M1 Garand question

[WillDe83]

Is it ok to leave a snap cap chambered in an M1 Garand for storage?

 

[Sport45]

Sure. But why would you want to? If you want to keep it with the rifle you could wrap it in a rag and leave it in the buttstock.

 

[WillDe83]

sorry, I worded it weird. Not storage for the snap cap. But I would use the snap cap to dry fire, to release the hammer, to release the tension on the spring. So the rifle can be stored.

 

[Orlando]

Wont hurt a thing but snap caps are not needed.
It is perfectly fine to dry fire a Garand. Shooters that shoot competativly dry fire hundreds and thousands of times with no ill effects

 

[10X]

You can hold the bolt partially back touching the hammer and pull the trigger. The hammer will just follow the bolt as you let the bolt go forward.

No need for a snap cap.

 

[briansmithwins]

If you really, really want to, go ahead.

Garands are tough. You're not going to hurt it by dry firing it before storing it.

In addition to dry firing practice, all my long guns are stored hammer down on an empty chamber. I've had to replace 0 firing pins in my life.

BSW

 

[BornLoser]

I've never had a problem dry firing any weapon... except a muzzle loader 'cause dry firing those flattens the nipple.

 

[WillDe83]

Thanks for the help guys. I love my M1 and dont wanna hurt her too much

 

[Publius1688]

You probably couldn't hurt your Garand if you wanted to, but I know the feeling. The only milsurp I won't dry fire is my 1850 Enfield--it's percussion.

 

[benzy2]

I still feel bad about dry firing mine so as others have said I hold the bolt back until it just touches the hammer and pull the trigger which lets the hammer follow the bolt gently.

I also feel bad dry firing to learn the trigger. I happen to be too cheap to buy snap caps as well. Instead I use the lid to a 20oz pop bottle. Wedge that in between the bolt face and the chamber and if set right it keeps the hammer from moving but a hair. To reset the trigger you only have to move the bolt back a fraction of an inch. I do this will all of my hammer fired rifles.

 

[highorder]

You can hold the bolt partially back touching the hammer and pull the trigger. The hammer will just follow the bolt as you let the bolt go forward.

No need for a snap cap.

That works. The pop bottle cap sounds interesting too.

 

[rizbunk77]

From a physics standpoint there is no need to release spring tension before storage of any rifle. Springs do not lose force by being stored in static compression. They only lose force through repeated cycles of compression and decompression. Therefore you are actually doing more harm to your rifle than good be releasing the spring tension. However, in either case, the spring will probably outlast your natural life.
My rifles are usually stored cocked and empty. I follow the "simpler is better don't **** with it, its always loaded rule."

 

[cuervo]

Just to throw it out there, as others have said, dry firing won't be an issue, but if you are storing it, you might to slightly pull on the trigger guard so that it unlatches and does not compress the wood longterm.

 

[mgregg85]

I thought that with garand type action rifles(like the mini-14, m14, m1a, etc) you were supposed to store the rifle with the bolt open to prevent the action from seizing up?

 

[Orlando]

Never heard that one before!

 

[Beelzy]

I wouldn't leave a snapcap in it. The oil from the gun will eventually attack the plastic
and make the snapcap brittle. This is over time of course.

 

[Sunray]

"...feel bad dry firing to learn the trigger..." Dry firing an M1 was a standard military sight picture and trigger control training technique. No snap caps required.
"...supposed to store the rifle with..." Nope. Ain't going to happen.
"...The oil from the gun will eventually attack the plastic..." Too much oil.
"...never had a problem dry firing any weapon..." No dry firing rimfires.

 

[skidooman603]

Old Yesterday, 12:45 AM #10
benzy2
Member


Join Date: April 24, 2008
Posts: 641

I still feel bad about dry firing mine so as others have said I hold the bolt back until it just touches the hammer and pull the trigger which lets the hammer follow the bolt gently.

I also feel bad dry firing to learn the trigger. I happen to be too cheap to buy snap caps as well. Instead I use the lid to a 20oz pop bottle. Wedge that in between the bolt face and the chamber and if set right it keeps the hammer from moving but a hair. To reset the trigger you only have to move the bolt back a fraction of an inch. I do this will all of my hammer fired rifles.
benzy2 is offline Report Post










Sounds like you just need to quit feeling so bad

 

[CZguy]

From a physics standpoint there is no need to release spring tension before storage of any rifle. Springs do not lose force by being stored in static compression. They only lose force through repeated cycles of compression and decompression. Therefore you are actually doing more harm to your rifle than good be releasing the spring tension. However, in either case, the spring will probably outlast your natural life.

This is absolutely true. Let me just add that stretching a spring will hurt it also.