Combat Arms
2869 Grove Way
Castro Valley, California 94546-6709
Telephone (415) 538-6544
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บ Slam Fires on M1 Garands, M1A's, FN-LAR's, SAT-48's and M1 Carbines บ
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The following information is based on an article in the October, 1983
edition of American Rifleman entitled "The Mysterious Slam-Fire." Because
this is so important to shooters of the above weapons, Springfield Armory
sent a reprint of that article. Since many shooters do not get to see this
information, Combat Arms is providing the salient or main points to
consider.
Slam fires occur when the bolt closes and, without the trigger being
pulled, the round that was chambered fires and destroys the gun. An
analysis of these problems seems to indicate that:
1. Commercial primers are more sensitive than military primers. When
the bolt slams closed, the free floating firing pin will contact
the primer. Normally this should not be a problem. However, if
the round is a reload and the primer is incorrectly seated, that
may cause the slam firing to occur.
2. If you are a reloader, another problem to watch for is an
improperly sized case or one in which the bullet is not seated to
the correct depth, making the overall case length too long. A
properly sized case will enter the chamber under finger pressure.
Never fire a round that fits tightly in the chamber. Never fire
reloads in a gun that is under warranty. It voids the warranty!
3. On guns that have had their hammer hooks stoned (match grade
firearms), if the stoning was excessive, that can contribute to
the slam fire. People stone the hammer hooks to remove excess
trigger creep. It should never be attempted except by a qualified
armorer or gunsmith. Also use caution in modifying the ejector,
extractor or extractor spring. If the ejector is too short or the
extractor spring too weak, the bolt cushioning is lessened and
consequently, bolt momentum to the head of the cartridge case is
increased. Again, this sort of work should be performed by a
qualified armorer or gunsmith.
4. Watch for impending case separation if you are reloading. Look
for "stretch marks" on the cases. These indicate an impending
case separation. Destroy these cases by crushing them flat with a
hammer. Also watch for a bright high pressure ring forming ahead
of the case web.
5. Remove the firing fin occasionally and clean the firing pin
recesses in the bolt. This prevents the firing pin from sticking.
6. Lubricate with Break-Free CLP (TM). This is one of the finest
cleaners, lubricants and preservatives ever made. If you do not
know how to properly clean your weapon, then do not be shy.
Contact your local gun shop and hire someone there to teach you
how to do it properly.
7. Always wear shooting glasses! You have been given one set of eyes
in this life. If the gun literally explodes while you are holding
it, you could lose your eyesight. Safety glasses are very
inexpensive ($4.95 to $29.95).
As you can see, the biggest factor affecting slam fires is reloaded
ammunition. In my humble opinion, based on being a shooter and gun store
owner, not one reloader in 100 knows how to properly reload. The biggest
reason is that the remaining 99 out of 100 do not carefully study the
reloading manual and follow instructions. There are many ways to reload and
only one or two correct ways.
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