Garand warning!

desporterizer

desporterizer

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It not just thumbs that are in jeopardy! I was cleaning my garand & didn't notice that the bolt wasn't all the way back while cleaning some crud out of the action. As soon as my finger brushed up against the follower, the rifle tried to chamber my index finger. Ouch!:owned:
 
Don't worry...the swelling goes down in about two days, the black finger nail will eventually fall off.
Almost everyone who has owned an M-1 Garand has had their digits caught at least once. As a kid I figured I was faster then the gun...I was wrong as I had a Garand dangling from my middle finger...if dad would have had a camera it would have been a priceless photo.
 
At the Battle of the Bulge shoot at CFB Shilo (or at Wolverine, which is where it usually is while most of the guys are off in sunny Afghanistan) there is usually a special "Blood & Guts Award" for the worst injury of the shoot.

Saw a guy actually cut himself on a Bren Gun (I have NO idea how!), but the award generally is taken by somebody who got his fingers somewhere wrong with a Garand.

Good thing Kar 43s are so expensive, else there would be lots more wrecked LEFT hands!

One good point about it: you'll never do it again.

My sympathy, honestly. That HURTS!
 
Garand Thumb is caused by operator failure. Usually, as in this case, when cleaning improperly or when closing an empty rifle.
"...Almost everyone who has owned an M-1 Garand has..." Not once in 30 plus years. Got bit by a Benelli shotgun once though. That was operator failure too.
 
Apparently, the Ljungmann is even worse on fingers than the Garand.

I never got my fingers hammered by any of my semi-autos, but I practice safety first, which is to identify the moving parts (IE charging handle, OP-rod on M14, etc.) and keeping fingers clear of them.

When I shoot a rifle offhand, semi or bolt, Garand-style or not, I place my hand towards the end of the stock, away from the action. Its a good habit to develop.
 
UCSPanther said:
Apparently, the Ljungmann is even worse on fingers than the Garand.
Click to expand...


Got bit by a Hakim in a gun store once, embarassing as hell - bled like a stuck pig.

They gave me a bandaid. :redface:

Have had the bolt on a M1 Carbine come off safety and slam shut on my fingers several times ...........

........... not bad at all compared to Garand, Hakim, et al ..........
 
sorry guys, The M1 they issued me NEVER chambered my thumb and the one I bought because the army made me give the first one back hasn't done that either. I can't even begin to count the nunmber of times I closed the bolt after "inspection arms"
Funny thing, whenever I saw a Ljungman on the rack at a gun store the bolt was ALWAYS open. the trigger snappers never figure out how to close it. I will admit that the force of the bolt closing on one is something I NEVER want to have anyone of my digits in the way of it.

Now one that didn't get away.
At Ye Olde Hunter in Alexandria Virginia many years ago, they had a Steyr Solothurn on the display floor. the salesman told me that one customer cranked the bolt back (rack and pinion), put his finger in the ejection port against the bolt face and pulled the trigger because he wanted to see how strong the return spring was. It did a bit more than give him an "owie"
 
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