M1 Garand will not fire …

[Denny Gibson]

Hey folks … just got my first Garand. It’s a very nice Beretta Roma model … with a problem: it doesn’t fire.

I’ve replaced the parts in the bolt (which, I suspect, has nothing to do with the problem.

Pull the handle back, insert a round, release the bolt and … click: no mark on the primer at all.

Anyone have suggestions? I’m baffled!

 

[Jim Watson]

Done anything weird like loading from a clip?

 

[HKGuns]

Did you tear it down and clean it completely? Those things tend to have cosmoline all over the place.

 

[Denny Gibson]

Hay guys! Thanks for the replies! This gun is quite clean. Wear on the bolt lugs suggest it’s been fired very few times. And yes, it’s torn down now. Someone took good care of this rifle!

Also … I have clip but haven’t used it yet. Couldn’t get the first round to go off loading just one round.

Someone mentioned to make sure the bolt goes into battery … how would I do this?

 

[MikeInOr]

If the bolt turns the full 90 degrees when closing and locks with the bolt flat it should be in battery. The hammer should not be able to fall / be released by the trigger without the bolt in battery.

Is this a 30-06 or .308 Garand? Are you perhaps trying to shoot .308 out of a 30-06 Garand?

What you are describing means to me that either the hammer isn't hitting the firing pin and/or the firing pin is not hitting the primer.

Put a picce of clay/wax on the bolt face and close the action. Pull the trigger then open the action and retrieve the piece of clay. What does the indentation in the clay made by the firing pin look like?

There is a good chance the headspacing is off. The quickest and easiest way to check head spacing is to put a "no-go" gauge in the chamber. The bolt should not fully close and lock with the no go gauge in the chamber. A gun smith can do this check in about 30 seconds. Or you would need to order your own no-go gauge which should be about $20.

If the bolt does close on the no-go gauge it is kind of a gunsmith type of problem if you are not comfortable with removing the barrel (with the proper action wrench) yourself.

 

[Jim Watson]

Not saying it is the cause but dropping a round in the chamber and closing the bolt is not the way to shoot a Garand. There is the Army way, the "sled" adapter, one shot clips, two shot clips, five shot clips.

 

[Denny Gibson]

What’s the Army way?

 

[Denny Gibson]

I push the round into the follower, push it down with thumb and release the operating handle … why is that wrong?

 

[MikeInOr]

I push the round into the follower, push it down with thumb and release the operating handle … why is that wrong?

When a Garand is fed by a clip (or sled) the case rim is fed in between the bolt head and the extractor. When you put a single round in the chamber and drop the bolt the extractor has to open, glide over the rim of the case then close into the groove past the rim of the case. This is not how the Garand was designed to function. Without a clip the round is probably being pushed into the chamber in front of the extractor which is comparable to dropping a round into the chamber and closing the bolt.

When you pull the bolt back aggressively does the unfired round fling out of the rifle or does is just slide out of the chamber?

Are we talking about a .308 or a 30-06 here?

 

[Denny Gibson]

I’m putting it back together now so I can’t answer your question yet. It’s a 30-06.

Btw … thanks for the info! I wasn’t aware of that. Since I shoot competitively I generally load one round at a time. Looks like a sled is in my future.

 

[RetiredUSNChief]

Sounds like a problem with the bolt. Possibly the firing pin?

I don't have this rifle, but I do have some other bolt actions.

Disassemble the bolt and closely inspect everything to be sure you don't have any obvious physical issues.

And make sure the rim of the round is captured BEHIND the extractor when the round is chambered.

How to Disassemble and Reassemble the Garand Bolt

Learn the essential steps to disassemble and reassemble the Garand Bolt with precision and expertise. Our comprehensive guide on Firearms and Freedom: Unleashing the Art of Muzzle First LLC equips enthusiasts with the knowledge to master this critical component. Explore the intricacies of the...

muzzlefirst.com

 

[JDeere]

Firing pin in garands can be an issue. Remove bolt and check it. Tip could be broke.

 

[HKGuns]

I’ve replaced the parts in the bolt (which, I suspect, has nothing to do with the problem.

He replaced the bolt parts, unless he put it together incorrectly, which is hard to do on an M1 because it can be tricky even to get apart.

JW is correct, single feed it properly or get an enbloc clip. I too now suspect it isn't even going into battery.

I suspect we're still only getting 1/2 the story. IE: Why did you replace the bolt parts OP?

 

[DustyRusty]

Congrats on the M1 Garand.


Look into this window with the rifle cocked and the bolt closed on an empty chamber.
Pull the trigger while looking in this window.



You should see the hammer snap forward resolutely, smacking the firing pin rear and the back of the bolt. Looking at the firing pin tip,
it should protrude through its hole in the bolt face where it strikes the primer. If you can remove the bullet and powder from a live round
safely, you can attempt to fire the primer. It should fire and the firing pin protrusion should make a strike mark in the primer.
(Wear hearing protection and be sure there is NO POWDER or powder left in the case.)



[A
Example of broken firing pins & a good one.

M1 Garand - Principles of Operation (1943) United States Rifle, Caliber .30, M1

This Army Training film explains the principles of operation of the M1 (Garand) Infantry RifleThe US Rifle M1 was the first semiautomatic rifle to be the sta...

www.youtube.com

Note the dicussion at the 4:29 minute mark.

 

[CapnMac]

Here's what the two-round en bloc clips look like.

Note that the "magazine follower" will not allow loading four rounds into such a clip, as the "follower" just presses up against the cases, it does not guide them at all (the Mannlicher en bloc clip is meant to do all the work).

A SLED looks like this:

Unless you get one of these:

Loading a SLED looks like this:

Note you put the round to the left.

The bottom of the bolt strips the rim out and puts it under the extractor claw, where it slides up into place.

 

[Steve762us]

When a Garand is fed by a clip (or sled) the case rim is fed in between the bolt head and the extractor. When you put a single round in the chamber and drop the bolt the extractor has to open, glide over the rim of the case then close into the groove past the rim of the case. This is not how the Garand was designed to function.

Not on any Garand bolt I've ever seen. Are you thinking of a Mauser?

Garand bolt face:

Mauser style bolt face

 

[Steve762us]

Someone mentioned to make sure the bolt goes into battery … how would I do this?

Examine the closed bolt and receiver, with empty chamber. Get familiar with the
final rotation of bolt, so you know what "fully closed" looks like.

I'm not a Garand guru (check CMP forums, there's a zillion of em there), but
I'm not seeing any reason you couldn't drop a round in chamber and ease the
bolt forward, then bump bolt closed with heel of hand against the op rod
handle. That is how you "make sure the bolt goes into battery."

Lots of good stuff here. Hope you don't find you have a "reweld".

Garand Gear Part Inspection

 

[Kp321]

The Garand is definitely a “push feed” so it is possible to close the bolt on a round in the chamber. Because of the heavy springs on the extractor and ejector it takes a good slam to make sure the bolt closes completely. Many GI’s were trained to smack the bolt handle with their palm on the first round to ensure closure. It doesn’t take much rotation to block the firing pin.

 

[shooter1niner]

I have read of incidents explaining the following. Loading normally, when the bolt strips a round from the clip the bolt is slowed down by that action. When single feeding and letting the bolt fly into battery the firing pin has enough inertia to dimple and possibly light the primer and trigger a kaboom. This can destroy the rifle and ruin your day.

Not that many possibilities but some unanswered questions.

 

[Steve762us]

An exhaustive thread on the subject, from CMP--starting with last page, here:

Single Loading The Garand

For the condensed info, posts #47 and #49 will do.

Lapriester is one of the foremost authorities on the Garand, on that
forum