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[smle-man]

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

He said he is having trouble loading an 8 round clip. Timing issue would be the bolt releasing prematurely when a clip is being inserted.

[vf111]

He said he is having trouble loading an 8 round clip. Timing issue would be the bolt releasing prematurely when a clip is being inserted.

This sounds like an issue with the clip or how the ammo is loaded in the clip.

[MeatyMac]

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.

Mac was a special guy, did you see his garden with shot-out Garand barrels used for tomato stakes?

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.

This is plausible, might also be that the recoil spring is too long or out of spec and too stiff, it’s length should be apx. 19-3/4” to 19-7/8”.

Where are you located Ayy Lmao?

[RandyD]

Mac was a special guy, did you see his garden with shot-out Garand barrels used for tomato stakes?

I don't remember the barrels being used as tomato stakes. Most of the times that I was there, we remained in his garage. On one occasion, he showed me his Parkerizing set up behind the garage.

[FeuerFrei]

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?

Proper clean/lube is really key for any new/used addition to any herd. Good place to start by creating a base line for proper function IMO.

My CMP service grade was dirty and drier than I expected. Broke it down and did a detailed clean/lube and the thing was/is great. No magic, just work.

*using Greek ammo pre-packed in clips/bandoleers.

[socal m1 shooter]

I was searching and stumbled on an old post by Gus Fisher, "What to do if your M1 Garand does not function."

If you are unfamiliar with Gus Fisher, this is a seminar he did back in the day for a GCA convention. He used to make the rounds of various gun shows and matches, and for a time was in Southern California. I vaguely recall, maybe seeing him at the now-defunct South Coast Gun Club down in Irvine, maybe with Ken Fladrich from Armory of Orange? Can't remember for sure.

[musketjon]

An M1 rifle does not use "stripper clips". Geez guy.

[musketjon]

That was the tool/gauge he was using.

It's called a timing block. Has nothing to do with the OP's problem. Also, his rifle would NOT have been subjected to the "7th round stoppage". Arm chair "expert" needs to check his facts. That problem was addressed and rectified a l-o-n-g time before the 2 millions came along. It also had nothing to do with difficulty loading the rifle. On a related note, it is a physical impossibility to get M1 thumb when loading a FULL (notice the emphasis on FULL) clip of 8 rounds. In 40+ years of trigger time with the M1 rifle, I have NEVER had M1 thumb. AND I do it all left-handed.

[Orlando]

It's called a timing block. Has nothing to do with the OP's problem. Also, his rifle would NOT have been subjected to the "7th round stoppage". Arm chair "expert" needs to check his facts. That problem was addressed and rectified a l-o-n-g time before the 2 millions came along. It also had nothing to do with difficulty loading the rifle. On a related note, it is a physical impossibility to get M1 thumb when loading a FULL (notice the emphasis on FULL) clip of 8 rounds. In 40+ years of trigger time with the M1 rifle, I have NEVER had M1 thumb. AND I do it all left-handed.

Amen..............................