How to get your M1 Garand in Bad Company 2

Have you been killed by someone using a M1 Garand in Battlefield: Bad Company 2? Have you wondered how they found that weapon? Well, here's an easy step-by-step method to unlock that same weapon in your version of the game.

The M1 Garand is a veteran reward for owners of previous Battlefield games. EA has set up a special website to facilitate the unlocking of the weapon, and here's exactly what you need to do to ensure that you are able to use it in your matches.

Note: While it is possible to unlock the weapon in the PC version people are reporting that it does show up in your weapons list, but is not selectable in-game yet. It currently works fine on the console versions.

Step 1: Go to www.ea.com and create an EA account for yourself if you don't already have one. If you've been playing Bad Company 2 online on the PC you probably already have one of these.

Step 2: Go to  www.battlefieldheroes.com and use that EA account to sign up for the game. Battlefield Heroes is a FREE browser-based Battlefield game that counts towards your veteran status.

Step 3: Go to veteran.battlefield.com, make sure that you're signed in with your EA account, and follow the instructions for each game as each one has a different method of triggering the unlock.

Currently the CD-Key based games (Battlefield 1942 & Vietnam) do not work to be registered and Battlefield 1943 and Bad Company 2 aren't recognized either.

If you don't have these games; how can you find them?

Battlefield 1942: The Complete Collection includes 1942, the expansions, and Vietnam. It's a bit tricky to find in stores, but if you're able to do so it won't set you back more than $10.

Battlefield 2: The Complete Collection is available in stores, in EA's online store, and on Steam for about $30. The Steam version does work for this veteran reward offer. You just need to create an account in-game and play an online match for it to register.

Battlefield 2142 Complete is also available in-stores and in EA's online store for $20. It registers the same way as BF2, although people are reporting issues with it triggering.

Battlefield 2: Modern Combat may be very tough to find on the Xbox or PlayStation 2, but the Xbox 360 version is available on Xbox Live for $20 or 1600MS points.

Battlefield: Bad Company is a Greatest Hits/Platinum Hits title on the PS3 and Xbox 360 and should be pretty easy to find in stores. If you don't want to do that, it is also available on Xbox Live for $20 or 1600 MS points.

Battlefield 1943 is an Xbox Live/PlayStation Network title that will set you back $15 or 1200 MS points. The PC version is coming soon and can be pre-ordered in EA's online store for $15.