I have an old Universal Garand. Over the weekend I got to shoot a Garand that had been converted to .308 Win. So I'd like your input on making the conversion to .308 or converting my Garand to accept magazines in 30-06.

Thanks in advance.

Converting to 7.62x51 or to .308 just requires a barrel swap. The rifle will feed the shorter case just fine with no other changes. Most will also put in a magazine block to prevent accidentally loading a clip of '06. Now the 7.62 and .308 are nearly identical except the headspace is just enough different on the two to sometimes cause problems.

Jerry Liles

the CMP has the 308 conversions already done , new barrels, magazine block, new wood, for less than $1k..

On converting your 30-06 Garand to use magazines you may investigate the Beretta BM59 Garand that some models used magazines and see what magazines they used and what they converted.

thank you all for your input. I'm ordering a Criterion chromed lined 308 Win. barrel. I think that is the most reasonable way to go.

Rusty, How much is the criterion barrel? I can price just the barrel at the CMP Wed. They also have a new stripped barreled receiver for about $350 I think.
Scratch the first part just found the CMP price for just the barrel is $200 shipped. Stripped barreled receiver add probably $25 for shipping.

You can order one for $179.00 from Dean's Gun Restorations. I just had Tip burns at Canyon Sporting Armsorder the barrel from Criterion. He will do the replacing.

Rusty

As you most likely know, I have a fair amount of experience with M1 Garands in 30/06, and 308, in standard, match, and Tanker varieties.
They are one of my most favorite rifles.

There is nothing wrong with a Garand in 30/06. They are great.

However, a Garand in 308 is also a great rifle and has the advantage of shooting 308/7.62 ammo, which is more readily avialable.
I am a BIG fan of a 308 Garand.

You do not need the 308 block that fits in the magazine for the rifle to function.

Also standard 30/06 hunting ammo is not really suitable for standard Garands as it is loaded with powders that are too slow burning for its gas system. That is why Federal and Hornady now load Special 30/06 ammo for the 30/06 Garands.
As a rule you do not want
to load ammo for the 30/06 Garand with a powder slower than IMR 4064, and most people prefer IMR 4895.

I actually load my 30/06 Garand hunting ammo with IMR 3031 because I have a lot of it on hand.

However, with all the 308/7.62 Garands I have fired I have not had any problems using standard factory Match or hunting loads.

One of the best accuracy loads in any 308/7.62 rifle is the Federal 168gr Match. For hunting the Winchester 168gr Ballsitic Tip, or the Federal 150gr Ballistic Tip, or the Federal 150gr Barnes Tripple Shock, or the 165 Federal Trophy Bonded Bearclaw have all shot very well.

My favorite all round 308 reload for ANY 308/7.62 rifle remains 39.5gr of IMR 3031, and the Sierra 168 gr Matchking, the Sierra 165gr HPBT Gameking, the Nosler 165gr Ballistic Tip, or the 165gr Nosler Partition, depending on usage or game to be hunted.
I have been using this load since 1977 and see no reason to change, as it is perfect... in every way.


Also, again, I will say, I think every American should have an M1 Garand...

Also, personally I would never consider modifying a Garand to take 20 round detachable magazines.

One of the advantges of the M1 Garand IMHO, is tha fact that it is fairly inexpensive to have several thousand rounds already loaded in the 8 round clips.

Yes I will agree that a M14 or an H&K 91 or a FN-FAL with loaded 20 rounds magazines has superior "firepower" as long as you have pre loaded magazines... But in the long run, having several thousand rounds, preloaded in 8 round clips for your M1 Garand, might just prove very handy, in the long run...

quote:

Originally posted by N E 450 No2:
Also, personally I would never consider modifying a Garand to take 20 round detachable magazines.

One of the advantges of the M1 Garand IMHO, is tha fact that it is fairly inexpensive to have several thousand rounds already loaded in the 8 round clips.

Yes I will agree that a M14 or an H&K 91 or a FN-FAL with loaded 20 rounds magazines has superior "firepower" as long as you have pre loaded magazines... But in the long run, having several thousand rounds, preloaded in 8 round clips for your M1 Garand, might just prove very handy, in the long run...

I'm not sure on the FN, but they had stripper clips for the M14. You didn't necessarily have to have loaded magazines.

The enbloc clips really weren't too bad an idea on the Garand. You can carry more of them then magazines and contrary to popular belief you can top off a Garand enbloc/magazine. You can actually load enblocs with any amount of cartridges less the full eight into the Garands magazine if you know how. Some Garands will even let you slip a round into the chamber and let the bolt go over the eight in the magazine and give you a nine shot rifle.

I bought one of these, in a 7.62x39, placed it in a .308 Marlin x-7. works great. It gave me an inexpensive 7.62x39 bolt action rifle.

http://www.mcace.com/adapters.htm

A friend of mine had a '03 that had been converted to .308 by merely inserting a machined "plug" into the front of the chamber that repositioned the shoulder stop.

I don't know about that N E dude, not sure he knows what he's talking about, lol!!!!!!!! Long time no hear N E. I've been away for too long. Been under the weather so to speak and just busy. Anyway, N E knows his stuff! And yeah every home should have Garand. Love mine, love the weight and the feel. Mines a tack driver.

kingd

Thanks for the complement.

quote:

Originally posted by wasbeeman:
A friend of mine had a '03 that had been converted to .308 by merely inserting a machined "plug" into the front of the chamber that repositioned the shoulder stop.

That device is called a "Navy Sleeve".

You clean and degrease the chamber, place the Navy Sleeve over a 308 round and insert it into a 30/06 chamber, close the bolt and fire the rifle. The "NS" should remain in the chamber.

It can be removed with a 30/06 stuck case remover, and reinserted later if you desire.

Some people use a little locktite for a more perminate installation.

A friend of mine use a Garand with a Navy Sleeve for Hi Power rifle competition and as far as I remember it never came out when he was shooting.



I have used one in a 30/06 Drilling, I have put it in, fired it, and taken it out several times, worked great.

It has not had any determental effects on accuracy.

Hell just sayin the truth, c ya. We need to get together and do some shootin'.

The chamber sleeve option is a poor one. There is a reason the USN went to dedicated chambers in 762 vice sleeves. They came out at the wrong time. Also, adding another .5 inches of free bore was not an accuracy improving move.

Either go with a criterion if you want an in expensive but useful barrel, or a Krieger cut rifled if you want the best of both accuracy and long life. Of course, as-issued M1s are usually at best 2 MOA guns with decent match ammo, but a full up NM conditioned rifle is a sub MOA gun. Plink and casual stuff, the criterion, (button rifle made by Krieger) is the way to go.

I like mine in 30/06 simply because that is the way they were made for the military marksman.....except for a few the USN made for service rifle shooters until the M14 NM was issued.

I shoot across the course and used my NM M1 up to expert, shot a Master score with it last time out, but now use an Ar15A2 NM rifle, age and arthritis remind me of the difference in recoil and the ergonomics remind how hard the wooden M guns are to handle in recoil for rapids....

Lastly, the cost of up keep for the wooden M guns as well as the cost of feeding is significantly more....

quote:

Originally posted by N E 450 No2:

That device is called a "Navy Sleeve".

You clean and degrease the chamber, place the Navy Sleeve over a 308 round and insert it into a 30/06 chamber, close the bolt and fire the rifle. The "NS" should remain in the chamber.

It can be removed with a 30/06 stuck case remover, and reinserted later if you desire.

Some people use a little locktite for a more perminate installation.

A friend of mine use a Garand with a Navy Sleeve for Hi Power rifle competition and as far as I remember it never came out when he was shooting.



I have used one in a 30/06 Drilling, I have put it in, fired it, and taken it out several times, worked great.

It has not had any determental effects on accuracy.

IF you use Loctite to make sure the sleeve doesn't move unintentionally, it is still fairly easy to remove later if needed...

You strip the rifle to a barreled receiver
and put it in a 450F oven for an hour or so...
Then reassemble and use the stuck case remover
as you would without the Loctite.

400F kills the Loctite bond