M1 garand magnum conversion.

[matthias]

I found a photo .

I have never seen such a thing. That is amazing. Thanks for sharing that

Thinking on this whole idea , it would be simpler to build a detachable mag for the BAR. That may be the best route. Also many of the issues with the garand would be avoided.

Just like most of the sporterized military rifles there are quite a few garand receivers and while rifles that do not have any real collector value. That means there are plenty of interesting projects for leftovers garands.

 

[shortgrass]

Just to have fun with all this 30 06 has a max pressure of 60 000 psi so does 458 wm.

What about the m1 garand loads at lower pressure? Yep make sure you don't use the wrong ammunition. I figure it would be a similar issue with the 458. Now I have not done the math but it has been done and it worked.

All that being said, I am more interested in how they did it. What exactly they did and why. Super interesting project. And way out in left field.

CMP rates Ball M2 @ 50,000psi. I have seen 48,000CUP listed somewhere thats a ligit source, maybe "Hatchers' Notebook". The operating rod won't stand much more than that on a regular basis. AP is listed as higher, but nothing I have seen is listed at over 54,000psi. And I've been shooting and 'smithing Garands for very long time. It never occured to me to rebarrel one to another chambering, except maybe 7.62NATO, the US Navy had a few of those, I believe. Commercial .30/06 and .308 Win are loaded to higher pressures than M2 or 7.62N. I'd like to know where all of those M1 receivers are at. I keep an eye out but have not seen one in years. I have a 'like new' VAR barrel I'd like to use. Several yrs ago I did have a Johnson come into the shop that wore a .270 Win barrel. Its' owner had me install a new M2 barrel and return it to original condition.

 

[matthias]

I have used criterion and kreiger barrels to fix up 9 or 10 garands. So I know just barely enough to be dangerous.

I am under the impresion that most of the damage done to the rifle by higher pressure loads is bending or cracking the op-rod. Using a gas orface kit has worked to vent extra gas right out the front of the rifle.

It has resulted in softer cycling and no bent oprods on 2 of the rifles I rebuilt. One of them was a 35 wheelen. That is quite the handful with full power loads.

 

[matthias]

https://www.sdi.edu/semi-automatic-lee-enfield-is-hard-to-stop-gawking-at/

Ok Ggmac you did it now. I love this rube goldberg rifle

 

[shortgrass]

Gas cylinders and operating rods have become so scarce and pricey, I started making an oversized piston to fit a out of gage cylinder and restore function. Operating rods are about a collectors item these days, along with the clip latch. Just like we thought we'd never run out of Mauser '98s, we're running out of M1 expendables.

 

[Old Navy]

But, people have made a 50 BMG barrel for a Contender, so... I have heard about it but never saw a video. Shot a 10" 45-70 Contender one time. That was enough for me.