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M1 Garand... RANGE REPORT!

4K views 5 replies 5 participants last post by  phrogg 
#1 ·
I picked up my M1 from the local Cordova shooting range shop where I bought it and hit the range immediately afterwards with one of my friends. I put a patch of cleaning solvent throught the barrel, two blank patches, then about 4 boxes downrange yesterday. I loved it, and so did my friend.

I read the CMP manual that came with my gun in a .pdf file a couple days ago, so I was ready yesterday. No M1 thumb. =D

At 100 yards, my 2 shot groups were within 2 inches of each other every time, with my shooting and iron sights. I couldn't figure out how to get the windage adjustment closer, so it's about two inches off to the right or three inches off to the left depending on which click I use. I guess the windage adjustment is... what, 4 MOA? I couldn't quite get the elevation perfect when I tried, cause that was always an inch off in one direction or the other, which may have been my shooting. Anyway, I couldn't get the thing dead center at 100 yards, but I was hitting the paper on every shot, and hitting it consistently.

My rifle is labeled "H-180" in yellow on the rear right of the stock, and the serial number is 3737151. The barrel is labeled "3 S A 4 45", and the guy at the shop said it was a 1945 made gun. Anyone know what any of those mean about my rifle? The stock is nice and beat up, so I get the feeling it was used by someone, but the bore was perfect and it shoots better than that.

As usual, this thread is useless without pics:















 
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#2 ·
Your rifle was made in May, 1945, so the April, 1945 barrel (SA 4 45) is most probably original. The H-180 on the stock is most probably a rack number. Any stampings on the left side of the stock near the receiver? How about on the bottom of the pistol grip or in front of the pistol grip? What ammo are you using? Congratulations on a very nice rifle.
 
#4 ·
I think you've caught the bug...

Great range report and pictures! Thank you for posting 'em.
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A word about the sights: both windage and elevation are designed to move the bullet strike one inch per click at 100 yards. Um... I'd recommend firing three shots rather than two when trying to establish a group; it's much more reliable, statistically. (There are those who insist on five rounds, but three were enough for the Sergeant who taght me to shoot, and I'll not argue with him!!) The index lines on the "aft" side of the sight are 4 moa apart; takes four windage clicks to move from one to the next.
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If you're really getting two-inch groups, though, you have a phenomenal M1! (And I'm sure glad you're pleased... we need all the Garand fans we can get!)
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Ben
 
#5 ·
phrogg - Sounds like a good M1 Garand.

Ben Hartley said it well, the sights adjust 1 minute of angle for each click, in elevation or windage, What that translates to is 1 inch at one hundred yards for each click. At fifty yards that would be 1/2 inch for each click, and at 200 yards that would be 2 inches for each click (still 1 minute of angle; the distance in hundred yards times 1).

A genuine National Match rear sight will give you 1/2 minute of angle adjustments for both elevation and windage, and could set you back $100.00 or so. Not a necessity, but if you are flush with cash, it is not a bad idea; just keep the old sight, as it is a part of what appears to be an original rifle.

I, too, learned to shoot a group of three, and adjust the center of the group, not the individual shots. A group of five will be a little closer, because any group may have a flyer, and it is harder to detect with a group of three. If you are ammo rich a five shot group is better, and for the first adjustments, a group of five may be OK. Try to get your adjustments completed with a cold (cool) barrel, then mark the sight with a tiny strip of white paint, on the elevation knob and the windage marks, to show the zero at 100 yards. Write the settings down in your range book for the rifle. Turn the elevation knob to zero, counting the clicks, and it should be somewhere between 10 and 12 clicks up for 100 yards, then readjust the rear sight to the correct setting.

`
 
#6 ·
dukeofdata said:
Your rifle was made in May, 1945, so the April, 1945 barrel (SA 4 45) is most probably original. The H-180 on the stock is most probably a rack number. Any stampings on the left side of the stock near the receiver? How about on the bottom of the pistol grip or in front of the pistol grip? What ammo are you using? Congratulations on a very nice rifle.
Nice info, there, thanks. There aren't any markings on the stock in any of those places, although there are about three chunks taken out of the stock. One is the right hand side near the bottom of the magazine, one is the right hand bottom side of the pistol grip, and one is a huge scratch on the left side just behind the pistol grip. I don't think those would cover up markings, though. It looks more like someone hit something with the rifle and pushed the wood in rather than taking a chunk out.

I'm currently using 150 grain Winchester softpoints, $13 a box from Wally World. I picked up two boxes of 165 grain and one box of PMC 147 grain FMJBT. All of them functioned perfectly, and I'm definitly not using 165 grain bullets much if at all in the future.

Gyrene said:
phrogg - Sounds like a good M1 Garand.
Ben Hartley said it well, the sights adjust 1 minute of angle for each click, in elevation or windage, What that translates to is 1 inch at one hundred yards for each click. At fifty yards that would be 1/2 inch for each click, and at 200 yards that would be 2 inches for each click (still 1 minute of angle; the distance in hundred yards times 1).
A genuine National Match rear sight will give you 1/2 minute of angle adjustments for both elevation and windage, and could set you back $100.00 or so. Not a necessity, but if you are flush with cash, it is not a bad idea; just keep the old sight, as it is a part of what appears to be an original rifle.
I, too, learned to shoot a group of three, and adjust the center of the group, not the individual shots. A group of five will be a little closer, because any group may have a flyer, and it is harder to detect with a group of three. If you are ammo rich a five shot group is better, and for the first adjustments, a group of five may be OK. Try to get your adjustments completed with a cold (cool) barrel, then mark the sight with a tiny strip of white paint, on the elevation knob and the windage marks, to show the zero at 100 yards. Write the settings down in your range book for the rifle. Turn the elevation knob to zero, counting the clicks, and it should be somewhere between 10 and 12 clicks up for 100 yards, then readjust the rear sight to the correct setting.
`
Yeah, i would have done that, but I was running low on ammo is all. =] hehe. My 2 shot 100 yard groups were usually an inch and a half or less, while my 5 shot groups were more like two to two and a half inches.

Either way, I love the rifle, and it's probably capable of better than what I can shoot with open sights. I can shoot a 2 inch circle with my scoped Ruger 10/22 every time from 100 yards, hopefully I'll be able to do the same with my non-scoped Garand.

I think I need to write everything down. I had no idea that each line was 4 MOA, not each click. The instructions with the rifle said "each graduation of the windage adjustment"... i assumed that meant click. yeah.

Thanks, guys!
 
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