Dumb Question prompted a video game about the M1 Garand

[Lone_Gunman]

I have been playing Call of Duty, and overall its pretty good. Nice variety of WWII weapons to play with. I have shot M1 Garands quite a bit at the range in real life, but I am not sure about how it was used in combat.

Specifically, if you were down to a couple of rounds left in your garand, and there was a need to advance, move, or whatever, how did they deal with starting the maneuver without a fully loaded gun? If you were doing the same thing with a magazine fed weapon it would be easy enough to swap out to a full mag.

Did they eject the few rounds and insert a new en bloc clip? Did they fire the last few rounds in the general direction of an enemy and then reload? Or did they just start advancing with a partially loaded weapon, and reload as necessary?

In the first person shooter Call of Duty, the fact that you can't reload a garand til its empty is kind of a drawback, and I was wondering what real GI's did. In the game, ammo is plentiful enough that you can just waste the last few rounds and reload, but I bet this would have been frowned upon in the real world.

 

[NMshooter]

Are you familiar with the clip release?

Lock the bolt back, then depress it (button on the left side of the receiver), and the clip will be ejected.

I have heard from enough sources that some folks tended to shoot off the last couple rounds so they could reload to believe it.

I suspect a few shot all eight rounds at a time.

If you had the opportunity, the clip release would be the best thing to use.

 

[Lone_Gunman]

I have never used the clip release, but if you did, wouldn't the remaining rounds be ejected everywhere, since the clip is not fully loaded?

 

[Matt-man]

Yes, the clip and any remaining cartridges are ejected. The usual way to use the clip release is to put the butt against your right thigh, pull the oprod back with your right hand, and cup your left hand over the magazine with your left thumb on the clip release. Press the release and the clip & rounds pop out into your palm.

 

[cracked butt]

What matt-man said.

If you ever watched 'Band of Brothers' there's a really good demonstration of the technique in one of the episodes where the squad leader grabs one of his men's rifles, ejects the clip and reloads it with a single round for guarding POWs.

 

[cracked butt]

In the first person shooter Call of Duty, the fact that you can't reload a garand til its empty is kind of a drawback, and I was wondering what real GI's did. In the game, ammo is plentiful enough that you can just waste the last few rounds and reload, but I bet this would have been frowned upon in the real world.

Game programmers either guess as to how something is done or gloss over the proper techniques because it isn't important to the game.

 

[Trebor]

Most first person accounts from vets I've read indicate that they'd usually just shoot off the remaining rounds if they wanted to "top off" before moving.

I'm sure some guys would pop out the partial clip and save it for later, especially in situations where ammo was tight, but I've seen enough references to guys just emptying the clip to believe that was the most common method.

 

[Kevlarman]

If you've played the Brothers in Arms series of games, you'll note that you can reload a partially full enbloc clip. The character simply cups his left hand over the receiver, pushes the clip eject with his thumb, and catches the clip and loose rounds in his palm.

It's what I do with my M1 in real life (at the range; not like I'm going on manuvers or anything).

 

[Savage.250]

LOL! I don't have an M1 Garand but this particular topic reminds me of when I was given the opportunity to fire a few rounds through one a co-worker owns. I was having a great time until I was trying, as I remember, to close the receiver. He warned me to watch out for "M1 Thumb" As I turned to look at him with a questioning kind of look on my face Bang! The receiver slamed shut right on my thumb.

To his amusment I quickly learned what "M1 Thumb" was.

 

[Sunray]

There's no way you can tell how many rounds you have left in an M-1. You didn't count your shots and didn't normally loading your own clips with a seventh round tracer. You dump the partial clip, save the ammo, if you have time, as BAR mags can be reloaded with single rounds, and load a full clip. Ammo wasn't accounted for unless you were on a range.
"...Game programmers either guess as to how something is done or gloss over the proper techniques because it isn't important to the game..." Exactly. Very few game creators have ever seen a real firearm never mind shot one. Saw a TV program about the US Army's latest simulator where they took the programming wienies shooting so they could get a better idea of reality. Good idea.
Gotta admit I love those first person shooter games. Let's you blow stuff up for fun without all the ensuing excitment.

 

[Deer Hunter]

I get into arguments all the time about the realism of video games today. I will pick and prod at every single weapon in these new games out there until people are sick of me.

 

[Highland Ranger]

Big COD fan myself as well.

Lot has to do with the mod of the server you play on if you refer to multiplayer.

They mess around with reload speed, rate of fire, and damage . . . .

But someone fired these guns to make the game and the sound effects. They didn't program this game based on pictures in a book and all in all, did a pretty good job.

 

[MechAg94]

I used to play MOH and COD a little bit online. All the screwed up mods people would use and all the cheating really soured it for me. The original COD had cheats in use within 24 hours of the game release. The stupid bunny hopping would get on my nerves as well. There are just too many people who like to take the fun out of the game.

The games always have only limited realism due to the rules and stuff that force you to fight, shoot, or move in a certain way.

 

[c_yeager]

Most sources I have heard indicated that soldiers simply fired their remaining rounds into the ground, or towards the enemy so that they could reload a fresh clip. I recall a few statements that firefights would often conclude by the sound of soldiers emtying their garands to reload them.

For the record, this method works quite well in MOH.