Shooting a rifle grenade off an M1 Garand

[Murrman]

"That was disgusting"
- R Lee Ermey, after doing the exact same thing.

[johngoguen]

Remember this was good in towns that had snipers hiding in buildings

[dash]

I've never used an M1 so you can take what I say with a grain of salt, but I believe there is a way to cut off the gas system when using blanks to launch rifle grenades and it would have went farther.

[dont.ripfuller]

When you're afraid you might overthrow a grenade.

[echohunter]

By the way, that rifle grenade is exactly the same as the M72 LAW rocket, they just put an ABOL rocket motor and fins in the back half of the projectile.

[johnathanfisher]

Without the boom it seems pointless lol

[JohnSmith-cdcq]

Wait. A garand AND a redbelly in the background? Yep, this dude has class!

[moddedgt]

You might as well just throw it at that

[thatguyoverthere]

For all wondering, the blanks used to fire this appear to be German 308/7.62 NATO blanks. While meaning his rifle has to be a 308, it also means he isn't using the full power 30-06 launching blank. The proper blanks are considerably more powerful than regular training blanks.

[gremlin]

Looks like blank ammunition, not a rifle grenade round. Should go way further than that

[DLasers]

In California you're only allowed 1/4 of an ounce of propellant... 🇺🇸 🌎

[KoylaClumsy]

"why do women live longer than men?"

[gladiatorghostboy]

This brought me back to COD World at War

[joak]

So you Just upgraded your weapon to a mortar

[tambert]

Grandpa: "That's not how you aim."

[skalagrim]

You have the wrong type a of gas plug in the in the gas piston. The Rifle grenade gas plug has a valve that closes when you install the grenade launcher. Also there are a special type of grenade blank that is much stronger than a normal blank. If you got all the right gear set up you can get about 200 yards range with that type of rifle grenade. I can tell you have the wrong gas plug by the fact that the bolt opened when you fired it. It should stay closed and have to extract the grenade blank case manually.

[Mibit]

I don't think alot of you guys understand a bit ao I'm gonna break it down for you. I own about 100 guns mostly wartime surplus and have collected and shot various rifle grenade systems and cartridges.

With that out the way, the m1 rifle for most of its life used a launcher call the m7 launcher in conjuction with m3 grenade launching cartridges which are a mix of blackpowder and smokeless powder in a ratio made to get the most explosive effect. They are very potent and have been known to break stocks as well as buldge barrels after repeated use. They have the ability when the grenade is seated fully on the launcher to launch 400 meters at the best possible arc. Usually a 45 degree arc is used.
The m1 Garand is a semi auto rifle that uses a gas rod system that when the gun fires some of the gas is ported off of the barrel at the end of the barrel into a tube where it hits the back of piston like surface connected to a rod that's in turn connected to the bolt handle. This makes it a long stroke gas system and it is part of the flaw in the m1 system as over pressure tends to either break your operating rod or slam your bolt into the reciever battering it over time. This is why the m1 garand required 150 gr bullets or lighter to prevent this, like the traditional m2 ball used in ww1 and ww2 in the 1903 springfield and Browning machine guns.
You don't want to use heavy hunting rounds. Now that being said, the m1 rifle had a gas plug underneath the barrel on the end of the gas tube that allows for access to the gas tube to clean. This gas tube plug serves other purposes though as it has a popit valve inside of it that qhen it's depressed allows the excess gas from firing to be vented out the plug. The m7 launcher has a dimple on it that depresses this valve when it is fitted on the launcher. This means even if you fire life ammo through the launcher which you can and was done, the bolt barely moves back at all and is usually unnoticeable. This means if you want ro cycle another round you need to pull the charging handle back manually and cycle another round into the chamber. That is why usually when collectors such as myself shoot these grenades we single load into the chamber with no clip, although in wartime a clip of grenade cartridges would have been used.
Now even though the gas is vented with the plug, if your using a proper grenade launching cartridge and a heavy loaded projectile like the Korean war m29 grenade used in the video, over the course of around 10 firing the barrel will show damage, as well as corrosion from the blackpowder used in the cartridges. This is why usually one grenades was in a unit and he didn't use a marksman issue gun, also the british smles had such issues they were wire wrapped, and the m1 carbines almost always broke stocks, and had to be upgraded to potbelly stocks for launchers.

On the other hand when using 3006 reenactors blanks usually made with fast pistol powder and rubber grenades like most of us use, or dummy grenades that haven't rusted inside and slide easily onto the launcher, overpressure is not an issue. Even with the original dummy grenades all the way down on the launcher, the bolt barely even moves. For the detractors out there saying it's an issue they don't understand the gun. If the gun ever was over pressured your bolt would open as the pressure is vented during or before catastrophic failure. If you've shot these dummy grenades and seen the bolt not even moves and the small thump you would know it's not a concern.


I hope this helps any of you guys out.

[shelp]

using a proper rifle grenade would be much better, and you wouldn't risk damaging your op rod.

[kMabuhay]

"Sir! We forgot the mortar!"
"Don't worry boys, I got a plan."

[Urbicide]

The ammunition to be used for launching grenades with the M-1 are identified by having a 5-pointed star crimp. (M3 special grenade cartridge) Regular blanks & service ammunition with or without the bullet are not to be used to project grenades, (as seen in this video). There also used to be a booster cartridge available, which was inserted into the base of the rifle grenade, usually referred to as the "pill". This pill extended the maximum range.