U.S. Rifle, Caliber .30, M1

Pet Loads for the M1 Garand

- Brian Pearce

The “U.S. Rifle, Caliber .30, M1,” or more commonly known simply as the M1 Garand, was designed by John Garand (pronounced to rhyme with “errand”), with development beginning around 1924. However, it took many years for its design to be fully developed. Finally, on July 21, 1937, the first production version was proof fired, function tested and checked for accuracy, but it wasn’t until September of that year that deliveries were made to the U.S. Army.

It was the first standard-issue semiautomatic military rifle. Naturally, it was chambered for the .30-06 Springfield. While both the 1903 Springfield bolt-action rifle and the M1 Garand were issued to U.S. troops during World War II (and subsequently), the latter proved to be an especially effective battle rifle. General George S. Patton famously referred to it as “the greatest battle implement ever devised.” It delivered power and respectable accuracy, but its rate of fire (with the aid of stripper clips) was around 50 rounds per minute by the average soldier, making it a real force to reckon with, especially when compared with period bolt-action service rifles. Apparently, it made enough of an impression that nearly 50 other countries have used it, or are still using it in various applications that include military combat, sniper, police and even ceremonial roles. While the M1 Garand was officially released from duty by the U.S. military in 1958 in favor of the similar M14 (aka M1A), it remained in service during the Vietnam War and was used by the Army Reserve, Army National Guard and the Navy into the 1970s.