Big Canfield Book

[PeteDavis]

Anyone got a quick synopsis? It looks BIG.

PD

[2111]

It is big and a lot of people say they would have liked to have seen it in two volumes. I believe Bruce Canfield answer that it would have been cost prohibitive to have published it in two volumes. In any case it has the most up to date information available and needs to be in every collectors library.
http://www.brucecanfield.com/m1-garand-rifle.html

The CMP E-Store has the book for $ 80.00 http://estore.thecmp.org/store/catalog/catalog.aspx?pg=catalogList&cat=BKS

[Mike]

Hi, great book,my only complaint is that I didn't care for the binding. This is a minor point but all my previous Canfield books were printed and bound in the USA. It's massive and a great place for the latest information, Regards, Mike

[blocker]

Excellent book! Everyone interested in M1s should have it.

[case42so]

Great book. Consolidates a lot of information into one book. My only complaint was the number of typo's. In the first hundred pages there is one on almost every page.

[2111]

Great book. Consolidates a lot of information into one book. My only complaint was the number of typo's. In the first hundred pages there is one on almost every page.

I would agree with you. The book could have used some better proof reading in some areas.

[Bill E]

I'm a little over a third of the way through it. Excellent book. Weighs almost as much as the Garand!

[2111]

Not the book you want to read while sitting in the head. LOL

[Cosine26]

Canfield Book Comments
I am surprised that there have been no comments on Bruce Canfield's THE M1 GARAND RIFLE. At the risk of incurring the wrath of the Garand fraternity, I shall "dip my toe into the water" to provide some comments in the interest of accuracy. .
1. On comments about the scopes to be used on the various sniper M1's, Canfield on:
Page 429 (footnote 1604)
Page 529 (footnote 1633)
Page 533 (footnotes 1839 & 1840
indicates that Capt Crossman provided the quoted comments in his 1951 update to THE BOOK OF THE SPRINGFIELD. Captain Crossman died in 1939 so could not have provided the 1951 updates. At the behest of Thomas G. Samworh, Roy Dunlap generated the 1951 supplement that included these comments.
2. On page 553 Mr. Canfield indicates that the Type 2 NM M1 used a rear sight base that was stamped ""NM over 062". Not so! The Front Sight was marked "NM over 062" to indicated that it was not an issue front sight.
There were four different types of rear sigh bases used on the various NM M1's
a. The issue base with a 32 tpi screw thread used with the issue windage know with the equivalent 32 tpi thread.
b. The first 1/2 Minute windage adjustment feature rear base. It mated with the equivalent "NM" windage knob, both of which had the 64tpi screw pitch. The rear base was marked on the right side with the annotation NMK. as was the windage knob. This was used in conjunction with the early non-hooded apertures, I.E the 520 and the 595 apertures.
c. The second 1/2 half minute windage adjustment base undercut to accommodate the hooded aperture. The first ones were modified and the left side of the base was marked NM/2.
d. The third 1/2 minute base was introduced in 1963 and was stamped "NM/2A". It wad supposed to have been built to tighter tolerances than the "NM/2". I believe that it was subsequently used on the M14 NM.
3. As aside
the 1/2 minute windage adjustment made it difficult to determine in the sight was actually set to zero. Starting with zero windage was critical in those matches which allowed no sighters, (EIC, Fired team matches, 'rattle battle') The common practice by competitive riflemen went as follows:
The windage zero was determined, as near as possible, and the sight was set to zero.
A stripe of pain going vertically across the base and the receiver was painted, being careful to keep the edges as sharp as possible. A second stripe was painted from receiver to windage knob. If the edges line up, the sight is on zero. The usual practice was to use nail polish.
4. I am also surprised that more statistical date on bore size, barrel straightness, op rod and cylinder tolerances, and how the barrel straightness and bore diameter was measured were not supplied. .

[snipershot1944]

I'm getting tired of carrying the darn heavy thing around the house.

[Bill E]

With a book as voluminous as this, there are bound to be some errors. All in all an excellent book detailing the conception and production of the Garand. Bruce Canfield is to be commended to taking such a project to completion.

[CPC]

There have been several comments regarding the book; however, the threads may have started out under a different topic.

[george r]

Anyone got a quick synopsis? It looks BIG.

PD

It is big. And full of excellent pictures. A fair bit of what it covers I've read in other books. A lot is new to me. All of it is about Garands. This is great since I am unable to get enough. Two critical points though. I still feel a need for a comprehensive history of the IHC production and did not get much new info in that area. I look forward to publication of a book on this subject.

But to the OP's original point, it is a hefty book and I regret purchasing it from Amazon. A small discount and free shipping is not worth it. This book is worth whatever you pay for it. Amazon simply drops the book in an otherwise empty cardboard box and flings it into the UPS/USPS churn. the book arrived with dust jacket a bit scuffed and torn. Poor score for a keeper. I advise to buy it from a smaller outfit that will actually wrap and pack it for severe duty shipping. If you order it by phone make that requirement clear.

[Jay Johnson]

I'm getting tired of carrying the darn heavy thing around the house.

LOL, me too :D

It's bigger and heavier then Brophy's book on the 1903 and I thought that book was a physical exercise to peruse. Writing of Brophy's book, I wish this one was bound and covered similar to Brophy's, but it's a minor criticism, really, it's a great book that all MilSurp collectors should have in their libraries.


I advise to buy it from a smaller outfit that will actually wrap and pack it for severe duty shipping. If you order it by phone make that requirement clear.

CMP does wrap it with bubble wrap with additional bubble wrap packed around it, but my dust cover did have one small crease in it; the size of the book lends to it I believe.

Props to 2111 for the CMP link, they shipped it fast and got it to me in California in 3 days!

[Dan Shapiro]

Just the new info from the Winchester production files justified the cost.