Has anyone had any experience with any of the synthetic stocks that were available in the past? Pretty much all of them are out of production, and before I waste my time tracking one down, Id' like to know if they're garbage or not.

Particularly the Bell and Carlson, as that seems to be the company with the best reputation out of potential options. Going to go ahead and assume the Ramline is trash.

The bell and Carlson is the only one worthwhile but good luck finding one

Wish I would’ve gotten a bell and Carlson for my Belgian a5 back in the day

Yes, I have RamLine syn stocks on two Garands. Many upsides to them, including paintability and almost always a tighter, more accuracy-inducing fit than most old wooden stocks. Can't think of any downsides to them, except very hard to find and therefore pricey nowadays.

The RamLine stocks play well with the Ultimak M1 Scout mount.  GI cleaning kit fits inside hollow butt stock, where it belongs.

Can't speak to the Bell and Carlson, nor any other syn stocks for the M1.  Either Sarco or Numrich used to offer fiberglass "Drill" stocks, but I have never seen one.  From the description I read long ago, they sounded rather beat-up, which is understandable.

Fulton Armory offers "Plastic" "Drill" stocks, but from their text description, I would expect to do a full-on bedding job for best accuracy/durability.  https://www.fulton-armory.com/stocksetbrownplasticwithhandguardsnometal.aspx  If I needed another syn stock for an M1,Ii might buy one of these, and bed it.  However, I have the tools, materials, and the experience to do so.  Not rocket science, but more complex than the typical bedding job.

People who are forced to use a non-laminate, solid wood stock often overlook the (usually) less-expensive GI Birch stocks.  The advantages of these late-issue GI-substitute stocks is that they are probably less banged-up, and that Birch wood is about 10% denser than Walnut, and less prone to splitting.  Strip, re-finish, and dye/paint as you like.

Many folks like Walnut for looks, but "Tiger Stripe" Birch can, and does, fetch a premium price for its' unique appearance.  YMMV, but for the purposes of a Field-type rifle, I put utility and durability far ahead of looks.  

FWIW, I have cleaned and carefully stored both wooden stocks for my M1s.  One's Walnut, the other Birch; Both as-issued.

i will look into the Ramline stocks, then. Most of what I have seen from them hasn't been impressive, but everyone can make a gem now and then.

I am interested in something lighter and less sensitive to weather conditions than the standard walnut.

Then the RamLine stocks will serve your interests very well.  Good luck in finding them.  Let me know if you find a stash, via "@" feature.  I'd be obliged.

I bought my ram line for $30. I love the thing. Makes the Garand fit me. My other one wears a grey laminate stock.

Bell & Carson is the best, I had one and sold it in a moment of weakness. Great stock if you can find one.

A synthetic stock on a Garand?

To each his own, but thank ranks up there with non alcoholic beer and veggie burgers.

Opinions vary.

For a Match-tuned M1 or an M1 that's only a collector-grade/Safe Queen piece that never goes to the range, I wouldn't waste the money or effort.

But for a mix-master/'shooter' M1 that sees a lot of rounds, or one that you hunt with or keep as an all-around/bang-around 'truck gun,' the rigidity and weather-resistance of a synthetic stock make sense, plus it's lighter to carry than laminate.

https://www.ammogarand.com/m1-garand-synthetic-practice-drill-stoc1.html

For an 'outdoors' M1 to drag around the boonies, or for someone living in a harsh-weather environment, such as Michigan's U.P. or in Alaska, there's really no downside to having a synthetic stocked Garand.

Too bad these were discontinued. It would've been worth trying out the stock and rear handguard for possible weight-reduction on my most-awesome Shuff's Mini-G.
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1006747932

My best shooting M1 Garand is in a cheap Ramliine stock.  

It would bounce around i the wood stock that was on it when I bought it at the North Store.  

I have an amega ranges scout scope mount with a 2X7 LER scope on it, too.  Awesome shooting rifle.

Stock was easy to "clean" since it was new and then I camo'd it with one of the krylon camo paint kits.

The only other mod I'd like to make to it is to try to fit a GI butt plate to it and fill the but with insulating foam spray (that expanding stuff) with a couple pieces of plastic conduit inside to provide a GI stock like storage for the cleaning kit.

That rifle is intended for use in any weather.  I don't need to worry about the ramline stock soaking up water and swelling/warping.  Don't have to worry about scraping it on a rock or a tree stump.  Or the butt of my pistol sticking out of the holster (done that a time or three over the years).

Been quietly looking for a RamLine for a while now.  Tough to find.  They were initially just $100, and I'm hoping to just find one being neglected in teh back of Garand-guy's closet; but I don't think they every sold very well - so I don't think many are out there.

I'd routinely check on E-bay. You never know when one might pop up there.

Ebay or similar is good advice.  Last Ram-Line I found was complete, undamaged, with instructions, sitting in corner of LGS.  $20 later, it went home with me.

Having looked closely at the "Practice/Drill" stocks linked above, AND assuming that the "Practice/Drill" stocks currently offered by Fulton Armory are identical, I wouldn't be surprised if such "Practice/Drill" stocks might be a reasonable starting point, given the scarcity of the Ram-Line units.

The exact composition/type of the synthetic material will matter.  I doubt they are made of the same, modern, Glass-Reinforced-Plastic (GRP) as the presumably newer Ram-Line stocks.  Even if a "lesser" grade of material was used, a careful bedding, with particular attention paid to recoil surfaces might yield something quite serviceable.

Caution:  I don't have a FA "Practice/Drill" stock in-hand, and the above is based on close examination of pix supplied  Just sayin'.

FWIW, I have always used Brownell's Steel Bed compound, and it has held up very well.  YMMV.