New wood sometimes fits real tight. It may require some inletting on your part. Typically, the trigger group crushes down the wood and makes for a real tight fit. This is good if you want an accurate M1. Just make sure the receiver is set into the stock as far as possible before you try to inlet. Take a rubber mallet and tap on the back of the action to make sure the receiver is fully seated.
I said TAP not smack. Serious Garand shooters are envious of your tight fitting stock.
kwg
This is correct. Leaving the rifle assembled will slowly compress the wood, allowing easier assembly in the future. When fitting a new stock, make sure the stock does not rub on the operating rod when it is in motion. Google "garand tilt test" for further instructions. If you are familiar with using spotting compound or lampblack for scraping bedding it is possible to improve the fit of the stock. I have often found that Boyds type stocks make contact on the little shelf at the left front of the receiver in front of the clip latch pin, before the main bedding surfaces contact the top of the stock. Another area to check is the bottom of the rear hand guard. There must be a small gap between the bottom of the hand guard and the top of the stock forearm, an index card thick gap will do. There must also be a slight gap between the rear end of the hand guard and the front face of the receiver. If the hand guard does not have a gap in these two areas, the point of impact will shift as the rifle heats up. Once the rifle is properly set up it will be good to go for several thousand rounds of shooting fun. Don't forget the grease!
The CMP website has a lot of great links for garand information.
