looking for the m1 garand rifle in fallout new vegas?

I bought the official game guide for new vegas, there is no firearm by the name of M1 Garand or Semi-Automatic Rifle... but searching the guns&gear pages I found a rifle that almost fit the description of a M1 Garand. It's called "This Machine" It has a clip count of 8, shooting .308 rounds with a damage of 65... It's a Unique weapon that can only be obtained by helping a NCR named Sgt. Daniel Contreras inside Camp McCarran (below the strip)... You go into the terminal building, head to the second floor then look for a long hallway with 2 NCR Troopers at the doors. Enter the doors then head to your 10o'clock(front-corner left) there should be another wide hallway that slopes at an angle. At the end of the hallway turn right to your 2o'clock(front-corner right) and go through that door.

Inside should be Sgt. Contreras selling guns&ammo. The Book says "He's ready to sell you some wares, and once you check out his supplies, you realize he must have some secret under-the-table stash. Contreras swears he doesn't; that would get him in trouble." Here the books shows it would help to have a Barter or Speech skill of 50 which allows you to see his "special" inventory, but he needs you to give a note to Isaac over at the gun runners building first.... Later through the quest you might need a medicine or science skill of 25, then later Intelligence and Perception of 7, then later again Charisma of 7...Then when you find a man named Keller, kill him.. When you finish the quest Sgt. Contreras will give you a rifle. I say "A Rifle" because I don't know if it is the M1 Garand. I have the PS3 version which has a Bug that will not let you into Miguel's Pawn Shop, so I can't finish the quest.......

As for the Assault Carbine I have found 2 on dead enemies, and at the Gun Runners

Hunting Shotguns should be more common, though I can't recall ever seeing one...

*shrugs* I mainly try to sell anything that's worth anything, not remember what I'm selling

Call your Gun shops most of them can find them for you. Or call Springfield Armory and they can tell you who has some .