1/12 Twist barrel for 30-06 M1 Garand

akinswi · June 10, 2025, 01:38 AM

Does anybody make 1/12 twist barrel for the M1 garand thats chambered for 30-06 and not .308.

Somebody at somepoint had to experiment with this.

Doug Lee · June 10, 2025, 09:18 AM

An interesting topic, I don't have an opinion, just waiting to read the discussion.
Doug Lee
*

tangolima · June 10, 2025, 11:58 AM

I think CMP sells M1 with new criterion barrel. You may to contact criterion for info.

-TL

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

jmr40 · June 10, 2025, 12:48 PM

I'm curious as to why you'd want a 12 twist vs 10.

Not specifically with the Garand and 30-06, but there has been lots of 10 twist vs 12 twist experimentation using different 30 caliber cartridges.

The faster 10 twist may not be necessary with most bullets, but it's needed for some. And there is no downside to using it for all of them. Virtually all new 308's are now using 10 twist barrels.

akinswi · June 10, 2025, 03:55 PM

I believe most of the national match M1s in .308 use 1/12 and they are more accurate than the 30/06 1/10 twist. Granted this could be to the .308 is more accurate than the 30-06 and some of that can be contributed to the slower twist.

Paul B. · June 10, 2025, 04:09 PM

Not a Garand but an FN commercial 98 Mauser I had rebarreled in 30-06 with a 1 in 12" twist. I never could get it to shoot 180 grain bullets, either spitzer of round nose to shoot worth spit. I wasn't a fan of 150 gr. bullets so didn't do much with them and set the rifle aside for quite a while. One day I hauled it out of the safe and tried some 165 gr. Accubonds and got some very pleasant results. The worst group during load work up was still less than an inch. I used it as a back up rifle on a cow elk hunt when the scope on my .35 Whelen turned toes up and it worked just fine.

Based on results with that FN Mauser I used you probably would be fine with either twist although personally I probably would stay with a 1 in 10" for the 30-06. My reasoning for the change was based on me shooting a lot more cast bullets that jacketed back when I had the change done.

Back when I had an M1 Garand I stuck to either GI ammo that I could get cheap or reloads with IMR 4895 and 150 gr. Sierra Pro-Hunters.
Paul B.

akinswi · June 10, 2025, 04:37 PM

Paul, Mine loves the 168 SMKs and IMR4895. It shoots better than I can. I can clean SR-1 Target at 100yards with that load. My question was just for more curiosity sake.

I would love to grab M1A next but those are pushing 2000.00 now and I think thats too much. So I will stick with My M1s

jcj54 · June 11, 2025, 05:48 AM

Krieger will make you one

Jim Watson · June 11, 2025, 11:29 AM

True, might take them a while to get around to it.

They make 11 twist .308s, that would work as well on a .30.

There is a story in Hatcher's Notebook about the run of 1903s that tested more accurate than average. Following through the manufacturing process, they found that the machinist had set up the rifling machine with the wrong sine bar and turned out a number of barrels with 11 twist. What was the Army Ordnance response to the chance discovery of an improved barrel? They set the twist back to the mil-spec of 10 inches, of course.

akinswi · June 11, 2025, 11:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim Watson

True, might take them a while to get around to it.

They make 11 twist .308s, that would work as well on a .30.

There is a story in Hatcher's Notebook about the run of 1903s that tested more accurate than average. Following through the manufacturing process, they found that the machinist had set up the rifling machine with the wrong sine bar and turned out a number of barrels with 11 twist. What was the Army Ordnance response to the chance discovery of an improved barrel? They set the twist back to the mil-spec of 10 inches, of course.

Love that book, I need too see if I can find that story

June 10, 2025, 01:38 AM	#1
akinswi Senior Member Join Date: October 14, 2012 Location: Bowling Green, Ky Posts: 725	1/12 Twist barrel for 30-06 M1 Garand Does anybody make 1/12 twist barrel for the M1 garand thats chambered for 30-06 and not .308. Somebody at somepoint had to experiment with this.

June 10, 2025, 12:48 PM	#4
jmr40 Senior Member Join Date: June 15, 2008 Location: Georgia Posts: 10,972	I'm curious as to why you'd want a 12 twist vs 10. Not specifically with the Garand and 30-06, but there has been lots of 10 twist vs 12 twist experimentation using different 30 caliber cartridges. The faster 10 twist may not be necessary with most bullets, but it's needed for some. And there is no downside to using it for all of them. Virtually all new 308's are now using 10 twist barrels. __________________ "If you're still doing things the same way you were doing them 10 years ago, you're doing it wrong" Winston Churchill

June 10, 2025, 04:09 PM	#6
Paul B. Senior Member Join Date: March 28, 1999 Location: Tucson, AZ Posts: 3,926	Not a Garand but an FN commercial 98 Mauser I had rebarreled in 30-06 with a 1 in 12" twist. I never could get it to shoot 180 grain bullets, either spitzer of round nose to shoot worth spit. I wasn't a fan of 150 gr. bullets so didn't do much with them and set the rifle aside for quite a while. One day I hauled it out of the safe and tried some 165 gr. Accubonds and got some very pleasant results. The worst group during load work up was still less than an inch. I used it as a back up rifle on a cow elk hunt when the scope on my .35 Whelen turned toes up and it worked just fine. Based on results with that FN Mauser I used you probably would be fine with either twist although personally I probably would stay with a 1 in 10" for the 30-06. My reasoning for the change was based on me shooting a lot more cast bullets that jacketed back when I had the change done. Back when I had an M1 Garand I stuck to either GI ammo that I could get cheap or reloads with IMR 4895 and 150 gr. Sierra Pro-Hunters. Paul B. __________________ COMPROMISE IS NOT AN OPTION!

June 11, 2025, 05:48 AM	#8
jcj54 Senior Member Join Date: February 28, 2011 Posts: 280	1 in 12 .30-06 M1 barrel Krieger will make you one

June 10, 2025, 09:18 AM	#2
Doug Lee Senior Member Join Date: November 25, 2013 Location: S.E. Virginia Posts: 138	An interesting topic, I don't have an opinion, just waiting to read the discussion. Doug Lee *

June 10, 2025, 11:58 AM	#3
tangolima Senior Member Join Date: September 28, 2013 Posts: 5,105	I think CMP sells M1 with new criterion barrel. You may to contact criterion for info. -TL Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

June 10, 2025, 03:55 PM	#5
akinswi Senior Member Join Date: October 14, 2012 Location: Bowling Green, Ky Posts: 725	I believe most of the national match M1s in .308 use 1/12 and they are more accurate than the 30/06 1/10 twist. Granted this could be to the .308 is more accurate than the 30-06 and some of that can be contributed to the slower twist.

June 10, 2025, 04:37 PM	#7
akinswi Senior Member Join Date: October 14, 2012 Location: Bowling Green, Ky Posts: 725	Paul, Mine loves the 168 SMKs and IMR4895. It shoots better than I can. I can clean SR-1 Target at 100yards with that load. My question was just for more curiosity sake. I would love to grab M1A next but those are pushing 2000.00 now and I think thats too much. So I will stick with My M1s

June 11, 2025, 11:29 AM	#9
Jim Watson Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2001 Location: Alabama Posts: 19,153	True, might take them a while to get around to it. They make 11 twist .308s, that would work as well on a .30. There is a story in Hatcher's Notebook about the run of 1903s that tested more accurate than average. Following through the manufacturing process, they found that the machinist had set up the rifling machine with the wrong sine bar and turned out a number of barrels with 11 twist. What was the Army Ordnance response to the chance discovery of an improved barrel? They set the twist back to the mil-spec of 10 inches, of course.