M1 Garand Pros & Cons
Pros
- Awesome sights
- Surprisingly soft recoil
- Insanely fun to shoot
- Induces feelings of freedom on contact
Cons
- Expensive gun and ammo
- Heavy
The Bottom Line
The M1 Garand remains one of the coolest rifles on the market. It's fun to shoot, accurate, and has light recoil for a .30-06. The rifle lives up to its famed reputation and has become one of my favorites. The M1 Garand is truly a unique experience.
What can I say about the M1 Garand that hasn’t already been said?
In World War 2, it fought for democracy against authoritarianism worldwide. It was a semi-automatic rifle on a field of bolt actions that changed the world. The bolt action battle rifle died the day the M1 Garand hit the deck.
To this day, the rifle is a symbol of the United States, one helluva rifle, and just a vibe.
General Patton said, “In my opinion, the M1 rifle is the greatest battle implement ever devised.”
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Prices accurate at time of writing
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M1 Garand Specs & Features
Specs
- Caliber: .30-06
- Action: Semi-auto, long-stroke piston
- Capacity: 8
- Length: 43.5″
- Barrel Length: 24″
- Weight: 9.5 lbs
Features
- Ambidextrous safety
- Fully adjustable rear sight
- Hardwood furniture
A Brief History of the M1 Garand
John Garand was born in Canada, but we won’t hold that against him. He only lived there for a year before coming to the United States. He’s a man who loved both target shooting and machining, which led to a natural career as a firearm designer.
He must have been pretty good at it because by 19, he had produced a light machine gun, and the War Department selected it. It doesn’t seem like that gun was produced, but Garand went to work for the US Government at Springfield Armory in 1919, where he remained till he retired in 1953.
He designed the legendary M1 Garand at Springfield Armory, officially known as the Semiautomatic, Caliber .30, M1 Rifle, and the military adopted it in 1933. Initially, the rifle had some difficulties and issues, and the Army focused on fixing those issues. It wasn’t until 1937 that the rifle began being delivered to the U.S. Army.
There were still some issues, but the kinks were unkinked, and by 1941, the U.S. Army was fully equipped with the M1 Garand. Over time, the weapon made its way to the Marine Corps and Navy and became the rifle of the US Armed Forces in World War 2.
It remained the service rifle of choice until 1957 when the M-14 replaced it. However, it’s worth noting that the M1 Garand would remain in service past 1957 until the M-14 fully armed the U.S. Military.
Nearly five and a half million rifles were produced, and after the M1 Garand went out of service, many were sold to foreign countries, and others entered the Civilian Marksmanship Program.
Mine originated from there, and outside of being re-barreled, it’s an original gun with beautiful wood furniture. My production date makes the gun a post-World War 2 rifle, and I doubt it ever left the United States with the condition it’s in.
Who Is the M1 Garand For?
Who isn’t it for? If you’re a gun guy or gal, you’re likely familiar with the rifle. If you watch movies and video games, you’re likely familiar with the rifle.
It’s an American icon, a cultural icon, and just plain awesome. It’s a grail gun for me, and its purpose for me is the historical connection it provides. Shooting this gun and reminiscing about the men who went overseas to fight for democracy and defeat evil is its own reward.
From a practical perspective, the rifle still has some genuine uses. There are dedicated CMP matches, and NRA High Power Service rifle-style matches that the Garand fits into.
In fact, the CMP even has a John C. Garand Match, which uses as-is military rifles. It’s a relaxed match that’s more focused on fun than shooting jackets and perfect positions.
You can most certainly hunt with an M1 Garand. There are five and even two round en bloc clips to make sure you’re legal and compliant with various state laws. Admittedly, the M1 Garand is a bit big and heavy and ultimately not a modern option, but if it can kill Nazis, it can kill deer.
Ergonomics: Fit and Feel
It is heavy but in a good way. That’s the first thing I thought when I picked up my M1 Garand. The wood stock covers everything, and the weight of wood and steel is very real. It’s 9.5 pounds with just iron sights.
A lot of modern ARs weigh close to 10 pounds, but that’s with 1-8X LPVOs, M-LOK handguards, lights, lasers, and 30-round magazines. This thing holds eight rounds of America’s finest .30-06 and gives you iron sights, and that’s it!
The wood is chunky but solid and beautiful, to be honest. The parkerized steel isn’t a beautiful blue but a Spartan grey. There is a hardness to this weapon, and you can easily see how this weapon could go from a great rifle to a great spear with a bayonet. It wouldn’t break with a butt stroke, that’s for sure.
Working the action delivers this loud, churning machine-like sound. It’s of its time and honestly just wonderful all around.
With the M1 Garand, you get an exposed op rod that moves every time you shoot. It’s an odd quirk, and you’ll need to watch your hand placement to avoid it.
This gun was clearly made for an era when we used a bladed stance and a chicken-wing shooting position. The pull length stretches out fairly far. I’m a big guy, so I can assume a squared-up shooting position, but I don’t think many other folks can.
The M1 Garand is a product of its era. Although progressive for the era, the gun was built around dated shooting techniques.
At the end of the day, it feels solid. Solid like an oak tree, solid like a soldier, solid like the American people.
How Does the M1 Garand Shoot?
A life of playing World War 2 first-person shooters perfectly prepared me for this gun. Okay, not really, but it prepared me for the sight picture. Seriously, thanks, Call of Duty and Brothers in Arms.
Looking down at the sights is exactly what you expect if you played these games. The United States was an early adopter of the peep sight, and peep sights are the superior option for long-range iron-sighted shooting. We get a great, easy-to-use sight picture with a fairly broad front sight and a wide open peep sight.
It leads to surprisingly accurate shooting. I used some surplus M2 ammo a friend had, and it’s got to be pretty bottom of the barrel as far as accuracy goes. This mass-produced surplus stuff is ancient, but I was producing 3.75-inch groups at 100 yards.
While 3.75 inches may sound huge, the M1 Garand wasn’t built to be a 1 MOA rifle. But remember, this is on iron sights, with old surplus ammo, and this is my first time shooting a Garand.
Some experience and good ammo can cut the group size down. One of the Pew Pew Tactical Editors, Wyatt, has a CMP Special grade Garand with a Criterion barrel that can shoot 1.5 MOA or slightly better with match ammo. Not bad for a rifle that’s older than my dad.
Inspired a bit by the modern era, I fired a Bill Drill with the M1 Garand. That’s six shots at seven yards into the A-zone of an IPSC target from the low ready. My slowest was 2.3 seconds, and my fastest was 1.98. I learned quickly you have to ride the lightning; just pull the gun into your shoulder and work that trigger.
The recoil isn’t as bad as I expected. I typically think of the Winchester Model 70 when I think .30-06, which is much lighter and also a bolt action. This .30-06 weighs nearly ten pounds and has a gas-operated semi-auto design, so the recoil isn’t bad.
It’s not painful but stout. I think of it a bit like a .45 ACP; it’s got a push, but it’s not snappy or uncomfortable by any means.
The gun does have some muzzle rise, and its long length makes it tough to get a hand far enough forward to help tame that like a more modern design. With every trigger pull, the gun barks and then jumps before settling back on target.
I used surplus M2 ammo and what I believe are surplus en-bloc clips. With that combo, I had no reliability issues. Between myself and a friend, we fired 208 rounds. I wasn’t going to torture test the old gun, and if a gun made in the 1950s had problems, I assumed they show up pretty fast.
What Makes the M1 Special?
I can’t figure out if it’s the historical context, the fact it’s a cultural icon, or simply that it’s a semi-auto World War-era rifle that sets this gun apart. I guess the answer could be all three. The M1 Garand is a legend, a living legend at that.
In my experience, the gun lives up to that legendary status. I can see how the M1 Garand left both friend and foe jealous. It’s easy to shoot accurately, has great controls, and has a few quirks, but ultimately, it still handles very well.
By the Numbers
Reliability: 5/5
I didn’t get into a several hundred-round test, but in 208 rounds, or 26 full clips, the gun had no problems with M2 ammo.
Ergonomics: 3.5/5
The trigger guard safety is an odd duck, and the moving op-rod is a quirk. Also, the LOP is quite long. Let’s not forget the potential for a smashed thumb if you load it incorrectly. It’s a product of its time.
Accuracy: 3.5/5
It’s accurate enough. These old guns were never meant to be 1 MOA shooters, but they’ll put that big .30 cal bullet where you want it, or at least close to where you want it.
Customization: 3/5
I know you can customize an M1 Garand with aftermarket stocks, scope mounts, and some other accessories; I’ve seen Post Malone’s. But my advice — don’t. Add a sling and call it a day.
Value: 3.5/5
This is a tough one. The value of mil-surp is definitely in the eye of the beholder. However, Garands have risen in price steeply over the last 10-15 years and will continue to do so.
Overall: 4/5
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
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Upgrades For the M1 Garand
The Magpul RLS is an old-school design that works as a carry strap and as a loop sling to add tension and accuracy. I think it’s the only modern thing I’d use on a Garand.
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
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Real, WW2-era bayonets are expensive if you want one in decent condition. This replica isn’t as impressive as a bayonet, and I wouldn’t charge the Germans with it, but it looks nice and completes the M1 package without breaking the bank.
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Authentic M1923 cartridge belts are actually quite cheap and common. These simple canvas belts hold ten clips of M1 Garand ammo for easy access. Reproduction versions are also available for those who don’t want to hunt down an original.
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Why You Should Trust Pew Pew Tactical
Pew Pew Tactical author Travis Pike helmed this article. Travis spent a lifetime shooting as a kid and later joined the United States Marine Corps, where he spent five years as an infantryman. In the middle of his Marine Corps career, he began writing and never stopped. He has thousands of articles to his name with a variety of publications, including Pew Pew Tactical.
This review was edited by Pew Pew Tactical Editor Wyatt Sloan. Wyatt is an NRA and USCCA-certified instructor with previous experience as a competitive shooter. He personally owns over 200 firearms, a Garand included, and has 10 years of home-based FFL firearm sales. Wyatt uses his extensive experience with firearms at large to test guns for Pew Pew Tactical — evaluating them based on our standards and metrics.
Final Thoughts
The M1 Garand might be retired and old enough to be a great-grandpa, but it’s still got a lot of fight in it.
It might be big, it might be heavy, but it is surprisingly easy to shoot, and it’s a ton of fun. Even though it is the most practical rifle for any application, you will never regret buying one.
Do you own an M1 Garand? What do you think about them? Let us know in the comments below! Don’t have an M1 yet? Check out our article on Why Now is the Time to Buy an M1 Garand!
22 Leave a Reply
My H&R M1 Garand with the factory LMR barrel is a 1-1.5 MOA rifle. Love the ‘ping!’ When it runs empty.
Great article about an awesome piece of American history
Your ad for Gotical M1 Garand Receiver Insert has a picture of a Bipod mount
My gun club holds “Battle Rifle” matches regularly, and when there’s 3 or 4 M1s on the firing line shooting together it’s like time slows down and I can see each ejected case, the small fireballs and the the glorious pings finally bring me back to present. What a country! What a gun!
Greatest thing I've found about taking my garand to the range, is veterans you meet. Hearing their stories, watching their eyes light up. Having them demo the gun for wide eyed grand kids. If that isn't victory I don't know what is.
Just a note on the M1 Garand piece. The "Gotical M1 Garand Receiver Insert" shown is kind of deceptive. It may be called a receiver insert but really has nothing to do with the receiver. The item shown is actually a bipod adapter and is attached to the barrel and gas cylinder. The insert referred to is actually a plastic trough like device that is inserted between the bolt and barrel breech and stops the cleaning rod from striking the bolt face and catches some of the cleaning fluid.
My M1 Garand is my favorite range rifle. It has a Winchester receiver and some SA parts that were military replaced. I'd love to know the history. As already stated in these comments, the M1 Garand should not be shot with modern ammo. However, there are articles on line that address how to upgrade certain parts (gas block, op rod, etc) to make it perfectly safe to fire hotter 30-06 ammo.
Great article. I got my M-1 from the CMP Program in 1980. I was told early on by several older veterans who know guns that the older rifles while 30-06 were not designed to shoot modern 30-06 ammo. “To hot”they said, and could bend the charging rod. Garand specific ammo is hard to find. I reload my own for this rifle. What do you know about this issue? Simper Fi, Platt
As the owner of an M1 Garand Tanker Model, I just smile when getting it out at the range. In a few minutes, after that first "Ping" of the clip ejecting, here come the older guys walking down the line to start the conversations. Never fails.
That ain’t a “receiver insert” pictured there…nice article though!
I've fired most USA military shoulder arms, from Springfield 03a3, m1 carbine, civilian version of m14, and a Mattel 5.56, and the garand was, by far, the most comfortable, and surprisingly accurate, of the lot...
When I was younger, I always wanted one of these rifles, but just never could afford one. Then life and marriage happened. First thing I bought when I retired was an M1 rifle and enough ammo for several years. Amazing about the recoil when you fire these weapons, it must be because of their weight and operating system.
I use almost nothing else when i hunt. You have to keep an eye on the rifling with the age but you can get them to a much tighter spread. I had found one that was for more or less parts at a good price, but when I got home the 48 that iwas told was the barrel was actually a 43 with a 44 receiver. Turns out it was 2.7 million units lower the highest ones recorded in Europe and well within what was in the pacific. I've only fired it once to see if it was operational.
Thanks for a really cool and incisive article. If firearm articles can be “feel good”, this one hit the mark !
I bought an M1 Garand 3 years ago from the CMP. It was listed as an "Expert" model because of its new barrel and new wooden stock. The receiver was from a 1943 original. I've only fired it one time at a range. I did not attempt to zero it, but it's accuracy was good. I did buy a bunch of surplus ammo. Need to get to the range again!!
.308 M1 aint bad either! Cheers!
Bought an M1 Garand National Match on the open market specifically to shoot John C. Garand competitions. What a total blast! Had issues with the rear sight slipping so I traveled to Anniston AL to the CMP store where I purchased a Custom Shop Competition Ready model. Also got on the list to get the rear sight fixed on the NM. Can’t wait for the competitions to spool back up in the spring!
Be careful which ammo you use in a Garand. Some modern ammo can bend the Op rod. That is why you see ammo designed specifically for the Garand. Or only use Surplus M2 Ball.
I have a Garand and love it. Was taught about Garand Thumb from another retired Marine and have never had a problem. My '03 might be (MIGHT be) my favorite by just a little bit, pretty accurate out to 300 with iron sights and there's something about casually firing with a bolt action...like having a kick start on a motorcycle. There's no reason to have it, but if you do it's cool. Of course, the Euro's have their "Right arm of the free world", FN-FAL, a fantastic rifle.
LOVE my M1. You take that to the rifle range, you'll immediately get surrounded by fellow enthusiasts who want to see it, hear it and shoot it. My attraction to this platform is that my great uncle carried one in Italy in the fall of 1943 before he lost his leg and came back home, and my father was issued an M1 in his early days of the Army before they moved to the M14. I love the history, I love that our troops had a superior carried long gun in WW2 that helped defeat the Axis powers, and I LOVE that I can (And do) own a WW2 era battle rifle.
Love the artical. I own a 1955 M! Match grade. But on the statement “democracy against authoritarianism,” I think we need to bet back to what the founding fathers called this “grand experiment; a constitutional republic. “Democracy” is what this former administration called their desire. Well, that is defined as majority+one rule. That word “democracy” is not in our structure or in our founding papers. Anywhere. Let’s rile those devious in power folks and get “Constitutional Republic” back in the minds and practice of Americans.
Travis, please keep your history right and unspoiled by the likes of Woodrow Wilson, FDR, Hillary Clinton, Obama, Lincoln and the likes. The M-1 Garand was a key factor along with the men who wielded it, in saving our REPUBLIC (not democracy) and to ensure freedom in the world. Democracy is the rule by the majority, 50+1% over the 49%. It's the first step toward tyranny. Our Founders and Framers were wise enough to see this and act not to fall into the democracy trap.