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M1 Garand Ammo

lurther
Hello I am in the process of getting a M1 from the CMP and read in a recent post that some surplus Korean ammo was not safe to shoot in a M1 Anyway I have seen some ammo from Korea's Pusan goverment aresenal
headstamped "KA" Would this ammo be alright to shoot in a M1

Also would shooting current prodution hunting ammo be safe to shoot in a M1

Any information would be appricated
Thanks
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Comments

9 comments

Date Votes
  • lurther
    I have ammo 30 cal. has K A 73- I know this is 1973 ammo but what is the K A mean. What armory is it from?
    Thanks for the help.
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  • tinmanjj
    better use ammo made for the m1 hunting ammo might not burn up before the gas gets to the gas port causing too much pressure on the piston

    j. j.
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  • Iconoclast
    lurther, welcome to the zoo! Was the warning about "Korean" ammo or "Korean War" ammo? Much of the ammo made for that conflict was still corrosive primed. It will function just fine in the M1, but you have to do a scrupulous job of cleaning the firearm after shooting it. Later surplus - figure any US military '06 after 1956, for example, is just the ticket. The M1 was designed to function with military loadings. You will have your best results with those loadings.
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  • nmyers
    The warning about Korean ammo concerned post-war ammo, primarily Korean military & commercial. The Koreans used & abused the M1 rifles we gave them, & they went to great lengths to keep them working long after they needed major repair or replacement. As op rod pads & gas cylinders wore beyond spec, many M1's failed to cycle due to gas "blow by"; their solution was to increase the power of the ammo. While this ammo may work well in a worn out rifle, it can damage an M1 that is within spec.

    The Koreans did a lot of things to their M1's that we would never do in this country. Worn out barrels were "squeezed" at the muzzle to improve accuracy, broken bolts & bolt lugs were welded back on, etc.

    Good hunting ammo may or may not function in the M1, depending upon bullet weight & load. Some of the fellows on the M1/M14 forum at Culver's Shooting Page have experimented with different hunting ammo, and could probably offer good advice.

    Neal
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  • Delta514
    I posted to someone a few days ago: There is some very nice Dutch Ammo on the market, late Mfg. and in the clips which are in the bandolers. I think it was purchased from SOG or CDNN. Military FMJ.

    Ronnie G. Perkins
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  • intercessor
    I have been using some of the Korean KA 73, which I have heard is supposed to be corrisive. It shoots well, no misfires or feed problems. Immediatly after shooting, I clean it twice, once with windex, and then with the usual stuff.
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  • EOD Guy
    quote:Originally posted by Delta514
    I posted to someone a few days ago: There is some very nice Dutch Ammo on the market, late Mfg. and in the clips which are in the bandolers. I think it was purchased from SOG or CDNN. Military FMJ.

    Ronnie G. Perkins


    I believe that was Danish ammo.
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  • lurther
    Thanks to everyone who repled to my post
    How do you tell if the ammo is to hot for a m1 garand?
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  • nmyers
    There's no easy way to tell.

    No one but manufacturers, the military, & independent labs can afford the kind of test fixture that measures chamber pressure. I guess a chronograph can tell you the velocity, & you can roughly extrapolate the pressure from that. My armorer tests .30-06 ammo by firing it in an 03A3; if the kick is uncomfortable, he figures that it is too hot to fire in an M1.

    Neal
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