HRA Garand Build

[Orlando]

I bought the barreled receiver receintly on another gun forum. I didnt realize it when I bought it that its been refinished and was alittle dissapointed at first.
I collected black finish HRA parts here and there until I had everything to assemble her.
Also found a correct 3/8 DOD HRA stock I had forgotten I had (dont ya just hate that when it happens?)
She turned out pretty good
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f197/Garandlover/HRA%20Build/Picture509.jpg
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f197/Garandlover/HRA%20Build/Picture511.jpg
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f197/Garandlover/HRA%20Build/Picture510.jpg
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f197/Garandlover/HRA%20Build/Picture512.jpg
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f197/Garandlover/HRA%20Build/Picture515.jpg
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f197/Garandlover/HRA%20Build/Picture514.jpg
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f197/Garandlover/HRA%20Build/Picture513.jpg
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f197/Garandlover/HRA%20Build/Picture519.jpg
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f197/Garandlover/HRA%20Build/Picture517.jpg
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f197/Garandlover/HRA%20Build/Picture516.jpg
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f197/Garandlover/HRA%20Build/Picture518.jpg
Took her to the range for a test fire
Fired from bench, front rest
68 HXP
100 YDS
Only ran two enblocs through it, ought to get even better as the action settles in.
Looks like shes got potential
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f197/Garandlover/Shooting%20pics/Picture499.jpg

[Buckshot]

Looks good! Garands are real mix-masters and it is a challenge to get them correct. My favorite is a 6 digit SA I rebuilt from a bare receiver. If I could just get a couple nice IHCs to add to my collection I would be in heaven. Enjoy!

[7.62guy]

very nicely done. looks to be a keeper.

[Otis61]

Really nice looking rifle!!!

[chili]

Orlando, you make me sick!

[Orlando]

Orlando, you make me sick!

Thank you, thank you very much :)

[drine]

Nothing wrong with that finish. It looks like it was done very well.

[chili]

Thank you, thank you very much :)

Ok....here is what I really think of your M1 :rockon:

[Damian45acp]

32607 I have an old ww2 Garand ww2 dated all S A parts dad sent back 1 peice at a time from battlefeild pick ups. has a 66 barrel m proof marked and p for fire test on barrel with 10- 66 date also SA put on it when he put it all back together had no way of getting barrel back he said , has the somewhat greenish heat treated receiver for rifled grenades SA 2 million serial number lot, all ww2 dated numbered SA parts inside.I replaced the the old beaten up stock dad had on it and am now in process of refinishig the stock and hand guards and haveing all steel parts parkerized to a dark grey.has a nm op rod dad picked up and nm rear sights. great shooting rifle i can not wait to get it all done here are some pics from last session at range with .Shoots quarter sized groups at 125 yards easily with my reloaded ammo.32606ssk ind. is doing the pakerizing for me now here in Ohio.

[Buckshot]

Anything from your families history is a treasure and you have a nice one, enjoy it, but never part with it. Nice story to go with it too!

[Orlando]

Quarter size groups at 125yds? You arent stretching the truth just a little?? :)

[Evilblackgunsrfun]

Very nice rifle. :thumbup:

[Damian45acp]

I could never part with it stays in the family 4 ever im hopeing .ill be sure and post some pics of the whole project and how it turns out, but your right if this old giun could only talk.I just had to restore it to prime condition in honor of dad and the rest of the old vets that fought back in the day when men were nen,and we carried real rifles .

[Damian45acp]

not at all when its done ill post the groupings.but im not talking 8 round clips i shoot 3rounds let the barrel cool shoot 3 more my man.

[Damian45acp]

the load i shoot those groups with ,44.6grs imr 4895, sierra 168gr bthp match grade, cci lrp 3.252 col, Hornady match grade brass. i chronoed it at 2500 fps at muzzle+3 inches.

[brewskzilla]

Good shooting, Damian. Nice rifle! I'm a big fan of Hornady, myself.

[Orlando]

I have been shooting Garands for over 10 years and only full blown Match Grade bedded Garands will shoot groups like that

[Damian45acp]

all depends on who is behind that trigger ask any skilled rifleman 120 yards with 3 round groups is not that damn far guys i have no reason to lie. doesnt matter anyways just making convo. but if i say i can do it . i back it up at range. i should have saved a grouping paper but that can be argued as well no reason to argue man . ill have it done soon enough and ill post plenty of range pics.

[Damian45acp]

Before i lay it to rest for good 10 yr garand shooter.Note the test paper at top of this thread ,his first 3 cold bore shots are damn near in the same hole. looks to be a tad bigger than a nickle. As his barrel heated up in his 8 rd firing session, they started to widen out as the barrel got hotter. so appraently his garand will do pretty much the same as my springfield from 100 yrds he noted.Before you say it cannot be done.you have to remember all people have diff skill levels. some may not ever shoot groups like that .some of us can .All depends on who is behind that rifle and how familiar he is with that weapon platform..

[Orlando]

How do you know those are the first three shots fired?
I am not in any way doubting your shooting skills. I am doubting the accuracy of a bone stock Garand. I have owned 24 Garands , built several from scratch with mostly NOS parts and know what they can and cant do. Are any of them capable of quarter size groupd at that distance? No not consistantly, not even locked down on bags. If I get that size group once I dont consider that a group the rifle or shooter is capable of. Rifle and shooter needs to be able to consistantly group target after target not cherry pick a good group.
IMO 3 rds is not enough rds to consider group size.
Anyway, good shooting to you

[Damian45acp]

maybe you cant dude i can im done with it ,lets just enjoy the forum my man not here to argue and i know because im not stupid lol ask the man.its obviuos how the group spreads out after heating up barrel if you owned 24 garands you should know this and the comps i shoot in only allow 2 round modified en blocks 2 shots dude. now lets just enjoy all the nice rifles and info on forum not worth it man.

[Damian45acp]

32632heres a few of my faves dads old garand im restoring now,dads old 8mm war bring back he turned into his deer rifle,and my egyptian fn49, all tack drivers in right hands.

[Orlando]

[ATTACH=CONFIG] has the somewhat greenish heat treated receiver for rifled grenades SA 2 million serial number lot, all ww2 dated numbered SA parts inside.

Just some info:
Receiver heels and receiver legs were lead dipped/annealed becuase of a bad lot of brittle steel. They annealed the steel to save the receivers instead of scraping them.
Had absolutly nothing to do with launching grenades. The grenade launcher had a lug that fit into the gas screw and opened it so all pressure was vented when grenade was fired. In fact the Op Rod only moved aprox 1 inch or so.


Since you are in Ohio you really should get to the Matches at Camp Perry this Summer. If your rifles shoots the way you say it does you should take home the Gold

[Damian45acp]

well ive had more than garand expert tell me and my bro was heat treated for single shot blank rifled grenades, so ill take their word on it.ands it not a stock garand you didnt read my entire post i have replaced a lot ,many parts are nm,including rear site,op rod, etc.not here for a bragging match just want to enjoy the old firearms.and the original stock has grenade launcher mount and marking lines for ranging i have the grenade launcher in the case as dad carried it'across north africa and on into sicily.these are all SA parts that have not been all replaced with NM by me that were mailed home 1 peice at a time picked up from battefeilds of ww2 by my father, now only way that isnt true is if my dad lied,i highly doubt that. anyways i noticed in the pic i have posted above a very freaky thing. on my pants leg directly under the butt stock of that 8mm mauser looks to be the face of a young hitler in ww1, sure is freaky looking my wife noticed it last night she took the pic see what ya think by looking at it directly under the buttstock, is it the ghost of the nazi dad shot? or the ghost of hitler lol very freaky. but it sure does look like an apirATIOn to me damn things haunted lol.

[Damian45acp]

1000 yards at camp perry isnt 120 yrds at fernwood state forest dude.and i do plan to attend some of the matches with the cmp.and i also told you im not shooting mil surp ammo im loading my own from the hornady garand loads section in the newest reloading data book.all that has to be considered before you make a post impying disbeleif of anothers post.

[Orlando]

Easy fella, no disrespect intended. If you can hold quarter size groups at 125 as you stated in your first post you can easily hang with the boys at Perry.
I beleive the As Issued Military Rifle Match Course is 200 yds. Really makes no difference as everyone shoots the same distance

As far as receiver heel and leg anealing because of grenades thats all a internet myth, same as modifiying Op Rods. As I already stated the grenade launcher dissables the gas system, the Op Rod does not cycle so there is no pressure on the receiver heel or Op Rod

From Bill Ricca's web site
Quote:
Grenade Launching and Annealed M1 Receivers

Myth: During the early days to launching rifle grenades off the Garand, the solid lock screw provided so much pressure that the bolt would hit the rear of the receiver causing cracks. The correction was the vented lock screw and annealing the receivers.

Facts: This myth is due to lack of knowledge of the M7 Grenade Launcher and its development. The M7's design was a mixture of corrections applied to Remington's T14 Grenade Launcher. Remington's launcher, along with other competing designs, had a method of venting the gas system to prevent the build up a large amounts of gas pressure and volume. One of the main specifications of the M7 was that it could not be mounted on the Garand with the solid lock screw installed. The stud of the M7 is too wide to fit a solid lock screw. Once installed with a vented lock screw, large amounts of gas are vented into the atmosphere. I repeat what is stated in the myth dealing with cracked op rods:

Anyone who has launched inert rifle grenades will tell you that the op rod moves about 1/2 inch rearward, that's all. The reason is, there is not enough gas pressure to operate the system. Thus the bolt will never reach the rear of the receiver with an M7 Launcher installed on a Garand.

Annealing of the receivers had nothing to do with launching rifle grenades. The current thinking is the annealing occurred due to a change in the steel used in production of the receivers

Unquote


Its also a myth about the reasoning for modifying Op Rods. They were not modified for launching grenades. As stated earlier the grenade launcher basically disables the gas system . The cut was becuase any straight corner is more prone to cracking during normal firing

These myths get started and just keep getting repeated over and over unknowingly by people.

[Damian45acp]

jesus dude just stop typing man ,not here to argue and fight ,im done with it .i will not post on your threads anymore ok were good,enjoy the forum as i hope to.

[Orlando]

I'm not here to argue either, just trying to set the record straight and stop inaccurate internet rumors. Good shooting to you

[Damian45acp]

Chief,sn on my SA 2,282,042 dads old springfeild garand.should see the stock now got a few more coats then the fore ends.gonna be a sharp and unique garand when done.got the stock from boyds i think stripped it and went with lighter color.

[akarfal]

Outstanding......now thats a battle rifle.