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Subject: Garands in 7.62x51mm NATO
HollowPoint    10/15/2007 2:30:19 PM
Many Garands are now avilable for American civilans in 7.62x51mm NATO/.308 Winchester, but were they ever produced for official issue to American or American-supported forces? M1 Garands have been seen with Tibetans and Hmongs, with Pakistanis in the Indo-Pak Wars etc, which makes me wonder if they were re-caliberated for more easily available rounds?
 
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Horsesoldier       10/15/2007 3:31:15 PM
Conversion to 7.62x51 is a pretty common and fairly easy conversion for a stock M1 Garand, with a number of gunsmithing shops offering the conversion (Fulton Armory and Dean's Gun Restorations off the top of my head, I'm sure there are others).
 
The only actual USGI Garands in 7.62x51 were a number converted by the US Navy for shipboard use rather than buying M14s, if I'm not mistaken.  (I say "only" but there may have been some other 7.62x51 conversions for competition use along the way as well.)  I don't know if a government issue 7.62x51 Garand was ever fired in anger.
 
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HollowPoint       10/15/2007 3:55:01 PM
The reason I ask is that 7.62x51mm should be (relatively) easier to find than original .30 06 in middle of Shangri La, so I was wondering if they were converted before distribution?
 
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Carl D.       10/15/2007 4:45:07 PM

The reason I ask is that 7.62x51mm should be (relatively) easier to find than original .30 06 in middle of Shangri La, so I was wondering if they were converted before distribution?

Please note that the 7.62X51 mm conversions that the USN did consisted of adding a small block into the magazine of the rifle to take up the difference in length and an insert into the chamber of the rifle barrel.  These inserts are still available and can be liquid wrenched into place so that any 30.06 can be converted to 7.62 NATO and back again.
 
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