What do M1's shoot?

[Nowhere Man]

Do I have this right?

M1 Garand shoot 30-06.
M1 Carbine shoot .30 Carbine.
M1A and M14 shoot .308.
AR15/M16 shoot .223.


Are there M1 Garands that shoot .308?


Thanks, Dave

 

[KSCCHTrainer]

Dave,
You are correct on those calibers/rifles. Also, Springfield Armory made a version of the Garand that shoots .308 in recent years. I'm not sure whether it's still in production or not. I've only seen one example of it and I'm not sure what their designator was. It was an M1(something).

There may have been one or more other manufacturers that did a .308 conversion of the Garand, but I don't recall any.

 

[steveracer]

Yes, but the military didn't use them for anything but rifle matches.
Steve

 

[Nowhere Man]

Thanks KS,

It was the SA Garand that had me confused

Thanks for clearing it up,

Dave

 

[Reid73]

There may have been one or more other manufacturers that did a .308 conversion of the Garand, but I don't recall any.

Beretta's BM59 was essentially an M1 in 7.62 x 51, in selective fire and with a detachable 20-round magazine and flash-suppressor / grenade launcher.

 

[Eric F]

Dont forgrt the ar is now a "platform" and there are many calibers now.

 

[flying_gage]

My Dad had an m1 that was chambered in .308. My mom paid a pretty penny for it back in the early 80's, ($800). As I remember, he didn't like it because it wasn't the same caliber that he had been taught on at Parris Island. If I remember correctly, it was a Springfield?

Did he have something unusual? Kind of is now sounding that way.....

 

[GRIZ22]

Yes, but the military didn't use them for anything but rifle matches.


IIRC the Navy used them on ships when the supply of M2 ball was drying up and there was plenty of 7.62 NATO around for M60s and M14s.

There are 2 methods of converting a M1 Garnad to 7.52 NATO. One is to install an insert in the chamber of the 30-06 barrel. This doesn't work too well as the insert sometimes comes out. The other is to rebarrel it with a 7.62 NATO barrel. This is the preferred method.

You also have to open up the gas port to make the rifle work w/ 7.62 NATO. Can't remember what the exact dimension is. Most conversions include a block in the magazine which isn't needed for functioning but stops someone from trying to cram in a clip of 30-06.

I have a commercial conversion 7.62 NATO Garand that works as well as the original.

My Dad had an m1 that was chambered in .308.

If it is an original Navy conversion it is worth a premium over a standard Garand. There is enough of a premium to make people counterfeit them. Check on the CMP forum to get the info on how to tell if it's the real deal.

 

[flying_gage]

It's long gone.... He sold it much to my chagrin. I learned to shoot on that rifle.

 

[JWF III]

Yes, but the military didn't use them for anything but rifle matches.

A well versed milsurp collector/dealer told me that the Navy DID use the .308 Garands as service rifles. He said that they used them for detonating mines, seems that the 5.56mm didn't have enough "oomph" to get the job done.

He knew that I was not in the market for the one he had (a Navy Conversion), so he had no reason to make something like that up. I've been unable to come up with any other use that the Navy would have for them, so I have to believe that one till I hear otherwise.

Wyman

ETA-Griz beat me to it while I was trying to get a link to the one my dealer has listed. (Link didn't go striaght to the rifle, so I deleted it.) It is listed at $1495, and I can tell anyone where to go to find it, if interested.

 

[dmazur]

Navy had Garands in .308

The Navy used 7.62 NATO Garands for training (back in 1970). However, the standard issue rifle for boot camp was the 03A3 Springfield.

The Navy used the Springfield 03A3's as a 9 lb training weight. The rifles were disabled and could not be fired.

When the training got around to rifle qualification, we swapped the Springfield 03A3's for Garands. A week later, we swapped them back for the 03A3's.

The Navy didn't consider small arms to be a big part of a sailor's job. They were training most of us to operate shipboard weapons systems, after all, and the perceived need for small arms proficiency was very close to zero.

 

[scythefwd]

JWF,
I'd check the facts on that one. The Garand did have an overlapping use with the m16, but .308 factory garands were pretty rare. I don't think the Navy was issued the M16 until well after most ground pounders had gotten rid of the Garand.

The reason I say this is....
A Garand was more than likely used because it was the only thing available instead of the lack of power in the 5.56. Also, the original chambering of 30-06 would have been just as sufficient to use so unless the Navy was solely issued .308 Garands, then it was again just use what was on hand.

There were factory .308 garands, and you can still purchase barrels in .308 for them in a contour that can be use in John C. Garand shooting matches. Krieger makes a really nice one.
I very well could be wrong though.

 

[TEC]

Technically, .308 is a different round from 7.62mm NATO, right? And the M1A is actually chambered for 7.62 NATO, but will shoot .308 without any problems as far as I know, but I don't shoot very large quantities of .308

 

[Art Eatman]

TEC, any difference between .308 and the NATO load won't be noticed by the rifle.

 

[JWF III]

I'll try to claify a little, but again this is what I was told, when I asked about the gun.

but .308 factory garands were pretty rare.

This was NOT a factory .308 Garand. This particular rifle was a Navy Conversion, of a standard .30 cal, M1 Garand. The SN on this gun is 121xx, which makes this Garand, originally, a "gas trap" Garand.

Also, the original chambering of 30-06 would have been just as sufficient to use so unless the Navy was solely issued .308 Garands, then it was again just use what was on hand.

The .308 was used because it was already in "extreme" widespread use in the theatre. .30-06 was (for the most part) a bygone military cartridge. Yes, it could've done the same job, as well or better. But the military doesn't really like having to stock two different ammos, that do the exact same thing. There are too many chances for a mishap to occur in battle. (Especially when basically the same rifle could fire one or the other.) And though not catastrophic to the ship, they could loose a sailor or three (per incedent).

Wyman

 

[TEDDY]

308

I have what I call a M1 Garand carbine.it is a reciever destroyed by the gov and re welded by FED ORD of cal.it has a BM59 mag and a new 18" barrel.its a tack driver.
so were did this story of 308.7.62 com from.there both the same.same as the 223/5.5.??whats supposed to be different?? when you buy dies you buy 223 and 308.

 

[AVESguy]

I have an M1 that was converted by Fulton Armory to shoot .308/ 7.62. I had it done at a time when there was very little 30-06 surplus available and .308 surplus was plentiful (it needed a barrel anyway). Of course, Murphy's Law took over and shortly afterwards the reverse happened.....oh well.....

It's evidently a simple conversion, a barrel and a spacer in the chamber to prevent 30-06 from fitting in there....