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[Capybara]

Someone more Garand knowledgable will likely follow this. I have a fancy whiz bang Garand that was basically CMP new metal with a new replacement stock and mine loads up 8 smooth as butter. That would point to something in your receiver is either worn or bent as it shouldn't require the force of Hercules to slide in 8 rounds. Once you have them in, is it ejecting the clip ok, nice ping? Also, if you don't get many responses here, post this in the C&R Forum, lots more Garand experts there than probably on the general rifle board.

What kind of clips are you using? I bought some cheap (French?) ones at first and they sucked, were horrible, threw those away and replaced them with new GI originals from Sarco and it's fed like a dream since then.

Also, not related to loading but you are using Garand pressure safe ammo, correct? Don't want a bent op rod.

[TKM]

https://m1-garand-rifle.com/loading/

[Orlando]

AEC enblocs are known for having issues. Try throwing them in a tumbler if you have one or buy USGI enblocs

[smle-man]

Sounds like the clips to me. If they have a heavy phosphate coating on them they will drag when being inserted in the clip well.

[Capybara]

Sounds like the clips to me. If they have a heavy phosphate coating on them they will drag when being inserted in the clip well.

The crappy ones I bought had a dull, rough Phosphate finish. The good ones are just parked it looks like, nice and smooth.

[fbody_mike]

AEC enblocs are known for having issues. Try throwing them in a tumbler if you have one or buy USGI enblocs

I had a similar problem with AEC enblocs. Ran mine through the tumbler and they started to behave. Before the tumbler they took a bit more pressure to get the bolt to close and would sometimes prematurely eject a round. Some of the AEC enblocs I had to spread the sides apart with a pair of plyers. No issues with USGI. The more I use the AEC the better they get. Almost like they need to be broken in.

[RandyD]

I was acquainted with Don McCoy, he was a well known gunsmith that made M-1 Garands into match grade rifles. His rifles are greatly sought after. I remember being in his shop while he was working on an M-1. He had this piece of metal that was a gauge. He inserted this gauge into the action until the bolt started to close. The gauge indicated if the action was closing too soon or too late. A gunsmith can adjust the timing of when the action closes. I hope I have explained this sufficiently. I am describing something that I saw performed one time about 40 years ago.

I am assuming that this may be the procedure that the OP needs to have performed.

[smle-man]

I was acquainted with Don McCoy, he was a well known gunsmith that made M-1 Garands into match grade rifles. His rifles are greatly sought after. I remember being in his shop while he was working on an M-1. He had this piece of metal that was a gauge. He inserted this gauge into the action until the bolt started to close. The gauge indicated if the action was closing too soon or too late. A gunsmith can adjust the timing of when the action closes. I hope I have explained this sufficiently. I am describing something that I saw performed one time about 40 years ago.

I am assuming that this may be the procedure that the OP needs to have performed.

[socal m1 shooter]

I think the only non-USGI clips I've used have been SLEDs or two-shot clips, but I can't recall ever having any issues with them.

OP, dunno if you have read/heard about the seventh-round stoppage, but you could see if that is the crux of this issue by trying alternative loadings where your last round is on the left side or the right side (holding the gun in the normal shooting position). I suppose it is possible some of the guns got through the system without the remedy modification, but you'll have to look at yours carefully to see. I can't recall if you posted a serial number or not. If your rifle is unmodified, that makes the receiver much more valuable, as apparently there were very few which escaped being fixed.

The video in the link above shows what to look for toward the end.

It could be a timing issue, but that gauge pictured upthread is expensive. It would be cheaper to consider other alternatives before you buy it to see if that is the root cause.

Hope that helps...

[RandyD]

That was the tool/gauge he was using.

[smle-man]

Make sure there's nothing inside the oprod tube like a cleaning patch or broken piece of oprod spring which will prevent proper spring compression and follower travel which in turn makes it difficult to fully insert a clip.

[Orlando]

7th round stoppage has nothing to do with the issue the OP is having.

[socal m1 shooter]

Thanks for the info, my serial is 20755xx

According to Fulton, that SN was recorded in October 1943; they appear to be using the numbers researched by Scott Duff.

Seventh-round stoppage was corrected long before that serial number was recorded, so that's not your issue.

I would guess that next, you want to consider the other inspection points.

One might think the CMP tests every rifle with a timing gauge before sending it out; I expect they do, and I think you should exhaust the other possibilities before concluding the rifle needs something more from the CMP.

For example, did you lube it as required before shooting?

That article about lubrication is pretty good, as is this video. A couple things I would add, make sure the catch on your oprod is not worn, and I usually like to make sure the follower can travel smoothly up and down in the receiver, so I sometimes use a q-tip and some grease to lightly apply grease inside the receiver channels where the follower rides. You can see a picture here at the top.

Finally, you may want to try getting some USGI clips. There are still some CMP-sanctioned M1 Garand matches here and there (National Match Course and As-Issued Military Rifle Matches); it may be a bit of a hassle to get to one, but at these matches you can shoot in friendly competition and talk with folk who sometimes have a fair amount of expertise. What county are you in?

[Rcjackrabbit]