Posted: 4/3/2005 7:58:16 PM EDT
|
So I have a question about m1 garand and Medal of Honor. My father just passed his copy of Allied Assult to me, but he mentions something about this in the game and of course you guys have seen Saving Private Ryan. But when they reload the m1, they smash the clip on a rock or helmet or rock before loading it, and I've always wondered why. My father has two explanations. 1. For good luck. 2. To unjam the bullets in the clip. So anyone whose handled m1s or in a war with them. Does anyone have an explantion for this? Thanks. |
|
I'm Good at metal of honor:AA :) Ive never heard of them knocking the M1 clips on anything. But I'd think it was mostly for luck. I also dont recall this happening in the game, but I havent played through the single player in a while. ETA:Looks like vanilla gorilla got it... I also do it to regular magazines. |
First, it's M1 Garand. Second, it's MEDAL of Honor. As for tapping, not smashing, the enbloc clips, I have never done or seen it done on a rock, but I tap it against my leg or on a table top to ensure that all the rounds are as far back in the clip as possible, the same thing with a mag. Yes, lot's of guys in the military did, with the clips back then, and do now, with mags, tap it against their helmet for the same reason. |
It probably would have been better just to call it the m1. :)
|
I've never known it to really be necessary when loading a garand. The clip holds the rounds pretty firmly, and I've never tapped the clip, and have never had a problem leading the clip into the rifle. (And I've fired a LOT of rounds out of Garands - including in field conditions) |
Funny, there has been reports that on the buttstocks of some WWII Garands, is a pattern of 8 points in the wood from soliders tapping the ammo so that it would fully seat in the clip. |
It's an empirical question - start a poll. The membership here has hundered (probably thousands) of garands. Aske them. If people regularly tapped their clips, the entire buttstock would be peppered with marks. I've owned 6 garands, and none of them ahd such marks. Among the hundreds of garands I've seen in my life, I don't ever recall seeing such marks on a single one. I'm curious how mnay garands out there have them (I'm sure you are right that occasionally someone woudl do this- but my guess is that it is extremely uncommon) |
Buddy of mine on a ROTC exercise did this. And forgot he was wearing a boonie and not his helmet. Damned near knocked himself out. |
| A lot of guy would slide the sling between the rounds in the clip which would keep them "handy". So through pulling a clip off the sling or from getting knocked around you can have a round slide a little forward, so by habbit if you give them a quick tap, you be sure the clip will insert in the weapon. |
+1 The Garands stripper clips dont really need tapping, however I tap my AR magazines before using. |
It was a thread on this forum that I read it, it was in the Armory forum, don't recall exactly. |
I remember reading the very same thing (probably the thread you are talking about) - and whenever I get a garand - all of mine are WW2, I always check. But I've yet to see such marks, so I was just curious how common they really are - my guess is every rare. But I really don't know. |
|
I've never seen the marks, either, on MY M1 before I put new wood on it, or on my Dad's, or my Uncle's. I just now purposely unseated one of the rounds in an M1 enbloc clip (I just happen to have one right here on my desk), and I tried tapping the base of it on my leg. The round didn't move. You'd have to tap it pretty hard to make it seat... these clips hold the rounds pretty tight. The Private Ryan thing (I didn't personally notice this in the film, but I only watched it once) may come from writers who have seen GI's tapping M-16 mags on their helmets. I tend to tap an AR mag on my leg to seat the rounds toward the rear, myself. My Dad is a WWII vet... I'll have to ask him and see what he says. FITTER |
|
I've PUSHED a clip(bullets against something hard) against something once or twice during the years to seat the bullets. IIRC, it was when one of the rounds worked itself forward when I snatched it off of the sling. I believe it was in my m1-'08 because the rounds HAVE to be seated tight against the back of the clip to fit in past the safety block.(The safety block is a gizmo that keeps a guy from stuffing a clip of .30 cal (.30/06) into the rifle.) |
I didn't say they didn't tap them, I said they didn't SMASH them on a rock. Read my entire reply. |
Personally, I have never seen the marks they have mentioned. The only time I have done it or seen it done was tapping the on the back of the clip (the other end that would not leave the 8 marks) up against the helmet/knee/stock. |