The sitting and prone rapid fire stages of the National Match Course were changed to a two and eight sequence when John Garand’s M1 became our issue service rifle. Given the design’s eight round en block clip, loading with eight is obviously no issue. Setting up two rounds can be accomplished without too much fuss by twisting the cartridges in a standard clip. Given this is done before record time begins, it may be fiddly but not a major hassle.

Here’s how to make this procedure easier:

How to make two-round Garand clips
http://www.fulton-armory.com/%5Cfaqs%5CM1G-FAQs%5C2clip.htm

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/1895311304/aggressive-engineering-m1-garand-clip-steel-parkerized

Handling single rounds for the slow fire phase remains awkward. John Tate explains how to make this more convenient.

It’s nice to see all the emphasis on M1 shooting and use in competition. One awkward aspect was loading for slow fire prone. Then I was given a “single shot clip.” What a wonderful assist!

The essence is a standard M1 clip is modified so that it can be inserted into an otherwise empty M1 receiver, where it remains due to a lip that catches on the side of the receiver “rail.” Then, with the bold locked to the rear, the follower in combination with the clip’s lips (R or L) will retain a cartridge just as would an M14 magazine.

To shoot, just push in a cartridge, and release the bolt in the identical fashion to an M14.

If you were an M1 shooter, you would understand what a blessing this is, especially in prone where inserting a cartridge is a pain (it will slip back out due to the muzzle being elevated), or tripping the bolt (just plain awkward in prone).

M1 Garand single shot sled: