M1 Garand jam
- Thread starter Jeff H
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Steel Horse Rider
Member
I think the magazine follower is either hanging up or else the spring is weak. Are the clips clean on the inside? A rust bubble in a corner could possibly cause a round to hang up but I don't think you would have uniform rust bubbles in all of your clips.
Welding Rod
Member
I have seen that happen with commercial cases when the cartridges were not oriented correctly in the clip, specifically when the cartridges were seat too far back in a clip. The raised ribs at on either side towards the back of clip need to fit into the grooves between the cartridge rims and bodies.
Reloadron
Contributing Member
Some possibles:
1. Cartridge clip is bent or deformed.
2. Follower arm is twisted, bent of broken.
3. Slide / follower is deformed or damaged.
4. Bullet guide is deformed or damaged (binds stops follower arm).
5. Operating rod spring is weak, deformed or broken.
6. Op rod drags or binds (op rod bend problem).
7. Op rod drags or binds(misaligned lower band, front hand guard, gas cylinder).
8. Lack of lubrication (grease) on moving parts.
The above possibilities were taken from The US .30 Service Rifle by Jerry Kuhnhausen. Field strip the rifle and take a good look at the op rod spring, look for any shiny or flat spots. Then thoroughly check out the bullet guide as they are a common cause. Also check the clips for bent.
If this ammunition has fired fine in the past I doubt it is the ammunition, however, check the cartridge width using a vernier and make sure the cartridges are in spec.
Call CMP if you find any faulty parts. They are a great bunch to deal with.
Ron
1. Cartridge clip is bent or deformed.
2. Follower arm is twisted, bent of broken.
3. Slide / follower is deformed or damaged.
4. Bullet guide is deformed or damaged (binds stops follower arm).
5. Operating rod spring is weak, deformed or broken.
6. Op rod drags or binds (op rod bend problem).
7. Op rod drags or binds(misaligned lower band, front hand guard, gas cylinder).
8. Lack of lubrication (grease) on moving parts.
The above possibilities were taken from The US .30 Service Rifle by Jerry Kuhnhausen. Field strip the rifle and take a good look at the op rod spring, look for any shiny or flat spots. Then thoroughly check out the bullet guide as they are a common cause. Also check the clips for bent.
If this ammunition has fired fine in the past I doubt it is the ammunition, however, check the cartridge width using a vernier and make sure the cartridges are in spec.
Call CMP if you find any faulty parts. They are a great bunch to deal with.
Ron
MutinousDoug
Member
There are two different extractor grooves on HXP ammo and two different Garand clip designs to accommodate them.
The older HXP ammo used the GI groove and the newer (around 1971-72) uses a groove that matches the NATO 7.62mm groove. The clips are not interchangeable. Older GI clips work with either groove but Euro clips only work with the later groove design and spring the clips so they're hard to load and unreliable.
I'd check this before changing out your gun parts.
HTH
The older HXP ammo used the GI groove and the newer (around 1971-72) uses a groove that matches the NATO 7.62mm groove. The clips are not interchangeable. Older GI clips work with either groove but Euro clips only work with the later groove design and spring the clips so they're hard to load and unreliable.
I'd check this before changing out your gun parts.
HTH
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Reloadron
Contributing Member
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Me thinks that may be the problem. I failed to read into the HXP ammunition. There is quite a bit written on this issue.
Ron
Me thinks that may be the problem. I failed to read into the HXP ammunition. There is quite a bit written on this issue.
Ron
dogrunner
Member
If that's a CMP Garand, give 'em a call........likely they'l solve your problem for you.
Keaner
Member
I had that when I first got my M1 about 7 years ago. I ordered a new OP Rod spring for ~5 bucks (you can find entire kits of Wolf springs on ebay for a trivial amount of money), and installing it fixed the rifle. I haven't had a single failure from it since.
Interesting replies, especially about the HPX ammo. I looked at my 77 HPX ammo and it looks identical to some Hornday 30-06 brass that I have I have a few pieces of LC brass that do seem to have a smaller groove though. I do have some old and new clips that do have a visibly different size extractor groove, but the HPX seems to fit in either without a problem. Does anyone have a picture of these differences to make it more clear? I'm not sure I know what I am looking for.
The gun is still a bit stiff so I might have missed some places the last time I greased it up. I'll try grease first and keep an eye on the enbloc clips to see if it is a newer one or an older one that is jaming the gun. If that doesn't work, a new op rod spring might be in order.
The gun is still a bit stiff so I might have missed some places the last time I greased it up. I'll try grease first and keep an eye on the enbloc clips to see if it is a newer one or an older one that is jaming the gun. If that doesn't work, a new op rod spring might be in order.
MutinousDoug
Member
I don't think your grease regimen is the cause of the jam you have pictured.
It looks like the top round is being released early which can come from a sprung (or otherwise damaged) clip or a weak op rod spring so it's a good idea to keep a fresh spring handy. A lot of the Greek returned clips have been poorly re-parked and I found it useful to quickly buff the frosty looking ones inside and out to make them easier to insert into the Garand magazine.
I discarded any Euro Garand clips I had so I can't take a pic of the difference between those and the GI. It's the position or width of the extractor groove channel that causes the problem as I recall.
As Reloadron noted, a search of the HXP threads should cover this issue.
HTH
Doug
It looks like the top round is being released early which can come from a sprung (or otherwise damaged) clip or a weak op rod spring so it's a good idea to keep a fresh spring handy. A lot of the Greek returned clips have been poorly re-parked and I found it useful to quickly buff the frosty looking ones inside and out to make them easier to insert into the Garand magazine.
I discarded any Euro Garand clips I had so I can't take a pic of the difference between those and the GI. It's the position or width of the extractor groove channel that causes the problem as I recall.
As Reloadron noted, a search of the HXP threads should cover this issue.
HTH
Doug
Before you start swapping parts completely dissasemble rifle, clean and properly "grease" it
Then replace op rod spring with one from Orion 7. Do not use Wolff extra power op rod springs as they can cause more problems
Then take rifle out and test fire
Report back
Then replace op rod spring with one from Orion 7. Do not use Wolff extra power op rod springs as they can cause more problems
Then take rifle out and test fire
Report back
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