Garand thumb

[John Sukey (Deceased)]

The guy who made that video was a WUSS! Also he would have had some nasty things said to him if he tried doing that during inspection arms.

You use the edge of your palm to hold the op rod back. Insert thumb and depress follower until you hear a click, get thumb out of the way THEN release the op rod! When loading a clip, you will often have to give the op rod a boost to get it to chamber a round.

Oh by the way, I carried one for THREE years and I NEVER chambered my thumb!

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[oozlefinch]

Also he would have had some nasty things said to him if he tried doing that during inspection arms.

Whenever I see anyone work the bolt of an M1 with his index finger, palm down, I hear old Corporal Couch bellow. This way, if a hangfire was to discharge, just as one reached for it, the operating rod would strike the web of the hand at the base of the thumb. I doubt that anyone actually had his thumb torn off, but the injury was enough to cause a casualty.

The only correct way to work the bolt is with the crook of the little finger of the right hand, with the palm facing up.

Hangfires were much more common with the corrosive primers than they are now, but the drill still applies.