Bad Range Session With M1 Garand

[mrkalashnikov]

In 40 years of shooting I've never seen one go kablooie like this; a miracle nobody got hurt:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mn0KBzK2Kho

[Richard Simmons]

Just about guarantee she had a squib load and she fired the next round with an obstructed bore, nothing comes out of the muzzle at all as the gun shatters. Pretty amazing that they caught it on film like that.

[ATAK, Inc.]

Wow!!!

One piece of the stock was 1-2' from the guy, while the other chunk flew over the car! Not to mention the unseen shratnel.

[alismith]

Just about guarantee she had a squib load and she fired the next round with an obstructed bore, nothing comes out of the muzzle at all as the gun shatters. Pretty amazing that they caught it on film like that.

Yeah, that's what I'm thinking, too. You can see something happened to the round just before the one that blew the gun apart.

[Richard Simmons]

I was looking at it again and the next to last round does have quite a bit of recoil as it pushes her back pretty good. Her last normal round was the 6th then nothing happens when she pulls the trigger on the 7th round so she pulls back the op rod and appears to pull a case out of the chamber then lets the bolt go forward.

Wondering if the 7th round was messed up and didn't chamber all the way. When it didn't fire she actually pulled the case out and left the bullet in the bore. When she let the bolt go on the 8th round it managed to chamber by either pushing the bullet further into the bore, pushing it's own bullet further into the case or a combination of both.

[El Laton Caliente]

Just DAMN!

[Penguin]

OH man I hope no one was hurt on that one. That looked bad.

[Helen Keller]

seen that before.


Had a guy use Bullseye instead of his normal powder.

[rahatlakhoom]

Apparently, the thick walnut handguards can absorb a lot of energy.
Still, that is very bad news.

I owned a couple Garands.
I did not like their operating behavior.
Personally, me and Mr. Garand don't seem to get along.

[old Grump]

I have one in 308 I bought it for "historical" meaning only I think there are many flaws with the Garrand as a battle rifle.Only one major flaw and that was the enbloc clip instead of a magazine which the Italians fixed with their version and a couple of minor flaws like caliber and op rod which were fixed by the M14. I would not feel undergunned or overwhelmed with a M1 Garand in a battlefield situation no matter what the other guy had unless he cheated and used artillery on my old hairy butt.

[arcangel]

That would really freak me out. Glad nobody got hurt. My best friend has a Garand, I like to shoot it but his jams every other round. I don't know if he has a lemon or not but it made me re consider buying one. Although I would feel ok with a Garand in a battle field situation I would prefer an AR-15 or 10. Or an AK. I really do prefer having plenty of rounds in the mag, and would stick to good marksmanship. I'd feel good with an M1A as well now that's a rifle. The Garand perfected.

[abpt1]

Apparently, the thick walnut handguards can absorb a lot of energy.
Still, that is very bad news.

I owned a couple Garands.
I did not like their operating behavior.
Personally, me and Mr. Garand don't seem to get along.

I feel the same way .

[NAPOTS]

I have one, while it is fun to shoot from a historical perspective, There are a lot of things I don't like about it which have been mentioned for the most part. I have also heard a few accounts of them KB-ing.

[Richard Simmons]

In all fairness to the Garand I feel a few things should be considered. First and foremost it was designed as a military arm, used by trained soldiers and marines using military ammo.

What we have now is a firearm, many approaching 70+ years of age and countless rebuilds both foreign and domestic being used by, in some cases completely novice shooters with ammo that is either commercial, reloaded or aging milsurp of sometimes foreign manufacture and or unknown storage conditions.

None of these things are necessarily a recipe for disaster but when combined I find it hard to lay the blame for something like this soley on the firearm and it's design. I'd wager that there isn't a firearm in existence that hasn't had a "Kaboom" for one reason or another. I'd also wager that more often then not the cause is us and something we did or didn't do rather than the gun.

I'd imagine that are more Garand owners then you think that don't even know how to disassemble their rifle and put it back together. They shoot it, (probably with store bought hunting loads) swab the bore and stick it back in the rack until next time.

Just saying.

[mrkalashnikov]

This from the young lady Garand shooter's Youtube account where that viddy was taken from:


"The 7th round was a live round. The M1 jammed like it often does. Instead of forcing that round into the chamber, I took it out and slammed the bolt forward. We are thinking the chamber did not close all the way. My brother's M1 will still fire that way. "

arizonagirl24 6 days ago

[Solidus-snake]

In all fairness to the Garand I feel a few things should be considered. First and foremost it was designed as a military arm, used by trained soldiers and marines using military ammo.

What we have now is a firearm, many approaching 70+ years of age and countless rebuilds both foreign and domestic being used by, in some cases completely novice shooters with ammo that is either commercial, reloaded or aging milsurp of sometimes foreign manufacture and or unknown storage conditions.

None of these things are necessarily a recipe for disaster but when combined I find it hard to lay the blame for something like this soley on the firearm and it's design. I'd wager that there isn't a firearm in existence that hasn't had a "Kaboom" for one reason or another. I'd also wager that more often then not the cause is us and something we did or didn't do rather than the gun.

I'd imagine that are more Garand owners then you think that don't even know how to disassemble their rifle and put it back together. They shoot it, (probably with store bought hunting loads) swab the bore and stick it back in the rack until next time.

Just saying.

Same things my cousin says to me all the time as his MBR/ go to gun is his Garand. And as I always tell him, those are exactly the reasons I dont have or would ever rely on one as a go to weapon.

Reason 1. You run out of your milsurp ammo and your reloads. Your fucked more than likely, as your primary weapon now is not guaranteed to run even at 90% on commercial ammo or from my personal experience anyways. This is only reason 1 and its IMO reason enough to not ever have one as a go to MBR.

I mean shit, my CETME is ammo picky but at least it can shoot wolf and brown bear out of it as well as bout any surplus 7.62.

[Richard Simmons]

This from the young lady Garand shooter's Youtube account where that viddy was taken from:


"The 7th round was a live round. The M1 jammed like it often does. Instead of forcing that round into the chamber, I took it out and slammed the bolt forward. We are thinking the chamber did not close all the way. My brother's M1 will still fire that way. "

arizonagirl24 6 days ago

"jammed like it often does"

That right there says something to me at least. No firearm is supposed to jam at all let alone "often". Also they have another Garand that will fire with the bolt out of battery! IMHO when a firearm does not function properly you,

A. Determine why and

B. Fix the problem or cease use of the firearm until you do.

[Texas Soldado]

If you have a squib and a bullet stops in the barrel and another round is fired behind it... that rifle will explode no matter what kind it is.

Interesting fact... the box magazine was available for the Garand but was nixed for the en bloc because of drill & ceremony appearance sake at least I have read that before.

[Richard Simmons]

This incident is being discussed over at Culvers, CMP, etc., and more than a few Garand enthusiasts are leaning towards a worn part on the rifle as the cause of this Kaboom. From what I've read the little gal was using Prvi ammo, not reloads and they are looking at it as an out of battery situation. Whether that is the case and due to a high primer, worn part, etc., is still being hashed out.

[El Duce]

Yet another reminder to always were hearing and eye protection!

The lady sent these pictures to a guy on another forum.

http://i559.photobucket.com/albums/ss31/Bert2368/photo-74.jpg

http://i559.photobucket.com/albums/ss31/Bert2368/photo-76.jpg

http://i559.photobucket.com/albums/ss31/Bert2368/photo-75.jpg

[btcave]

http://i559.photobucket.com/albums/ss31/Bert2368/photo-74.jpg


Reminds me of something...


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/10/Narsil.jpg

[Richard Simmons]

WOW! That a catastophic case failure. Wonder if it would have been the same with military brass? Weird that it sheared off right at the shoulder of the case.

[Solidus-snake]

So what was it? Hot round or what?

[Richard Simmons]

So what was it? Hot round or what?

I'm pretty sure from what I've read elsewhere the gal is saying the bolt wasn't closed all the way. On a Garand in proper working order the hammer can drop in an out of battery situation but the firing pin won't be hit, something like that anyway. It's designed not to fire if the bolt isn't fully in battery so a worn or broken part seems to be the main concensus so far.

That kind of matches what she was saying about her brother's Garand. When she said it will fire with the bolt open the thinking is she meant you can pull the trigger and the hammer will trip/drop, not that it will fire a live round.

[ChirpinSquirrel]

A little off subject, but my buddy who owns a garand says that there is a Federal commercial load that is designed for use in the garand. Supposedly uses the correct powder to not bend the op rods or blow it up like that.

[Richard Simmons]

A little off subject, but my buddy who owns a garand says that there is a Federal commercial load that is designed for use in the garand. Supposedly uses the correct powder to not bend the op rods or blow it up like that.

Yep, that's a fact.

http://www.federalpremium.com/promotions/press_releases.aspx?id=218&brand=5&year=2009

I believe it's the 150gr FMJ/BT loading.

Hornady also makes a similar load specifically for the Garand

[NAPOTS]

That is why we are supposed to wear eye protection when shooting. Sometimes, thankfully rarely, guns explode.

[gunslinger]

Maybe she'll read this Page 8 line 2 http://stevespages.com/pdf/springfield_m1garand.pdf

"Stop using your gun if it fails to function properly. Have the gun examined by a competent gunsmith."

Well, that's a little exagerated. You just have to check chamber and bore to avoid such a disaster.

[gunslinger]

Apparently, the thick walnut handguards can absorb a lot of energy.
Still, that is very bad news.

I owned a couple Garands.
I did not like their operating behavior.
Personally, me and Mr. Garand don't seem to get along.

Think the same, and said as much on this very same forum. I didn't just say "I don't like it". I also explained why technically I don't like it. Almost got my face eaten off by Garand enthusiasts.