Alternate calibers for the M1 Garand

thefundamentalist · 01-11-2019, 10:39 AM

I'm following a conversation about obtaining new barrels for the Garand in alternative calibers. Guy says if he can get at least 10 people in on a caliber he has a maker who will run them off. He has rim diameter and OAL restrictions. And lots of different cartridges have been talked about.
I think .308 is a good alternative for a Garand, but I don't have as much experience as some of you guys. What cartridge do you think would be worth pursuing?

P.S. Just checked in, and I guess enough people wanted 6.5 x 55, so, he's doing a run of ten in that size. I know nothing about that cartridge, though.

hangfire · 01-11-2019, 11:23 AM

Sacrilege

JD Miller · 01-11-2019, 11:46 AM

Just get a m14 / m1A

thefundamentalist · 01-11-2019, 01:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JD Miller

Just get a m14 / m1A

Yeah, one of my buddies has been pushing me to get an M1A. I would just prefer to see what a Garand could be made to do.

Bluntforce · 01-11-2019, 07:20 PM

7mm Mauser is a dream cartridge in any platform it’s rare and expensive now and probably wears barrels but does such horrible things to what it hits.

Eightball · 01-11-2019, 11:55 AM

I think it would be cool to have a Garand chambered in the cartridge it was originally meant for, the .276 Pedersen. I have no idea where you would get ammunition for it, though.

JD Miller · 01-11-2019, 12:23 PM

Trying to find a case comparison of the 7mm-08 and the .276 pedersen

thefundamentalist · 01-11-2019, 01:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JD Miller

Trying to find a case comparison of the 7mm-08 and the .276 pedersen

Wouldn't a 7mm slug in a necked-down .30-06 case push the velocity up high enough to cause wear problems on the bore?

JD Miller · 01-11-2019, 08:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thefundamentalist

Wouldn't a 7mm slug in a necked-down .30-06 case push the velocity up high enough to cause wear problems on the bore?

That's called a .280 Remington

thefundamentalist · 01-12-2019, 11:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JD Miller

That's called a .280 Remington

Oh, so the 7mm-08 is based off of the .308?

Just saw a vid of some guys shooting a .276 Pedersen. They somehow found about 60 rounds of the stuff, and shot it through a classic rifle. Other than the weird bolt blow back knocking one of the guys hats off it looked really good. Even those shooters wondered about the .276 in a garand.

baboon · 01-11-2019, 12:48 PM

IIRC someone was building them in .458 Min mag at one point.

500grains · 01-14-2019, 10:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by baboon

IIRC someone was building them in .458 Min mag at one point.

Yes, but that required extensive modifications, including milling in the receiver. That fellow died a few years ago.

https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/...in-mag-garand/

baboon · 01-14-2019, 11:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 500grains

Yes, but that required extensive modifications, including milling in the receiver. That fellow died a few years ago.

https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/...in-mag-garand/

So you have seen or heard about the BMF activator right?
https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/bmf-activator
I know the daughter of the inventor of that. Her father invented a few other things as well. Any way talking with her husband a few years back he say he thinks he has a magazine conversion that his FIL made for the M1 Garand. So I'm like bring it on I'd like to see what you have. Turned out that it was a conversion to make the Garand a bolt action. My only guess is back when he was working on it Garands were cheap & plentiful. It does take a shitload of weight out of the Garand & semi auto rifle were frowned upon at one point for hunting.

thefundamentalist · 01-15-2019, 11:47 AM

I sent a PM to the OP who's behind the barrel thread. He said he should have his first batch of 6.5x55 barrels in soon. Barrel alone is $275, for $325-350 he has a kit with other goodies.

500grains · 01-15-2019, 03:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by baboon

So you have seen or heard about the BMF activator right?
https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/bmf-activator
I know the daughter of the inventor of that. Her father invented a few other things as well. Any way talking with her husband a few years back he say he thinks he has a magazine conversion that his FIL made for the M1 Garand. So I'm like bring it on I'd like to see what you have. Turned out that it was a conversion to make the Garand a bolt action. My only guess is back when he was working on it Garands were cheap & plentiful. It does take a shitload of weight out of the Garand & semi auto rifle were frowned upon at one point for hunting.

I thought the ATF got a hard-on for those crank attachments.

Never saw the bolt action garand. I am aware that at one time a guy was converting 1903s to accept a 20 round BAR magazine. I think that would be a nice setup.

Another guy was chopping 1903 actions and making them into a bolt action .45 acp. I guess it would be ok for rabbit hunting.

01-11-2019, 10:39 AM	#1
thefundamentalist Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 10,893	Alternate calibers for the M1 Garand I'm following a conversation about obtaining new barrels for the Garand in alternative calibers. Guy says if he can get at least 10 people in on a caliber he has a maker who will run them off. He has rim diameter and OAL restrictions. And lots of different cartridges have been talked about. I think .308 is a good alternative for a Garand, but I don't have as much experience as some of you guys. What cartridge do you think would be worth pursuing? P.S. Just checked in, and I guess enough people wanted 6.5 x 55, so, he's doing a run of ten in that size. I know nothing about that cartridge, though.

01-11-2019, 11:23 AM	#2
hangfire Home on the range Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: S. Indiana Posts: 17,287	Sacrilege __________________ "Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure of the universe" -Albert Einstein-

01-11-2019, 11:46 AM	#3
JD Miller Fake Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: PNW Posts: 39,219	Just get a m14 / m1A __________________ .......

01-11-2019, 07:20 PM	#5
Bluntforce slug Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Allturd State Posts: 21,908	7mm Mauser is a dream cartridge in any platform it’s rare and expensive now and probably wears barrels but does such horrible things to what it hits. __________________

01-11-2019, 11:55 AM	#6
Eightball Proud WECSOG graduate Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: North Louisiana Posts: 3,601	I think it would be cool to have a Garand chambered in the cartridge it was originally meant for, the .276 Pedersen. I have no idea where you would get ammunition for it, though. __________________ Wish I didn't know now what I didn't know then.

01-11-2019, 12:23 PM	#7
JD Miller Fake Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: PNW Posts: 39,219	Trying to find a case comparison of the 7mm-08 and the .276 pedersen

01-11-2019, 12:48 PM	#11
baboon slug Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Out by the lake in central Texas Posts: 18,336	IIRC someone was building them in .458 Min mag at one point.

01-15-2019, 11:47 AM	#14
thefundamentalist Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 10,893	I sent a PM to the OP who's behind the barrel thread. He said he should have his first batch of 6.5x55 barrels in soon. Barrel alone is $275, for $325-350 he has a kit with other goodies.