M1 Garand or M1 Carbine?

[fischfam]

I am not sure if this is the right place for this but you can move it if it's not. I am looking to purchase either an 'M1 Garand' or an 'M1 Carbine' from CMP via mail order and am looking mainly for something that has historical meaning as well as some fun shooting from time to time. I was wondering other than one being .30-08 and the other being .30 carbine what are the big differences? Also is one or the other more desirable to the general population? I know that this is really a personal preference question but what are your preferences fellow shooters? Also not being a hunter what is the difference between .30-08 and .30 carbine?
Thanks,

[knight0334]

.30-06 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.30-06

A former military round that was adopted by hunters. About 2900ftlb energy

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.30 Carbine http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.30_carbine

A former military round that never really made it big in hunting. About 900ftlb energy

[SouthPawPatriot]

With the Criteria being..
- historical meaning
- fun shooting

I think that both guns would work. The Garand is a great gun as is the m1 carbine. The Garand is chambered in 30-06 Springfield and the one of the things that you should think about is that modern ammo is not good for your old beauty (With the exception of Hornady I think which makes Garand 30-06 but will charge you extra for the convenience). The better option is to buy surplus ammo which can be had at good prices and is safe to shoot. The M1 carbine being chambered in the 30 carbine is not really in the same realm. The M1 carbine serves more as a replacement for the pistol since the 30 carbine is operating at around 950 ft lbs instead of the 30-06 which puts out around 2700 ft lbs. Having never shot the carbine but knowing many people who have, they love them as do Garand Owners. I happen to love the 30-06 cartridge so my side is fairly obvious. It would truly depend on your intended usage as the 30 carbine would be marginal at best and not something I want to be using for deer or any medium game hunting. The 30-06 however is a great all around cartridge for anything you could ask of it.

Either way this is a great forum and there are a lot more people with a lot more time with these great guns than me. Both guns are great choices and have earned their place in history. Goodluck and Good Shooting!!

[7998]

You get the Garand first then the Carbine. Thats just how its done and how its always been done. Garand FTW.

[jarrodm]

both rifles are fun to shoot, but the garand is a better rifle. the carbine is fun, but lacks power and is a pea shooter. it does have a 15 or 30 round magazine though. the garand will only shoot an 8 round clip. its up to you. i have won competitions with both rifles. the garand is better for longer ranges, while the carbine is nice for short ranges. the carbine also has little to no recoil.

ammo price vary greatly for the two rounds. 30.06 is the cheaper of the two and surplus stuff is available in the $7-$10 per box price range. .30 carbine ammo is fairly expensive for all that it is at about 50 cents per round.

[brian]

everybody loves shooting the carbine. it feels like a big .22.
very little recoil, very little weight to gun even with a full mag. has a bit of a crack to it.
can burn through a bunch of ammo real quick. ammo is not cheap. fairly easy to find on line, not so much at local stores like wally land.

everybody loves the garand. but it's a big boy gun, heavy to hold, heavy recoil, will bruise you shoulder.not everybody enjoys shooting it, but gawd oh my is 3006 a good time. it is still the cartridge to which all others are judged against, 103 years later.
the m1 is real picky about ammo. anything other than m2 spec ball should be avoided without an adjustable gas cylinder plug.

[stephpd]

Hopefully I, and adymond, will be getting our M1's this or next week.

I looked into the M1 carbine and it's not even close to what I wanted. It's more like a handgun with a rifle stock. Not only is the ammo underpowered but hard and expensive to come by. The carbine is much more like a Thompson sub machine gun in looks, feel and usefulness.Close quarter and multiple shot.

I wanted a war rifle, or at least one made for battle. A 30-06 definitely fits that bill. Since I had a little extra money I not only ordered the Garand but a 1903 as well. The latter is the original bolt action type rifle that fires a 30-06 and was the standard military rifle before the M1.

[mikepro8]

Garand, then carbine.
It doesnt beat you up as bad as most people think... its one hell of a spring, on that op rod. It soaks up a good bit of recoil.
The carbine is great, but like a few people said, the ammo is more expensive. If it werent so expensive, I would buy another one just to carry around the farm.

[Xringshooter]

Man that's a tough question. Both have a historical military background, both were used in multiple wars. Both were made in several different configurations. Both are a blast to shoot. .30 Carbine ammo is a bit harder to find. Personally I went with the Garand first and then the Carbine. I don't get tired of shooting either one.

[Blue301]

Well talk about 2 different animals. Like everyone has said you can buy either one and you will be happy. Pretty much your preference. The biggest difference is what each one was designed for tthe M1 Garand was an infantry battle rifle and the M1 Carbine was really designed for rear troops to replace the 1911A1 because the had longer range than the 45. The carbine was also a favorite of some specialized troops like Airborne and Ranger troops because of their light weight. But you probably already know this stuff from your personal research. Both have a huge historical value. By the way the original M1 carbines came with 15 round mags and the M2 Carbines came with 30 round mags. You can buy aftermarket 30 rounders but you should upgrade your magazine catch if you fully load them. M1 Carbines are still in use to this day in some country's.Here is a pic of my carbine with original 15rd mag and one in the wrapper and 2 30rd mags.