Can you do this?

[Alpo]

I've never tried it, so I don't know if it's possible.

 

Put a full clip of 8 rounds into an M1, and push the top one down so that you can lower the bolt over the cartridge. So you can have the magazine loaded, but the chamber empty.

 

For that matter, can you do that with an 03? Have five in the magazine but the bolt closed on an empty chamber?

 

During World War II you could have a loaded magazine and an empty chamber with a carbine, a 1911, a Thompson, a Reising, or a grease gun.

 

Curious if you could do it with either of the two main battle rifles?

[punxsutawneypete]

The Springfield rifles were equipped with a magazine cutoff which caused the bolt not to go back far enough to pick up a shell from the magazine.  Basically that made the Springfield a single shot rifle until the lever for the magazine cutoff was pushed up..  When I sporterized an 03A3 Springfield many years ago, I deliberately left enough wood on the new stock to keep the magazine cutoff lever from being pushed down.

[Sedalia Dave]

Don't know about the M1 but on an M1903 it is possible to load the mag full and close the bolt on an empty chamber.

[Smoken D]

03 yes, M3 greaser is an open bolt weapon, fixed firing pin on the bolt so when the bolt goes forward picks up a round into the chamber and firing pin hits the primer and it hopefully goes bang. Bolt goes back and as long as the finger on the trigger the cycle continues till releasing the trigger or out of ammo. I loved using the sucker, also one of the most dangerous weapons in the world because of this system.

[LawMan Mark, SASS #57095L]

You have to download the Garand clip to 7 rounds and press it down to allow the bolt to ride over the cartridges and close on an empty chamber.  Standard operating practice during matches when you have to get into prone or sitting position.  

[Alpo]

6 hours ago, Smoken D said:

one of the most dangerous weapons in the world because of this system.

Don't see why it would be. Up into the 60s, and maybe even later, all submachine guns were open bolt. Thompson is, MP40 is, Uzi is. No more dangerous than any other gun - keep your finger off the trigger until you're ready to shoot.

 

Let the bolt go forward on an empty chamber, then insert a magazine. Now you have a loaded magazine and an empty chamber. Simple.

[Smoken D]

9 minutes ago, Alpo said:

Don't see why it would be. Up into the 60s, and maybe even later, all submachine guns were open bolt. Thompson is, MP40 is, Uzi is. No more dangerous than any other gun - keep your finger off the trigger until you're ready to shoot.

 

Let the bolt go forward on an empty chamber, then insert a magazine. Now you have a loaded magazine and an empty chamber. Simple.

 

Drop, slam against something on most will jar the bolt causing it to go forward and bang. I know but still loved the ole baby.

[Tascosa, SASS# 24838]

While walking guard duty around the flight line we had M-1's and loaded 7 in the clip, and let the bolt go forward slowly on an empty chamber. God help you if u were caught with a round in the chamber. Same with the 1911's when I made buck sgt. Empty chamber and a loaded mag. I learned how to chamber a round with the weapon in the holster by our old timer 1st. Sgt.

[Utah Bob #35998]

As Mark stated, you can't do it with a fully loaded enbloc clip. You can't push the rounds down far enough for the bolt to clear. You need to take a round out. And why would you. The safety works fine.

 

[Utah Bob #35998]

48 minutes ago, Alpo said:

Don't see why it would be. Up into the 60s, and maybe even later, all submachine guns were open bolt. Thompson is, MP40 is, Uzi is. No more dangerous than any other gun - keep your finger off the trigger until you're ready to shoot.

 

Let the bolt go forward on an empty chamber, then insert a magazine. Now you have a loaded magazine and an empty chamber. Simple.

Sure. No problem with a detachable mag. But you would never go into combat with an empty chamber.

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

7 hours ago, Smoken D said:

03 yes, M3 greaser is an open bolt weapon, fixed firing pin on the bolt so when the bolt goes forward picks up a round into the chamber and firing pin hits the primer and it hopefully goes bang. Bolt goes back and as long as the finger on the trigger the cycle continues till releasing the trigger or out of ammo. I loved using the sucker, also one of the most dangerous weapons in the world because of this system.

I had a Polish bunk mate from Detroit who carried a M-3A1 in 'Nam.  He loved that ugly thing because it worked very well for him.  Really ugly gun but he had a Lotus Europa back home.

[Alpo]

1 hour ago, Utah Bob #35998 said:

And why would you. The safety works fine.

One of The Corps series. They are making a raid on a Japanese-held island. They are being very quiet and sneaky, until they are in position, so the Japanese do not know they are coming.

 

Suddenly the loud BANG of a 30/06 splits the night. Some Bright Young Man walking along with his finger on the trigger had stumbled. The Japanese were alerted, and the raid ended badly.

 

And that just got me to wondering if an M1 could be carried condition 3.

 

Having the safety on would be better, and keeping your finger out of the trigger would be better yet. But if it was in condition 3 it could not fire.

 

So I wondered.

[Cat Brules]

So am I.

CB

[Cypress Sun]

2 hours ago, Smoken D said:

 

Drop, slam against something on most will jar the bolt causing it to go forward and bang. I know but still loved the ole baby.

 

My dad tells a story of being in the Saigon airport when an ARVN dropped the M3 he was carrying. It shot about 1/2 the mag while moving around on the floor. By some miracle, no one was injured. He said it sure woke the place up though.

[Tascosa, SASS# 24838]

2 hours ago, Utah Bob #35998 said:

As Mark stated, you can't do it with a fully loaded enbloc clip. You can't push the rounds down far enough for the bolt to clear. You need to take a round out. And why would you. The safety works fine.

 

Never question why the AF does something. I understand that some General in his office is the all knowing, appointed by God. (Or so I thought at the time)

 

[Tascosa, SASS# 24838]

44 minutes ago, Alpo said:

One of The Corps series. They are making a raid on a Japanese-held island. They are being very quiet and sneaky, until they are in position, so the Japanese do not know they are coming.

 

Suddenly the loud BANG of a 30/06 splits the night. Some Bright Young Man walking along with his finger on the trigger had stumbled. The Japanese were alerted, and the raid ended badly.

 

And that just got me to wondering if an M1 could be carried condition 3.

 

Having the safety on would be better, and keeping your finger out of the trigger would be better yet. But if it was in condition 3 it could not fire.

 

So I wondered.

Alpo you don't understand the military mind of the brass. Its all about CYA and not what makes sense or what will work.

[Smoken D]

3 hours ago, Cypress Sun said:

 

My dad tells a story of being in the Saigon airport when an ARVN dropped the M3 he was carrying. It shot about 1/2 the mag while moving around on the floor. By some miracle, no one was injured. He said it sure woke the place up though.

 

It worked just as it was designed to do.

[Noz]

22 hours ago, Smoken D said:

03 yes, M3 greaser is an open bolt weapon, fixed firing pin on the bolt so when the bolt goes forward picks up a round into the chamber and firing pin hits the primer and it hopefully goes bang. Bolt goes back and as long as the finger on the trigger the cycle continues till releasing the trigger or out of ammo. I loved using the sucker, also one of the most dangerous weapons in the world because of this system.

They were fun weren't they?

[Smoken D]

5 hours ago, Noz said:

They were fun weren't they?

 

Next to auto Thompson, the most funnest gun I have ever shot. 

[Tex Jones, SASS 2263]

22 hours ago, Tascosa, SASS# 24838 said:

While walking guard duty around the flight line we had M-1's and loaded 7 in the clip, and let the bolt go forward slowly on an empty chamber. God help you if u were caught with a round in the chamber. Same with the 1911's when I made buck sgt. Empty chamber and a loaded mag. I learned how to chamber a round with the weapon in the holster by our old timer 1st. Sgt.

There was an article in one of the gun magazines, back in the 60s that featured an MP who had a hook arrangement on the inside of his duty holster that he used to chamber a round in his 45.  The rear sight of the pistol was caught by the hook and it held the slide in place while he pushed down on the grip to chamber a round.  It looked like it could work, but I don't know if it would, in practice.

[Tascosa, SASS# 24838]

2 hours ago, Tex Jones, SASS 2263 said:

There was an article in one of the gun magazines, back in the 60s that featured an MP who had a hook arrangement on the inside of his duty holster that he used to chamber a round in his 45.  The rear sight of the pistol was caught by the hook and it held the slide in place while he pushed down on the grip to chamber a round.  It looked like it could work, but I don't know if it would, in practice.

The way our 1st Sgt. showed us was to pull the 1911 about half way out, Turn it side ways (grip pointing away from your body) and push down to chamber a round. in the leather GI holsters and the light springs on the 1911 it worked. We all learned to keep our fingers off the trigger when one idiot blew the bottom of his holster out. The only injury he got was a large red spot on his leg where the gun fired. He was extremely lucky. Since that time I keep my finger off the trigger. (It happened to this idiot)