Continuity mistake: In the bootcamp scene where Captain Sobel is yelling at Private Christenson for drinking from his canteen, you see a machine gun resting on Christenson's right shoulder. When the camera angle changes to behind Christenson, the machine gun has suddenly moved onto his other shoulder. This happens quite a few times in this particular scene.
Continuity mistake: In the breakfast scene following the night march where Lieutenant Winters has to pick 6 men and list their infractions, his mug moves about on his tray from shot to shot.
Continuity mistake: The door keeps changing positions in the scene where Sobel is punishing Winters for failing to inspect the latrine.
Continuity mistake: In Currahee when they are crawling through pig guts Muck goes through and gets blood on his leg from a hanging gut yet the guy behind him goes through the same area and has no blood on his leg.
Continuity mistake: At the beginning when they show Meehan explaining that they're not going to jump because of fog, he is using his hands to emphasize the point, when they go back to the same point near the end of the episode, Meehan has his hands behind his back. (00:04:45 - 00:57:20)
Continuity mistake: When Sobel is explaining to Strayer why he cut the fence, Strayer is a colonel; however, when Winters is briefing his men before going to assault the 105 he refers to him as a Major.
Continuity mistake: Winters is helping the men to their feet to board the plane. The first person he helps up is shown from the back, so we can't see who it is. The next shot shows that person boarding the plane as Winters helps others to their feet. The person in this shot is Joe Toye. Then the scene switches back to Winters helping up the rest of the men one by one, so we can see their faces. The third person we see in this progression is Joe Toye again. (01:04:23)
Continuity mistake: When Sobel yells at pvt. Christensen for drinking out of his canteen during the night march, Christensen's helmet is wet when they film from behind, when the camera switches to the front it is dry. (00:14:30)
Answer: That actually is the clip. It is loaded into the top of the rifle, and is ejected with the last round. See http://www.wwiitech.net/main/usa/weapons/m1/.
J I Cohen