M-1 Garand Barrel replacement

velocette · June 23, 2007, 11:20 AM

Gentlemen;
I have an M-1 Garand that I purchased through the DCM (before it was the CMP) Overall, it's in NRA good condition, reliable and fairly accurate. (4" groups @ 100yd) The rifling at the muzzle has been worn away probably by many GIs cleaning it. I want to replace the barrel with a new one, preferably match grade. Are special tools needed to do this? Or is it a better idea to have a gunsmith familiar with the Garand to do this work?
Also, any guess on the cost of such work?

Roger

Jim Watson · June 23, 2007, 01:35 PM

Barrel replacement is a special tools, special skills process, M1 moreso than a bolt action. Seek out somebody experienced on the Garand. Probably some gunsmiths recommended on the CMP board.

RJay · June 23, 2007, 04:13 PM

If it's only the rifling at the crown of the barrel ( very common with military rifles) then one easy solution is to have the barrel counter bored for about an inch Quick, easy, and a whole lot cheaper and doesn't hurt the accuracy

James K · June 23, 2007, 06:27 PM

Boring out the barrel on an M1 can cause problems due to the early drop in gas pressure. And it has to be done carefully or it can make things worse instead of better. It is not a hand drill job.

Jim

velocette · June 23, 2007, 08:04 PM

I spent an hour on the CMP board & found no references to gunsmiths. tried a Google search & got a lot of advertizing but no real smiths.
Any one have knowledge of a quality M1 familiar smith in the south Florida area?

Roger

Harry Bonar · June 23, 2007, 08:23 PM

Sir:
You can obtain a new bbl, contoured, etc, from Douglass bbls. in Charleston W.Va.
Harry B.

guncrank · June 23, 2007, 08:46 PM

Jm Gun Repair, Inc.
2220 Whitfield Park Dr Unit H2
Sarasota, FL 34243
(941) 756-9716
Don't know him but he is recommend on another gun broad. I would do it for you but I'm not in Fl

Jason_G · June 23, 2007, 08:47 PM

Quote:

You can obtain a new bbl, contoured, etc, from Douglass bbls. in Charleston W.Va.

Or Krieger if you want another top notch barrel option.

Jason

Jim Watson · June 23, 2007, 09:05 PM

The guys on the National Match board think highly of Dean at DGR in Tennessee. (I have NO experience with him.) Of course that means you would have to ship your rifle or at least the barrelled action instead of walking in someplace in Florida. Sorry.
http://www.dgrguns.com/0-main-page-barrels.htm

gdvan01 · June 23, 2007, 10:18 PM

garandguy.com
fulton-armory.com

Eghad · June 23, 2007, 11:37 PM

The guys on the National Match board think highly of Dean at DGR in Tennessee. (I have NO experience with him.) Of course that means you would have to ship your rifle or at least the barrelled action instead of walking in someplace in Florida. Sorry.

I do...

He just restored an old Blue Sky Garand that I had picked up cheap in the 90s. He did one helluva job on mine

He will replace the barrel or has some barrels made to GI specs.

My Garand that DGR did...which is still match legal

http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/...&highlight=DGR

I would be dangerous with a rifle if my eyes were not so bad.....

Ledbetter · June 24, 2007, 11:52 AM

www.jouster.com

velocette · June 27, 2007, 09:21 PM

I have made contact with DGR and plan to send my beloved M1 in for a new barrel and perhaps some trigger work.

Your feedback is appreciated and the future targets will feel the results thereof.

Roger

Eghad · June 30, 2007, 09:22 PM

I had him do a NM trigger job on mine too

Tom2 · July 1, 2007, 08:32 PM

Read an interesting article about barrels on the Fulton Armory website. They made an effort to point out the superiority of cut rifling like the somewhat expensive Kreiger barrels. Especially since the barrels are so thin at the end. Sounded plausable to me, but they sell them and install them, so they could be biased, but there is apparently a range of quality of barrels out there. Suppose the Kreiger would be my choice for putting on a keeper or match gun. I once had a Citadel put on a Garand though, and it seemed satisfactory to me, not as if I shoot for competition. SOme have said that brand used to be junk, now is better, etc. but it is certainly cheaper. I would not dream of rebarreling a Garand myself, with no experience. SOme folks out there have done a ton of the M1 barrels though and know the tricks and how to make a good safe shooter. But I don't know any down south from experience.

Eghad · July 1, 2007, 09:49 PM

The Barnett Douglas military contour match barrel Dean installed for me is good enough because the only way I would be able to shoot tighter groups is from a
mechanized rest.

captainbob · July 5, 2007, 11:22 AM

If, by chance, you're going to Camp Perry this month, they have expert M-1 gunsmiths on site that can do a barrel change while you wait. You can buy one there or bring your own.

velocette · July 5, 2007, 04:48 PM

Camp Perry! Don't I wish. Back when I shot in Bullseye competition, I had plans to attend Camp Perry and to compete. Alas the time, $, and motivation never all came together. Maybe someday.

Many thanks to all for the suggestions ideas and names. The old Garand will be sporting a new tube within 6 months.

Roger

pdh · July 10, 2007, 04:49 AM

Roland Beaver of Bald Knob, Ark. faced lifted my M1 with new wood and a Douglas Supreme barrel and parkerizing job.

Major Stuph · February 14, 2009, 02:35 PM

I have installed over a 100 M1A/M1 barrels and the majority have been the Barrnett barrels and I have never had one that did not shoot excellent. I have one I just did for myself, that I bought from Brownells, a Douglas/Barrnett M1, 1-10, GI conture in 30-06 and I have shot a 100-9X clean sitting. I used the 173 NM bullets I bought at Perry years ago with N140.
I have installed the other (expensive makes) and they shot very good also, but I always seem to go back to the Douglas barrels contured by Gene Barnett.
Carl Leisinger

kraigwy · February 14, 2009, 03:04 PM

I'm with the Major,

I have replaced several barrels on M1s & M14/M1As. I wouldnt use any thing but Barnets barrels.

I used them on my Rifle Teams (AK NG) M14s.

Also, if you can get him to do it, Gene doe's excellent work on converting standard M1As into Super Matches. He did mine. My only complaint is you cant get Bishop stocks anymore.

Voyageur · February 14, 2009, 03:35 PM

When I picked up Hatcher's Notebook back in the 60s I also picked up his book Book Of The Garand. I valued both books due to the fact that Hatcher was there when the rifle was being developed. His brother even had a competing model that was sidelined.

10 years ago I traded into a Garand and the fella threw in everything he had with the rifle. Included in all the gear were 2 books:

1) Duff's book The M1 Garand:Owner's Guide

2) Kuhnhausen's book The U.S. .30 Caliber Gas Operated Service Rifles Vol. I & II.

I noticed that the Kuhnhausen book was pretty detailed in gunsmithing and customizing. Perhaps this might be a good book to get for reference. There are sure a lot of pictures and schematics along with special tooling you can make.

Just a thought.

June 23, 2007, 11:20 AM	#1
velocette Senior Member Join Date: May 25, 2007 Location: South Florida Posts: 924	M-1 Garand Barrel replacement Gentlemen; I have an M-1 Garand that I purchased through the DCM (before it was the CMP) Overall, it's in NRA good condition, reliable and fairly accurate. (4" groups @ 100yd) The rifling at the muzzle has been worn away probably by many GIs cleaning it. I want to replace the barrel with a new one, preferably match grade. Are special tools needed to do this? Or is it a better idea to have a gunsmith familiar with the Garand to do this work? Also, any guess on the cost of such work? Roger

June 23, 2007, 08:23 PM	#6
Harry Bonar Senior Member Join Date: December 5, 2004 Location: In the Vincent, Ohio general area. Posts: 1,804	bbl. Sir: You can obtain a new bbl, contoured, etc, from Douglass bbls. in Charleston W.Va. Harry B.

June 23, 2007, 08:46 PM	#7
guncrank Senior Member Join Date: July 15, 2006 Location: Fern Creek ,KY and Metro Louisville at large Posts: 432	Jm Gun Repair, Inc. 2220 Whitfield Park Dr Unit H2 Sarasota, FL 34243 (941) 756-9716 Don't know him but he is recommend on another gun broad. I would do it for you but I'm not in Fl __________________ Republic Arms and Armaments 07 1-502-231-1118 Machine Shop and Finishing Services to the trade and public

June 24, 2007, 11:52 AM	#12
Ledbetter Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2000 Location: California USA Posts: 4,533	Best Garand info start www.jouster.com __________________ Regards, Ledbetter from thefiringline TFL #4573 NRA for Life Winchester Canyon Gun Club for Life

June 27, 2007, 09:21 PM	#13
velocette Senior Member Join Date: May 25, 2007 Location: South Florida Posts: 924	Thank you Gentlemen; I have made contact with DGR and plan to send my beloved M1 in for a new barrel and perhaps some trigger work. Your feedback is appreciated and the future targets will feel the results thereof. Roger

June 23, 2007, 01:35 PM	#2
Jim Watson Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2001 Location: Alabama Posts: 19,169	Barrel replacement is a special tools, special skills process, M1 moreso than a bolt action. Seek out somebody experienced on the Garand. Probably some gunsmiths recommended on the CMP board.

June 23, 2007, 04:13 PM	#3
RJay Senior Member Join Date: November 2, 2005 Location: Arizona Posts: 1,936	If it's only the rifling at the crown of the barrel ( very common with military rifles) then one easy solution is to have the barrel counter bored for about an inch Quick, easy, and a whole lot cheaper and doesn't hurt the accuracy

June 23, 2007, 06:27 PM	#4
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	Boring out the barrel on an M1 can cause problems due to the early drop in gas pressure. And it has to be done carefully or it can make things worse instead of better. It is not a hand drill job. Jim

June 23, 2007, 08:04 PM	#5
velocette Senior Member Join Date: May 25, 2007 Location: South Florida Posts: 924	I spent an hour on the CMP board & found no references to gunsmiths. tried a Google search & got a lot of advertizing but no real smiths. Any one have knowledge of a quality M1 familiar smith in the south Florida area? Roger

June 23, 2007, 09:05 PM	#9
Jim Watson Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2001 Location: Alabama Posts: 19,169	The guys on the National Match board think highly of Dean at DGR in Tennessee. (I have NO experience with him.) Of course that means you would have to ship your rifle or at least the barrelled action instead of walking in someplace in Florida. Sorry. http://www.dgrguns.com/0-main-page-barrels.htm

June 23, 2007, 10:18 PM	#10
gdvan01 Senior Member Join Date: November 15, 2006 Location: Home of the first First Lady Posts: 463	garandguy.com fulton-armory.com

June 23, 2007, 11:37 PM	#11
Eghad Senior Member Join Date: May 28, 2005 Location: Texas Posts: 6,231	The guys on the National Match board think highly of Dean at DGR in Tennessee. (I have NO experience with him.) Of course that means you would have to ship your rifle or at least the barrelled action instead of walking in someplace in Florida. Sorry. I do... He just restored an old Blue Sky Garand that I had picked up cheap in the 90s. He did one helluva job on mine He will replace the barrel or has some barrels made to GI specs. My Garand that DGR did...which is still match legal http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/...&highlight=DGR I would be dangerous with a rifle if my eyes were not so bad.....

June 30, 2007, 09:22 PM	#14
Eghad Senior Member Join Date: May 28, 2005 Location: Texas Posts: 6,231	I had him do a NM trigger job on mine too

July 1, 2007, 08:32 PM	#15
Tom2 Senior Member Join Date: June 23, 2004 Location: Ohio Posts: 5,676	Read an interesting article about barrels on the Fulton Armory website. They made an effort to point out the superiority of cut rifling like the somewhat expensive Kreiger barrels. Especially since the barrels are so thin at the end. Sounded plausable to me, but they sell them and install them, so they could be biased, but there is apparently a range of quality of barrels out there. Suppose the Kreiger would be my choice for putting on a keeper or match gun. I once had a Citadel put on a Garand though, and it seemed satisfactory to me, not as if I shoot for competition. SOme have said that brand used to be junk, now is better, etc. but it is certainly cheaper. I would not dream of rebarreling a Garand myself, with no experience. SOme folks out there have done a ton of the M1 barrels though and know the tricks and how to make a good safe shooter. But I don't know any down south from experience.

July 1, 2007, 09:49 PM	#16
Eghad Senior Member Join Date: May 28, 2005 Location: Texas Posts: 6,231	The Barnett Douglas military contour match barrel Dean installed for me is good enough because the only way I would be able to shoot tighter groups is from a mechanized rest.

July 5, 2007, 11:22 AM	#17
captainbob Junior Member Join Date: September 24, 2004 Location: Ohio Posts: 10	If, by chance, you're going to Camp Perry this month, they have expert M-1 gunsmiths on site that can do a barrel change while you wait. You can buy one there or bring your own.

July 5, 2007, 04:48 PM	#18
velocette Senior Member Join Date: May 25, 2007 Location: South Florida Posts: 924	Camp Perry! Don't I wish. Back when I shot in Bullseye competition, I had plans to attend Camp Perry and to compete. Alas the time, $, and motivation never all came together. Maybe someday. Many thanks to all for the suggestions ideas and names. The old Garand will be sporting a new tube within 6 months. Roger

July 10, 2007, 04:49 AM	#19
pdh Senior Member Join Date: September 8, 2004 Location: west Virginia Posts: 289	Roland Beaver of Bald Knob, Ark. faced lifted my M1 with new wood and a Douglas Supreme barrel and parkerizing job.

February 14, 2009, 02:35 PM	#20
Major Stuph Junior Member Join Date: February 14, 2009 Location: NJ Posts: 2	M1 barrels I have installed over a 100 M1A/M1 barrels and the majority have been the Barrnett barrels and I have never had one that did not shoot excellent. I have one I just did for myself, that I bought from Brownells, a Douglas/Barrnett M1, 1-10, GI conture in 30-06 and I have shot a 100-9X clean sitting. I used the 173 NM bullets I bought at Perry years ago with N140. I have installed the other (expensive makes) and they shot very good also, but I always seem to go back to the Douglas barrels contured by Gene Barnett. Carl Leisinger

February 14, 2009, 03:04 PM	#21
kraigwy Senior Member Join Date: June 16, 2008 Location: Wyoming Posts: 11,060	I'm with the Major, I have replaced several barrels on M1s & M14/M1As. I wouldnt use any thing but Barnets barrels. I used them on my Rifle Teams (AK NG) M14s. Also, if you can get him to do it, Gene doe's excellent work on converting standard M1As into Super Matches. He did mine. My only complaint is you cant get Bishop stocks anymore.

February 14, 2009, 03:35 PM	#22
Voyageur Member Join Date: October 28, 2008 Location: In the Shining Mountains Posts: 72	When I picked up Hatcher's Notebook back in the 60s I also picked up his book Book Of The Garand. I valued both books due to the fact that Hatcher was there when the rifle was being developed. His brother even had a competing model that was sidelined. 10 years ago I traded into a Garand and the fella threw in everything he had with the rifle. Included in all the gear were 2 books: 1) Duff's book The M1 Garand:Owner's Guide 2) Kuhnhausen's book The U.S. .30 Caliber Gas Operated Service Rifles Vol. I & II. I noticed that the Kuhnhausen book was pretty detailed in gunsmithing and customizing. Perhaps this might be a good book to get for reference. There are sure a lot of pictures and schematics along with special tooling you can make. Just a thought.