![]() ![]() The guns both have issues, especially compared to lightweight modern firearms. The butt plate on the Enflield is smooth and not terribly grippy, which is somewhat interesting given that the rest of the metal on the gun shows lots of tooling marks with limited efforts to polish the metal. (Photo: Paul Peterson/) So far, I’ve talked mostly about the praise, so now I’ll focus on my complaints. It is quite robust, but remember they don’t make original wartime M1 Garands anymore.īoth rifles deserve praise as fine guns for their time, but they weren’t without flaws. The design was not really made for some of the newer, heavier, and hotter loads. It’s advisable to take some caution in selecting exactly what ammo you load into your M1 Garand. Hence, there is also a clip-ejection system that can quickly clear the magazine so you can simply pop in eight more rounds of. Unlike the Enfield, topping off the M1’s internal magazine is a bit more tricky. ![]() That is easily preventable if you actively hold the bolt handle to the rear with the base of your hand while inserting your next eight rounds. Fair warning, however, because I have yet to meet an avid M1 fan who has not gotten “Garand Thumb” by letting their digits linger a bit too long in the action while loading. You can actually load this rifle with single rounds, but the eight-round en-bloc clip is still the most efficient way to run the gun. There was also an ejector button on the left. (Photo: Paul Peterson/) Unlike the Enfield's stripper clips, the en-bloc clip remained inside the internal magazine with the bullets until ejecting when empty. Two lugs on the front of the surprising small bolt rotated slighty to lock and unlock the action. This gas-driven system used a drilled gas port – simplified from the original gas trap – to cycle the action with a long-stroke piston and operating rod. ![]() More modern versions, such as the M1A, are still easy to find today, but the heart and soul of the M1 Garand design was its unique semi-auto action. ![]() The adjustable rear peep offered windage and elevation dials, along with an adjustable front post guarded by two metal ears. The M1 Garand also hosted some of the most refined iron sights fielded in World War II. While the British were cutting corners to make their “newish” guns, America went all in on its first standard-issue semi-auto rifle. Neither was the M1903 Springfield for that matter. Without meaning to burst anyone’s bubble, I will first note that most of the bolt-action rifles America used in WWI were actually M1917 Enfields, and they worked well. No one would mistake the M1 Garand for being a small rifle, I can tell you that. (Photo: Paul Peterson/) ![]()
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