Has your finger ever got caught in the slide?

[the86d]

Garand Thumb

Damage your thumb in a Garand, then you will probably spend a grand in doc and specialist co-payments for your insurance.

[Condorguns]

20+ years of Gunsmithing I have smashed my fingers in an embarrassing amounts of firearms. I have bleed like a stuck pig, loss the use of a finger for a day or so, but never needed a hospital. I have created new cuss words in a fraction of a second.

Just remember if you do it good enough to bleed you need to strip the gun and remove ALL the blood from inside. Blood does very bad things to metal.

[Deimos887]

Damage your thumb in a Garand, then you will probably spend a grand in doc and specialist co-payments for your insurance.

I got lucky, I somehow managed to pull my thumb from the action before the full weight of the bolt came down on it, I guess I just got nicked.... really hard.

No blood or broken bones, Hurt like all hell though, huge bruise.

absolutely no doubts about the stories of squirting blood, or broken thumbs.

The best part is, (few years ago) I had just received it from the CMP (1st Garand) maybe a week prior, was out with a buddy on BLM and was showing him how to load it WITHOUT getting Garand thumb. I didn't have enough traction on the op-rod with my hand, slipped....

Hasn't happened since!

[PyroFox79]

My instructor in MOS school lost his ring finger while working on a M2 because someone leaned on the gun and hit the bolt release

[1911su16b870]

Ljungman AG42 bolt pinch/thumb is equal to or maybe a bit worse than Garand thumb!

[whtl]

I remember the pain of the M1 thumb. You young whipper snappers don't have any idea what I'm talking about.

[billrd]

You don't need to stick your finger in your gun unless you are cleaning it. It should be field stripped first.
If you drop your magazine free and clear. Then cycle the action manually, Any round that may be in the chamber will eject or fall down your magwell.
If you must stick your finger in there for fun, and by chance, drop your slide release. It won't hurt too bad.

Assuming the extractor and/or the ejector works.
And you know what they say about assume!

[ElDub1950]

Not saying there aren't any, but I don't own any handguns where it isn't easy to clearly see if the chamber is empty or if there's a chunk of brass plugging the hole.

As far as being able to do it in the dark, under what situation are you going to be fooling around with you gun in the dark? Except maybe actual combat, and in that case, why are you trying to make sure your gun is UNloaded?

[billrd]

Garand Thumb

Actually it's called M1 thumb.
Had the bolt hang up on the follower once in front of 150 reserve recruits.
Of course when I inserted my thumb it immediately releases the bolt. Of course being tough jarhead I just kept going like nothing happened but there may have been a tear or two on my cheek

[mikenewgun87]

Im a victim of slide bite...i was clearing a beretta m9 and gotten my middle finger bit, young gunslinger lesson learned. I still dont like the m9 platform the USMC has adopted.

[beardog308]

Don't ever even think about sticking your finger into the chamber of a Browning A-5, if there is even the slightest chance in the world that the bolt release button can be bumped.

You will Scream like a little girl........You Will Cuss Loudly........You Will have a 50/50 chance of busting the finger..........And You Will Bleed


BTDT...............ONCE

JM2c

I lost a fingernail when the bolt slammed shut on my 1923 Remington Model 11.

[hambam105]

Anyone who feels it necessary to insert fingers into the chamber of a firearm are free to due so until further notice... or until the obvious become apparent to those in doubt.

[ninja750r]

I cleaned my gun and was racking the slide finger slipped and got caught in the chamber with slide closed it was unloaded. Had to lock slide back with one hand. Pretty interesting situation.

[hambam105]

How could anyone get their finger caught in the action when cycling the slide?
I can see if you were that space creature in the movie, Independence Day. Wait a second, there was that time I got my big toe...

[retiredAFcop]

Pinch, scrape, cut, bruise, smash, crush, cracked/smashed fingernail (not broken past the finger, but cracked across the top of the finger), and broken knuckle are all possibilities - If you are dealing with a heavier bolt, under more spring tension, the damage will tend to be worse.