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Posted: 7/20/2025 5:06:45 PM EDT
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Ok, so I have a Fed Ord, 30-06 M1 Garand (not the tanker) and I've heard mixed reviews in regards to the receivers on these being crap. I cannot find a whole lot of information on these, but what I can tell you is that other than the receiver, all other parts are SA. I've never fired this. Roast me if you must for buying this, but my question is this safe to shoot? Any help would be appreciated! |
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Fed Ord used cast steel receivers, and these were usually off in some dimensions. One to watch out for is the firing pin interlock bridge bring off and not working correctly, allowing the firing pin to contact a primer with the bolt partially unlocked. I'd check this out and have the head space checked before firing. |
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Originally Posted By dfariswheel: Fed Ord used cast steel receivers, and these were usually off in some dimensions. One to watch out for is the firing pin interlock bridge bring off and not working correctly, allowing the firing pin to contact a primer with the bolt partially unlocked. I'd check this out and have the head space checked before firing. Thank's for the input. Do you know if all the fed ord (non tanker) M1s were steel cast? There is little information I can find on that. A ton of info on the fed ord M14 having cast receiver's, some very old posts have claimed some M1 (non tanker) receiver's were re-stamped with the fed ord mark an re-serealised. Not sure if this is accurate given the limited info on this brand. I did order a new op rod spring and will look for someone in my area in SOFLO that can check the head space as you have recommended. Much appreciated. |
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Originally Posted By dfariswheel: Fed Ord used cast steel receivers, and these were usually off in some dimensions. One to watch out for is the firing pin interlock bridge bring off and not working correctly, allowing the firing pin to contact a primer with the bolt partially unlocked. I'd check this out and have the head space checked before firing. This is what I would have warned to check! I remember on an old board one of the armorer old hands had pictures of the receiver of a Fed Ord safety bridge actually broken and provided no out of battery safety feature what so ever. |
The only hyphenated names I like are cartridge names......30-06, 30-40, 38-55 etc.
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OP - if you're anywhere near Central FL take your rifle to Dow Arms Room in Dade City and one of the best M1 Garand armorers in the country Bruce Dow will give your rifle a detailed inspection and will let you know if there's anything to be concerned with. My Federal Ordinance "Tanker" is sitting there waiting for me to road trip and pick it up after a re-parkerizing and bedding in a Boyd's laminated stock. It has a USGI Springfield Armory receiver and all USGI parts. If yours is the cast steel receiver that folks are concerned about, Bruce Dow could easily disassemble your rifle and rebuild it with your parts on a USGI or Fulton receiver. |
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Originally Posted By EMAGDNIM: Ok, so I have a Fed Ord, 30-06 M1 Garand (not the tanker) and I've heard mixed reviews in regards to the receivers on these being crap. I cannot find a whole lot of information on these, but what I can tell you is that other than the receiver, all other parts are SA. I've never fired this. Roast me if you must for buying this, but my question is this safe to shoot? Any help would be appreciated! Fed. Ord. = a cast receiver to start with, and many of those were out-of-spec. Word to the wise: it’s a wall-hanger. 
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Is it in fact a Fed Ord made receiver? Because my wartime made Springfield is a re-import by FedOrd. Who put their import stamp on the right front leg just below the heat lot number. |
Drugs kicked in now, need sleep, radiation tastes funny at 7 am every day... a bit like victory. - Ginger
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Originally Posted By flcracker: OP - if you're anywhere near Central FL take your rifle to Dow Arms Room in Dade City and one of the best M1 Garand armorers in the country Bruce Dow will give your rifle a detailed inspection and will let you know if there's anything to be concerned with. My Federal Ordinance "Tanker" is sitting there waiting for me to road trip and pick it up after a re-parkerizing and bedding in a Boyd's laminated stock. It has a USGI Springfield Armory receiver and all USGI parts. If yours is the cast steel receiver that folks are concerned about, Bruce Dow could easily disassemble your rifle and rebuild it with your parts on a USGI or Fulton receiver. Bad experience x2 with Bruce and his "gunsmith"... never went back. Perhaps ten years ago or slightly more, I took my M1A in as somehow the gas plug treads were slightly buggered. I asked about a replacement... his GS took my gas plug and stared filing away trying to "clean up" the threads WITHOUT even asking me... I kept saying "that's ok, just give it to me I'll source another" but he kept on while Bruce retrieved a box of old ass Gas cylinders and tried like a used car salesman to sell me one. I FINALLY got my gas plug back after directly asking several times, thought I was going to have to get rude about it... it still didn't work and those assholes had the audacity to charge me about $75 in "Gun Smith Services" for spending fifteen minutes messing with the gas plug... screw that place. I know he comes, or at one time, came highly recommended and I use to drive down there often to buy odds and ends... but that last trip with the M1A pissed me off. Previously they threaded a AR barrel and reinstalled the FSB without putting the barrel nut on... had to drive an hour back just to have it re-done correctly. Bought some AR15 lower parts... at check out, the prices were three to four times what I could have bought them... I just paid and never went back after the M1A incident. I hope you have better luck... |
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Originally Posted By Bowhntr6pt: Bad experience x2 with Bruce and his "gunsmith"... never went back. Perhaps ten years ago or slightly more, I took my M1A in as somehow the gas plug treads were slightly buggered. I asked about a replacement... his GS took my gas plug and stared filing away trying to "clean up" the threads WITHOUT even asking me... I kept saying "that's ok, just give it to me I'll source another" but he kept on while Bruce retrieved a box of old ass Gas cylinders and tried like a used car salesman to sell me one. I FINALLY got my gas plug back after directly asking several times, thought I was going to have to get rude about it... it still didn't work and those assholes had the audacity to charge me about $75 in "Gun Smith Services" for spending fifteen minutes messing with the gas plug... screw that place. I know he comes, or at one time, came highly recommended and I use to drive down there often to buy odds and ends... but that last trip with the M1A pissed me off. Previously they threaded a AR barrel and reinstalled the FSB without putting the barrel nut on... had to drive an hour back just to have it re-done correctly. Bought some AR15 lower parts... at check out, the prices were three to four times what I could have bought them... I just paid and never went back after the M1A incident. I hope you have better luck... I wish I had known about your experience before taking my Garand to him. Bruce Dow has done great work for me in the past going back 20 years or more, but I am very disappointed with my experience this time around. Details will be posted after I give them a chance to make things right. Update: I have received satisfaction for my tangible concerns. Other concerns will have to get chalked up to fate and experience. I'll share a summary after our communications are finalized. |
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Originally Posted By flcracker: I wish I had known about your experience before taking my Garand to him. Bruce Dow has done great work for me in the past going back 20 years or more, but I am very disappointed with my experience this time around. Details will be posted after I give them a chance to make things right. Update: I have received satisfaction for my tangible concerns. Other concerns will have to get chalked up to fate and experience. I'll share a summary after our communications are finalized. @flcracker Well... I'm sorry you had a bad experience but at least it confirms to me my opinion(s) of Dow Arms and their current level of service. I suppose any gunsmith can made a mistake once in a blue moon but after my two mishaps, that was enough for me. Seems they were just after my money vs. actually helping. I'd be interested, even if by IM, what problems you had. Bruce was no Spring Chicken years ago when I had my issues, I wonder if HE actually does any of the work or is that left now to others who are not as skilled as Bruce is or once was. |
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Originally Posted By vellnueve: I would just send it to Fulton Fuck those guys too... I know they are well liked and respected but back in 2001 I acquired two M1A's that the seller claimed they assembled using all USGI parts and Norinco forged receivers. I was able to confirm via serial numbers that the receivers were in fact sold as receivers and not rifles, I also inspected the rifles and they contained all USGI parts as advertised by the seller. The rifles came in the exact box Fulton sells, or sold at the time, and were basically unfired. The rifles fit the description on Fulton's web sight at the time for USGI conversions concerning China made rifles. Apparently they use to take Norinco or Poly-Tech rifles and redo them with USGI parts. I contacted Fulton to ask for rifle build verification based on the serial numbers. What I received was a really odd poetry like e-mail response that basically said fuck off, everyone wants to claim their rifle was made by us. I wish I had kept that e-mail. |
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One more possibility: It's been built on a "re-welded" receiver. Back in the 70's, they were taking cut-up Garand receivers, and building up a complete receiver from two mismatched sections. I've seen one, which was being sold as an original lockbar Winchester, in .30-06. My first clue that something was off: It wouldn't chamber a .30-06 round ( but .308 fit just fine!. And under the wood, IIRC, it was marked "Fed Ord"). With the action out of the stock, I could see a set of wavy lines in the parkerizing running down the sides of the receiver, like a weld bead having been ground down smooth. More info: https://www.fulton-armory.com/faqs/M1G-FAQs/Weld.htm |
“A vote is like a rifle; its usefulness depends upon the character of the user.”
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Originally Posted By Bowhntr6pt: @flcracker Well... I'm sorry you had a bad experience but at least it confirms to me my opinion(s) of Dow Arms and their current level of service. I suppose any gunsmith can made a mistake once in a blue moon but after my two mishaps, that was enough for me. Seems they were just after my money vs. actually helping. I'd be interested, even if by IM, what problems you had. Bruce was no Spring Chicken years ago when I had my issues, I wonder if HE actually does any of the work or is that left now to others who are not as skilled as Bruce is or once was. I will say that the parkerizing and bedding that Bruce did for me was top-notch as expected. The issues that I have pertain to less tangible factors. |
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Originally Posted By Bowhntr6pt: Fuck those guys too... I know they are well liked and respected but back in 2001 I acquired two M1A's that the seller claimed they assembled using all USGI parts and Norinco forged receivers. I was able to confirm via serial numbers that the receivers were in fact sold as receivers and not rifles, I also inspected the rifles and they contained all USGI parts as advertised by the seller. The rifles came in the exact box Fulton sells, or sold at the time, and were basically unfired. The rifles fit the description on Fulton's web sight at the time for USGI conversions concerning China made rifles. Apparently they use to take Norinco or Poly-Tech rifles and redo them with USGI parts. I contacted Fulton to ask for rifle build verification based on the serial numbers. What I received was a really odd poetry like e-mail response that basically said fuck off, everyone wants to claim their rifle was made by us. I wish I had kept that e-mail. At the same time there are lots of unscrupulous sellers out there who strip desirable parts off of rifles and then resell them. |
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Originally Posted By vellnueve: At the same time there are lots of unscrupulous sellers out there who strip desirable parts off of rifles and then resell them. The rifles did contain all USGI parts and I confirmed with the importer, by serial number, the receivers were sold as stripped bare receivers. I know what USGI parts look like. It's not that they refused to provide the info per se, which I'm sure they could have easily done, instead a really odd-ass e-mail reply was sent instead. |
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