Gentlemen,
This problem almost took the M1 Garand Out of action at the start of WW2.



I hope some of this data helps.

So guys what do you think about this file??
Sorry about the post again I am dealing with old microfilm.

[email protected]
I hope you enjoy.

www.garandm1rifle.com

If you need a larger copy just email me.
Thanks again for taking the time and effort to read this data.
Clancy
PS I do need HITS on my TWO sites. I have to ask or the sites wil go down. I can only ask for this on a few sites I post to.

My guess is that water was getting in somwhere and forming a vacuume.

As I recall it wasn't so much water in the bore causing the problems, it was the rain washing away the lubricant. Thus a heavier grease was made and used to grease the bolt and op rod camming surface. The new grease was Lubriplate.

Off to hit your sites now Clancy. Thanks.

I remember this discussed several years ago - the answer was that the rain was washing the oil out of the bolt recess in the operating rod, and the cure was to put GREASE in the cam groove in the operating rod.  Problem solved.

Did I get it right Ed?

Gentlemen,
There is a lot more to this problem. Ordnance didn't want it to get out. More data to post.
Thanks again
Clancy

Clancy it'll be interesting to read your further posts.  During my research about the Garand, I had read about this issue a while back someplace but I agree with the other posters that the solution was lubrication.....or at least that was the concensus.  The Garand is a very happy rifle with proper lubrication and a dry rifle does not repond well and lack of lubricant even affects the direction of the ejection of spent brass.  The drier it is, the further back the brass ejects.  Properly lubed up, it should throw brass at about 2 o'clock. As it dries out, the brass will go to 3 and even 4.

What I find interesting is that the report you posted is dated 1942.  That's four years after the rifle was introduced into the field (1938) and had been adopted by the services.  It's interesting that I've never, once, read a report from the field that any Garand had failed under any circumstances.  Considering that it was well represented on the beachs of Normandy, full of sea-water and sand, I find it curious that that some gun historian hasn't pointed out any prevelent equipment failures along these lines.  And, while we have all shot our rifles over these many years (albeit under much more controlled circumstances) I've never read about anyone with a really serious stoppage or failure to eject outside of a metal failure or parts breakage.  After all, these are 50 year old rifle.  

Look forward to reading more.  

Rome

Cabinetman,
You are correct Sir. That's why I said to check the date of this data. We were already at war.
Thanks again
Clancy
ps check out Part 2

The problem with M1 Garand's not functioning in the rain is well documented.  The problem was related to rain washing away the lubricant from the area where the lug of the bolt rode in the operating rod groove.  Springfield Armory conducted research into the problem and tested many different solutions to the problem including new cam angles, increasing the size of the gas port, fluting the chamber, etc.  Eventually, the cam angles between the bolt adn operating rod were modified and successfully tested in a prototype rifle designated the M1E1.

Further studies found the simplest and quickest way to solve the problem was by introducing a new grease that resisted being washed off in the rain.  The Lubriplate 130-A grease was issued in small plastic containers.

Later, SA designed a roller to replace the lug on the bolt.  This also solved the problem.  The prototype rifle was called the M1E3.  Test firing was conducted on the prototypes where all traces of lubricant were removed and the rifle fired nearly 14,000 rounds without bolt failure.  The roller was never incorporated into the M1 Garand, but did appear later on the M14 rifle.

The information above is paraphrased from pages 16-17 of Frank Iannamico's great book, "The Last Steel Warrior: U.S. M14 Rifle."