Hope this is the right forum. Just picked up a new Springfield Armory M1 and saw a post here concerning IMR 4895 for loads. Can someone give me a proper load for this. I'll be shooting 147 grain FMJ's. In the past I used 53 grains of W760 but the current manuals have several different loads for IMR 4895 and could use some guidance. Just purchased 8 lbs. and want to load a thousand rounds or so for some fun. Thanks,

Dutch

49.0 grs IMR 4895 with the 147gr bullet is pretty much considered the "classic" Garand load.

46 grns H or IMR 4895 and any 150-175 grn BTHP works well and is generally the stanard load for M1 Garand High power competition.

IMR 4064 is well-favored too, but meters poorly (log sized kernels)

Insure your cases are trimmed and primer pockets cleaned. Seat primers below flush to avoid the chance of slam/out of battery discharges, which although rare with in-spec ammo, are certainly dangerous.

With the M80 FMJBTs 46.5 - 47 gr of IMR4895 will give a load that will match the regulation of the rear sight (if you adjust the rear elevation knob to match the zero). A load of 47.5 - 48 gr will equal the velcocity of what M2 ball was supposed to be but never was; 2800 fps.

Larry Gibson

Thank you, gentlemen. I'll start with 46.5 and check accuracy.

Dutch

This isn't a reload bit, but it might come in useful some day. Since 1985 I have been shooting PRC Chinese military 150 gr. ball ammo in my Garands.

What must have been millions of rounds of it were sold in this country beginning then and continuing for a number of years.

It is moderately warm loaded, burns clean, and is quite accurate in the Garands I have owned.

I suspect it was actually developed for Garands.

As many of the old-timers here know, trucks over the Burma Road along with flights over the "hump" (the Himalayas) in the old C-47s (DC-3s) provided a lot of military equipment to the Chinese to use against the invading Japanese during WWII. Must have been several hundred thousand Garands given to the Chinese during the war. Certainly tens of thousands, at least.

After WW-Deuce ended, in 1949 the revolution by the communists was finally successful and they formed the government which has been in power in the PRC ever since. As part of the fighting, one by one they captured every arsenal in China and eventually ended up with all those Garands. I remember well both sides using them in the Korean War after the Chinese got involved on the North Korean side.

Anyway, I believe the majority of .30-06s in China were regularly run on that Chinese-made military ball ammo after the revolution. Then, about 10 years after the Nixon visit to the PRC, they started selling the stuff to us. And it works great...Boxer primed, non-corrosive, all that good stuff...and best of all very accurate for military ball.

I am still shooting it in my current Garand, an International Harvester-built one, and it is averaging right at or very, very slightly below 2 MOA in the completely unmodified gun.

So, if you see or can get a cheap buy on any old surplus Chinese military ball, I recommend you give it a try.

Dutch;

How has the load work-up for your M1 come along so far?

I am in central MO- Richland, and if you are interested, there are opportunities to shoot your M1 in CMP or NRA HP power events in the state- Benchrest club in Warrenton, Owensville Club (Owensville) and others host CMP games events for as-issued M1s, carbines and vintage bolt guns; or CMP and NRA High power events for a full blown NM modified Garand too. PM me if interested.

Canuck, where u been getting these rounds?

I have not bought any for some years now. I originally bought many cases of it from a Chinese import firm in the Los Angeles, California area. Each case contained two hermetically sealed LARGE O.D. tin cans of ammo with Chinese lettering, already in Garand clips. I bought lots of cases of it because doing it that way I got it for something just over $100 per case, delivered to Scottsdale, AZ.

I still have two+ cases of it, but as I haven't opened any of them recently and I always re-package opened cans into GI bandoleers, I can't recall whether it comes 1,120 rounds per can or per case. (Probably per case would be my guess....as that would be 70 loaded clips per can.)

I do know that they sold it to dealers and other suppliers all over the U.S., and I occasionally still see old stock at gunshows. But as to who (if anyone) has regular stocks of it now, I have no idea.

I was providing the info so if anyone sees any of it they don't just pass it by because it is of Chinese origin.

Canuck, where you finding that chinese ammo? I been shootin' the Greek stuff and it's pretty good.