Garand Blowout - The Firearms Forum

Diamondback · 09-18-2011, 04:09 PM

4 or 5 years ago I was finally fortunate enough to obtain my 1st Garand. Sringfield Armory Manf. Serial#1526***. Supposed to have left Springfield in 1943. About a month after I got it home I took out to a local range to sight it in and just play with it in general. About the 3rd shot out of the 4th clip I felt somthing blow past my left forearm , a gust of wind I thought. Just as I waas starting to get back to my sights I noticed that the forestock looked strange. Closer examination revealed that a piece of the stock about 12" or 13" was missing. I safed the rifle then ejected the partial clip and waited for the cease fire order. I located the missing piece just to my left and in front of the bench. It took another 45 min, or so to locate the culprit. Mr. Garand was indeed a genius. The bolt face of the Garand has 2 small cutouts on the bottom. They are angled at approx. 45'. They are there to vent the gasses away from the shooter face in the event of a cartridge blowout. The following pictures show the cartridge case, the original stock, with the fracture lines highlighted and the new CMP Walnut stock that now graces My Garand. Neither the operating mechanism nor the barrel and chamber were damaged. I have since fired over 100 rounds without a problem. THank you John Garand and Springfield Armory for designing and building such a fantastic and rugged firearm. Attachment 51784

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Diamondback · 09-18-2011, 04:13 PM

Other photos,Attachment 51791

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CampingJosh · 09-18-2011, 04:30 PM

Whoa! Close call, DB, and I'm glad you were OK.

I also like the look of that new walnut stock. Not fun to lose the original (especially in the manner you did

), but at least there is an decent replacement. And yes, thanks John Garand for such a great design!

garydude · 09-18-2011, 07:18 PM

Great post Diamondback; how about a little information on the offending round? Was it military or reloaded? Hard to be certain but the primer looks crimped.

I haven't seen a case fail quite like that before.

Great job on the restore too!

Diamondback · 09-18-2011, 09:01 PM

Thank you all. It was a mil surp fmj in a clip from a bandolier I accquired somewhere. I have been shooting and reloading for over 50 yrs. and this is the first time I have seen a round fail in this manner. WHat is amazing is the fact that we forget just how much power is contained in such a small container. The stock was literally blown into 4 pieces.

hogger129 · 09-18-2011, 09:25 PM

Jeez. Sorry to see such a fine weapon go through this. So it was just an old round that was bad?

redwing carson · 09-18-2011, 10:44 PM

For the head and web to fracture it must have been a metal problem. A case that is over loaded will fail above the head and blow the primer pocket. When a Garand is over pressured in this manner they are often damaged or cracked at the very rear of the reciever. This is caused when the bolt is driven hard aganist the rear where the metal meets the stock.

09-18-2011, 04:13 PM	#2
Diamondback Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Silver City, Oklahoma Posts: 662	Garand Blowout 2 Other photos,Attachment 51791 Attachment 51792 Attachment 51793 Attachment 51794 Last edited by Diamondback; 04-22-2013 at 03:30 PM..

09-18-2011, 04:30 PM	#3
CampingJosh TFF Moderator/Host Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Indiana Contributor Posts: 4,788	Re: Garand Blowout Whoa! Close call, DB, and I'm glad you were OK. I also like the look of that new walnut stock. Not fun to lose the original (especially in the manner you did ), but at least there is an decent replacement. And yes, thanks John Garand for such a great design! __________________ Nothing posted on TheFirearmsForum.com constitutes legal, accounting, gunsmithing, or other professional advice. Readers are encouraged to consult with qualified professionals for real advice. Your life is lived at your own risk. Don't blame me for the dumb things you do.

09-18-2011, 07:18 PM	#4
garydude Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Desert Southwest Proper Contributor Posts: 745	Re: Garand Blowout Great post Diamondback; how about a little information on the offending round? Was it military or reloaded? Hard to be certain but the primer looks crimped. I haven't seen a case fail quite like that before. Great job on the restore too! Last edited by garydude; 09-18-2011 at 07:20 PM..

09-18-2011, 09:01 PM	#5
Diamondback Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Silver City, Oklahoma Posts: 662	Re: Garand Blowout Thank you all. It was a mil surp fmj in a clip from a bandolier I accquired somewhere. I have been shooting and reloading for over 50 yrs. and this is the first time I have seen a round fail in this manner. WHat is amazing is the fact that we forget just how much power is contained in such a small container. The stock was literally blown into 4 pieces.

09-18-2011, 09:25 PM	#6
hogger129 Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 4,064	Re: Garand Blowout Jeez. Sorry to see such a fine weapon go through this. So it was just an old round that was bad? __________________ Samuel Adams once said, "among the natural rights of the colonists are these: first, a right to life, secondly to liberty, thirdly to property; together with the right to defend them in the best manner they can."

09-18-2011, 04:09 PM	#1
Diamondback Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Silver City, Oklahoma Posts: 662	Garand Blowout 4 or 5 years ago I was finally fortunate enough to obtain my 1st Garand. Sringfield Armory Manf. Serial#1526**. Supposed to have left Springfield in 1943. About a month after I got it home I took out to a local range to sight it in and just play with it in general. About the 3rd shot out of the 4th clip I felt somthing blow past my left forearm , a gust of wind I thought. Just as I waas starting to get back to my sights I noticed that the forestock looked strange. Closer examination revealed that a piece of the stock about 12" or 13" was missing. I safed the rifle then ejected the partial clip and waited for the cease fire order. I located the missing piece just to my left and in front of the bench. It took another 45 min, or so to locate the culprit. Mr. Garand was indeed a genius. The bolt face of the Garand has 2 small cutouts on the bottom. They are angled at approx. 45'. They are there to vent the gasses away from the shooter face in the event of a cartridge blowout. The following pictures show the cartridge case, the original stock, with the fracture lines highlighted and the new CMP Walnut stock that now graces My Garand. Neither the operating mechanism nor the barrel and chamber were damaged. I have since fired over 100 rounds without a problem. THank you John Garand and Springfield Armory for designing and building such a fantastic and rugged firearm. Attachment 51784 Attachment 51785 Attachment 51786 Attachment 51787 Attachment 51788 Attachment 51789 Attachment 51790 --> Last edited by Diamondback; 04-22-2013 at 03:30 PM..*

09-18-2011, 10:44 PM	#7
redwing carson Former Guest Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: western wyoming Posts: 734	Re: Garand Blowout For the head and web to fracture it must have been a metal problem. A case that is over loaded will fail above the head and blow the primer pocket. When a Garand is over pressured in this manner they are often damaged or cracked at the very rear of the reciever. This is caused when the bolt is driven hard aganist the rear where the metal meets the stock.