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- The M1 Garand is a full blown combat rifle with maxiumum range of 3,200 meters and maximum effective range of 400 meters.....or
the greatest distance at which the weapon can be expected to fire accurately to inflict casualties or damage. Fully loaded
with 8-round en bloc clip, cleaning kit in butt stock, sling and with stock of dense GI issue wood the M1 weighed in at 11-1/4 lbs. The M1 came into
production in 1936 using the .30-06 rifle cartridge.
- The M1 was the designated service rifle of World War II and the Korean War for the United States Military. It was designed
for semi-automatic fire using a spring steel clip containing 8 rounds. This is where the term "clip" originated. All other
rifles used a detachable or fixed magazine. (There is some discussion on whether this is accurate, if you have a comment,
please enter it on our Bulletin Board.) The M1 Garand was designed for long range accuracy i.e. battle zero was set
for any target less than 200 yards It was the only rifle that had fully adjustable i.e. windage and elevation, rear sights.
- The M1C, manufactured by Springfield Armory in late 1944-1945, mounted either a M81 or M82 scope, a T4 leather cheek pad, and an
M2 flash hider.
- The The original rear sight of the M1 would not hold adjustments very well, so a locking bar was added in late 1942 which could be tightened after sights were set.
The US Rifle M1 was
the first semiautomatic rifle to be the standard small arm of the US Military, requiring a trigger pull to fire a round
but automatically chambering the next round. This not only greatly increased the rate of fire over bolt-action rifles, but
made it far easier to reacquire a target after each round. It was also the first semiautomatic rifle to be adopted by a major
military power. It was the product of a genuine genius, John Cantius Garand. While the M1 Rifle was never officially referred
to as the Garand, it is known by no other name so widely. First adopted in 1936, the M1 Rifle served the US in World
War II, Korea, a host of "police actions" and interventions, and, in the hands of allies, in the Vietnam War. Even there the
US Army fielded accurized sniper M1 rifles even though the M1 had by that time been supplanted by the M14 and later the
M16.
To many the M1 Rifle has a classic elegance and grace characteristic of a bygone era, when steel was forged in
white heat and walnut was carefully shaped for both form and function. "There will never be again such a rifle, so brimming
with the genius of an individual mind, so well constructed to outlive us all, so sculpted as to ask the hand to caress."
Criticisms
of the M1 are its weight, limited ammunition supply, the fact that single rounds could not be pushed in (8 round clip, or
nothing), although this is actually possible with some difficulty. Also, the spent clip was automatically ejected after the
last round was fired, making a distinctive sound, which could be fatal in close quarter or sniper operations. Partially loaded
or fully loaded clips could be ejected by pulling the operating rod handle all the way back and then pushing the clip latch
on the left side of the receiver. In the heat of close action it was possible to do this accidentally, as by pressing the
latch with the left hand while firing from the hip.
As a supplement to the Garand the M1 Carbine was developed. It was totally different design philosophy with a smaller, less powerful cartridge and an effective range
of 300 yds max. It weighed almost exactly 1/2 that of the M1 Garand. In many ways you could think of the M1 Carbine as a moderately
powerful, two-handed, long-barreled auto pistol with a shoulder stock.
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Fully automatic, the Thompson is an all-round field weapon of .45 caliber. It weighs 12.5 pounds when fully
loaded with a 30-round magazine and is 33 inches long. The M1928 Thompson fires between 600 and 700 rounds per minute.
Saunders carried extra 30-round stick magazines inside his jacket. Some soldiers carried magazine pouches
on their belts that held up to three magazines. According to the Army-Navy Guide from 1942, the Thompson "is used by motorcyclists,
and is usually one of the weapons on armored vehicles." And, in Combat!, used by blond sergeants.
The Thompson was the only submachine gun mass produced in any Allied country during WWII. The French and British
ordered them by the tens of thousands during the war. Though they were less efficient and costlier than the German submachines guns, they had the great advantage of being readily available for Allied use!
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The '03 was put back into production during World War II by the Remington Arms Co.
Early Remington '03s
(top) resembled those made previously by Springfield and Rock Island.
Remington simplified manufacture with the M1903A3
(also made by Smith-Corona). The '03A3 was the basis of the M1903A4 sniping rifle (above, bottom) — America's principal
sniping rifle of World War II.
The ".30-06" (right) was a big improvement, using the German "Spitzer" bullet and reformulated
powder which greatly reduced the severe ".30-03" bore erosion.
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Nomenclature
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100 Years Of The '03 Springfield
Bruce N. Confield, Contributing Editor
American RiflemanFrom a general historical perspective the year
1903 is perhaps best known for the Wright Brothers' epic flight at Kitty Hawk, N.C. In the history of U.S. military arms,
however, 1903 will always be remembered as the year that one of the most venerable service rifles was adopted. Anywone with
even a modicum of interest in the subject is aware of the famous "United States Rifle, Caliber .30, Model of 1903," better
known to several generations of American shooters and servicemen as the "Springfield '03" or, simply, the '03". No U.S. military
service rifle has had a term of service to equal that of the '03. Even though supplemented by large numbers of M1917 "U.S.
Enfield" rifles in the World War I, the M1903 remained a significant part of the arsenal of the American Expeditionary Force
(AEF) until the Armistice in 1918. "Between the wars," the M1917 was relegated to the war reserve stockpile while the '03
remained the standard rifle in U.S. military service.
In 1936, the semi-automatic MI Garand was standardized. Because
the MI was in very short supply until the early 1940s, the '03 remained the predominate American service rifle for almost
40 years and saw front-line combat service through the end of World War II. Even though the standard bolt-action service rifles
were largely replaced after World War II, sniping variants of the '03 saw combat use in Korean War — and some even saw
issue as late as the Vietnam War. Clearly, the'03 was no "ordinary" military rifle.
The genesis of the MI 903 can be
traced to the Spanish-American War of 1898. Regular U.S. Army units were primarily armed with the then-new .30-40 Krag-Jorgensen
rifle that was the United States' first bolt-action, smokeless-powder service rifle. Our Spanish adversaries were equipped
with late-model Mauser rifles, which had very strong actions and were capable of being clip-loaded. The U.S. Krag, on the
other hand, had a bolt with a single locking lug that limited the power of the cartridge, and the Krag was not easily adaptable
to clip-loading. The war revealed the Krag's deficiencies and the advantages of the Mauser, which resulted in a reconsideration
of the U.S. service rifle.
The U.S. Army Ordnance Department evaluated the Mauser rifle and fabricated several prototypes
based heavily on the design. Extensive testing revealed that the modified Mauser design was a great improvement over the Krag,
and, on June 19, 1903, the "United States Magazine Rifle, Caliber .30, Model of 1903" was approved for adoption as the standard
U.S. military service rifle. It had a 24" barrel that allowed it to be used by both the infantry and the cavalry, thus eliminating
the need for separate rifles and carbines.
The M1903 was initially chambered for the "Model 1903" cartridge, typically known as the ".30-03.".This rimless ,30-cal.
round was more powerful than its predecessor but caused severe bore erosion. It was also fitted with a rather flimsy sliding
"rod bayonet."
The MI 903 was put into production at Springfield Armory and Rock Island Arsenal. Rock Island experienced
some delays, but the rifles were soon flowing from Springfield's assembly line. Nonetheless, problems were encountered with
the rod bayonet and the hot-burning .30-03 cartridge. President Theodore Roosevelt was a particular opponent of the rod bayonet
concept and called the device "... about as poor an invention as I ever saw." In early 1905, '03 production stopped in order
to redesign the rifle to eliminate the troublesome rod bayonet and adapt it to a knife bayonet. The "Bayonet, Model 1905"
was adopted in April 1905. The cessation of production •was also utilized to develop improved sights, which were adopted
and given the "Model of 1905" designation.
Although some 74,000 of the original rod bayonet '03s had been manufactured,
only a relatively few had been issued. Most of the original "rod bayonet" rifles were recalled to be retrofitted for the new
M1905 knife bayonet and sights, and production with the "1905 improvements" resumed.
Problems with the .30-03 resulted
in production again being halted in order to adopt a new cartridge. The .30-03 had a round-nose bullet eventually proven to
be inferior to the sharp-pointed German-developed "spitzer" bullet. In October 1906, a vastly improved cartridge with a "spitzer"
bullet and reformulated powder to reduce the .30-03's severe bore erosion was adopted as the "Cartridge, Ball, Caliber .30,
Model of 1906," now widely known as the ".30-'06." Existing barrels were rechambered for the new cartridge and all subsequent
M1903s were in .30-'06.
With the modifications of 1905 and the adoption of the .30-'06, the M1903 was in the general
configuration that would be in production at varying levels for almost 40 years. From the time of its adoption until World
War I, the M1903 was manufactured with a craftsmanship rivaling the best custom-made sporting rifles of the era. The wood-to-metal
fit and overall quality were superb, and the rifles featured finely blued metal parts and f lawlessly Grafted wooden stocks.
By about 1911, all branches of the U.S. armed forces were primarily armed with M1903s.The accuracy, fire-power and
reliability of the '03 soon made it very popular with the majority of its users. The '03 also proved its mettle as a competitive
target rifle as well, including use in Olympic matches. The first standard-issue U.S. Army sniper rifle, an M1903 fitted with
a prismatic Warner & Swasey Model of 1908 "Musket Sight" was adopted during this period. Prior to World War I, the M1908
W&S sight was replaced by the slightly improved M 1913 variant, which was the primary U.S. sniping arm of the war. The
U.S. Marine Corps did not adopt the Warner & Swasey scope and, rather, utilized M1903s fitted with Winchester A-5 scopes.
By
WorldWar I, the M1903 was firmly entrenched as the standard American military service rifle. Rock Island had previously stopped
production after 1913, and the '03 remained in limited production at Springfield. Just prior to America's entrance into the
war, manufacture of the '03 was greatly increased at Springfield and resumed at Rock Island. It was soon apparent that their
combined production would be insufficient to arm the rapidly expanding armed forces. A slightly modified version of the British
Pattern 1914 rifle was adopted as a supplemental service rifle and given the designation "U.S. Rifle, Caliber .30, Model of
1917." The M1917 was made in much larger numbers than the '03 during World War I, and, by the time of the Armistice, the majority
of the AEF was armed with the "American Enfield." Even so, the '03 saw widespread use during the World War land provided excellent
service to our "Doughboys."
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Colt Government / M1911 and clones (USA)
U.S. Pistol M1911 made by Colt
U.S. Pistol M1911A1 made by Colt
differences between M1911 and M1911A1 (see text below)
Colt Government model Series 80 .45ACP
Colt Combat Commander .45ACP
Colt Officers' model .45ACP
Customized Colt Government model Series 80 .45ACP
Custom M1911 clone, made on STI frame and Colt slide .45ACP
Buy Colt M1911 pistols and accessories at ImpactGuns online store
Buy SIG-Sauer GSR 1911 pistols at ImpactGuns online store
Buy Springfield M1911 pistols at ImpactGuns online store
Data: M1911A1
Action: Single
Caliber: .45 ACP
Capacity: 7 Rounds
Barrel Length:
125 mm
Weight: 1080 g
Overall Length: 216 mm
The history of the Colt Gov't / M1911 Pistol began in early 1900s, when famous designer John M. Browning began to develop
semi-automatic pistols for Colt company. In the 1906-1907 U.S. Army announced trials to replace its service revolvers with
new, semi-automatic pistol. Army required the new pistol to have the caliber of .45 inch, so Browning designed its own cartridge
that fired 230 grains (15.64 gramms) bullet, and then, designed a new pistol. In 1911, after extensive testings, the new pistol
and its cartridge, designed by Browning and manufactured by Colt, were adopted for U.S. military service as M1911. Prior to
and during World War One, more than one million of these guns were manufactured, mostly by Colt and Springfield Armoury, as
well as by Remington-UMC, Burroughs, Savage and some other companies. The rights to manufacture Colt/Browning design were
also sold to some foreign countries, such as Norway or Argentine.
In 1926, original design was improved, following the recommendations of the US Army Ordnanve Dept. These changes incorporate
the following items (see picture above):
1. Wider front sight
2. Longer hammer spur
3. Shorter trigger
4. Curved
spring housing
5. Simplified grip panels checkering
6. Index finger reliefs behind the trigger
7. Longer grip-safety
spur
The improved design was adopted by US Military as M1911A1 pistol, and served with distinction until the mid-1980s, when
it was officially replaced in service with M9 pistol (US-made Beretta 92FS).
The commercial Colts of this design are known as Government models. In 1929, Colt introduced the Government pistol in its
new chambering, the .38 Super Automatic, a hotter version of the earlier .38 Automatic cartridge. New pistol had bigger magazine
capacity (9 rounds) and sold well on the police market. The .38 Super versions are still manufactured and used mostly as competition
guns due to extreme accuracy.
During the 1970 - 1983, Colt manufactured Mk.IV series 70 Government model pistols, which closely resembled original M1911A1s,
but with accurized barrel bushings. Since 1983, Colt manufactured Mk.IV Series 80 Government model pistols, that featured
added firing pin safety. Latest Colt product, M1991A1, also featured Series 80 slide with firing pin safety.
Colt also developed some more compact versions of its full-size commercial guns. So called "Commander" versions (available
as Combat Commanders, Lightweight Commanders with alloy frames etc) have shortened barrels and slides (barrel lenght 108 mm,
or 4.25 inch), with the standart size frame and grip, and standart magazine capacity of 7 rounds in .45ACP. These guns were
also available in .38 Super and 9mm Luger chamberings. In the year 1972, US Army adopted the M15 General Officers Model Pistol,
developed by Rock Island Arsenal, wery similar to Combat Commander, as a selfdefence weapon for high level army officers.
These guns had a brass plate insert in the left grip panel, where tha name of the owner should be engraved.
Even more compact version, the Colt Defender, had also the shorter grip that limits magazine capacity to 6 rounds of .45ACP.
The barrel of Defender is of 76 mm lenght (3 inch). Commercial Colt Officers' pistols were also very similar to Defenders.
Along with Colt, countless numbers of companie in the USA and other countries manufactured more or less exact copies of
the M1911. Some millions of guns were manufactured in the USA during the WW2 by numerous companies under US Government contracts,
and probably even more were manufactured for commercial sales. Most common M1911 clones are manufactured by: Springfield armoury,
Les Baer, Kimber, Wilson, STI, Para Ordnance and many, many others. Also, many M1911-partterned pistols are still custom built
for service duty, sport shooting and self defence.
Technically, the M1911 is a recoil operated, locked breech semi-auto pistol. It has single action trigger with frame mounted
safety that locks the hammer and the slide. Hammer could be locked either in cocked or in lowered position, allowing the gun
to be carried in "cocked and locked" state, with safety on, hammer cocked and round chambered. Additional automated safety
incorporated into rear of the grip and locks the action when gun not held in the hand properly.
Barrel and slide are interlocked
via massive lugs onthe upper part of the barrel, just ahead of the chamber. After the shot is fired, the barrel and the slide
go back for the short distance, then rear part of the barrel is lovered by tilting link, and barrel unlocks the slide. The
slide goes all the way back, extracting and ejecting spent case and chambering the new round on the way back. When magazine
is empty, the magazine follower activates slide stop that locks the slide in the open (rear) position. The gun is fed from
the single stack, seven round magazine. The magazine release button is located on the left side of the frame, just behind
the triggerguard.
The sheme of the M1911A1 is available here (78Kb JPEG image)
Modern Gov't/1911 clones may differ, more or less, from this description: i.e, those guns may have widebody frames that
can accept dual stack, high capacity magazines; frames could be made from steel, alluminium alloys or polymer; some could
have Double Action or even Double Action Only triggers, ambidextrous satety switches and slide stops etc.
In the end, i must say that this article is very incomplete, since the Colt Gov't / M1911 is probably the most popular
pistol in the world. It is known for its reliability, serviceability, simplicity. Custom made M1911s capable of outstanding
accuracy, and many of M1911-patterned guns are still in service with different military and law enforcement agencies in the
USA.
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