Universally known as the Garand, it was the first self-loading semi automatic rifles accepted for military service. The date 1932. Its creator, the brilliant John C. Garand. The United States entered the war with the ‘war winner’ in short supply. The rifle it was to replace, the 1903 Springfield, continued as the primary infantry weapon for some period of time. The M1 was complicated and expensive to produce. Despite this, some 5.5 million rifles were produced during the war.
The Garand M1 rifle caliber .30, was a strong weapon and popular with the troops. Reliable and sturdy, its 7.62 (30-06) ammunition produced 'knock down’ hitting power. Its few negatives includes a weight of almost 10 lbs. The loading system was possible only with a full clip of eight rounds or nothing at all. And when the last round was fired, the empty clip was ejected with a distinct sound that announced, in effect, the M1 was out of ammo.
Universally known as the Garand, it was the first self-loading semi automatic rifles accepted for military service. The date 1932. Its creator, the brilliant John C. Garand. The United States entered the war with the ‘war winner’ in short supply. The rifle it was to replace, the 1903 Springfield, continued as the primary infantry weapon for some period of time. The M1 was complicated and expensive to produce. Despite this, some 5.5 million rifles were produced during the war.
