"Tanker" M1 Garands

[Phosphorus32]

A good article on the actual M1 Garand carbine testing by the living authority on American WW1 and WW2 military small arms.

Short version: there are only a couple authentic test examples and they're in museums.

https://www.americanrifleman.org/articles/2020/10/26/tanker-garands-the-real-story?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=insider&utm_campaign=1020



Further info on Bruce Canfield, a really good guy in the firearm collecting and history community.

https://www.brucecanfield.com/

[Larry D.]

Great read.

Thanks for the post.

[firstchoice]

Really interesting story. Thanks for posting it up, Phos! I've yet to own a Garand, and I'm probably too set in my ways to change now. But what a place they have in our history of small arms. They sure made a difference in both theaters of WW2.

I had always been interested in the M14 and the short, BM-59 series of carbines. But after reading this, I wonder if the same issues came up with those "Tanker" models?

firstchoice

[BMont]

Great article... and I do tend to like shorties.

[Phosphorus32]

Really interesting story. Thanks for posting it up, Phos! I've yet to own a Garand, and I'm probably too set in my ways to change now. But what a place they have in our history of small arms. They sure made a difference in both theaters of WW2.

I had always been interested in the M14 and the short, BM-59 series of carbines. But after reading this, I wonder if the same issues came up with those "Tanker" models?

firstchoice

The M14 barrel is only 2" shorter, at 22". The BM-59 is only 19.3", so that's in the same territory as the experimental Garand carbines. The BM-59 is just as heavy as the M1 Garand, so that mass should help with perceived recoil but I've never fired (or even handled) one, so I don't know first hand.

[Greatguns]

Really interesting story. Thanks for posting it up, Phos! I've yet to own a Garand, and I'm probably too set in my ways to change now. But what a place they have in our history of small arms. They sure made a difference in both theaters of WW2.

I had always been interested in the M14 and the short, BM-59 series of carbines. But after reading this, I wonder if the same issues came up with those "Tanker" models?

firstchoice

The M14 barrel is only 2" shorter, at 22". The BM-59 is only 19.3", so that's in the same territory as the experimental Garand carbines. The BM-59 is just as heavy as the M1 Garand, so that mass should help with perceived recoil but I've never fired (or even handled) one, so I don't know first hand.

IIRC a BM-59 barrel is what LC used on his infamous bolt action sub-MOA custom SKS. Indeed a heavy barrel.

[Phosphorus32]

LC used a Browning machine gun barrel, "a custom chambered Israeli 1919A4 barrel", heavy indeed

https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2015/07/10/1moa-sks/

[Greatguns]

LC used a Browning machine gun barrel, "a custom chambered Israeli 1919A4 barrel", heavy indeed

https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2015/07/10/1moa-sks/

Oh yeah, that's right. I think he looked at using the BM-59 though. We chatted a lot when he built that thing so my brain gets foggy on the details, lol. Well, I've been sick and I'm over 60 so my brain gets foggy period, lol.

[Phosphorus32]

LC used a Browning machine gun barrel, "a custom chambered Israeli 1919A4 barrel", heavy indeed

https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2015/07/10/1moa-sks/

Oh yeah, that's right. I think he looked at using the BM-59 though. We chatted a lot when he built that thing so my brain gets foggy on the details, lol. Well, I've been sick and I'm over 60 so my brain gets foggy period, lol.

Hey, I only thought it was a machine gun barrel, and had to look it up to get the specifics.

Hope you're on the mend 

[Greatguns]

LC used a Browning machine gun barrel, "a custom chambered Israeli 1919A4 barrel", heavy indeed

https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2015/07/10/1moa-sks/

Oh yeah, that's right. I think he looked at using the BM-59 though. We chatted a lot when he built that thing so my brain gets foggy on the details, lol. Well, I've been sick and I'm over 60 so my brain gets foggy period, lol.

Hey, I only thought it was a machine gun barrel, and had to look it up to get the specifics.

Hope you're on the mend 

Yeah, I'm about 95%, but have a couple of lingering symptoms like the foggy brain and occasional cough that don't want to go away. Pretty COVID-like for testing negative, LOL. What did I just buy on Gunbroker???

Haven't lost my sense of humor though.

[Larry D.]

Great article... and I do tend to like shorties.

More please.