6 Things You May Not Have Known About the M1 Garand Rifle

Famously referred to by General Patton as the “finest battle implement ever devised” the M1 Garand rifle is legendary in American history, perhaps mostly because it happens to have been the standard issue (officially, at least) for many troops in the Second World War. 

That being the case, today Garand rifles are prized collector’s items and there are still groups that hold competitions dedicated to shooting them, such as the Civilian Marksmanship Program. But that doesn’t mean everyone is as well-informed regarding M1 Garand matters as they might be. 

That being said, here are 6 things you might not have known about the M1 Garand rifle. 

Garand Isn’t Pronounced the Way You Think It Is

Most people pronounce “Garand” so that it effectively rhymes with, or is pronounced exactly the same as “grand.” However, it’s named after a certain John Garand who did not pronounce his name that way. 

The stress should be on the first, not the second syllable, which makes Garand rhyme more closely with “errand” than with “grand”. Just something for you to pull out the next time you’re speaking with someone that knows a thing or two about military arms. 

The Clip Is Not a Magazine

Perhaps because of the M1 Garand’s unique feeding design, the term “clip” has become synonymous in modern parlance with “magazine”. But these two things are not the same, and the M1 Garand utilizes both, unlike most firearms. 

There are some firearms with fixed internal magazines that can be charged with a stripper clip. The clip holds rounds and then feeds them into the internal magazine. When the action is closed and run, it feeds internally from the magazine. This is one configuration. There are other magazines that do not require the use of a clip at all.

The M1 Garand rifle is entirely different. It utilizes a special type of clip called an “en bloc” clip that holds rounds in place. The entire, charged clip is loaded into the magazine through the top of the rifle open action; when the action is closed, it strips rounds from the en bloc clip through the magazine and into the chamber. 

When the clip is spent, the rifle ejects the empty en bloc clip out, issuing the famous “M1 Garand ping” which is so closely associated with the rifle. Perhaps because it is a standalone unit, the en bloc clip has become seen as a magazine, despite the fact that it isn’t. 

But, anyway, the M1 Garand rifle has an internal magazine and does feed from a removable en bloc clip. Both are true, and the case remains that even so, the clip is not a magazine.

It’s Not Chambered in Some Esoteric Cartridge 

Many military rifles are chambered in odd cartridges that aren’t encountered too frequently in gun shops. Consider the .303 of the Enfield or the 7.62x54R of the Mosin-Nagant. The M1 Garand’s chambering is alive and well. 

This rifle, like its predecessor the M1903 (and many platforms that came after it) is chambered in .30-06 Springfield, a cartridge that, though it is old, is still widely used and enjoys wide sporting acclaim in this country. It might just be the most popular deer cartridge of all time in the United States. 

If You’re Not Careful When Charging the Rifle, You Can Get a Bad Case of Garand Thumb

As stated, the M1 Garand rifle was charged with an en bloc clip; most operators would push the clip down into the action with their thumb, and hold it in place while pressing the bolt release. However, if one was not careful when releasing the bolt, it would slam forward, trapping the thumb between it and the receiver, yielding a very painful condition known as “Garand thumb”.

The M1 Garand and M1 Carbine Are Not Related

The “M1” naming convention is something that the United States used for a time to keep track of the number of models of something introduced. For instance, “M1 helmet”, which was also not related to either rifle. Hence, the M1 Garand and M1 Carbine are not related. 

The M1 Garand May Not Have Been As Ubiquitous During the War As You Thought 

While most people instantly think of the M1 Garand as being standard issue during the Second World War (and while it technically was) even by late 1943, many troops were still carrying M1903 rifles. In fact, in some places, there were troops carrying a mix of M1 Garand and M1903 bolt-action rifles until 1944. 

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