Video: M1 Garand Explodes in Shooter’s Hands
OutdoorHub Reporters 11.19.14
This video has been floating around on the internet for a few years, but has been recently gaining traction after being posted to LiveLeak. In it, a woman firing what appears to be a M1 Garand suffers a catastrophic failure that will make your jaw drop.
The standard US service rifle for both World War II and the Korean War, the M1 Garand has earned its reputation as a powerful and accurate rifle. For many history buffs and gun collectors, the Garand is also a popular choice due to its background. However, as you’ll see in the video below, it is far from indestructible.
The cause of the explosion has not been confirmed, but many viewers are throwing out theories such as a squib—a bullet lodged in the barrel due to an underloaded round—or problems with the ammunition. The prevailing thought is that it was an out-of-battery detonation.
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“The 7th round jammed, which is nothing unusual for this gun,” wrote arizonagirl24, who posted the video to YouTube and also claimed to be the shooter. “It happens all the time. That is why I didn’t really hesitate to shoot the final round. We were using newer ammo, so we don’t think that’s the problem. My brother has been looking at his M1, and we noticed it will still fire with the chamber not fully closed. The chamber can be open up to 1/2″ and the weapon will still fire. We think that’s what happened.”
She also claimed that neither her or her brother were seriously injured by the blast, although she did receive lots of splinters and some bruising.
What do you think caused this malfunction?
