What, exactly is M1 Thumb?
- Thread starter Rickstir
- Start date
PressCheck
Moderator
It usually happens when you are trying to close the action , with the rifle empty . The rifle holds the bolt back , on the last shot , when the rifle is empty . Also , when you cycle the action .
To close the action , you must push the bullet guide down , a little & the bolt is then pulled back a little . This will free the bolt to SLAM forward ! If your thumb is still in the action , it is crying tome .
Sometimes , a person may pull the bolt back , but not quite all the way . It is possable for tension between the bullet guide & the bolt , to hold the bolt in place ( at this point , the bolt is not properly " latched back" ) .
This situation is like a loaded mouse trap . Any movement or shock can send the bolt forward .
When loading a clip , it is not difficult to keep the thumb out of harms way .
I've only seen one "M1 Thumb", and that was in Boot Camp.
To close the action , you must push the bullet guide down , a little & the bolt is then pulled back a little . This will free the bolt to SLAM forward ! If your thumb is still in the action , it is crying tome .
Sometimes , a person may pull the bolt back , but not quite all the way . It is possable for tension between the bullet guide & the bolt , to hold the bolt in place ( at this point , the bolt is not properly " latched back" ) .
This situation is like a loaded mouse trap . Any movement or shock can send the bolt forward .
When loading a clip , it is not difficult to keep the thumb out of harms way .
I've only seen one "M1 Thumb", and that was in Boot Camp.
Cyanide_357
New member
never had m1 thumb, only because I don't have a m1. But I have had a sks thumb last time I shot it. Which is the same thing... bolt slams down on your thumb. thats one of the last time I load it w/o stripper clips.
Cyanide
Cyanide
When you load a clip into the M1, the bolt is supposed to close on it's own (most rifles have enough wear that the oprod takes a bump to get it moving though). As long as you keep pressing down on the clip, the bolt shouldn't move. You'd think this is when you're most likely to get bit, but it's not.
The most likely scenario is that you are going to clean or otherwise mess with an empty rifle. You pull the oprod to the rear, but not far enough for it to latch--the bolt is merely resting against the follower. When the follower is depressed in this case, the bolt snaps shut and mauls your thumb. Always make sure the oprod is fully rear before you go sticking your fingers into the beartrap.
Ty
The most likely scenario is that you are going to clean or otherwise mess with an empty rifle. You pull the oprod to the rear, but not far enough for it to latch--the bolt is merely resting against the follower. When the follower is depressed in this case, the bolt snaps shut and mauls your thumb. Always make sure the oprod is fully rear before you go sticking your fingers into the beartrap.
Ty
I've shot my Garand on only a half-dozen occasions, but could never figure out how the thumb could get chewed while loading the gun. The thumb is never very far into the magwell when loading, and the top round would keep the thumb from interfering with the bolt, anyway. Add to that, that my bolt (op rod handle) needs a kick with the heel of the hand to get the top round in the chamber. However, I can see someone getting bit trying to close the bolt on an empty chamber, or by a bolt that's not locked, as described above.
Garand Illusion
New member
Never had Garand Thumb ... but I've shot Garand's every time I got a chance.
The way the former Marine showed it to me ... you punch the clip (proper term -- it's an internal clip) into the weapon with your thumb. As soon as the clip is down the bolt releases and slams home on your thumb.
To avoid it, just make sure and hold your hand in front of the bolt handle so that if it does snap forward it catches your hand and not your thumb.
You'll love a Garand. Fun to shoot, fairly accurate -- and when you pick one up you'll find yourslef fantasizing about what it was like to be 18 in 1942 and handling that same rifle while preparing to ship off to an honest-to-god shootin' war.
The way the former Marine showed it to me ... you punch the clip (proper term -- it's an internal clip) into the weapon with your thumb. As soon as the clip is down the bolt releases and slams home on your thumb.
To avoid it, just make sure and hold your hand in front of the bolt handle so that if it does snap forward it catches your hand and not your thumb.
You'll love a Garand. Fun to shoot, fairly accurate -- and when you pick one up you'll find yourslef fantasizing about what it was like to be 18 in 1942 and handling that same rifle while preparing to ship off to an honest-to-god shootin' war.
When you remove your thumb to slowly from pressing down the clip because you are using the first joint of your right thumb to push down on the clip. You should move your thumb up and to the right as quicly as possible when the bolt has released. I try to make a curve with my thumb to keep the tip pointed up instead of pushin downt with the tip of the thumb and the first joint....that way if I am to slow my thumb will ride up over the bolt hopefully
sometimes you get this because bolt is just resting against the follower and you dont have it pulled all the way to the rear and locked
my thumb will ride up over the bolt hopefully sometimes you get this because bolt is just resting against the follower and you dont have it pulled all the way to the rear and locked
Mike Irwin
Staff
I saw a guy at the range get M1 thumb. It was not a pleasant site.
Garand Illusion got it right. It happens when you are releasing the bolt, on an empty chamber. Experienced users hold the hand in such a way that the bolt actually moves the thumb out of the mag opening but the inexperience tend to want to put the thumb too far forward and the bolt closes with great force on it and it has one in such a postion that he must get help to get it out. In the "old time" basic trainning when it happened the victim would many times be "encouraged" to run up and down the firing line with that 9 pound sob hanging on his thumb shouting, "beware the bolt, beware the bolt" probaly wouldn't do that anymore.
It happens when you are releasing the bolt, on an empty chamber. Experienced users hold the hand in such a way that the bolt actually moves the thumb out of the mag opening but the inexperience tend to want to put the thumb too far forward and the bolt closes with great force on it and it has one in such a postion that he must get help to get it out. In the "old time" basic trainning when it happened the victim would many times be "encouraged" to run up and down the firing line with that 9 pound sob hanging on his thumb shouting, "beware the bolt, beware the bolt" probaly wouldn't do that anymore.A DI was having Soup & Sandwich in a local diner...
The waitress served him with her thumb in his soup!
He said,
"Hey, you have your thumb in my soup!"
She said,
"Yes... I know... I have M-1 thumb and the doctor said I should keep it warm.
The Sergeant "flipped out" and said,
"Why don't you stick it where the Sun don't shine?"
She said,
I do... when I'm not serving soup.
The waitress served him with her thumb in his soup!
He said,
"Hey, you have your thumb in my soup!"
She said,
"Yes... I know... I have M-1 thumb and the doctor said I should keep it warm.
The Sergeant "flipped out" and said,
"Why don't you stick it where the Sun don't shine?"
She said,
I do... when I'm not serving soup.
Samuel2001
New member
I dunno what M1 thumb is, but I sure do know what M1 index finger is! OUCH!
Yup, I pushed the enblock down with my index finger, the bolt went home and the rifle hung from my finger for a few seconds, till the skin gave! Then it fell to the ground and I ran arround like a crazy man, cursing up a storm!
I gotta say M1 Garand are my all time favorites, and I have much respect for 'em too! That scar going almost all the way arround my finger reminds me of that!
Yup, I pushed the enblock down with my index finger, the bolt went home and the rifle hung from my finger for a few seconds, till the skin gave! Then it fell to the ground and I ran arround like a crazy man, cursing up a storm!
I gotta say M1 Garand are my all time favorites, and I have much respect for 'em too! That scar going almost all the way arround my finger reminds me of that!
I have one right NOW!!!!!!
I have seen the results of several but have only seen it personally twice.
Once in a safety class you had to attend before shooting in there rifle league.
The instructor said do not do this and WHAM! We had to open it for him. He was a former marine rifle team member and just was paying to much attention to showing what not to do he did it. it was funny as hell.
I got mine about two months ago. I have owned and shot them for many years and yes it happens when the gun is empty. A friend handed me his rifle when I could see was not loaded because it was open. He handed it to me and I just thought being the dummy I am since it was open it was fine. I proceded to place my thumb on the follower while releasing the bolt. Wham! it got me. I use the hold and release one handed method by holding the bolt with the bottom of my hand while using the thumb to release the follower. I just hit it before I was all the way in place.
It hurt like hell for around 3 days. made the thumb nail black untill it grew out and was replaced by a mangled one behind it, On my third one its grown out around half way and should be normal with the 4th one.
My mistake was I trusted it was like I kept mine and not paying attention caused it.
It just like cross firing on someone elses target. I have only done that once also but happened to do it at the nationals. My team mates still get a kick out of that one. HA! HA! There are the ones who have, the ones who will and the ones who will again.
I have seen the results of several but have only seen it personally twice.
Once in a safety class you had to attend before shooting in there rifle league.
The instructor said do not do this and WHAM! We had to open it for him. He was a former marine rifle team member and just was paying to much attention to showing what not to do he did it. it was funny as hell.
I got mine about two months ago. I have owned and shot them for many years and yes it happens when the gun is empty. A friend handed me his rifle when I could see was not loaded because it was open. He handed it to me and I just thought being the dummy I am since it was open it was fine. I proceded to place my thumb on the follower while releasing the bolt. Wham! it got me. I use the hold and release one handed method by holding the bolt with the bottom of my hand while using the thumb to release the follower. I just hit it before I was all the way in place.
It hurt like hell for around 3 days. made the thumb nail black untill it grew out and was replaced by a mangled one behind it, On my third one its grown out around half way and should be normal with the 4th one.
My mistake was I trusted it was like I kept mine and not paying attention caused it.
It just like cross firing on someone elses target. I have only done that once also but happened to do it at the nationals. My team mates still get a kick out of that one. HA! HA! There are the ones who have, the ones who will and the ones who will again.
It's operator failure. Machines don't make mistakes.
Ball of thumb on top of clip, pointing forward(that is nail up not pushing down with the end of said digit), other fingers alongside the right side. Push clip down. When the action closes the bolt will push your thumb up and out of the way.
"...when the gun is empty..." Far more likely when it is.
Ball of thumb on top of clip, pointing forward(that is nail up not pushing down with the end of said digit), other fingers alongside the right side. Push clip down. When the action closes the bolt will push your thumb up and out of the way.
"...when the gun is empty..." Far more likely when it is.
POINTER wrote:
[Did anybody read my joke? /QUOTE]
Yes, and I liked it.
I was a lowly plebe at USMA West Point in 1945 but had the advantage that I had previous experience(as nearly half the class did) having enlisted in 1943 and had previous practical experience with the M1 - we got instructed about it in basic but didn't as plebes. Inspection was, when the inspecting officer came in front of you, you brought your rifle up to "port arms" - rifle pointed left holding the stock with right hand while opening the action with the left hand to where it locked. Inspecting officer essentially caught the rifle as you dropped it and looked down the barrel to check for how clean the bore was. Rifle was then tossed back and you caught it (or got hit in the face with it) and closed the action.
Pretty simple with the 03 Springfield bolt rifle which required manual closing but, if you didn't catch the action with the heel of the right hand on the M1, your right thumb was captive in the action and, not only was it painful, it usually bled a fair amount.
This happened to the plebe next to me and, the bleeding was very evident because we wore white cloth gloves for inspections. He was then cited with gigs (demerits - each one requiring punishment by walking an hour in the concrete area between barracks with the M1 shouldered) for "UNAUTHORIZED MATERIAL (blood) ON GLOVE DURING INSPECTION".
Talk about adding insult to injury. Those were the days!
DavidJBlythe
New member
I did it to myself while saying this "Ok guys... don't be too slow when sending the bolt home of you will get **CRACK** . That was it, my thumb was stuck in the action of a M1 Garand. I stuck the rifle butt between my legs and craked back on the bolt assy with the other hand. I lost that nail and bruised every part of my thumb from the nuckle to tip. It also bled a lot. What was great was none of those students ever got M1 thumb after seeing what I accidently did to myself.