Counter Bore A Garand?

[Doble Troble]

 

Well my trusty Garand gave out on me during a match Saturday. It started shifting zero about 1' (I'm not exaggerating). I think it may have been due to a combination of a weak recoil spring and a handguard that came loose. I've got the handguard tightened up now, but am waiting on the spring. Hopefully I'll get this one back because it was a sub-2" shooter before and if I didn't screw-up it would hold the ten ring (but I've only shot a clean stage once, so I pretty-much always screw-up).

 

But the gun giving-out during the match made me painfully aware that I need a back-up Garand. I've sold-off all my spare Garands, except for one that I kept because I think the serial # is cool: 5447445 - its the same frontward and backward.

 

The problem with this gun is that that it was cleaned WAY more than it was shot. The throat erosion guages at 1 which is like new, but the muzzle swallowed the guage. You could insert a cartridge all the way to the neck. It was also kind-of oval. Not surprisingly it didn't shoot very well - about 6+" if memory serves - not good enough for even a Garand match.

 

So when the boys and Mom quieted-down to watch a Disney movie (that I can't even stomach on Mother's day) I stole into the shop to see what I could do with the muzzle.

 

I tore it down to barreled receiver and chucked it up in the minilathe. I started with a recrown of about 3/8". But it was immediatly clear from guaging that this wasn't going to be enough. I couldn't go much further because of the gas cylinder lock. My only option was to counterbore. I've heard "experts" say that you can't counterbore a Garand because it messes-up the gas operation. But the experts that I've heard and read didn't appear to have actually tried it. I didn't have anything to lose. I was going to have to rebarrel anyway, so I chucked-up a 0.323" drill bit (size "O" if memory serves) and started boring.

 

I checked with the guage as i went. After about 1/2" I could just barely get the guage started. With the first 3/8" recrown plus the additional counterbore of 1/2" I've probably taken back the rifling 7/8". There's still plenty of distance between the gas port and the end of the rifling. But will the "experts" be right? Have I just wasted my time? Well, it was time to find-out.

 

I pieced it back together, making sure to dent the handguard ferrule just a bit for a snug fit on the barrel (nothing destroys Garand accuracy faster than a loose handguard) and snuck out the back door for a quick trip to the range.

 

It took six shots to get her zeroed and then I fired three clips of Lake City M2 (8 rounds each) into a group of about 2.5". This is acceptable accuracy for the match, and I expect that it might settle in a bit more - maybe I'll be able to hold the 10 ring with it. All three clips fired with out a hitch and ended with the classic "piiiing" WWII sound track.

 

Take-home message is that if your Garand's muzzle is washed-out, go ahead and try counterboring. I bet it will get you back in the black.

 

[karlunity]

Well done.

At today's prices you saved 100s of bucks and restored a good rifle.

 

karl