"Garand Thumb"

[mauritz45]

i have come soooo close it happened trying to load the rifle while shooting off bags thats a very bad angle and it almost got me. knock wood, that made me much more aware of the loading process.--cam

[gunsnrovers]

Got it once when I first got my Garand way back when. Had to burn a hole in my thumb nail with a needle to relieve the blood pressure and throbbing. Got a good spurt out of it! Thumb nail died and turned black for while until it grew out.

That's definitely a "fool me once" trick.

[Timberwolf]

If you shoot a M1 a lot a "Garand thumb" is not an if but a when and it only takes once.

[phish]

I don't see an option for "Garand hand".

[Milsurp Collector]

"M1 Thumb" usually occurs when trying to close the bolt on an empty rifle. When there is a loaded en bloc clip in place the resistance of the round being chambered slows down the bolt closing so there is plenty of time to get your thumb out of the way. Sometimes the resistance is so high that the op rod handle needs a nudge or slap to close the bolt.

One can install a Holbrook device to prevent M1 Thumb http://www.m1thumbsaver.com/ It replaces the standard op rod catch. With the Holbrook device installed, after a clip is loaded the bolt won't close until the op rod handle is pulled back slightly and released. When the clip is empty it isn't ejected until the clip latch is pressed.

[M1A Rifleman]

Once while cleaning the thing. It hurt like a mother and I lost the nail.

[mls343]

Nope, never experienced it, thankfully. It's all about technique.

[smle-man]

36 years and counting - no M1 thumb and I've been using and shooting M1 rifles all that time. Do it right from the first and you will never, ever experience the M1 thumb.

[sevensix2x51]

thats just one of those places that we all must be very careful when we put our fingers inside... Fingers and metal under tension are never a good combination. Ive never gotten bit, but i am always generally pretty good about not getting in the line of fire...

[buffybuster]

Never happened to me. My father forewarned me, when I was 6-7yrs old. One of the few things I heeded. It's been 30+ years..... knock on wood.

[bear308]

got close once, but didn't quite get caught. be careful out there.

[NRAhighpowershooter]

It's impossible for a Lefty to get M1 Thumb, simply by virtue of the way we have to load it single shot.. and as for the rest of you.. it is impossible for ANYONE to get M1 Thumb LOADING a en-bloc in a Garand....

[grossekatz]

My m1 tried to feed my index finger once when I was cleaning it. Even better, once when I had to clear for a cease fire, I managed to ding myself in the forehead with a full enblock as it un expectedly jumped out of the action.
The worst thumb bite I ever got was from a g43, again when cleaning it. It left a nice purple blister on the side of my thumb.

[GM4spd]

Mike,you have to be smarter than the equipment you are operating.

sorry,couldn't resist, Pete in TO

[kurac]

I got it once while cleaning, I had the rifle mostly apart and needed to release the bolt in order to get the oprod spring out, well, I got bit in the process. Didn't loose the nail or anything that bad but it was still an experience that I do not want to repeat.