Slam Fire / Op Rod Forward Assist
Slam Fire
This is just an opinion.. I would want to know if the rifle I owned and shoot has slam fire potential. Putting aside all the common ammo causes for slam fires, is there still potential for slam fires? The answer is "Yes.".There are several reasons for mechanical slam fires, they can be bolt related or bridge related, firing pin related, or all three.
I have seen M1A's that have the slam fire potential built in coming from the Manufacture. I always test my M1A's for just such a condition by inserting a case, with primer only, into the chamber and dropping the bolt into battery, I repeat this several times using the same case on a pin dimpled primer. I do this in a safe manner. If the primer fires I get the rifle to an Armorer or return it to the seller. I can not imagine having a rifle that I was worried about in this regard,
I am not suggesting that anybody use the above, maybe you feel safer hoping.
Operating Rod Forward Assist
Thanks to all that responded to the Slam Fire Thread, the information was informative and interesting. The fact that nobody has personally witnessed a Slam Fire speaks well of both Shooters and the Receivers now being used and those shooting them. This was not always the case, if you will bear with me, I will tell you about another type of Slam Fire that can and did happen, resulting in a serious injury and a damaged M1A.
To this point the slam fire discussion has centered around the dropping of the bolt on a chambered round in a M1A. As Ripcord has stated, he has fired thousands of rounds using the above while in the Service, he was using a M14, {this may be an assumption**, but the M14 is a different weapon, thank you Ripcord for the input. To the point of this Thread, I am referring to the M1A and M1 Garands with cast receivers.
The accident I witnessed came about from the shooter using what was called the, "Forward Assist," on the opt rod, striking the handle with the heel of his hand to ensure the bolt was in full lock position. He did this because he was not certain a round had chambered and he pulled the rod back to have a peek, then releasing the bolt which did not go to full lock. he gave it an assist to drive it home, it fired removing a good portion of his right heel pad. This assist was a common practice years ago with the Garands, somebody correct me if I'm wrong, and no, I did not train on a Springfield, but I recall that this assist was taught in the Military on the firing line.
Many M1A's have a point in the froward travel of the bolt, just before the lug rolls over the rec. locking lug, to hang up. this is particularly true in a new rifle. It is at this point of forward travel that the firing pin tang contacts the bridge. If the cam surface on the bridge is not in the correct position, and many are not, the tang hits the bridge to the right of the cam surface, fails to rotate properly and the bolt will hang just above lock up. With a sharp forward assist of the rod the bolt will lock up, it also can fire, if you are fast enough and lucky enough you may avoid injury. However, the rifle may not.
Next time you have the rifle out of the stock, pull the rod back slowly and observe the tang of the firing pin, let the rod go into battery very slowly and see if your FP tang strikes the cam surface on the bridge correctly. See if there is gouging on the bridge or the tang, most of the damage, if there is any, will be on the tang. Over time this miss alignment corrects itself, that is, it stops hanging up as a result of the battering the two parts. If the cam on the FP is damaged replace it with a steel pin, it's softer and will cause less battering of the bridge which can not be replaced.
If you use the FORWARD ASSIST, insure your hand. If you suspect that a round failed to chamber, rack the rod to the rear and put a fresh round in, always let the rod drop from full range.
By Art Luppino
This is just an opinion.. I would want to know if the rifle I owned and shoot has slam fire potential. Putting aside all the common ammo causes for slam fires, is there still potential for slam fires? The answer is "Yes.".There are several reasons for mechanical slam fires, they can be bolt related or bridge related, firing pin related, or all three.
I have seen M1A's that have the slam fire potential built in coming from the Manufacture. I always test my M1A's for just such a condition by inserting a case, with primer only, into the chamber and dropping the bolt into battery, I repeat this several times using the same case on a pin dimpled primer. I do this in a safe manner. If the primer fires I get the rifle to an Armorer or return it to the seller. I can not imagine having a rifle that I was worried about in this regard,
I am not suggesting that anybody use the above, maybe you feel safer hoping.
Operating Rod Forward Assist
Thanks to all that responded to the Slam Fire Thread, the information was informative and interesting. The fact that nobody has personally witnessed a Slam Fire speaks well of both Shooters and the Receivers now being used and those shooting them. This was not always the case, if you will bear with me, I will tell you about another type of Slam Fire that can and did happen, resulting in a serious injury and a damaged M1A.
To this point the slam fire discussion has centered around the dropping of the bolt on a chambered round in a M1A. As Ripcord has stated, he has fired thousands of rounds using the above while in the Service, he was using a M14, {this may be an assumption**, but the M14 is a different weapon, thank you Ripcord for the input. To the point of this Thread, I am referring to the M1A and M1 Garands with cast receivers.
The accident I witnessed came about from the shooter using what was called the, "Forward Assist," on the opt rod, striking the handle with the heel of his hand to ensure the bolt was in full lock position. He did this because he was not certain a round had chambered and he pulled the rod back to have a peek, then releasing the bolt which did not go to full lock. he gave it an assist to drive it home, it fired removing a good portion of his right heel pad. This assist was a common practice years ago with the Garands, somebody correct me if I'm wrong, and no, I did not train on a Springfield, but I recall that this assist was taught in the Military on the firing line.
Many M1A's have a point in the froward travel of the bolt, just before the lug rolls over the rec. locking lug, to hang up. this is particularly true in a new rifle. It is at this point of forward travel that the firing pin tang contacts the bridge. If the cam surface on the bridge is not in the correct position, and many are not, the tang hits the bridge to the right of the cam surface, fails to rotate properly and the bolt will hang just above lock up. With a sharp forward assist of the rod the bolt will lock up, it also can fire, if you are fast enough and lucky enough you may avoid injury. However, the rifle may not.
Next time you have the rifle out of the stock, pull the rod back slowly and observe the tang of the firing pin, let the rod go into battery very slowly and see if your FP tang strikes the cam surface on the bridge correctly. See if there is gouging on the bridge or the tang, most of the damage, if there is any, will be on the tang. Over time this miss alignment corrects itself, that is, it stops hanging up as a result of the battering the two parts. If the cam on the FP is damaged replace it with a steel pin, it's softer and will cause less battering of the bridge which can not be replaced.
If you use the FORWARD ASSIST, insure your hand. If you suspect that a round failed to chamber, rack the rod to the rear and put a fresh round in, always let the rod drop from full range.
By Art Luppino
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