Just out of curiosity, whats everyones favorite method? Ive seen guys in garand shoots fumbling around with thier index finger on the bolt slipping off from oil and whammo youch. For those not acustumed to pain the bolt will smash your nail leaving a nice big blood blister, and for grins a nice hole from the firing pin in the pad of whatever appendage you have in the way.
Mine is to place the clip in with your right hand loosely, then keeping the fingers straight and palm open flat against the stock,bend the wrist about 30 degrees so the flat of your pinky is against the bolt. This keeps the bolt open with the entire thickness of your hand. Next push the clip home with your right thumb and push back slightly on the bolt. Then in one sweeping motion bend the wrist straight and the forearm up and the bolt slams home. Seems to work everytime. Im sure there is a field manual that gives the gi version, but ive never seen it, maybe Eclancy or gyrene can shed some light. My dad was in WW2 and said you could tell the guys off the front lines by the number of black finger nails
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This is my rifle. There are many like it, but this one is mine
That's pretty much the "GI" method I was taught. The key, as you've found, is to use the "knife edge" of the right hand to hold the operating rod back/bolt open while inserting/seating the clip.
Ah, M1 thumb,
brings back fond memories of basic training 1962 at Ft. Leonard Wood, Mo. in Feb.
Guaranteed, m1 thumb is the kind of thing that rarely happens more than once, maybe twice for the un-coordinated. LOL
If memory serves me, that method sounds about right, I used more of the heel of the hand I think, (my hands are big) and never caught my thumb. Killed my glove a few times, though.
My Garand has never bit me. Bolt always locked back on it's own. Think I found out why, though, and fixing it will help me learn about the G-thumb, nyuk! The op-rod spring was in 3 pieces. I'm refinishing my stock right now. Think it's going to turn out really nice looking.
The way you described is near the military way but they used the left hand to press the clip home while the right hand held the rifle and op-rod open. I'll have to modify the way I do it (I'm left handed) after the new spring is installed, maybe. It might stay open on it's own, but I might get the G-thumb if I'm not careful. Clancy said mine was a reimport but it has no marks on it. It's in pretty good shape with all SA parts. Found it at a tiny gun show in So. Ohio.
I can't possibly understand how you can get "Garand thumb" by loading the Garand. I can see it happening if the gun is unloaded and putting you thumb where it doesn't belong.
Not everybody is as careful about loading one. It's easy to do it wrong and many thumbs were Garandized. Some learn quicker that others. Some have to be initiated into the club.
To be sure, it is difficult to inflict "M1 thumb" upon onesself when simply loading the rifle. Note, however, that the word is difficult, not impossible.
The most usual case of getting one's thumb "M1'd" occurs when closing the bolt, either after performing "Inspection Arms," or after cleaning. Lots of nitwits thought it was cool to try to "pop" the follower down to unlatch the bolt. Uh huh; it is cool. Once.
