Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire M1 Garand empty clips not ejecting

My M1 will eject a full clip every time with dummy rounds but most of the time the empty clips don't clear the action. The bolt locks back and the clip is sitting loose in the magazine. When I cycle dummy rounds through it and the last round ejects I hear the ping and the clip jumps up but not out of the magazine.

Have you already tried the obvious things like disassemble, clean, and grease?

Sounds like your clip ejector spring is failing. When there are rounds in the clip, the main spring will eject the full clip by acting on the follower. When the clip is empty, it won’t. There is a separate spring that ejects just the clip, and they do fail. Fortunately they are cheap and easy to replace. Do that, and you’ll be pinging again in no time.

Old70

I like that pinging sound a lot.

I broke it down, cleaned, greased what slides, and oiled what spins. It has been refurbished as the parkerizing looks new on the trigger group and there are some new looking parts. I did smooth the slot for the clip ejector spring as there was some roughness. I'll order a clip ejector spring.
Thanks for the replies.

This right here.

Thanks Vic. I just ordered a spring kit from Fulton Armory.

You're quite welcome, old70 had the answer before I did.

FA may be a little pricier than others, but I've always gotten a top-notch product from them.

Fast shipping, also.

I need to quit looking at their M1 Carbines....

ammogarand.com also has parts at good prices

Old 70 nailed it but I would suggest some live fire before determining a spring failed.



Travis

If your clips are spec, then you should replace the spring as suggested. The spring kit is a good idea because the op spring could be squared off. A kinking op spring can cause this issue. The next thing that should be replaced is the operating rod catch. Really if the ejector spring is not worn and broke, it is very likely you need a op rod catch.
If that does not work try new USGI clips, a op rod, and a remote chance the slide that the clip rides on, I forget that part name.

Clark has a point, he read it closer than I did. If you are cycling dummies through, don't pull it back into where it locks the bolt back, instead let the clip eject first, then lock the bolt back.

There is a video clip of Mr Garand himself cycling rounds through, and he does that slight little pause with the 8th round.

Thanks, Dave.

Thanks for the input. I fired 6 clips today and most failed to fully eject. The follower and bolt catch look like new parts. The clips are new.

Well, new springs never hurt.

I just got an 03A3, so my Garand has been neglected. I'll have to fix that.

I trust you will get it running 100%.

The clips failed to eject or the rounds themselves?



Travis

Hey, at least you won't be getting rushed by any cagey enemies.

The cases eject fine shooting and cycling dummy rounds. The clip is released from the clip latch and pops up a little and then drops back loose in the magazine. This happens most of the time. Sometimes the clip is ejected but not specific to certain clips.

Gotcha. That clip ejector spring should fix your problem.

PING!

Travis

Thanks to all. I got my spring kit and replaced the clip ejector spring, hammer spring, and the clip latch spring (with an extra strength). The clips eject great now using a dummy round and cycling the bolt. I will replace the op rod spring, ejector spring, and extractor spring when I tear the rifle down for the next cleaning. Placing the clip ejector springs side by side showed the old one was weak.

Awesome.

Gotta keep them old wardogs bitin'... grin.