Watch: Fire the M1 Garand Like a Bolt Action

This video is a bit on the dry side, but it has some good info. From how to avoid the old “M1 thumb” malady to loading it one at a time to loading it with fewer than a full clip’s worth of ammo, it shows the operation pretty well.

My favorite part is about removing the gas plug so you can fire and cycle the gun one at a time without worrying about your brass getting flung all over the place.

To address potential safety questions, I will add a quote from the guy who made the video:

I used an A-ZOOM snap cap to show loading of a single round. When I show the other ways, I used 30-06 rounds WITHOUT powder or primer (I’m a reloader). Sorry not to point that out in the video.

What we have here is four minutes of education and entertainment involving one of the world’s most legendary military rifles, chambered for a round that’s still incredibly popular today.

Ain’t nothing wrong with that.

Russ Chastain

Editor & Contributing Writer Russ Chastain is a lifelong hunter and shooter who has spent his life learning about hunting, shooting, guns, ammunition, gunsmithing, reloading, and bullet casting. He started toting his own gun in the woods at age nine and he's pursued deer with rifles since 1982, so his hunting knowledge has been growing for more than three and a half decades. His desire and ability to share this knowledge with others has also grown, and Russ has been professionally writing and editing original hunting & shooting content since 1998. Russ Chastain has a passion for sharing accurate, honest, interesting hunting & shooting knowledge and stories with people of all skill levels.