A couple of days ago, I had my first Garand experience.
A guy at the local gun club had one with a scope, and since I spotted his rounds and helped him re-zero the scope, he let me shoot it.
First, the gun was great. It was a Springfield receiver with a Douglas target barrel (30-06, not .308) with the original M-1D scope mount and Sightron mildot scope atop it.
The Garand did wear a black, synthetic stock that was very tight and did not feel "cheap" like some synthetic stocks feel.
It was a very good, well-done, tight Garand.
I loved the feel of the gun. I got a big kick out the bang-CLANG on the 8th round.
However, I now know why the M1-D sniper system was, at best, a clunky, almost unworklable stop-gap sniper rifle rushed into service in WWII.
The off-set scope required a cheekpiece that stuck waaaaay out the left of the buttstock.
That cheekpiece was required because the off-set scope mount (Garand loads from top, so the top of the reciever has to be cleared by the scope) felt like it stuck about four feet of the left side of the rifle.
Off the bench, it was nigh impossible to keep a consistent cheek weld. In fact, most of the time when I pulled the trigger, I had no cheek weld at all, because I had to push my head un-naturally forward and to the left just to get proper eye-relief on the scope.
It was just about the most un-natural and weird experience I've ever had shooting a scoped rifle.
So, I still need to get a Garand some day.
Only now I know for sure why the Garand just should not be scoped, at least not for practical, real use.
Scoped Garands are, in my opinion, sort of like chromed Lugers. They may be flashy and cool to have, but for real, actual use.....well....
hillbilly
A guy at the local gun club had one with a scope, and since I spotted his rounds and helped him re-zero the scope, he let me shoot it.
First, the gun was great. It was a Springfield receiver with a Douglas target barrel (30-06, not .308) with the original M-1D scope mount and Sightron mildot scope atop it.
The Garand did wear a black, synthetic stock that was very tight and did not feel "cheap" like some synthetic stocks feel.
It was a very good, well-done, tight Garand.
I loved the feel of the gun. I got a big kick out the bang-CLANG on the 8th round.
However, I now know why the M1-D sniper system was, at best, a clunky, almost unworklable stop-gap sniper rifle rushed into service in WWII.
The off-set scope required a cheekpiece that stuck waaaaay out the left of the buttstock.
That cheekpiece was required because the off-set scope mount (Garand loads from top, so the top of the reciever has to be cleared by the scope) felt like it stuck about four feet of the left side of the rifle.
Off the bench, it was nigh impossible to keep a consistent cheek weld. In fact, most of the time when I pulled the trigger, I had no cheek weld at all, because I had to push my head un-naturally forward and to the left just to get proper eye-relief on the scope.
It was just about the most un-natural and weird experience I've ever had shooting a scoped rifle.
So, I still need to get a Garand some day.
Only now I know for sure why the Garand just should not be scoped, at least not for practical, real use.
Scoped Garands are, in my opinion, sort of like chromed Lugers. They may be flashy and cool to have, but for real, actual use.....well....
hillbilly