It Is Finally Here – The ICS M1 Garand

The M1 Garand is the legendary rifle that was issued to the American G.I. in World War 2. Chambered in 30-06 (pronounced as 30 odd 6), it was the only semi automatic rifle mass produced in World War 2. The M1 Garand was designed by Engineer John Cantius Garand, who at the time in 1928 was working for Springfield Armory. It was eventually adopted by the U.S. Army as their main battle rifle in 1936, and 5 years later, hundreds of thousands of American soldiers were going into battle with an M1 slung over their shoulders. According to my research, John Garand was a true maverick and he built the machine that tooled his rifle. Using a clip loading method was considered very advanced at the time due to the semi automatic function. When an American solider fired an M1 Garand, he has some authority on his shoulder; A well trained American solider could fire all 8 rounds without breaking his point of aim. He had 8 rounds to influence the battle while the enemy had only 1.

There is no such thing as perfect in this world. The M1 Garand does have an Achilles’ heel. The M1 Garand has a very unique characteristic where when the last round was expended; the clip automatically ejects from the chamber and it does a very loud and distinct metallic ping, indicating the rifle is empty. This “unique” sound had caused many American G.I. lives. But the smart American soldiers soon turned this draw back into their advantage. Before the last round was fired, the solider would slowly eject the live round and catch the ejecting clip slowly, making it silent. Then the solider would insert a new clip into the gun, and he would throw the empty clip on the ground. When the enemy solider heard the pinging noise and stuck his head up, the American solider would simply shoot the enemy. It was a brilliant solution to the draw back.

Enough of the real M1 Garand, let’s talk about airsoft. In the past, there was only 1 company that produced the M1 Garand. It was a Japanese company call Marushin. The Marushin M1 Garand uses the gas blow back system, and just like the real M1, it has the ejecting clip when the last round was fired. But the Marushin M1 Garand uses the 8mm BBs, which is usually .30 grams and heavier. There are a few problems with the Marushin M1 Garand. First, the 8mm BBs are not allowed at many fields. Second If I remember correctly, the clip can only hold about 8 rounds. Third, since it was green gas operated, it is not as reliable as electric operated, especially in colder weather. The Marushin M1 Garand is more of an eye candy piece and not for field operation. They break easily and it slowly disappeared from the American market.

During S.H.O.T. Show 2012, ICS released a resin prototype of their M1 Garand. It was a non functional prototype for display purposes. Everyone in the industry was excited for it, since it is the first airsoft M1 Garand that is electric operated. However, we did not hear anything about it for the rest of the year. Everyone was waiting, and I have received a dozen Facebook message from customers asking for information on the ICS M1 Garand.

During S.H.O.T. Show 2013, ICS has finally released a working prototype of the M1 Garand, and the week after, Airsoft GI received the working prototype of this amazing new gun. The gun is fully functional, and boy, it is a dream. To start off, the ICS M1 Garand has a real wood stock. It looks and smells like real wood. It has a very beautiful wood finish, and combined with metal parts on the rifle, the ICS M1 Garand is truly an art. From shouldering the rifle, to lining up the sights, this gun does feel like the real M1 Garand. I have shot the M1 Garand once and if I remember correctly, the real one is a little bit heavier than the ICS M1.

The external function of the gun is excellent. The charging handle sounds extremely real. The rear sight has the adjustment for the elevation and windage. Behind the rear sight, there is trademarks which stamped “US Rifle CaL.30 M1, Springfield Armory”. Beneath those markings lies the serial number. Now since this is only the prototype, we are not sure if the serial number is going to be individualized or not. There are three sling swivel points on the M1 Garand, and it has a bayonet lug near the tip of the muzzle. The ICS M1 Garand is an accurate replica of the real M1 Garand.

The internal of the ICS M1 Garand uses 8mm bearings. By using 8mm bearings, it makes the gears inside the gear box more stable and quiet. The gun chronoed at 370 feet per second using 0.20 grams BBs. To pull the spring, ICS put a Turbo 3000 motor, a very efficient motor. To increase the durability of the gear, ICS uses steel gear set for the M1 Garand. The new piston body is made of Nylon fiber filler reinforcement and now the standard on every ICS AEG. This new piston delivers better performance and better service life. Overall, the ICS M1 Garand is a classic AEG that is meant for you to get out and play.

The ICS M1 Garand is an amazing addition to the Airsoft market. It looks sexy and it feels and operates beautifully. Shooting at 370 FPS, there is room to upgrade this gun for outdoor games. Real wood and metal construction is must have for both airsoft enthusiasts and collectors. If you are looking to own a piece of American history then this ICS M1 Garand is perfect for you. The ICS M1 Garand will be available soon at www.airsoftgi.com. I am Andrew, stay safe, and get out and play airsoft.