I’m getting ready for Greenport Tactical Association's M1 Garand Clinic next month. For more information see:
and
I don’t really like the M1. Despite its weight, the rifle beats me up. It isn’t fun shooting when every shot makes you wince. Part of that is from a shoulder injury and part of that is from my body type. I don’t have a lot of tissue protecting the collar bone and shoulder joint.
I’ve taken some steps to have more fun with my M1. I’ve replaced the steel butt plate with a polymer one that has a little flex.
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| I see it in movies....Bad guy butt strokes the good guy in the back of the head, but he gets up to save the day. I just don't believe it! Anyway, the recoil and this steel plate kicks me too hard! |
This took a little installation. I had to carefully remove a little excess wood so the new recoil modifying butt plate would fit without ruining the collector value of the rifle.
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| Cut a little here, trim a little there. I used the razor knife to make sure the shavings of wood come out clean and no cracking migrates into the rest of the wood stock. |
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| It's alive!!!!!! |
Is there any collector value? I don’t know, but I was told this M1 is a “tanker’s” model which has a smaller stock and a shorter barrel for getting in and out of a tank. It also has a locking rear sight which I haven’t seen at the CMP store at Camp Perry.
I’ve also got a sorbothane recoil pad that really helps soak up the recoil.
I pulled my M1 ammo out to make sure I have enough. It’s 30-06 of course.
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| 30-06 ammo. Old and new. |
It’s a great hunting round. There isn’t any animal in North America you can’t hunt with 30-06. Well, maybe not the abominable snowman but what would I do with 500 pounds of snow and ice?
What I really wanted to do was to check my supply of N-blocks. An N-block is one of those little pockets of black metal that holds 8 rounds for the Garand. Following the last shot the rifle ejects it and locks the chamber open. The sound of the ejecting metal clip is quite unique as is the sound of the metal clip striking a concrete surface.
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| 2 N-blocks, 16 rounds. Imagine having to carry 30 of these while marching! |
Recently one of the shooting publications had a series of letters wondering what the Germans heard and thought during the WWII city battles. The ones alive to comment, therefore either lucky, careful or both, indicated the sound was recognized as a rifle running dry. It was also perceived as a red herring to draw them from the safety of cover.
I guess that’s the tactical message. Never assume your opponent is less clever, less intelligent, less informed that you are.
Anyway, while I was digging through my pile of ammo, I found some black tipped military 30-06. I had lost track of these rounds.
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| Back tipped, armor penetrating rounds . The headstamp indicates they were made in 1943. |
They are armor piercing and certainly corrosive. Being corrosive doesn’t bother me too, too much. Providing I’m prepared and have the time to properly clean the rifle.
Most likely I’ll shoot them at paper at one of the rifle ranges I go to. Yes, one of the ranges has rifle proof steel swingers, but I don’t know if they are sufficiently armored enough for 30-06 at 200 yards.
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