Garand questions

M

m16a2223

New member
Hey guys,
I have a couple questions Im sure ya'll can answer. I have a really nice M1 Garand that I finally got around to shooting. I was wondering, is it normal for a small amount of oil to seep from the gas cylinder when the rifle gets hot? Also, what is the correct loading procedure as I would like to retain all my digits? When I load the rifle, I hold the bolt back with one hand because Im not sure exactly how it's supposed to work.

Thanks, m16
 
First to loading the Garand.....in a properly tuned rifle take the 8 rd. clip and shove it all the way down in the magazine and hold it down with pressure...........the bolt SHOULD stay open until you remove your hand(quickly). The knife edge of the same hand should be in front of the op rod handle to prevent it from closing if the rifle is not tuned properlyl. Picture your thumb on top of the clip pushing down with the knife edge (part of hand by the lil finger) in front of the op rod handle.

As to the oil...........if you have greased, or oiled the culinder or the piston end of the op rod oil will come out when the rifle is fired.
 
m16a223,

Can you relate exactly WHERE oil is coming from on the gas cylinder?? My initial answer to this question would have to be "no, it is not normal". I say this because the there should NOT be enough oil in or on the cylinder to cause a noticeable "leak".

Cleaning-lubing procedure for the gas piston - cylinder is to very LIGHTLY wipe the op-rod and piston with an oily patch. Same for the inside of the gas cylinder. The purpose of lubing these parts is NOT to provide lubrication, but to prevent rust during storage. They are designed to operate in a dry condition.

In any case, there should not be enough oil in there to "leak".

Re loading procedure....
Insert a loaded 8 rd. clip into the clip slot. With the right hand flat along side the action, the back edge of your hand in front of the op-rod handle, press down on the upper cartridge with the thumb. Press the brass between the top edge of the clip and behind the shoulder (DON'T press the edge of the clip or back at the base of the cartridge). Firmly press until it bottoms and you feel the clip "catch" in the mag well. As you release pressure with your thumb, the bolt & op-rod should release and want to fly forward. The edge of your hand is preventing it from closing. Quickly pull the thumb up and clear of the bolt, and at the same time rotate the fingers forward and up, letting the op-rod handle ride under the edge of your hand and close. Don't try to "ride" the handle home as it may not fully close (also, your thumb gets "ridden home" as well. painful). As the handle clears the edge of your hand, let it SLAM the bolt closed. This is how it is designed.

Note: Many Garands, when you remove your thumb and hand, will remain with the bolt open. If so, you probably noticed that the bolt came forward about a 1/4 inch and stopped as you pulled your thumb free. This also, while not the designed operation method, is normal for many rifles. No big deal, and nothing to worry about. If this happens, just firmly whack the back edge of the op-rod handle with the heel of your right hand and it will close.

Also note: I'm no M1 expert, but I does luv'em so....

For advice from the real Garand gurus, go over to the Culver's board. That's where ALL the REAL experts hang out. More info on M1's than you can shake stick at....

www.jouster.com

Swampy
 
Thanks guys. swampy, when I finish firing the rifle, the gas cylinder from the muzzle back aprox 4 inches is *damp* with oil. It doesn't effect the performance of the rifle whatsoever as far as I can tell. I bought the rifle from an antiques dealer and I have never taken the rifle apart and cleaned it so I have no way of knowing how the cylinder was cleaned last, but thanks for the cleaning advice, I will use it for sure.

As for my impression of the M1 Garand. My 12 year old son and I fired a few old surplus (early 50s)rounds. It functioned flawlessly, except for two rounds that didnt go off. From someone who has fired many rounds from .223 rifles, I can say that the .223 is a capable cartridge but 3006 is awsome. The M1 Garand is a REAL rifle indeed. I have fired many 3006 bolt guns, but there is something special about the firepower the Garand can deliver downrange. Its a real confidence builder. Also, the felt recoil of the M1 was much less than a bolt gun. My son, who is slightly small for his age, had no problem with the rifle at all.

m16
 
m16a223,

Sounds like there was just too much oil in there from the last cleaning session. Firing forced it out around the ring where it fits over the barrel & gas port.

Sounds like you need a good manual. Fulton Armory, Champions Choice, and other retailer-gunsmiths sell the "M1 Owners Guide" by Scott Duff. Excellent book. Every M1 owner needs this one. For a bit simpler but no less effective info, go to the CMP's website and order their M1 owners manual. One comes with every M1 they sell and greatly facilitated dis-assembly & cleaning of my first M1.
www.odcmp.com

Re loading the Garand.... One thing I forgot.... If you ever need to eject a cartridge from the chamber, ALWAYS grab the op-rod handle with your right hand PALM UP, using the pinky finger. DON'T use the index finger.

In the unlikely event that the rifle fires due to a "hangfire" or some mechanical malady while you are operating the bolt, it is MUCH better that you bruise the lower edge of your hand, maybe gouge out a chunk of your palm and get some stitches, than to have the op-rod handle turn your thumb into a mangled something that you carry to the emergency room in your shirt pocket.

Little safety tip #193..... ;)

Swampy
 
m16a2223,

I appreciate you asking the question about loading the M1. I, too, recently bought my first M1 Garand, haven't fired it yet, and was a little uneasy about the loading procedure. All I had heard was "don't get M1 thumb!" Well, I'm all in favor of that--who wants their thumb smashed by the bolt? But for many of us newbies, it is not always intuitively obvious how to avoid it. Thanks for the informative replies. Maybe I'll give it a shot tomorrow. Hopefully my thumb will still be there afterward. Have fun!
 
Picture your thumb on top of the clip pushing down with the knife edge (part of hand

This is harder to describe than to demonstrate. Imagine that you're making a karate chop along the side of the receiver, going back toward the charging handle. When the clip bottoms out, move your hand straight back up, as if you were about to give a salute. (Make sense? Hope so -- if not, disregard!)
 
Some remaine open, some want to close (rapidly).
Both work just fine.
If you do get the famous M1 thumb then 3 things will happen.

1 You will have a sudden uncontrolable urge to say very unkind things about your bolt.

2 You wil live (and be OK by the next day).

3 You will be more careful and/or quick the next time.
:D
 
M1 THUMB!

The most common cause of M1 thumb is not having the operating rod fully back and locked before trying to close the bolt.

If the operating rod is pulled only part way back, and the front of the bolt is held by the slope on the follower slide, a slight touch of the follower will release the bolt and the result is M1 thumb.

Always pull the op rod back all the way, to where the bolt face is in line with the top of the receiver. Then to release it, place the palm of the right hand against the op rod, with the little finger edge of the hand against the op rod handle (as described above for loading).

Then insert the thumb into the magazine well and push the follower down until the op rod unlatches and is free to go forward. Get the thumb out of the way and ease the op rod forward.

Jim
 
The magic part is to be sure that you use the bottom heel of your hand to hold the operating rod open until you get your thumb out. Using clips is easy, loading single shot takes more care. But at worst, you will lean to load the M1 carefully, have fun.........

pwiz

PS

The oil will burn off after a while, no big concern here. Someone probably oiled the H out of the gun before you. It really does not need to be oiled when cleaning, just use Hoppes or something when you clean the rifle. Use a good gease on the bolt rails and operating rod contact area.
 
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