M1 Garand Recoil Compensator          Staff Evaluation

IF you own an M1 Garand you are aware of the strong recoil  these
rifles can generate.  Western Ordnance, a firm which  specializes
in  high  quality after market accessories for  guns  and  custom
rebuilt firearms, has developed a new compensator for these rites
which  installs quickly with only a wide blade flat  head 
screwdriver and can significantly tame the strong kick and muzzle
rise generated by firing these big guns. Similar compensators are
also available for the AR-15/M16, Galils (both calibers), AR-180, 
Dae Woo and AK-47 rites as well as custom made compensators for 
such rifles as the Mini-14. We tried out one of the MI Garand 
compensators  sent to us by Western Ordnance on our test  Federal 
Ordnance Tanker Garand in 7.62 NATO caliber.  The  compensator  is
a 2 1/2-inch-long cylinder made  of  solid steel bar stock and
parkerized. It has six small holes on top and two  more,  behind
the first six on top, which  face  toward  the muzzle. It's
designed to aid in rapid target reacquisition  without altering
the rifle.  All  that's needed to install the compensator is a 
wide  blade flat head screwdriver. You might also want a bore brush
to  clean the  threads of the gas cylinder and around the muzzle
which  the compensator fits onto.  To  install you unscrew the gas
cylinder lock screw and  remove gas cylinder lock and clean of the
threading if needed. Then  the compensator is screwed onto the
barrel and the gas cylinder  lock screw is tightened down to hold
it in place. That's all there  is to it.  The  smaller,  lighter 
Tanker Garand  model  has  considerable recoil and muzzle climb in
either 7.62 NATO (.308 Win.) or  30.06 calibers.  After firing it
without the compensator, we  then  installed  the  compensator
and noticed a pronounced  reduction  in felt recoil and reduced
muzzle flip. While there is still a  fair amount  of  both kick and
muzzle climb, it's  definitely  not  as strong as without the
compensator.  We  will  shortly be trying out the compensator on 
a  reconditioned  Fed Ord G.I. Garand in 30.06 caliber and will
report  the result.  But we're satisfied this great little device
works  well from our test with the Tanker model.  The  Western
Ordnance MI Garand Compensator is $59.95  postpaid (dealer
discounts offered). The other compensators range in price from  $25 
to  $35 for custom made types. For  ordering  or  more information
contact Western Ordnance, Dept. ASG, 325 South  Westwood, FL,
Mesa, AZ 85210; (602) 964-1799. (This article was optically scanned
from :             American Survival Guide / January 1992         
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