308 Garand Donor

That's a shame the barrel is toast. Putting a 308 barrel on it is an excellent plan though, it should be a fantastic shooter. Love my 308 garand.
 
If it's that nice of a stock fit and everything why not just put a different/new 30-06 barrel on it.
 
If it's that nice of a stock fit and everything why not just put a different/new 30-06 barrel on it.

Because 308. Totally reversible if a collector wants to 'correct' it. Cheaper ammo / reloads and easier shooting.

@dw617 , my M1 National Match clone is practically as accurate as the Bula M14. Go for it!
 
Exactly, because 308. I already have a 30-06 CMP Games Garand and would never have the time to shoot another '06 Garand.
 
I have this 4.3 SA that I acquired many years ago. It's beautiful, but the end of the barrel and into the bore is pitted. That's how I got it. Everything appears correct and the stock/TG has amazing lockup. Considered selling it, but then came to the conclusion it would be a good 308 conversion donor.


View: https://imgur.com/a/WnXy7ur

Do it theres no worse than a M1 that is not slinging lead, its not a un issued gun theres probably not a lot of collector value there anyhow.
My 308 donor had the famed accurate LMR barrel , well mine missed the memo. Strung up a criterion and now it shoots much better like 10 ring vs all of the 8 ring.
Snag a menelli stock while they are still in stock and fairly cheap while your at it.
 
As soon as my MA club's open again and I'm back in the office, going to make it a Garand day.

Now that I load 7.62 NATO for my FALs, I'd be more interested in a 308 Garand. I have more 30-06 rifles than 7.62 NATO, though.
 
As soon as my MA club's open again and I'm back in the office, going to make it a Garand day.

Now that I load 7.62 NATO for my FALs, I'd be more interested in a 308 Garand. I have more 30-06 rifles than 7.62 NATO, though.

I'm so glad I decided on a .308 Garand rather than a 30-06. Considerably cheaper ammo, already reload that round anyhow, and easier on the shoulder (and the gun for that matter). ;)
 
Hey DW-

Still have that PPU brass you gave me a couple years back. I think I've only used it 1X or 2X since then. Just loaded up some with 42 grains of 2520 and Nosler CC blems and did some sighting in at the range today. I'm liking the 2520. After sight in shots, last 3 were X-ring or at least right next to it. Mountain's 308 M1 NM Clone . Of course this build incorporates the usual National Match tweaks that help with accuracy but regardless it's been a great shooter.
 
The 308 barrel arrived today and I spun it on/timed it.

Originally had ordered a barrel from CMP, but then learned they are 3-4 weeks behind on orders. Cancelled that and went to numrich - ordered wednesday, arrived today.

Reamer is now on order.

Of note, the splines on the new criterion barrel appear to need some minor peening to get the GC to fit tight.
 
Yep.. Little wrinkle here.

Cut the chamber to close on my Go gauge.

The two Bula M14 rifles I have were cut longer, as such my reloads reflect that chamber size.

I seem to remember @Mountain discovered this during one of his builds. IIRC, Bula cuts the chambers to a loose 308 / tight 7.62.

My reloads will not close over the stripped bolt. A factory LC round will.

Right now I'm at the GO gauge, but considering taking a little more meat off so I don't have to worry about segregating brass between the M14s and the 308 Garand.

Edit, Pulled apart one of my Bula rifles - the stripped bolt closes on the no go gauge with just a tiny bit of effort. Probably going to ream the 308 garand chamber out to this spec. If I had known Bula cuts their chambers a little loose, I probably would have asked for a tighter spec.
 
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Yep, the Bula chambers are typically a hybrid between. 308 and 7.62, as I was informed directly from Bula. Similar concept as .223 Wylde, but without a cool name LOL.
 
I had some spare time this morning away from work - so I did just that. The bolt _just_ closes on the no-go gauge. I worked up to it.

Rifle should be GTG later this evening.
 
Yep, the Bula chambers are typically a hybrid between. 308 and 7.62, as I was informed directly from Bula. Similar concept as .223 Wylde, but without a cool name LOL.
The min difference between 308 win and 7.62 is .005" or 1.630 SAMMI dpecs and 1.635 for NATO

Cut the chamber until the bolt is just a smidge from closed on the reamer , then check your go gauge. As soon as the go gauge/bolt closes your good. the closing bolt will take care of that .005" difference.
now I have heard some split the difference from min to max and cut the chamber to 1.632 so any shit country 7.62 should chamber




The .308 Winchester chamber headspace is between 1.630 and 1.6340 inches (SAAMI Info). The 7.62x51mm NATO is between 1.6355 and 1.6405 inches.

not sure if its still a problem but the leads and throats where a shy short on some new production barrels and the longer 168s would jam the lands. I think that was more so the 1903/a3 barrels?
 
Snuck out today. Didn't take much to zero the rifle in. Although, I forgot my allen keys so I could not adjust the front sight to mechanical zero. Ammo was 168gr nosler with some 4895 under it.

So I shot 10 slow prone. The first 5 were right in there, I yanked the trigger with that wide 10; then the light changed and my eyes blurred - that's the wider group of 4 shots. I also need to tune the trigger a little more, it's breaking just above 5#; I want to bring it down to the other side of 5. As I could not set my mechanical windage via the front site post, I was shooting for groups here.


View: https://imgur.com/a/P44qqIS


My brass was FLYING out of the rifle at 5oclock. I could hear them hitting a wall 8 feet behind the firing line. May need to see if I can tweak that.

I also mic'd the fired brass and am pretty happy with how I cut the chamber. The fired brass is consistent with what comes out of my M14s.

Hoping to get back in the next week or so with my allen keys and fresh eyes. There's snow at the range, so this could be my postal match entry.
 
Snuck out today. Didn't take much to zero the rifle in. Although, I forgot my allen keys so I could not adjust the front sight to mechanical zero. Ammo was 168gr nosler with some 4895 under it.

So I shot 10 slow prone. The first 5 were right in there, I yanked the trigger with that wide 10; then the light changed and my eyes blurred - that's the wider group of 4 shots. I also need to tune the trigger a little more, it's breaking just above 5#; I want to bring it down to the other side of 5. As I could not set my mechanical windage via the front site post, I was shooting for groups here.


View: https://imgur.com/a/P44qqIS


My brass was FLYING out of the rifle at 5oclock. I could hear them hitting a wall 8 feet behind the firing line. May need to see if I can tweak that.

I also mic'd the fired brass and am pretty happy with how I cut the chamber. The fired brass is consistent with what comes out of my M14s.

Hoping to get back in the next week or so with my allen keys and fresh eyes. There's snow at the range, so this could be my postal match entry.

WHAT! No barrel break in, its ruined!
308 ejects a little early in the M1 so it misses that op rod punch forward.
 
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That, I don't mind. If there wasn't a wall between the firing area and the parking lot, most of them would have been out in the lot . Trying to calm this down a little bit.
 
Snuck out today. Didn't take much to zero the rifle in. Although, I forgot my allen keys so I could not adjust the front sight to mechanical zero. Ammo was 168gr nosler with some 4895 under it.

So I shot 10 slow prone. The first 5 were right in there, I yanked the trigger with that wide 10; then the light changed and my eyes blurred - that's the wider group of 4 shots. I also need to tune the trigger a little more, it's breaking just above 5#; I want to bring it down to the other side of 5. As I could not set my mechanical windage via the front site post, I was shooting for groups here.


View: https://imgur.com/a/P44qqIS


My brass was FLYING out of the rifle at 5oclock. I could hear them hitting a wall 8 feet behind the firing line. May need to see if I can tweak that.

I also mic'd the fired brass and am pretty happy with how I cut the chamber. The fired brass is consistent with what comes out of my M14s.

Hoping to get back in the next week or so with my allen keys and fresh eyes. There's snow at the range, so this could be my postal match entry.


Nice work! Already shooting good and should tighten up as it breaks in too.

Just wait until you're as old as Mac to see how your eyes are doing. LOL.
 
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