Vanguard Weapon Setup Guides - M1 Garand

Call of Duty: Vanguard launches with a ton of classic WWII guns. But for every gun, we have an astonishing amount of attachments to choose from, and we can use ten at once. So, where do you even begin? What attachments do you need? Don't worry, we'll give you all the answers in our Vanguard weapon setup guides. And today: the M1 Garand.

M1 Garand
We really haven't found a way to make this fast enough to be competitive yet, but in casual play, it's plenty viable| © Activision Blizzard

The M1 Garand is pretty trash. It's a shame because the weapon is so iconic, but before you ask – yes, it does still make that classic 'ping' sound when you run out of ammo at least.

The thing is the M1 is too slow. Sure, two shots to kill is fantastic if you can make them, but with a weapon this sluggish you begin to wonder about just using a sniper instead. We tried the M1 with a ton of different attachments to tackle the problem but it just can't be made fast enough to be competitively viable. Our best bet is to lean into the DMR playstyle and pray for buffs.

Check out our top 10 best weapons in Vanguard for an idea of how well the weapon places...

The M1 Garand Attachment Setup

  • Muzzle: F8 Stabilizer
  • Barrel: Cooper 21" Shrouded
  • Optic: G16 2.5x
  • Stock: CGC G2 Thumbhole
  • Underbarrel: Heavy Foregrip
  • Magazine: .30-06 16 Round Mags
  • Ammo Type: Lengthened
  • Rear Grip: Fabric Grip
  • Proficiency: Sleight of Hand
  • Kit: Fully Loaded

With this setup, the M1 Garand is still not a super weapon, but it plays much better. We lose some speed, but we boost pretty much all other stats. Here is a ranking of all DMRs in Vanguard.

The Equipment & Perks On An M1 Garand Loadout

From what we've played so far, the meta loadout will look something like this:

  • Secondary Weapon: Machine Pistol
  • Lethal: Thermite
  • Tactical: Stuns
  • Perk 1: Ghost
  • Perk 2: Radar
  • Perk 3: Double Time
  • Field Upgrade: Armour Plates

The above will almost certainly be the multiplayer meta for an M1 Garand loadout unless they make serious balance changes. The Armour Plates in particular are in need of a nerf, but whether one comes... we'll have to wait and see.

Jon Ramuz

Jon has a BA and an MA in English Literature, and as Content Lead for EarlyGame has written over 1,500 articles. He focuses on shooters, but also writes about entertainment and gaming in general....