M-1 Garand trigger

[aintright]

Can the M-1 trigger be significantly improved ? If so is it something that is relatively easy to do or should it be left to a good smith ? Will this disqualify the gun in any of the various competitions ? Thank you, Kenneth

[gulliver62]

Improved, yes. Significantly, depends. Our local Garand/M1A guru stones the hammer hooks. You can see where they contact the sear on the trigger. You can play with this. Look under magnification and see how they make contact. Sometimes it is very poor to start and you can even out and smooth the trigger. Not illegal unless you lighten below the allowable weight.

[aintright]

Thank you , what is the alowable wieght ? Kenneth

[TMB]

milsurps.com has some good stickys in Garand forum for working on them

[Dan Shapiro]

Trigger weight cannot be less that 4 1/2 lbs.

[Art]

I would never have anyone except a competent 'smith who specializes in M1s work on a Garand trigger, or any other self loading rifle for that matter. I once made the mistake of having a guy who was supposed to be knowledgeable in ComBloc weapons do a trigger job on an SKS with, shall we say, less than satisfactory results, and that's putting it charitibly. I wound up replacing the trigger groupl.

I would check the rules myself for the allowable work that can be done on a rifle to be shot in a match. There are different matches and different rules.

[yooper]

Get this book: "The M1 Garand Complete Assembly Guide" by Walt Kuleck w/Clint McKee and follow the detailed instructions in "Appendix B". The book is available from numerous sources.

[George in NH]

For the O/P, Sir,
Hard to determine what you might mean by improved. The M1 rifle has a two stage trigger, generally defined as "slack" and "let off" or some other terms that mean the same thing. So, are you looking for a "light" trigger pull or a smooth pull or something else? "Hair trigger" (as in low pull weight) is not always a good trigger! IMHO, few M1 rifles have a terrible trigger. Very good shooting can be done just by learning the trigger on the rifle and going with it. Email Gus Fisher, I am sure he will provide the info you desire once he knows just what it is you are trying to do. HTH George in NH

[Gus Fisher]

Please don't email me with these kinds of questions, folks. I can not keep up on my business and personal emails.

I do not answer highly involved questions on doing trigger pull work because it is so very easy to screw it up. We are talking a significant safety feature. When I was the Instructor of OJT's (Apprenticeship Instructor) in the RTE Shiop at Quantico, and even with me hovering over them or at most the bench besides theirs, I figured new apprentices would screw up to between two to four sets of hammers and triggers befofre they got the generral knack. Then after they had done enough of them, we taught them the very fine points some months later.

Personally, I do not like a trigger pull less than 4lbs. 10 Oz. as a lighter trigger can double or triple easy OR it will wear out way too fast.

[Art]

I would take Gus Fisher's comments above as a "message from God."