How does loading an M1 work?

[38snapcaps]

We've all heard about the "M1 thumb" but I'm confused about how a Garand works.

A couple of months ago I saw some original 1930's footage of the inventor himself loading an M1. He pushed in the clip and then slapped the bolt handle to chamber the first cartridge.

Yesterday I was watching Mail Call and the host showed a film clip, about the same time period, of John Garand firing his rifle. He pushes in a clip of rounds, and again slaps the handle to close the bolt. Then R. Lee Ermey demonstrated the rifle's operation, again he chambers the first round by slapping the bolt handle. He then answers the question about what is the M1 Thumb by demonstrating how your thumb gets caught by the forward moving bolt after inserting a clip if you don't get it out of the way quick enough.

Now, wait a minute, if you have to slap the bolt forward after inserting the clip how could you get your thumb stuck? John Garand didn't, he simply pulled his hand out of the way before closing the bolt.

I was looking at a friend's Garand last winter and he explained it's the pushing down of the en bloc onto a lever underneath that releases the bolt.

I'm really confused!

 

[MachIVshooter]

As with any bolt or slide hold-open mechanism, sometimes they fail to fully engage and minor disturbances will cause them to release. While I haven't had this happen with my Garand, I have had many autopistol slides slam home as soon as the magazine goes in.

It's just something to be mindful of, a lesson my little sister learned when the slide of my Desert Eagle closed on her palm as she was setting the gun down (she had grasped it by the barrel)

 

[alamo]

In theory, when you push the clip down all the way and release the downward pressure on the clip with your thumb, the bolt should close. It work this way on some M1s but with many, you need to prod the operating rod with your palm to make it close. Mine needs a little help to close.

 

[Erinyes]

I've heard that lefties tend to suffer greater instances of Garand Thumb. Does anybody know why?

 

[noresttill]

Their closer to the devil?

 

[dfariswheel]

It's extremely difficult to get your thumb smashed while loading the M1.
The majority of "M1 thumb" cases happen during drill with an empty rifle, or while just screwing around with the rifle.

When the magazine is empty you can get your thumb far enough into the rifle to get smashed, but if your loading the rifle properly, there's almost no chance of getting your thumb caught.

While the M1 was designed to close by itself when a loaded clip is inserted, the vast majority of rifles need a bump on the op rod handle to get it to close on the first round.

As long as you're loading the rifle correctly, with your thumb pointing toward the muzzle, and you aren't "playing around" with an empty rifle, you run no risk of the "M1 thumb".
As long as your loading thumb is pointing toward the muzzle, when the bolt starts forward, it will brush your thumb up out of the way, even if you don't lift it away.

The reason some "lefties" have problems is, they tend to have their thumb facing sideways to the bolt, instead of toward the muzzle.

 

[Wes Janson]

I've heard of a palm-loading method, but I'm curious as to how exactly it works. I'm a lefty, and I have a hard time loading my Garand when it's not sitting on the bench.

 

[Sleeping Dog]

When the gun is unloaded and the bolt is open, you may want to close the bolt without loading the gun. Hold the gun in the left hand. With the right hand open flat, push back on the operating rod handle with the edge of the hand by the little finger, then push the follower down with the thumb, let the operating rod ease forward past the point where it catches on the follower, then get hand and thumb out of the way fast and let the bolt fly forward.

If you forget the part about holding open the operating rod, and just push the follower with the thumb, bad things can happen. Mine was called "M14 thumb" but the operating principle is the same. It's the only time I saw the drill sergeant smile.

Regards.

 

[alamo]

I got M1 finger once. I was giving it a light cleaning after a range session until I had time to do a better job. I was swabbing around a bit in there and was careless & got my index finger smashed. I gather most occurrences of M1 thumb or finger happen when cleaning.

 

[30Cal]

It's harder to single load as a lefty. But as for loading a full clip, you don't have any greater risk. As long as you keep pressing down on the clip, the bolt isn't going to run forward.

Ty

 

[Devonai]

FWIW, I'm a rightie and I always found it easier to load a clip with my left hand. I have positive control of the charging handle with my right hand as the stock is pressed against my right thigh. I have to admit this system would be impossible while in the prone but it always worked for me for standing or crouching. I am not a member of the Order of the Purple Thumb so I must be doing something right.

 

[BIGJACK]

While the M1 was designed to close by itself when a loaded clip is inserted, the vast majority of rifles need a bump on the op rod handle to get it to close on the first round.

Ferriswheel, you got it right. I handled quite a few of these things while in the service and I don;t recall ever seeing one that would not close when you pushed the clip in unless it was dirty as hell and I never saw many of those, and if you had your thunb up near the chamber you had a clasic "M1 thumb." you ant fast as that bolt. I never got one but I saw a many of a poor sucker running up and down the firing line with one of them 9lb monsters hangging on his thumb crying and hollering " beware of the bolt" (mean assed DI's) but you hardly ever saw the same runner twice.

 

[hps1]

As dfariswheels said, most lefties get their thumb 90* to the bolt when loading and the bolt will not push it out of the way as it does using the method he described for right hand shooters.

The following link is for all you southpaws:

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=30086&highlight=Loading+Garand

Regards,
hps

 

[RNB65]

While the M1 was designed to close by itself when a loaded clip is inserted, the vast majority of rifles need a bump on the op rod handle to get it to close on the first round.

And people make fun of the AR for needing a forward assist handle!

 

[Wes Janson]

While an interesting image diagram, I for one am not going to play the odds that my thumb will magically slip out of the way, when loading a full clip (notice that in the picture his thumb is sideways, but the instructions say to point it forward). Maybe it works, maybe it doesn't, but I just don't want to find out the hard way I think the way I've done it before in the past, was by holding the rifle by the bolt handle, back up against my body, while loading the clip with my left hand. My policy is keeping the bolt held back under control any time I'm doing any loading/unloading/cleaning.

 

[oneshooter]

Perhaps this may help.

http://www.garandflash.com/

Oneshooter
Livin in Texas

 

[Bullseye57]

It's very easy to get your thumb caught in the bolt. Touch that follower and that spring can snap on you like a rat trap! It doesn't usually happen when someone is loading a full clip but if you're dry firing for practice - Beware! To close the bolt for dry firing you have to manually push down the follower, and if you're not holding the bolt handle with the heel of your hand, then - Snap!

Typically one has to bump the op-rod handle to load the first round out of a full ammo clip. Those rounds are packed into that springy metal enbloc clip very tightly, plus the first case rim tends to catch in the inside of the clip when it is crammed in with a full compliment of 8 rounds. The recoil spring doesn't have enough energy to strip the first round out of a fully loaded clip when released from the locked open position. Take care to only bump the op-rod - Do not follow the rod handle all the way home, or you could slam fire the weapon. That bolt handle will cycle so fast and it'll dig a trench in your forearm faster than you can say, "Duh-oh!"

Hope this helps.

R,
Bullseye

 

[Eightball]

And people make fun of the AR for needing a forward assist handle!

AR rounds won't go through concrete, a person, another person, and into the next room with 1 round, or turn "cover" into "concealment" like a .30-06 .

Better to have to tap the rod than get one's thumb smashed. One time is 1 time too many .