The Garand magazine holds only 7 (seven) rounds.
Its issue clip holds 8 (eight).
When a fully loaded clips is pushed all the way in, the follower arm cams the slide lock out of engagement, permitting the operating rod spring to push the rod forward, pulling the bolt with it.
The lower lip on the bolt strips the topmost round out of the clip and chambers it.
SAFETY NOTE: keep the rear edge of your hand tightly back against the operating rod handle while pushing down on the loaded clip. Move your thumb out of the path of the bolt after the clip locks into place in the magazine well, and only then move the edge of you hand out of the path of the handle.
Doing it any other way may cause the injury nicknamed “M1 Thumb.”
Then the "Ping " was the sound that the enbloc clip made when it was ejected.
Fun fact: Smart enemies would listen for that ping to move in, knowing that the GI had to reload at that time. . Smarter GIs would fake the ping sound and then open fire when the enemies came out of cover.
“...the ‘Ping’ was the sound that the enbloc clip made when it was ejected...Smart enemies would listen for that ping to move in, knowing that the GI had to reload at that time. Smarter GIs would fake the ping sound and then open fire when the enemies came out of cover.” [Colorado Doug, post 88]
The first part of this has never been substantiated, but the second part has.
Best evidence dates to Korea. Savvy troops sometimes carried a spare empty clip, which they would bounce off a rock. Enemies were said to pop up and charge, only to meet their demise when the clip-bouncer cut them down with remaining rounds.
The Garand wasn’t designed for close combat: small magazine capacity (by modern standards) and somewhat tricky reloading. Let us admit that no weapon system is perfect.
The noise a clip makes on ejecting is really more of a “clang” than a “ping.”
I’m skeptical that enemies could detect the clip-ejection sound in the uproar and chaos of a firefight, at any range beyond arm’s length. I’ve competed in a number of high power matches and commanded the firing line at NRA-affiliated club qualification sessions; conditions often grew so noisy I wasn’t even sure I heard the sound of my own clip departing.
Thanks for the compliment in your post 89.