just bought my first Garand...question

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alexanderplatz

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I bought a Springfield Armory M1 Garand yesterday and shot it for the first time this afternoon. I'm very happy with it overall, very nice condition, early '44 receiver, '49 barrel, a real beaut!

When loading the clip, is it normal to have to give the op rod handle a push assist to close it? I had received several fatherly talks on how to avoid Garand thumb, so I was surprised when I had to push the action closed on the first shot. It wasn't really a problem though. I'm just curious.

Anyway, I will have to take some pics of my new baby and post them up. Cant' wait to get out to the range again.
 
Perfectly normal, it's friction of the clip causing drag on the round and making the bolt not snap it closed. Most M1s are like that.
 
Perfectly normal, it's friction of the clip causing drag on the round and making the bolt not snap it closed. Most M1s are like that.
Click to expand...

Good to know, thanks.


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'Garand Thumb' comes from closing the bolt when there is no clip installed. The bolt closes rapidly when you push down in that empty magazine well with your thumb and you are not restraining the op rod handle with the heel of your hand.

Pilgrim
 
Trust me, you can get Garand Thumb with a fully loaded clip if you're not careful.
 
They should have devised a Thumb ejector for the M1!

Nice looking M1. Congrats. I've fallen for a new red head myself!

range020208002-1-2.gif
 
The first time your trusty "tap to close" Garand doesn't need that tap to close you will remember it :) We really should start a Garand thumb alumni club...

-Jenrick
 
When loading the clip, is it normal to have to give the op rod handle a push assist to close it?
Click to expand...

Perfectly normal. It was considered a ' benign bug' in the design. Mine will close without a bump after everything has been freshly greased, but will hand up after a few clips are through it.

You also want to give the back of the oprod handle a bump after chambering the first round off a clip as well to maek sure the bolt is closed all of the way.
 
Get in the habit of putting your palm against the side of the rifle whenever you are loading the rifle, or opening/closing the bolt. Don't grab the oprod handle; use the back edge of your hand. It's very hard to get bit this way because the oprod handle will tend to move your hand out of the way.

The real danger lurks when you're doing stuff without a loaded clip. Always verify that the oprod is fully latched before you stick any part of your body in front of the bolt.

Also, as long as you are pressing down on the clip, nothing is going to get slammed. The bolt isn't going to fly until the clip is latched and pressure is released from the clip.
 
The real danger lurks when you're doing stuff without a loaded clip. Always verify that the oprod is fully latched before you stick any part of your body in front of the bolt.

Also, as long as you are pressing down on the clip, nothing is going to get slammed. The bolt isn't going to fly until the clip is latched and pressure is released from the clip.
Click to expand...

Ditto....

There should be no excuse for mashing a digit when loading a full clip.....

In order to get your thumb-finger mashed when loading a full clip you have to be either not paying attention to what you are doing or using incorrect loading technique. Learn to do it right and it's almost impossible to hurt yourself.

Best regards,
Swampy

Garands forever
2007 NRA Missouri State 600 yard Service Rifle Champion.... with an M1
 
Using the heel to close the bolt is normal.
The "M1 thumb" is avoided by raising the hand in a arc hinged at the elbow.
That works well for right handers. Lefties like me have to do something different.
 
I nearly gave myself Garand thumb the other night while cleaning it. Yes, the magazine was empty of course. The bolt actually snapped closed on my thumb. I had a nitrile glove on, and I think my sleeve caught on the op rod handle and slowed it down a smidge. Otherwise I would have a black and blue digit. As it was, it smarted for a minute.
 
Garand thumb only happens while messing with your rifle during episode four of Band Of Brothers after beer number 6.
 
I think what gets most people is that they don't pull the bolt back far enough to get it to actually latch up on the op rod latch. They only get it back far enough to hang up on the follower.

When you pull the bolt back, make sure that you can see the receiver bridge in front of the bolt, and that it's not just hanging on the follower.

On both of mine you can fully insert an en-bloc clip and the bolt won't go forward until you pull back back on the op rod a little to release the friction on the op rod latch. Still, I don't ever "turn my back on it", and always keep the knife-edge of my hand against the op rod handle. Knock on wood, but so far I haven't been bit.
 
Lefties like me have to do something different.
Click to expand...
What do you do? I typically load my garands with my right hand and then switch to the left shoulder... but I'm thinking of trying proper slinged-up prone and sitting stances, which will mean I'll need to use my left hand to load. Seems a bit dicey with the garand....

I wonder if it would work to insert and press down the clip with the thumb in an overhand fashion, while holding back the op-rod with the 4 fingers along side the receiver. Is that what you do?
 
1KPD,

The prescribed method for us lefties is to place the loaded clip on top of the follower, hold back on the op rod handle with the pointer finger of the left hand, then push the clip down into the rifle with the remaining three fingers of the left hand - all while holding the rifle up around the balance point/rear forearm region with your right hand. It helps to rest the butt against your left thigh when doing this for a bit of extra leverage.

At least that was the way they showed us at the Garand clinic I went to back in the early 90s when I bought mine.

:)
 
The real danger lurks when you're doing stuff without a loaded clip. Always verify that the oprod is fully latched before you stick any part of your body in front of the bolt.

Also, as long as you are pressing down on the clip, nothing is going to get slammed. The bolt isn't going to fly until the clip is latched and pressure is released from the clip.

Ditto....

There should be no excuse for mashing a digit when loading a full clip.....

In order to get your thumb-finger mashed when loading a full clip you have to be either not paying attention to what you are doing or using incorrect loading technique. Learn to do it right and it's almost impossible to hurt yourself.
Click to expand...

Also when it's really cold out and someone is shooting at you. :eek:

Nice new rifle. Congrats!
 
We really should start a Garand thumb alumni club...
Click to expand...

I want to apply to be a member.

My M1 has always needed the slight push forward after loading a clip. It was when it was unloaded that I got bit. Luckily my whole thumb was inside the gun when it shut on me so it ended up just smashing my third knuckle. Didn't hurt too bad but made my head tingle when I tried to drop my gun and it hung there from my thumb for a couple of seconds. P.S. It is really hard to pull back on the bolt with your left hand when your right hand is stuck in the clip housing. try it sometime.
 
I also own a Garand. I have learned from those that came before... and have avoided the dreaded "Garand Thumb". Mostly I avoid getting this by not pushing a clip down with the tip of my thumb, rather I keep my thumb parallel to the bore and push down with the pad of my thumb. This also puts the blade of my hand near the OP Rod handle and allows me to keep the bolt open. Should this not happen, the bolt would close and in the process, it would push my thumb up and away instead of dragging the thumb with it.

I am by no means a Garand Genius, rather, I have just learned from others what not to do... I do see how GT happens and I strive to avoid it. I have lost a thumb nail from a thumb smash before (yes it grew back) and I do not wish to repeat it.

Oh, and my rifle does occasionally need the bump to load the 1st round of a fully loaded E-clip. If I load 7, no bump is needed. This is perfectly normal.
 
For those really "old guys", (1963) that studied at MCRD. They teach you very quickly about how not use the thumb during field inspections.
BTW I managed to keep my original M1 after they issued us the POS M14's, then I picked up a Nov '42 issue for 400.00 a couple of years ago. I put the 42 issue under glass and keep my 60's issue for shooting targets. It sure does like that Greek ammo.
 
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