I have a new Stainless Steel Garand barrel and thinking of building a Tanker.
Can the barrel be shortened?

Not an expert but don't you need to do a bunch of mods to the gas piston, op rod and other components as well?

Yes, the Op rod needs to be shorted and as the main spring (both available on the market). I am not sure what else.
However, I don't know if the barrel is special or just a reworked standard Garand barrel.
I'd have the rifle assembled by a Gunsmith.

It would be a lot cheaper to just buy a new Tanker barrel.
To modify a long barrel would require extensive and expensive milling, lathe, drilling, and threading work.

Gunsmith costs would be more than a new barrel.

Thank you.

Ammo Garand has them for less than $200.
http://www.ammogarand.com/m1-garand-tanker-barrel-18quot-criterion-31183006.html

If you're planning on building a "Tanker" Garand, then you must also get a shortened op rod.  Which can be found here:
http://www.gunbroker.com/item/654229817

He also has barrels, and you can often save a few bucks by getting both together.  Because the op rod is shorter, it is bent to some slightly different angels.  So, count on doing some grinding on the barrel band to get clearance.

Send it to shuffs and get a mini g

Mini G is nice for sure.

I agree.

Shuff's creation of the 16" Mini-G really moots the point of having an 18" Tanker.   I mean, if you want to go shorter than the M1's standard length, why stop at 18"?

The Mini-G eliminates the cut-down forward handguard of the Tanker. You get a nice short, tight, handy package in either '06 or .308, which you then tune to your load of choice with the Shuster Mfg. adjustable M1 gas plug that Shuff installs. I keep an '06 Mini-G as my North Woods cabin gun. Fully reliable and very accurate.

Just watch the op rod spring and swap in a fresh Wolff XP Tanker op rod spring every 500-rds or so, and it's good to go.

Admittedly, the more I look, the more the Mini G becomes very tempting particularly since I have a M1 Garand which I had built on a mint SA 1954 receiver with almost new parts over 13 years ago... which could be modified instead of building a Tanker.

I would leave your M1 Garand as is for lots of reasons.

You said it's like new and because it's one of the last years they were built it has all of the technical upgrades ever made. Every one of the "new" Garands I have fired have been 100% reliable and felt smoother in operation than the older models.

Many people have had function issues with Tanker Garand conversions. You'll be changing the rifle into something that it wasn't really designed for.

If you truly want a tanker you should consider buying one already made instead of converting the one you own. Better yet, buy a M1-A Scout style (SOCOM) or similar and get the size you want with a 20 round magazine and a factory warranty. Your conversion is going to be expensive compared to buying a new production rifle.

Everything they said x2.  

Every time I've come close to building a tanker I see how much it'll cost me in the end and decide against it.  At that point I'd rather have a SOCOM or another large frame AR

I have a post Korean war SA Garand barrel that I am going to convert to an FNFAL barrel and mount on my final F A L build. I want an F A L barrel with a 1:10 twist rate to stabilize 163 gr AP bullets. 

Just FYI on Shuff's Mini-G, (NOT the 18" "Tanker" certain dudenals are talking about ) ...

1) If you're going to "convert" an existing M1 to a Mini-G (I've done two now), anything beyond using a FG for a doner is overkill.

If the barrel's ME is high, cutting it back to 16.1" will restore a ME of 0 or 0.5. As long as the other internal parts and gas cylinder are in spec, you're GTG. Shuff replaces your standard op rod with a shorter op rod that's got an in-spec piston head and has been bent and fitted for reliable operation with the 16" barrel. Shuff then adds Shuster Mfg.'s adj. gas plug and a Wolff XP op rod spring. He then tests fires your build, tuning the adjustable plug as needed, until he's assured of reliable, repeatable chambering, extraction, ejection, etc.

2) With a Mini-G, your real decision is choice of caliber.

Do you want to keep the traditional '06 chambering, and just "mini-me" your M1? ... Or do you want a 16" 7.62/.308 Criterion tube installed instead? (This does add about $200 to a Mini build though). The .308 caliber is arguably somewhat less blasty, and 7.62 ball ammo is definitely more plentiful as well as cheaper than the '06 flavor.

I have both chamberings and can tell you both run fine, despite what the butt-hurt naysayers claim. It just depends on what you want.

Some Mini-G fun!  


Mini-G backstory.
[youtube]https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=XlYJacucucQ[/youtube]

Mini-G prototype testing.
[youtube]https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SFo3A3XzBJM[/youtube]

You decide.

Attached File

Some Mini G goodness. I love mine! Btw, Shuff shortened my original barrel.