m1 Garand
- Thread starter sfwusc
- Start date
Hold the rifle in your left hand at its balance point. Place the knife edge (where the little finger meets the hand), of your right hand on the operating rod handle. (It needs to be there to keep the bolt from closing and pinching your thumb.) Then press the follower (the part that inside the action where the cartridges in the clip go), down with the thumb of the same hand. Pressing the cartridge follower down with your thumb will release the bolt, your right hand on the op rod handle will keep you from getting an "M1 thumb"...hopefully.
Another thing to be aware of:
Don't allow the bolt to rest on the follower when you open the action. When you open the action, open it like you mean it. If you don't, you can essentially set a mousetrap, in which the bolt is not retained, it is merely blocked by the follower. Touching the follower can spring the trap. It would look like the following, note the position of the bolt
Don't allow the bolt to rest on the follower when you open the action. When you open the action, open it like you mean it. If you don't, you can essentially set a mousetrap, in which the bolt is not retained, it is merely blocked by the follower. Touching the follower can spring the trap. It would look like the following, note the position of the bolt
Manuals are readily available, get one or more, read and heed. In addition to the safety info, especially ammo limitations, note the cleaning and lubrication instructions.
Go over to the CMP forums and you'll learn all you ever need to know on
Garands. I have a 8 and they are a hoot to shoot. Be areas of the ammo for them. Yes people shoot regular 30-06 in them some for years but to be on the safe side get some rated for the Garand. It has to do with the pressure curve of the powder and the affects on the op rod.
Garands. I have a 8 and they are a hoot to shoot. Be areas of the ammo for them. Yes people shoot regular 30-06 in them some for years but to be on the safe side get some rated for the Garand. It has to do with the pressure curve of the powder and the affects on the op rod.
kilimanjaro
New member
Congratulations on your new Garand.
Do go out and get some 8-round clips, they're not cheap anymore, but spend the money on a bunch of them, they'll never cost less than they are now.
If you're going to shoot it a lot, which is a great deal of fun, get a reloading setup for .30-06, you won't regret it.
Don't run old surplus ammo through it, corrosive primers are not good for your Garand. Sure, you can keep it clean, but the rifle is worth enough money to not tempt fate by using corrosive ammo.
Do go out and get some 8-round clips, they're not cheap anymore, but spend the money on a bunch of them, they'll never cost less than they are now.
If you're going to shoot it a lot, which is a great deal of fun, get a reloading setup for .30-06, you won't regret it.
Don't run old surplus ammo through it, corrosive primers are not good for your Garand. Sure, you can keep it clean, but the rifle is worth enough money to not tempt fate by using corrosive ammo.
Nothing wrong with surplus ammunition. Corrosion does not take place instantly. Pic I posted earlier is not a safe queen; that's how clean my shooter is. It has never shot non-corrosive as far as I know. 1946 barrel. I just clean it. Easy rifle to break down.
Here's an abused 1918 production Model of 1911 barrel. Funny thing is, it shoots very well regardless. But the previous owner didn't like to clean much.
Here's an abused 1918 production Model of 1911 barrel. Funny thing is, it shoots very well regardless. But the previous owner didn't like to clean much.
Congrats on the new addition, I got mine many years ago from CMP and still havent lost the love for it. It brings a smile to my face everytime I pick it up. Please be aware of what has already been said about using the proper ammo for your gun. It waould be a shame to damage your brand "new to you" gun.
http://estore.thecmp.org/store/catalog/catalog.aspx?pg=product&ID=4C3006X211-240P
http://www.amazon.com/Garand-Shot-Clips-Pack-Contractor/dp/B00657BY6G
Does that look like decent ammo for a decent price?
http://www.amazon.com/Garand-Shot-Clips-Pack-Contractor/dp/B00657BY6G
Does that look like decent ammo for a decent price?
Tidewater_Kid
New member
The Geek HXP is built to shoot from your Garand. Good stuff and reloadable. Just not cheap anymore.
The enblocs look fine too.
TK
The enblocs look fine too.
TK
Maybe it's because I'm a lefty and don't trust my right hand, but I hold the bolt back with my right thumb, fingers wrapped around the stock, then depress the follower with my left thumb, then let the bolt forward.
I never feel like both holding the bolt back and manipulating the follower with the right hand is controlling either very well.
I never feel like both holding the bolt back and manipulating the follower with the right hand is controlling either very well.
firewrench044
New member
sfwusc where are you located, if in Florida I will help you
with your Garand
with your Garand
The M 1 is a great old Rifle.
This rifle has a history of "Slam Firing".
I was about 5 feet away from a rifle that slam fired once.
After the incidence we were looking thing over and noticed that several cartridges in the magazine had very light indentations on the primers.
Now the rifle that slam fired that early morning was a Remington 742 Woodsmaster that is designed with a firing pin return spring (that was not in this rifle) that was designed to prevent a slam fire, the M1 does not have this feature.
Keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction
And keep your thumb safe, and keep that same thumb away from your nose
This rifle has a history of "Slam Firing".
I was about 5 feet away from a rifle that slam fired once.
After the incidence we were looking thing over and noticed that several cartridges in the magazine had very light indentations on the primers.
Now the rifle that slam fired that early morning was a Remington 742 Woodsmaster that is designed with a firing pin return spring (that was not in this rifle) that was designed to prevent a slam fire, the M1 does not have this feature.
Keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction
And keep your thumb safe, and keep that same thumb away from your nose
"Slam fire" or "doubling"? An M1 that I used for competition began to double. After studying the trigger mechanism, I determined that its design was such that, when worn, it could double (or possibly go full-auto). There is a hook that engages the sear and when the trigger is pulled, the sear must be caught by a second "hook" to keep the rifle from firing again. I replaced the trigger assembly (or possibly just the trigger "hooks"...I do not remember now.) and the doubling stopped.
I've never seen anything wrote as a history of slam firing. Yes it can happen but it's usually due to reloads with a high primer. As far as doubling in a Garand it's mainly caused by milking of the trigger. Yes worn parts can make it happen but trigger control is. Bigger factor. Garand built in many safety features into his rifle and unless a person has out of spec ammo or parts a guy will have very few issues.
"...This rifle has a history of "Slam Firing"..." Nonsense. Slam fires are caused by improperly loaded ammo, not the rifle.
There is a history of operator failure though. Failing to load correctly result in the bolt closing on the operator's thumb. This is called Garand Thumb. Usually results in a lost thumb nail and hurts like an SOB. Loading correctly and keeping ones fingers out of the action prevents said incident.
Go here for free .pdf TM and FM manuals. Note the need for the provided UN & PW.
Oh and no rifle is quite like an M1 Rifle. Much prefer mine to the semi'd Winchester M-14 I have. The prefect balance I think. Bugger to lug around for hunting though.
http://www.biggerhammer.net/manuals/
There is a history of operator failure though. Failing to load correctly result in the bolt closing on the operator's thumb. This is called Garand Thumb. Usually results in a lost thumb nail and hurts like an SOB. Loading correctly and keeping ones fingers out of the action prevents said incident.
Go here for free .pdf TM and FM manuals. Note the need for the provided UN & PW.
Oh and no rifle is quite like an M1 Rifle. Much prefer mine to the semi'd Winchester M-14 I have. The prefect balance I think. Bugger to lug around for hunting though.
http://www.biggerhammer.net/manuals/
One of our members, SLAMFIRE can give you chapter and verse. Worth reading.
The fact is that the M1 has a "floating firing pin" as do some other gun designs. The firing pin lightly bounces off the primer when the action shuts. It is SUPPOSED TO DO THIS.
If this intended action fires the round, it is because the shooter is using ammo that does not meet the GI spec the rifle is made for.
The fact that the rifle works perfectly with the ammo it was designed to shoot, and does not always do so with everything else is NOT a design flaw. Consider it a limitation, and a valid one, but don't think its a flaw.
AND, don't confuse and Out of Battery Firing (which is also a slamfire) with anything else. OOB is a dangerous malfunction, which frequently destroys the gun and can cause serious injury.
The fact is that the M1 has a "floating firing pin" as do some other gun designs. The firing pin lightly bounces off the primer when the action shuts. It is SUPPOSED TO DO THIS.
If this intended action fires the round, it is because the shooter is using ammo that does not meet the GI spec the rifle is made for.
The fact that the rifle works perfectly with the ammo it was designed to shoot, and does not always do so with everything else is NOT a design flaw. Consider it a limitation, and a valid one, but don't think its a flaw.
AND, don't confuse and Out of Battery Firing (which is also a slamfire) with anything else. OOB is a dangerous malfunction, which frequently destroys the gun and can cause serious injury.
Yes, The floating firing pin is what I was alluding to when i made the comparison between the M1 and my BIL's 742 Remington that slam fired. We could see the indentations caused by the firing pin missing the return spring.
Of course these cartridges had been chambered repeatedly because of the requirement of unloaded and cased (in that day) for transport. A primer might be pecked by the free floating firing pin several time or much more leading to a slam fire.
This picture (3rd pic down)shows a couple light strikes that caused a Kaboom unrelated to a slam fire but these light strikes are much harder than a typical strike from a floating firing pin that continues forward after the bolt abruptly stops forward motion upon reaching battery and lightly striking the primer. And I do believe a high primer will be struck harder than a fully seated one, but the accumulative striking can increase the likelihood of a slam fire.
Of course these cartridges had been chambered repeatedly because of the requirement of unloaded and cased (in that day) for transport. A primer might be pecked by the free floating firing pin several time or much more leading to a slam fire.
This picture (3rd pic down)shows a couple light strikes that caused a Kaboom unrelated to a slam fire but these light strikes are much harder than a typical strike from a floating firing pin that continues forward after the bolt abruptly stops forward motion upon reaching battery and lightly striking the primer. And I do believe a high primer will be struck harder than a fully seated one, but the accumulative striking can increase the likelihood of a slam fire.