Bout says it all is there a ball powder or Milsurp ball powder that has the right burning curve for the Garand??

A quick look at a loading manual lists ww 748,ww760,aa2520 and h414 and several others with burn rates similar to 4895

LouisB, I would normally try to talk you out of using ball powder loads in the M1 Garand. Not because they'll screw up your gun..... but because I think "stick" powders like IMR 4895 give the best accuracy.

But those damn ball powders DO meter nice and they shoot pretty fair with possibly a bit less throat errosion. SO.......

I would add BL-C2 and H-380 to the list of suitable powders.

That said..... I would try AA2520 first.

Here are some loads..........

Lake City Match cases used.
Federal 210 primers
OAL 3.32 inches
Velocities instrumental at 15 feet

125 Sierra Spitzer Accurate Arms AAC-2520 52.0 gr. 3,000 fps.

150 Sierra MatchKing Accurate Arms AAC-2520 49.0 gr. 2,795 fps.

168 Sierra MatchKing Accurate Arms AAC-2520 46.0 gr. 2,600 fps.

Over the years I have burned a lot of BLC 2 in my Garand with excellent results.

Thanx to all that replied.
I have BL-C2 so may try it.

I started reloading with 4831 (Milsurp in the 60s) and a Lyman 55 measure. If you haven't tried that combination, you are LUCKY!!
That almost guarantees that I will go Ball powder when I can.

quote:

Originally posted by TCLouis:
Thanx to all that replied.
I have BL-C2 so may try it.

I started reloading with 4831 (Milsurp in the 60s) and a Lyman 55 measure. If you haven't tried that combination, you are LUCKY!!
That almost guarantees that I will go Ball powder when I can.

as a matter of fact,I have tried that combination!I also much prefer ball powder whenever possible.although I have been using 4320 now in my o3a3 for the last year or so.

Louis, I think BL-C2 should work pretty good in your Garand.

What bullet weight/weights are you going to use?

Oh, and I think anybody considering using ball powder in the Garand should take H414 off of the list of suitable powders.

The Hodgdon site states:

quote:

H414 yields similar results to H4350 in most cartridges, although charge weights will vary.

I don't know for sure, but I would suspect this would mean that H414 would deliver gas port pressures similar to H4350..... and IMR/H4350 are on the "NO-NO" list for use in the Garand.

Louis, if you find that BL-C2 works well, you might consider using surplus WC846. It's the military equivalent of BL-C2 and is pretty inexpensive.

DaMan
WC846 is exactly what I am going to try.

Plan to load light to medium loads (maybe some ful power) with 150 and 173s.
MOSTLY 150s.

M-1 Garand. There is an article in the March 1986 American Rifleman starting on pg 50 titled"Reloading For The M1 Rifle" by John R. Clarke using military and commercial brass,match primers and bullets & powders IMR: 3031,4895,4064,4320;H4895 & Win748.Groups are 1,2, or 3 minutes of angle.I used an IMR4895 load with 165gr Nosler BT's with a mag primer due to cold conditions in Nov to hunt mule deer in CO got a lucky shot thru the neck using my garand with a REDFIELD Globe Front Hooded Post sight at approx 250+ yds uphill.I was in charge of Garand Qualifications from 1980 to 1985 so I encouraged everyone to join the NRA and get a copy of that issue, I've sent copies of that article to several shooters on another forum so if anyone wants a copy send me your name & address.

quote:

Originally posted by TCLouis:
Bout says it all is there a ball powder or Milsurp ball powder that has the right burning curve for the Garand??

There certainly is, as a great many millions of rounds of M2 Ball ammo were loaded with an Olin Ball powder during WWII and after. It's listed in the Army Ammunition field manuals in the specs given for US .30 cal. M2 ball ammo.

In the 9th edition of COTW, there are specs given for US military ammo as well. The load mentioned for M2 Ball ammo is 50 grains of WC852, "double-based spheroidal", and the 4895 load given is likewise 50 grains. Vel for either of these two loads is given as 2740 FPS @ 78 feet, +- 30 FPS.

Or, as mentioned in previous posts, several different commercial ball powders in the same burning range can be used in the M1 with 150-165-grain bullets.

The original H380 was surplus WC852 originally made for M2 Ball.

Some lots of WC852 that have been sold as surplus were way off of the intended burning rate on the slow side, but that one was the real stuff.