German troops chose not to use the M1 Garand since its semi-automatic operation was inappropriate for combat needs. German forces obtained enemy M1 Garands on battlefields which turned out to perform the same as their standard Kar98k rifles. German troops chose to operate with Soviet SVT-40 because they found it superior to M1 carbine.
The main drawback of the Garand was its inadequate peep sight design. The M1 Garand shot accurately with its peep sight but it proved inadequate for genuine combat situations. German soldiers reported that the sight prohibited their field of view which diminished their capacity to notice danger around them. During combat operations American troops expressed a negative reaction toward the peep sight which compelled them to abstain from weapon use. Soldiers could observe their environment without obstruction because the Kar98k featured an open sight during combat situations.
A major issue with the Garand emerged through its complex setup for night-time sighting. Using the device during nighttime proved challenging thus complicating low-light conflicts for the Americans fighting in the war. The Germans who operated during night fought from habit but they found this inability to see through darkness inconvenient.
Combat-related problems with the Garand required repair of 28% of weapons. A significant portion of 7% among soldiers experienced their rifles completely failing during battle. The British military along with various other forces exhibited resistance to the Garand during its 1943 evaluation because the weapon performed below the standards of their SMLE rifle.
The strong sound produced by Garand's clip ejection proved to be yet another annoying aspect for soldiers. The sound emissions of the Garand rifle exposed soldiers' positions during battle thus enabling enemy assault timing during weapon reload.
The Garand rifle presented 0.6kg additional weight compared to the Kar98k which made soldiers choose rifles with a lighter design. The increased weight diminished the carrying capacity of ammunition or grenades for soldiers.
The automatic firing design of the Garand failed to match the German military strategies because they preferred purposeful precise shots. The Garand wasted ammunition due to its high fire rate which military leaders believed to be inefficient.
The Germans concluded that the Garand rifle failed their military requirements for warfare.
