38snapcaps
Member
- Joined
- Jan 16, 2003
- Messages
- 292
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!
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!