Sir:
I’ve been experiencing a few “7th round jams” where after the 6th round is fired and the bolt is starting to go forward to pick up the 7th round out of the clip, the entire clip just jumps up part way (like it does after the 8th round) and the bolt stops against it. The only solution is to pull the bolt back, and push the clip and 2 remaining rounds back down and continue firing.
JWR Replies: The same thing happened to me with my DCM Garand. The offending part turned out to be the “follower arm” (the small piece connected to the mainspring) that pushes up the follower, which in turn pushes up the rounds in the clip. It was slightly bent or warped. My attempts to straighten it out were unsuccessful. Eventually, I got a replacement part from Gun Parts Corp for about $6.00 plus postage. The only other hang-ups that I’ve had with M1s were been due to inadequate lubrication. Always remember to grease the shallow half moon groove on the top of the hammer, the bottom of the bolt, the bolt roller, and the top hump at the rear of the bolt. Also, lightly lubricate every other moving part (preferably with Break Free.) See the U.S. Army M1 Garand field manual for details.