Windage was generally left alone or gauged on the spot, but the rifle is capable of being fully-zeroed with ease. REPUTATION General Patton called it the “greatest battle implement ever devised,” and it was well-respected and well-liked by the men who carried it. It was known for being extremely reliable, even in the volcanic ash of the Pacific islands to the dirt, rain, and cold of the European theater -something General MacArthur noted after the war.
The fact that it was the only standard-issue semiautomatic rifle of the war meant that soldiers had far greater fire superiority over their enemies, who were mostly equipped with low-capacity bolt-action rifles. It was known for decent to great accuracy, depending on the rifle and the shooter, and could be trusted by the men who carried it. The Germans respected the rifle’s capabilities, and the Japanese even made their own prototype rifle based off captured M1s, but the rifle was too little too late and never saw combat service. After World War II, the obvious need for a magazine-operated system was in order. Also, the rifle was re-chambered for the newly adopted 7.62mm NATO cartridge, in what became the M14. The Garand was well-respected and was a crucial component of the infantry company of the wars it was involved in.
CONSTRUCTION The receiver is hammer forged, heat-treated, machined carbon steel, and the parts are all either machined or stamped steel. The unique and unseen design called for some peculiar manufacturing methods and machinery for production. One of the most curious features is the op rod, which is intentionally and expertly bent at just the right places in just the right angles. Because of the quality of machining, heat treating, and metals involved, the M1 was able to withstand constant neglect and abuse while still performing its duty.
November 21, 2012 – This is the second part of a multi-part series about the M1 Garand service rifle. If you haven’t yet seen part one, check it out here! • The M1 Garand In part 2, I show you how to do a field strip of the M1 rifle, while also bringing up some info here and there. A field strip is when the rifle is taken apart down to basic parts, while keeping it relatively uncomplicated so that it can quickly be put back together. The purpose of a field strip is to do basic maintenance in the field without damaging or losing any parts in the process. Hope you enjoy!
April 20, 2013 – Dad served in the 77th infantry division during WWII. Later in life he taught me how to operate the M1 Garand rifle. Now I will share a few tricks with you. There are 3 ways to load it, from 1 round to as many as 8. Also, I add a reloaders trick to protect my brass and make the gun a bolt action. Check out my other gun videos. Thanks for watching! Edit, Many questions on this: I used an A-ZOOM snap cap to show loading of a single round. When I show the other ways, I specially loaded 30-06 rounds WITHOUT powder or primer. I’m a re-loader so I rarely purchase ammunition. Sorry not to point that out in the video.
March 10, 2016 – These are 5 tips and tricks everyone should know about the M1 Garand.
May 5, 2016 – This video will help you to identify an original M1 Garand by showing you how to determine 1) the original manufacturer and parts, 2) an original stock, and 3) the proper butt plate, all by serial number and parts codes (drawing number). Also, how to determine whether or not stock markings are correct or fake. Detailed information can then be found in “The M1 Garand, 1936 to 1957” ($22.95) by Joe Poyer and Craig Riesch, available from North Cape Publications, Inc. PO Box 1027, Tustin CA 92780 pr Amazon.com
August 9, 2016 – M1 Garands were the standard service rifle of the U.S. military from 1936 to beyond 1957, their last year of production. During that time, the rifle underwent 298 changes to its parts. Each part was coded with a specific drawing number that reflected each change. This video will show you those parts changes and help you identify original vs. changed or even faked reproduction parts to authenticate an original M1 Garand.
August 9, 2016 – This video will help you to identify an original M1 Garand by showing you how to spot an incorrect or fake barrel and bolt. Barrels and bolts were redesigned many times, and each new design received a new drawing number which can be compared to the receiver’s serial number to see they are correct for that period of manufacture. Detailed information can then be found in “The M1 Garand 1936 to 1957” available from North Cape Publications, Inc., PO Box 1027, Tustin CA 92780.
November 28, 2017 – This is a buyer’s guide to the M1 Garand rifle. We look at 5 different Garnads made by Springfield Armory and assess the differences and changes as the model developed over the years. As a potential buyer and collector, you will learn how to identify key characteristics while assessing the value of your next M1 purchase.
May 10, 2018 – This video is brought to you by the Garand Collectors Association. It previews the Philippine Military Assistance Program M1 rifles that were recently returned to the Civilian Marksmanship Program. To learn more about the GCA, visit: thegca.org To learn more about the Civilian Marksmanship Program, visit: thecmp.org
June 4, 2019 – How to order an M1 Garand from the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP).
June 28, 2019 – I go over the different grades for M1 rifles from the CMP. I’ll tell you a bit about the different manufacturers and how that comes into play on the CMP Garands. I’ll also give you explanations of the different rifles they have for sale, and give some pros and cons.
September 28, 2019 – This video will tell you everything you need to know about the U.S. Rifle Cal 30 M1, or the M1 Garand! We will take a look at the History of the rifle from WW2 to Korea and beyond. And we will take a look at the features of the gun.
November 9, 2019 – So you got yourself an M1Garand rifle. Now you need the accessories and WW2 or Korean War gear that goes along with it! Slings, M1923 Ammo Belts, Bayonets and more! This video gives a detailed look at all these great M1 Garand accessories!
February 1, 2021 – Please note this video is for educational and entertainment purposes ONLY and complies with ALL of the YOUTUBE community guidelines. Video production was performed in a safe manner at a designated and closed range.
September 21, 2021 – If you have an M1A or Garand rifle, especially if it is a standard grade, non-match service model, the rear peep aperture most certainly suffers a degree of wiggle that will rob you of accuracy! In this exclusive, never before video, learn a technique from a professional armorer with 50 years of experience how to make that sight even tighter and smoother than a National Match sight! This method uses no primitive, destructive, ruinous peening or filing, no complex shims or elastic band holding devices, and preserves the integrity of the sight without the slightest modification or parts. This is free and complete information, provided at no cost to my viewers.
April 5, 2022 – I placed an order for a field grade M1 back in August of 2021 and it sold out a short time after. I was told that they should have enough to fill my order. Fast forward to March 2022 and I was offered an upgrade to service grade for $100 more and would process my order immediately. I took the upgrade to not wait another 2-4 weeks or more. This is my unboxing and first look on video. I am extremely happy with what I got.
April 22, 2022 – Unboxing a new to me M1 Garand from the Civilian Marksmanship Program in April of 2022. Beautiful wood! A big thank you to all the good folks over at the CMP working hard to promote education and safety for the American shooting public. Please consider supporting them or taking some of their classes.
May 4, 2022 – The step by step process of obtaining a Battle-sight zero for your M1 Garand the way I do it, in accordance with FM 22-71 Rifle Marksmanship. A Battle-sight zero is standard for using a close target to zero your rifle for a greater distance without the complications of shooting on a huge range. This method still is used with some minor differences today by the U.S. Army. In the video I am using the new manufacture M2 ball ammo from the CMP. I am not a qualified gunsmith or expert I am just sharing the way I do this in accordance with the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) recommendations and their M1 Owners Manual. Do so at your own risk and always have a qualified gunsmith inspect your Garand before shooting.
October 27, 2022 – Bringing my M1 Garand Back to Its Former Glory – History of M1 parts and how to change them out. Huge shoutout to Patrick for being so generous and sending me all of these parts and accessories for my M1! It feels great to have a WWII correct M1 Garand to use for re-enacting. I’ve used this M1 at three WWII re-enactment events since this video was recorded, and it has been working very well. I use a helmet camera setup to record my battle re-enactments, and that really lets you see the M1 in action.
October 29, 2022 – How to precisely adjust the windage marks of an M1A or M1 Garand with the front sight. Don’t be frustrated by trying to get that front sight positioned correctly, and don’t settle for having your rear sight off center! Making a precise adjustment to the front sight, and keeping the rear sight centered for field windage corrections is as simple as 1-2-3.
December 15, 2022 – Everything You Need to Know About the Expert Grade M1 Garand from CMP – Full RM1 Expert Grade description EXPERT .30-06 GRADE RIFLES will feature a NEW, Commercial-Production Stock Set and a NEW Commercial-Production barrel chambered for .30-06 Springfield. Bore condition will be “as new”, and barrels will gauge “as new”. The balance of parts on EXPERT Grade Rifles will match all service grade criteria, showing less wear and a better cosmetic appearance than a Field or Rack Grade. Cosmetic condition will be good to very good. Rifle finish may vary, exhibiting normal wear and/or color variation among the metal parts. May have some visible pitting, frosting, or other minor cosmetic deformity on the metal parts.
February 28, 2023 – How qualified U.S. citizens can purchase an M1 Garand Rifle through the Civilian Marksmanship Program.
July 7, 2023 – How to order from the CMP (Civilian Marksmanship Program).