The Order Of The Purple Thumb

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Remington 11-87 Sportsman = $550
Benelli M-2 = $900
Browning Gold Sporting Clays = $1,100
M-1 Garand = $500
M-1A1 Springfield = $1,200
Wearing gloves when you drop a bolt on you thumb = priceless!
Richard
Schennberg.com
 
For some reason both M-1 Garands I have owned would not close the bolt when your thumb was inside, they kind of hang up after the en-block latches in, and then need to be assisted forward by pushing on the op rod handle.
Someone told me this was a modification done to help prevent M-1 thumbs, has anybody else noticed their M-1 functions in this way?
 
This is true.
If you apply constant downard pressure on the magazine with your thumb, the bolt should not close. It's only when you let up on the pressure that the bolt slams home.

With practice, you can keep your thumb in the path of the bolt and swing the rifle around one-handed without getting bit. Just be careful when yuo try to get your thumb out though. :D
 
I'd had a few minor "M-1 thumbs" before where the bolt skinned me a tad, but about a year ago my thumb took a direct hit that took several months to heal. I was shooting high power matches and wanted my brass to last longer than if I full lengrh resized it. My plan was to partially resize the brass and I was trying a resized case by seating it directly into the chamber with my thumb. I must have not fully locked the bolt back and as my thumb was forcing the last bit of the case into the chamber...SNAPPPPPPPPP....Lots of pain...lost all of the nail . If you mess with a Garand long enough it's going to bite you...usually when you're doing something out of the ordinary with it. I've never come close to being bitten just by loading clips into the rifle.
 
I experienced M-1 thumb when I got my first M-1 at the age of 14. Unfortunately I sold that rifle a few years later. Hoping to get a replacement soon.
 
never got the M1 thumb, but a week ago with my new mini glock 27 I did get the snake bite on the back of my thumb from holding it a little too high on the back strap... I guess I'm just used to shooting guns with a little more of a flare out at the top of the back strap like a 1911 or a sig.... *BANG* oww... two little drops of blood on the top of my hand.... oh well...:rolleyes:
 
I have 3 M1 and haven'y got my thumb yet. But how many have the Hakim thumb? When i first got mine, i barely missed my thumb. I guess i needed to read up the operation a little better before working the operation. I guess the Hakim can bit good too.

Brion
 
Even right after crushing my thumb I never had any thought of selling that Garand. My squashed thumb was too sore to load the Garand in the proper way for weeks, yet I still shot matches with it. I shot one just days after my "M-1 thumb". I had to hold the op rod back with my cupped right hand and reach over and load the round or the clip with my left hand. The rapid fire reload was quite a challenge. That just shows how much I like to shoot my Garand. I'll never be without a good one for the rest of my life.
 
Got "thumbed" once a couple decades ago.

Ironically, it was during a USAF Honor Guard practice session. The gloves minimized damage, but it didn't take me long to learn the "heel of the hand" technique of holding the oprod handle back during loading. Never been bit by an M1 since.

However, I do have an AG-42B Ljungman. It makes the M1 Garand's thumb-chomping look pale in comparison. :eek:
 
Patrick Sweeney talks about the Ljungman chomp in his new Book of the AR. How badly did it hurt? :eek:
 
The gas cup on the bolt carrier...

Leaves a perfectly round indentation on the offending body part that takes some time to disappear. The bolt and bolt carrier run forwards with a goodly amount of velocity and energy. ;)
 
Between the two(M1 and Hakim), I would think the Hakim would have more bite.

Brion
 
I have not once gotten "M1 thumb" from actually loading the gun, but I guess to make up for that got a bad smash cleaning it once.

I was toying with something and ended up deciding to take the gun apart, but was out of sequence. The bolt was locked into the back of the receiver and jammed with the op rod. I had my thumb in the receiver over the chamber when it finally decided to release, at which time the bolt slammed home under full force right into my perfectly placed thumb. Bled for awhile and hurt like heck.

I would like to know how WWII veterans loaded their M1s during combat, seems like it requires a bit of finesse to do correctly and rapidly.
 
As an update to this thread, i just recently bought a yugo sks with the 10 rnd mag that is loaded by stripper clip. we'll see how long it takes before that one gets me too...
 
M1 Thumb

Never my thumb, but twice on other fingers while cleaning the rifle. It really doesn't hurt at first. It's only after the numbness wears off.:cuss:

My father-in-law showed me how to load the clip with the side of my thumb so if the bolt does slide forward, it pushes the tumb out of the way. Works good that way.
 
Yeah, in basic training. Only it was called "M14 thumb". Pretty much the same rifle. Same bloody thumb.

Regards.
 
M1 thumb is kind of misunderstood,even by people that have it.(You can't blame them for not thinking clearly,they are jumping up and down and shreiking curses or crying.) You don't get it while loading,hell you have to BUMP the oprod forward when loading.You get it while you're messing with an empty rifle,and you didn't lock the bolt all the way to the rear,and just think you did.The bolt sits on top of the follower,requiring about one ounce of thumb to snap home.Recruits used to do it during inspections a lot.And I'll probably do it the next time I handle my M1,after writing this know-it-all I NEVER DID IT message.:) Me and my big mouth.
 
That's why I've been very, very cautious about making sure it's a "true" locked position, and not that damned pesky "false" lock up. So far, so good.
 
Haven't had a M1 bite me yet.
Had a 1911A1 chew the webbing out of my hand (still have the scar several years later). Course my Combat Commander just give little love nips:D
 
Wes Janson said:
That's why I've been very, very cautious about making sure it's a "true" locked position, and not that damned pesky "false" lock up.
Click to expand...

Same here. I made it a habit to give the oprod a good strong pull rearward when I want it to lock open. It lessens the chances of a "false" lock.

So far I haven't been bitten by an M1, but I did get nailed by a Mini-14 while trying to clear a jam caused by a cheap mag.
 
Don't have an M1 but I found out this weekend that the space between the bolt and the stock of an M38 is just enough to get your thumb stuck between them if you don't remove your hand from the grip as you cycle the bolt...OUCH.:eek:
 
Not yet, but a well respected moderator on the TFL site did and that was all the experience with that experiance I ever need.
 
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