M1 Garand loading problem

[Bart Noir]

I have a new (to me) M1 Garand and fired it with 8-round clips for the first time, and I am a new-bee with the M1. The ammo was Korean surplus and it worked every time. But there was a nagging problem.

In over 120 rounds, there was not a single clip where the insertion of the clip resulted in the bolt immediately closing. It always started to close and then stopped moving, with the nose of the top round pressing against the rear of the barrel.

A push on the op handle always convinced the bolt to move and slap the round into the chamber. One time only, a gentle shake of the rifle caused the bolt to close.

I tried somebody else’s clip and put 8 Korean rounds in it, with the same results. I had wondered if the Korean clips were just a little too tight but it didn’t seem to make any difference.

Again, it always cycled the next round into the chamber. There were no jams and the ejection was consistently in the same direction.

So what do you think is the problem? Is this common for M1s? Mine looks like it has had very few shots through it since a refurbishment and is not stamped as any sort of import.

Bart Noir

 

[U.S.SFC_RET]

It might be how you are handling the weapon. Use the palm of your right hand as a knife and keep the op rod back and insert the clipall the way down and firmly press down. Let go with your right hand and push forward on the op rod on the right side. It should go in. I know it sounds a bit crazy but I experience the same proble as you until someone came along and showed me the proper technique. Works everytime. Make sure the rounds are fully seated in the clip before you start.

 

[Steve in PA]

Its called the Garand bump. Most M1's need a little love tap to get the bolt closed. Perfectly normal

 

[rero360]

Sounds like your Op Rod spring is alittle worn out. I'd suggest getting a new one and see if that would resolve the problem. Also it could be the Op Rod binding causing the problem but I'd replace the spring first being thats th cheaper of the two repairs by far. just my .02

 

[Dienekes]

SOP on the Garand is always to give it the "bump" as a matter of habit. If the bolt went home (autoloaded) no harm done and if not it will give it a start. Just part of the whole mystique.

If you don't know the age of the springs in the rifle replacement of all of them is a good idea. The youngest Garand is now 50 years old...As I recall the length of the op rod spring should be 19 1/2" long. If noticeably shorter, a new one might make some difference.

I assume that you are using an appropriate grease on the rifle. A little bit of that on the op rod engagement hooks might be in order for proper release, too.

 

[mustanger98]

I do the Garand Bump all the time when I'm shooting it. About the second time to the range was when I decided it needed a new op rod spring- it was either short cycling or ejecting the clip by round #6 or #7. I got my op rod spring from Fulton Armory. Between the new op rod spring and being sure the gas nut was tight, I haven't had those problems. As for doing the bump to get the first round stripped and chambered, I've done that a lot more since changing the op rod spring than I noticed before.

 

[alamo]

The History Channel series "Tales of the Gun" has a clip on several of the shows that many of us here have seen - John Garand loading one of his inventions and bumping the op rod to get the bolt to close. Mine requires a bump as well. I wouldn't replace any springs just because of a "problem" that may be more common than not.

 

[Swampy]

Bart,

Stop kvetching..... Your M1 is not broke. DO NOT try to "fix" it.

While the M1 rifle was DESIGNED to close on the top round as you release pressure from the clip..... the vast majority of them don't. In my experience, over 90% of M1 rifles do not close as designed and may never. They generally require you to "do da' bump" as old John C. Garand himself demonstrated in a rather famous newsreel from WWII, when he was showing of his new rifle for the cameras.

Friction buildup from new part finish, lack of lube, clip vs. brass tension and friction, etc...... all cause this to happen. Notice that I did not call it a "problem". It's not. Simply a benign little bug that was never worked out of the system.

Now, having said that, many M1 rifles will eventually get to the point that they begin to close as designed. The more it's used the smoother the finish on the parts gets. The very few M1's I have seen that DO close on the top round by themselves are very well worn and have very little metal finish.

I have had two Match Grade M1 rifles built over the years for Highpower competitions..... getting new barrel, wood, bedding, metal finish, etc. One of them finally started to want to occasionally close on it's own after I logged 4000 rounds out the tube. The other one now has 4500 downrange and is still not wanting to close on it's own. The finish is still not worn in enough.

If you want to "help" things along and maybe reach a point where closing will happen automatically it will help if the rifle stays correctly lubed.... i.e. GREASE... on all the correct lube points. See your military field book on the M1 for help here. It also helps to select clips based on smoothness of finish. Some are definitely more "grainy" in surface texture than others. Does not affect function except for feeding the top round.

Best regards,
Swampy

garands forever

 

[Bart Noir]

Thanks for all the replies. I'll just keep shooting it the way it is, and maybe with "smoother" clips it might close on its own.

Bart Noir

 

[JediJJJ]

I can tell you that mine closed automatically the first time I inserted a clip. Painfully.

 

[hksw]

Personally, I prefer the bolt to be held back on a tight round. I do prefer not getting a Garand thumb (though mine does on occasion let the bolt go home after inserting the mag without the need for a love tap).

 

[Steve in PA]

The bolt will not go forward if you hold pressure on the clip. When you let off the pressure then the bolt will go forward. So in order to avoid the "M1 thumb" don't dilly-dally in getting your thumb out of there when you let up on the clip.

 

[Samuraigg]

Wow. Chalk me as someone who didn't even know the rifle was intended to have the bolt go forward. I always assumed it was normal for it to need the love tap.

 

[Swampy]

Guys,

Getting "M1 Thumb" is almost impossible if you are using the PROPER PROCEDURE for loading the rifle. 99% of "M1 Thumbs" happen when fooling around with an un-loaded rifle.

Load the M1 rifle by placing a full clip on top of the follower. With fingers extended, place the flat of your right hand alongside the op-rod, thumb on top of the top-most round at about the front edge of the clip. Press down hard with the thumb, holding backpressure against the op-rod handle with the heel of the hand. When the clip bottoms out in the mag well the op-rod catch will release and you will feel-see the op-rod and bolt come forward about 1/4" and stop on the back end of the top round.

At this point you are still holding down HARD on the top round with your thumb. To release, do NOT simply release pressure from your thumb and lift it straight up. Though unlikely, this CAN get you bitten. To do it correctly, QUICKLY rotate your entire hand and fingers forward alongside the op-rod. This simultaneously releases pressure on the top round and brings your thumb
up and out of the path of the bolt should it indeed be inclined to close on it's own. The op-rod handle will slide along the underside of your pinky and not push your hand forward, carrying your thumb with it into the waiting jaws of bolt face and chamber..... as it would try to do if you were lifting your hand straight up.

If the bolt does not close..... Do da' bump and be happy....

Using this procedure I've NEVER been bitten by an M1. Yeah, I know, there are two kinds.... Those who have been bit, those who WILL be bit. Maybe so... but not while I'm loading the rifle. I've come close a few times, and it's ALWAYS been while I was holding, cleaning, inspecting, etc... an empty rifle.

BTW, the most likely scenario for anyone getting bit is by attempting to close the bolt on an M1 rifle that is not fully locked back. Most M1's will hold the bolt open, albeit precariously, on the back of the raised follower. The op-rod catch is not engaged. It only takes the slightest touch to trip the slamming bolt in this instance.

When you open an M1's action.... don't be a WUSS. Yank that op-rod handle back HARD AND FAST to lock it and engage the catch. The face of the bolt should not be visible past the end of the loading ramp. If you can see part of the bolt sticking forward past the ramp, then it's not locked back... it's resting on the follower. Fingers and thumbs beware.....

Just my 2 bits...

Swampy

Garands forever

 

[10X]

Swampy's replies are right on the mark. I can't add much to what he said.

I remember a line from Jack Webb in the movie The DI. "...Don't make love to it boy! Thats a killer." An M1 is a man's rifle and is meant to be handled.
If the op rod doesn't go home on its own, bump it. That is what you are supposed to do.

Oh, the M1 thumb, I've had 'em, but I'm a lefty and cannot always use the proper technique described by Swampy.

 

[alamo]

Getting "M1 Thumb" is almost impossible if you are using the PROPER PROCEDURE for loading the rifle. 99% of "M1 Thumbs" happen when fooling around with an un-loaded rifle.

I can confirm this. I was very careful the first time I shot my CMP Garand to pull my thumb out quickly when loading but as it turned out, mine needed a bump to close so no danger of getting an M1 thumb.

When I came home from the range, I thought I'd do some light cleaning until I had time to do a better job. I locked the bolt back and was swabbing a CLP soaked patch inside the receiver with my finger and messed up and got an "M1 finger". A few minutes later I did it again! Very painful. Lesson learned the hard way and no reoccurances.

 

[dawgtraxx]

Wow. Chalk me as someone who didn't even know the rifle was intended to have the bolt go forward. I always assumed it was normal for it to need the love tap.
__________________

Ditto

 

[bluedsteel]

Ditto on the "M1 bump"...I prefer it that way actually.

You can see it in action in "Saving Private Ryan".


bluedsteel

 

[JediJJJ]

So, how do you load one of the 2 or 5 rd clips? Bullets up or down? Will everything still work the same?

 

[KODB]

I agree with everything Swampy wrote. But, often times the issue of automatically closing after loading is really a problem of mildly retarded timing. In most rifles this is a function of cumulative wear/tolerance stacking but often the final issue involves the bullet guide. I find that if you have access to a timing tool (Badger Ordnance or CMP) and a set of calipers you can often figure out if the nose of the bullet guide is over worn for that particular rifle and either peen this up or simply swap it out for another less worn guide if one is available. Since I love M1s and work on them I try to gather up bullet guides when they are available at shows or other sources. I've found I can almost always get one to close on loading with this approach UNLESS using brand new clips which are real tight (like the new greek clips). These clips will often hold so tighly you've still got to do the bump. They can be gently stretched over a block of wood (read this tip somewhere but havent tried it myself as of yet) or manually spread the lips to loosen the grip SLIGHTLY. You do not want them loosy-goosey.
Hope this helps in addition to all the good advice noted above.

Regards,

Bob

 

[Tim13]

I only have two things to say about the above posts.

First, I had a buddy that bought some Korean .30-06 ammo for a Garand, and it turned out to be corrosive. Check the stamp on the cartridge, and do an online search.

Second, go to your next "fun show" and pick up about 5 or 10 real USGI enblocs. They go for about $1 a piece, and they make all of the difference in the world. You will not believe how much better your clips will load with these.

Tim

 

[Oohrah]

I used a Garand in the early 50s, Marine Corps and own a half
dozen. DO THE BUMP on all of them to let the op rod and bolt
to travel forward for the first round. Once you push down far
enough to hear the clip latch will click, remove the heel of your
hand from the op rod handle and bump the handle and the bolt
moves forward to strip and chamber that first round. I have not
any difference in enblock clips in any of the rifles, and I'm not sure
how to tell an IGA from any others. It is the only rifle that uses
this type and I'm sure everything meets specs.
Also some use a second bump on the op rod handle to ensure
a round is fully chambered, and the bolt is in complete battery.

 

[Bart Noir]

Again, thanks all.

So the above methods work well if you can stand there have the rifle below you, on the bench or held at waist level. Yes, some of us weird guys like to sometimes shoot while standing

But GI Joseph, now he was prone in the mud and needed to reload. Did he mostly keep the rifle in place and reach forward, maybe pressing the clip down by using his right hand, curled so the fingers pressed into the reciever while the thumb was in position to hold back the op rod handle?

Bart Noir
Gee, there might be a Korean era vet here to tell us.

 

[Guy B. Meredith]

I am quite content that my Garands both need the bump.

By the way, make sure the top round is on the left. Many Garands experience problems with round #7 if you do not.

 

[Robert Hairless]

Bart, while prone in the mud one tilts the rifle up a bit so it's at a good angle to load as Swampy said. In situations where that's impossible, any other way that works is just fine. No one is going to criticize.