Thoughts on Prvi Partizan/PPU Bulk Ammo for M1 Garand

[The Alaskan]

I'm not even sure this is the right forum for this question because it is ammo specific and M1 Garand specific, but here goes.

Does anyone have any experience with the Privi Partisan/PPU bulk ammo sold as "30-06 M1 Garand 150 grn FMJ" in the 500 round ammo can? I'm trying to think about getting my Garand out of the closet after a 15 year mothball, but I'm having trouble with ammo. Having just learned that it is unwise to just shoot basic hunting ammo, and having sold off all my reloading gear (I used to only reload for it.), I find myself without ammo. Compounding matters, I live in AK, and none of the online vendors will ship surplus ammo here at any price. So my options are 1.) buy a complete new reloading set up (which is on my list anyway) and start reloading from scratch, and/or 2.)Buy some of the PPU ammo that is available in a LGS.

I like option 2 because, according to my math, I can buy it locally for the same price as buying enough components, including unfired brass, and loading that first batch of ammo. Unfortunately, I can only buy it in 500 rd cases, so I won't get an opportunity to buy a couple of 20-round boxes to test it and see how well it works. I've read reviews on other sites, and found nothing negative, but those were all AR15 focused users, and I'm always leery of buying anything foreign when it comes to guns-especially Eastern Europe and especially ammo.

Has anyone used PPU in their Garands and how well did it work? What problems did you have (feed and extraction etc)? Was it much dirtier than other, comparable ammo? How well were the projectiles seated? (Did the rounds hold up under recoil in the rifle?) Has anyone reloaded PPU brass extensively? (How many firings do you get from each case on average? Do you full length resize or just neck size? Do you need to crimp?)

My plan, dependent on good opinion on the quality of the brass and the ammo in general, is to buy 1-2 cases of it, shoot it. And then begin reloading it.

Any thoughts are appreciated.

Follow-on question: Prvi also packages a 30-06, 150 grn FMJ (NOT marked M1 Garand) in a 20-round box. Any idea on wheter or not that is essentially the same cartridge as what s sold in the bulk pack? (Same bullet, powder charge, etc)

 

[jimbeaux82]

Sorry that I cannot answer your specific question about 30/06 Garand suitability but I can offer the following information. I have shot PPU ammunition in at least 15 rifle and pistol calibers, including 308. For the most part it has been good ammo. The only thing I can say is that in some rifle rounds, particularly 8 x 57 and 6.5 x 55, it is underloaded and achieves no where near the velocity that is advertised. However, in 308 and 5.56, it is right up there in rated velocity with the normal expected variations.

I fully understand the piston rod damage issue with Garands and having to use the correct powder burning rate to prevent damage. If PPU advertises this specifically for Garand, I would use it without worry, IMHO.

 

[Onmilo]

There was a test done a couple years back on suitable ammunition for M1 Garand rifles.
I was surprised to learn that Privi Partisan 159 grain loads and my favorite hunting load of Winchester 150 grain Power Points produced some of the highest peak pressures of any of the several commercial loads tested.

Because of that information I bought 2 McCann adjustable gas lock screws and two Schuster gas lock screws and tailored them for shooting specific commercial loadings.
I bought four to allow me to use one in any Garand I own without having to continually adjust just one lock screw for specific ammo.

 

[ironworkerwill]

I'm probably not adding much to the conversation but I really like PPU brass. I've been very happy with it.

 

[sevt_chevelle]

Prvi makes Garand specific ammo and it is nothing but quality and I use it all the time. Compares in quality to the HXP that CMP sells.

On one of my Garands I added a gas plug from Garandgear.com, the action of the rifle is smoother and recoils slightly less and if you reload the brass isn't flung nearly as far. Another upside to this gas plug is one can use commercial 30-06 ammo in the M1.

Check out the link
http://www.garandgear.com/m1-garand-ammunition

 

[The Alaskan]

Thanks for the linked website. Those line graphs really tell a story. I wonder if that PPU 150 grn tested was their "Garand" load ammo. (They sell another 150 grn round, not marked for Garand and sold in 20 rnd boxes.)

 

[The Alaskan]

Prvi makes Garand specific ammo and it is nothing but quality and I use it all the time. Compares in quality to the HXP that CMP sells.

On one of my Garands I added a gas plug from Garandgear.com, the action of the rifle is smoother and recoils slightly less and if you reload the brass isn't flung nearly as far. Another upside to this gas plug is one can use commercial 30-06 ammo in the M1.

Check out the link
http://www.garandgear.com/m1-garand-ammunition

I'm missing something here. Are you using a gas plus with the Privi Partizan Garand ammo or not?

 

[sevt_chevelle]

I run the gas plug with EVERYTHING, HXP, Prvi garand ammo, and handloads. I don't shoot commercial ammo through my Garands.

I currently have two M1's one has the plug one doesn't but soon well. I use the plug for the reasons I stated earlier, the gun just runs smoother and softer with the plug.

The "Garand ammo baseline" was the common Greek surplus ammo referred to as HXP.

 

[afrederick]

Get the Garandgear gas plug. I did and I shoot any factory 30-06 without worrying about it.

A small general store in the sticks that only has modern hunting ammo? Don't worry, it shoots it. Get lucky finding a sweet deal on old military surplus? It shoots that too. Without adjusting anything.

 

[The Alaskan]

Get the Garandgear gas plug. I did and I shoot any factory 30-06 without worrying about it.

A small general store in the sticks that only has modern hunting ammo? Don't worry, it shoots it. Get lucky finding a sweet deal on old military surplus? It shoots that too. Without adjusting anything.

Sounds like a good plan, and for forty bucks, who can complain? Do I need that special gas tube wrench for install or what?

 

[Arizona_Mike]

No experience with .30-06 but PPU is good ammo with excellent brass in general and can range from cool to hot depending on caliber. For .308 it is one of the weakest commercial loads but still significantly hotter than M80.

From the looks of those graphs, it is not so mild in .30-06.

Mike

 

[The Alaskan]

Afrederick (and any others who might now):

My gas plug came in yesterday. I;ve got my tq wrench ready, but before I swap plugs, one last question:

Should I put anti-seize (or, conversely, Lock-Tite) on the threads?

Also, I just found a small batch of the handloads I used to compete with, along with the load data (long since given up for lost and forgotten). How will this new gas plug effect the performance of a particular load, all other things being unchanged?

 

[Hacker15E]

Afrederick (and any others who might now):

My gas plug came in yesterday. I;ve got my tq wrench ready, but before I swap plugs, one last question:

Should I put anti-seize (or, conversely, Lock-Tite) on the threads?

Also, I just found a small batch of the handloads I used to compete with, along with the load data (long since given up for lost and forgotten). How will this new gas plug effect the performance of a particular load, all other things being unchanged?

The only thing that gas plug should impact is the cycling of the action well after the projectile has left the muzzle.

 

[agtman]

I've shot quite a bit of PPU's "Garand-safe" ammo thru several of my '06 M1s, so I can recommend it if you don't reload. It's good, consistently accurate ammo (farthest I've shot with it is 300yds) and, the key point, it's loaded to a power level that won't endanger the op rod or other critical reciprocating parts of your M1.

A couple of other ammo-makers, like Federal and, I think, Hornady, make Garand-safe '06 ammo.

That said, if you're shooting any of the M1-safe loads, you don't need to use a special gas plug, either Schuster's or the one from GG. Those plugs are really only necessary if you intend to shoot the hotter (more powerful) "hunting" '06 ammo, typically with heavier than 150gn bullets.

 

[119er]

I reload but I bought a 500 rd can of the Prvi Garand ammo for a good price just to have fun and get the brass. Of course it is not as accurate as my handloads but it is bulk ammo. I would say go for it. I don't run any special plug with it and I trust that a large ammo manufacturer such as Prvi Partisan can deliver what they claim.

 

[Uncle Nubbs]

I bought a bunch of prizi partisan soft point so I can shoot at the local public range. For the price of two twenty round boxes I've picked up the garandgear gas plug. People seem to think highly of it.

 

[afrederick]

Alaskan,

I just put a dab of gun oil on the threads of my gas plug. I have not had it loosen from firing.

I can't say about your handloads. All I can tell you is that my garand, with the garandgear plug, has shot factory ammo from military surplus up to modern hunting loads and I have not noticed any ill effects on the gun.

 

[The Alaskan]

Hey folks, just thought I would post a follow up.

The new gas plug came, and I installed it with a small amount of silver anti-seize. (The original plug liked to not come off at all and required a a few soakings in Aero-Kroil plus a wrench on the screwdriver bolster for extra leverage, so I did this as a precaution in case I ever have to remove it.)

Went to the range and shot a box of Winchester Powerpoints in it. Works good-shoots good. (Shots string vertical but that is a stock issue we're discussing here in a another thread.) Brass all went to the same area- about 2:30 and two shooting lanes down from me. Very consistent and had no problem finding it all.

This will make it easier/cheaper to shoot the gun until I have the $400 to buy my first case of ammo.

 

[Capt. Obvious]

I've only shot it in the 9mm caliber. However, I've never had any issues with it. I've experienced more qc issues with WWB than I ever have with Prvi, especially lately.

 

[The Alaskan]

I've only shot it in the 9mm caliber. However, I've never had any issues with it. I've experienced more qc issues with WWB than I ever have with Prvi, especially lately.

Wow, well that does surprise me. I've always liked he plain Winchester ammo. I was at Cabela's yesterday, and they had PPU in 2 rd boxes in a few other calibers I own. I think I might grab a box of each and see what happens. (Sadly, no 30-06 in 20 rd boxes, so I'll have to buy $400 worth just to try it out.)

 

[carbine85]

I have used the PPU and thought it was good ammo. I didn't buy it in bulk and shot 2-3 boxes. The brass is good for reloading. There are a lot of good receipes out there for reloading for the M1 Garand. I bought a bunch of the HXP from the CMP 2-3 years ago so I haven't been reloading for it.
I suggest reloading for the rifle.