Open main menu
Home
Random
Recent changes
Special pages
Community portal
Preferences
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Incubator escapee wiki
Search
User menu
Talk
Dark mode
Contributions
Create account
Log in
Editing
M1 Garand
(section)
Warning:
You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you
log in
or
create an account
, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.
Anti-spam check. Do
not
fill this in!
==History== [[File:M1-Garand-Rifle.jpg|thumb|M1 Garand with ''en bloc'' clips]] [[File:US Army Museum of Hawaii - IMG 2436.JPG|thumb|upright|M1 Garand displayed with ''en bloc'' clip at U.S. Army Museum of Hawaii]] ===Development=== [[French Canadian]]-born Garand<ref>{{Cite book |last=Hambucken |first=Denis |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TvjtDwAAQBAJ&dq=French+Canadian-born+Garand&pg=PA34 |title=A G.I. in The Ardennes: The Battle of the Bulge |date=2020-02-28 |publisher=Pen and Sword Military |isbn=978-1-5267-5621-3 |language=en}}</ref> went to work at the United States Army's [[Springfield Armory]] and began working on a .30 caliber [[Blowback (arms)|primer actuated blowback]] [[Garand Model 1919|Model 1919]] prototype. In 1924, twenty-four rifles, identified as "M1922s", were built at Springfield. At [[Fort Benning]] during 1925, they were tested against models by [[Berthier rifle|Berthier]], Hatcher-Bang, [[Thompson Autorifle|Thompson]], and [[Pedersen rifle|Pedersen]], the latter two being [[blowback (arms)|delayed blowback]] types.<ref name="rifles142">{{cite book |last=Walter |first=John |title=Rifles of the World |publisher=Krause Publications |year=2006 |location=Iola, WI |page=142 |edition=3rd |isbn=978-0-89689-241-5}}</ref> This led to a further trial of an improved "M1924" Garand against the Thompson, ultimately producing an inconclusive report.<ref name="rifles142"/> As a result, the [[Ordnance Board]] ordered a .30-06 Garand variant. In March 1927, the cavalry board reported trials among the Thompson, Garand, and '03 Springfield had not led to a clear winner. This led to a gas-operated .276 (7 mm) model (patented by Garand on 12 April 1930).<ref name="rifles142"/> In early 1928, both the [[infantry]] and [[cavalry]] boards ran trials with the [[Pedersen rifle|.276 Pedersen T1]] rifle, calling it "highly promising"<ref name="rifles142"/> (despite its use of [[wax]]ed ammunition,<ref name=FitzV19>Fitzsimons, ''op. cit.'', Volume 19, p. 2092, "Pedersen", describes the ammunition as "lubricated".</ref> shared by the Thompson).<ref name=Hatcher>{{cite book |last=Hatcher |first=Julian S. |date=1947 |title=Hatcher's Notebook |location=Harrisburg, PA |publisher=Military Service Publishing Co. |pages=44–46, 155–156, 165–166}}</ref> On 13 August 1928, a semiautomatic rifle board (SRB) carried out joint Army, [[United States Navy|Navy]], and [[United States Marine Corps|Marine Corps]] trials among the .30 Thompson, both cavalry and infantry versions of the T1 Pedersen, "M1924" Garand, and [[M1922 Bang rifle|.256 Bang]], and on 21 September, the board reported no clear winner. The .30 Garand, however, was dropped in favor of the .276.<ref name="Walter143">{{cite book |last=Walter |first=John |title=Rifles of the World |publisher=Krause Publications|year=2006 |location=Iola, WI |page=143 |edition=3rd |isbn=978-0-89689-241-5}}</ref> Further tests by the SRB in July 1929, which included rifle designs by Colt–Browning, Garand, [[Holek]], Pedersen, [[Rheinmetall]], Thompson, and an incomplete one by White,{{refn|group=nb|Additional trials in 1930 found Bostonian Joseph White's rifles insufficiently robust.<ref name="Walter143"/>}} led to a recommendation that work on the (dropped) .30 gas-operated Garand be resumed, and a T1E1 was ordered 14 November 1929. Twenty gas-operated .276 T3E2 Garands were made and competed with T1 Pedersen rifles in early 1931. The .276 Garand was the clear winner of these trials. The .30 caliber Garand was also tested, in the form of a single T1E1, but was withdrawn with a cracked bolt on 9 October 1931. A 4 January 1932 meeting recommended adoption of the .276 caliber and production of approximately 125 T3E2s. Meanwhile, Garand redesigned his bolt and his improved T1E2 rifle was retested. The day after the successful conclusion of this test, [[Chief of Staff of the United States Army|Army Chief of Staff]] [[Douglas MacArthur|General Douglas MacArthur]] personally disapproved any caliber change, in part because there were extensive existing stocks of .30 M1 ball ammunition.<ref name=FitzV10>{{cite encyclopedia |editor-last=Fitzsimons |editor-first=Bernard |title=Garand |date=1977 |encyclopedia=The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Twentieth Century Weapons and Warfare |location=London |publisher=Phoebus |pages=1088 |volume=10}}</ref> On 25 February 1932, Adjutant General John B. Shuman, speaking for the Secretary of War, ordered work on the rifles and ammunition in .276 caliber cease immediately and completely, and all resources be directed toward identification and correction of deficiencies in the Garand .30 caliber.<ref name=Hatcher />{{rp|111}} On 3 August 1933, the T1E2 became the "semi-automatic rifle, caliber 30, M1".<ref name="rifles142"/> In May 1934, 75 M1s went to field trials; 50 went to infantry, 25 to cavalry units.<ref name=Hatcher />{{rp|113}} Numerous problems were reported, forcing the rifle to be modified, yet again, before it could be recommended for service and cleared for procurement on 7 November 1935, then standardized 9 January 1936.<ref name="rifles142"/> The first production model was successfully proof-fired, function-fired, and fired for accuracy on 21 July 1937.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.olive-drab.com/od_other_firearms_rifle_m1garand.php3 |title=Military Firearms: M1 Garand Rifle |website=Olive-Drab.com |access-date=3 October 2008}}</ref> Production difficulties delayed deliveries to the Army until September 1937. Machine production began at Springfield Armory that month at a rate of ten rifles per day,<ref>{{cite magazine |title=The First Garands |first=Bruce N. |last=Canfield |date=September 2011 |magazine=American Rifleman |pages=68–75 & 93}}</ref> and reached an output of 100 per day within two years. Despite going into production status, design issues were not at an end. The barrel, gas cylinder, and front sight assembly were redesigned and entered production in early 1940. Existing "gas-trap" rifles were recalled and retrofitted, mirroring problems with the earlier [[M1903 Springfield rifle]] that also had to be recalled and reworked approximately three years into production and foreshadowing rework of the [[M16 rifle]] at a similar point in its development. Production of the Garand increased in 1940 despite these difficulties,<ref name="Brown">{{cite book |last=Brown |first=Jerold E. |title=Historical Dictionary of the U.S. Army |publisher=Greenwood Press |year=2000 |page=286 |isbn=978-0-313-29322-1 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/historicaldictio0000unse_n0c7/page/286}}</ref> reaching 600 a day by 10 January 1941,<ref name="rifles142"/> and the Army was fully equipped by the end of 1941.<ref name=FitzV10 /> Following the outbreak of World War II in Europe, [[Winchester Repeating Arms Company|Winchester]] was awarded an "educational" production contract for 65,000 rifles,<ref name="rifles142"/> with deliveries beginning in 1943.<ref name="rifles142"/> ===Service use=== [[File:En-JohnGarandLarge.jpeg|thumb|left|John Garand (left) points out features of the M1 to army generals]] [[File:George Patton - Letter to Springfield Armory, 26 Jan 1945, M1 Garand.jpg|thumb|left|George Patton letter to Springfield Armory on the M1 Garand, 26 January 1945]] [[File:Infantryman in 1942 with M1 Garand, Fort Knox, KY.jpg|thumb|left|U.S. Army infantryman in 1942 with M1 in front of an [[M3 half-track|M3]] [[half-track]] at [[Fort Knox]], Kentucky]] [[File:USMC-120305-M-PG598-002.jpg|thumb|upright|U.S. Marine Corps Silent Drill Team with M1 rifles]] The M1 Garand was made in large numbers during World War II; approximately 5.4 million were made.<ref>{{cite book |title=Military Small Arms of the 20th Century |edition=7th |last1=Hogg |first1=Ian V. |last2=Weeks |first2=John S. |publisher=Krause Publications |date=10 February 2000 |page=286 |isbn=978-0-87341-824-9}}</ref> They were used by every branch of the United States military. The rifle generally performed well. [[George S. Patton|General George S. Patton]] called it "the greatest battle implement ever devised."<ref name="Pendergast 2000 102"/> The typical opponent of a US soldier during World War II was usually armed with a slower-firing [[bolt action|bolt-action rifle]] (e.g. the [[Karabiner 98k]] for Germany, the [[Carcano|Carcano M1891]] for Italy, and the [[Arisaka|Type 38 or Type 99 Arisaka rifle]] for Japan). The effect of faster-firing infantry small arms in general soon stimulated both Allied and [[Axis Powers|Axis forces]] to greatly increase their issue of semi- and [[Automatic firearm|fully automatic]] firearms then in production, as well as to develop new types of infantry firearms.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Bishop |first=Chris |title=The Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II |place=New York |publisher=Orbis Publishing Ltd|year=1998 |isbn=978-0-7607-1022-7}}</ref> Many M1s were repaired or rebuilt after World War II. While U.S. forces were still engaged in the Korean War, the [[United States Department of Defense|Department of Defense]] decided more were needed. Springfield Armory ramped up production, but two new contracts were awarded. During 1953–56, M1s were produced by [[International Harvester]] and [[H & R Firearms|Harrington & Richardson]] in which International Harvester alone produced a total of 337,623 M1 Garands.<ref>{{Cite book |author=United States Congress House Appropriations|title=Department of the Army Appropriations for 1954: Hearings, 83rd Congress, 1st Session |year=1953 |pages=1336|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KOhjvr1boScC |place=Washington, D.C. |publisher=United States Congress}}.</ref><ref name="Canfield2015">{{cite magazine |title=Cold War Warrior |first=Bruce N. |last=Canfield |date=November 2015 |magazine=American Rifleman |pages=54–99}}</ref> A final, very small, lot of M1s was produced by Springfield Armory in early 1957, using finished components already on hand. [[Beretta]] also produced Garands using Winchester tooling. In 1939, the [[British Army]] looked at the M1 as a possible replacement for its bolt-action [[Lee–Enfield|Lee–Enfield No.1 Mk. III]], but decided against it as by January 1940 the [[Birmingham Small Arms Company]] was already preparing production of the Lee-Enfield No. 4 Mk 1.{{Sfn|Thompson|2012|p=59}} However, [[Military surplus|surplus]] M1 rifles were provided as foreign aid to American allies, including South Korea, West Germany, Italy, Japan, Denmark, Greece, Turkey, [[Pahlavi dynasty|Iran]], South Vietnam, the Philippines, etc. Most Garands shipped to allied nations were predominantly manufactured by International Harvester Corporation during the period of 1953–1956, and second from Springfield Armory from all periods.<ref name="Canfield2015" /> Some Garands were still being used by the United States into the [[Vietnam War]] in 1963; despite the [[M14 rifle|M14]]'s official adoption in 1958, it was not until 1965 that the changeover from the M1 Garand was fully completed in the active-duty component of the Army (with the exception of the [[Sniper rifle|sniper]] variants, which were introduced in World War II and saw action in Korea and Vietnam). The Garand remained in service with the [[United States Army Reserve|Army Reserve]], [[Army National Guard]], and the [[United States Navy|Navy]] into the early 1970s. The South Korean Army was using M1 Garands in the Vietnam War until late 60s.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.history.army.mil/html/artphoto/pripos/amsoldier5.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071231104627/http://www.history.army.mil/html/artphoto/pripos/amsoldier5.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=31 December 2007 |title=Prints and Posters: The American Soldier, 1966 - by H. Charles McBarron |work=Center of Military History}}</ref><ref name="Spokesman 1967">{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ujdWAAAAIBAJ&q=M16 |title=U.S. Plans M16s for Viets, Koreans |publisher=The Spokesman-Review |date=1967-03-11 |language=en}}</ref> Due to widespread United States military assistance as well as their durability, M1 Garands have also been found in use in recent conflicts such as with the insurgencies in Iraq and Afghanistan. Some military drill teams still use the M1 rifle, including the [[United States Marine Corps Drill Team|U.S. Marine Corps Silent Drill Team]], the United States Air Force Academy Cadet Honor Guard, the [[Civil Air Patrol|U.S. Air Force Auxiliary]], almost all [[Reserve Officer Training Corps]] (ROTC) and some [[Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps]] (JROTC) teams of all branches of the U.S. military.{{citation needed |date=October 2019}} It is also used by the drill team of [[Hans Majestet Kongens Garde|His Majesty the King's Guard]] of Norway.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://snl.no/Hans_Majestet_Kongens_Garde|title=Hans Majestet Kongens Garde|date=15 March 2021}}</ref>
Edit summary
(Briefly describe your changes)
By publishing changes, you agree to the
Terms of Use
, and you irrevocably agree to release your contribution under the
CC BY-SA 4.0 License
and the
GFDL
. You agree that a hyperlink or URL is sufficient attribution under the Creative Commons license.
Cancel
Editing help
(opens in new window)