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Posted on 11/17/2003 3:30:47 AM PST by snippy_about_it
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 are acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated.
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 Semi-automatic .30 Caliber Rifle The M1, or Garand rifle as it came to be known after the name of its inventor, John Garand, held many advantages over the M1903 Springfield rifle. The semi-automatic operation and reduced recoil allowed new troops to achieve a higher degree of accuracy with a shorter period of training than was previously possible. The sighting system was superior under actual combat conditions. Ease of disassembly, cleaning, and oiling were also a great advantage. Most important was the increase in rate of fire, limited only by the proficiency of the soldier in marksmanship and his dexterity in inserting eight round clips of ammunition into the weapon. In the face of overwhelming odds, the capability of the M1 rifle to deliver superior firepower would most often carry the day. The first production M1 was successfully proof fired, function fired, and fired for accuracy on July 21, 1937. Thus began manufacture of what was to become the greatest production effort in the history of Springfield Armory. During the entire production history of the M1 rifle, Springfield Armory produced over 4.5 million M1s.  General Douglas MacArthur reported on the M1 to the Ordnance Department during heavy fighting on Bataan that: "Under combat conditions it operated with no mechanical defects and when used in foxholes did not develop stoppages from dust or dirt. It has been in almost constant action for as much as a week without cleaning or lubrication."  General George S. Patton Jr. reported to the Ordnance Department on January 26, 1945: "In my opinion, the M1 Rifle is the greatest battle implement ever devised."  The M1 rifle was described in military manuals as "a gas-operated, clip-fed, air-cooled, semi-automatic shoulder weapon." The design incorporated a spring-loaded piston operating within a gas cylinder mounted on the end of the barrel. Gas was fed through a gas port in the barrel to a fixture mounted at the muzzle of the barrel. As the bullet passed this point, exiting the barrel, the compressed gas behind it flowed down a port to the piston. The piston drove a 16-inch operating rod to the rear where a cam on the back of the operating rod unlocked a two lug rotary bolt and then carried the bolt to the rear of the receiver. The operating rod, a hollow tube, contained a spring which resisted rearward movement. The spring, in turn, exerted pressure on the follower rod which operated the feeding mechanism of the weapon. Upon firing of the last cartridge, the clip was automatically ejected.  The M1, designed by John C. Garand, was the standard issue military rifle used by the U.S. Army from 1936 to 1957, when it was replaced by the lighter M14 rifle. The M1 was one of the first semi-automatic rifles to see action in combat. It offered a great improvement in fire power over the bolt-action M1903 series rifle it replaced. It was rugged, reliable, and tolerant to the abuses of use in the field. The rifle used .30-06 cal. cartridges in eight-round clips.  The M1C and M1D were sniper versions of the M1 Garand. The two models differed only in the telescope mounts. The M1C mounted a model M81 2.5X telescope; the M1D an M82 2.5X telescope.  A Marine sergeant credited with nine kills poses for a combat photographer during a break in the action in July 1952. Both models were used as sniper rifles during World War II, Korea, and during the early years of the Vietnam war. Although considered obsolete, the M1D remained the official U.S. Army sniper rifle until the mid-1960s. Both versions used the standard Army .30-06 cartridge loaded manually, or in eight-round clips.  The "old timers" who fought with Pershing and Marshall in World War I, opposed the "reduced accuracy" of the Garand rifle as compared to the revered--and sometimes even coveted--M1903 Springfield rifle. Also loudly voiced were fears that the new self-loader would cause horrendous expenditures of ammunition without commensurate enemy troops neutralized. Strange . . . the same thing was said when the 20-round box magazine appeared on battle rifles in the 1950's--25 years later.  There was, however, a difference. The Garand rifle, in spite of its supposed shortcomings, in spite of fears by its critics of disproportionate ammunition expenditures, performed brilliantly throughout its entire military career, compiling a service record as yet unsurpassed by any successor.  From 1936 to, officially, 1957, the Garand was seen in the heat of battle worldwide. Unofficially, it can today be encountered although considered to be "obsolete" by all but the most knowing experts--the ones who haven't forgotten what wins.  Renowned small-arms expert S.L.A. Marshall, in his highly detailed and critical evaluation of the performance of U.S. Infantry weapons during the Korean War, noted the phenomenal love of the American infantryman for the weapon, who, without reservation, candidly stated to him on over a hundred occasions that he could not think of replacing it with anything else.  The legend of the Garand was--and is--based upon the unassailable fact that the weapon, in spite of its theoretical weaknesses, WORKS--in the mud, in the rain, in the snow, and in the dust.  There must be a balance between accuracy and firepower in the general application. On one end of the spectrum we have the traditional bolt-action rifle such as the M 1903 Springfield. On the other end we have the M16. The Springfield was rugged, highly accurate and powerful, but, in the acid test of modern warfare, proved to be more complex to operate than necessary and unable to produce sufficient volumes of fire to be adequately effective.   Springfield 1903 On the other hand, the M16 is fragile, lacks power and range, is only moderately accurate, and designed with the idea that the trooper is to substitute a high volume of automatic fire with an inadequately powered cartridge for marksmanship. Neither one of these concepts is satisfactory, for as with most questions, the answer lies somewhere in the middle. John Garand understood this, for even though the M16 did not yet exist, the principles on which it was to be based did.  The rifle he designed and developed was the solidification of his thinking. It is capable of what has proven over the years to be superb accuracy, far more than one can actually utilize in the field. It functions itself, allowing the operator to spend more time on the basic fundamentals of marksmanship. It is powerful and rugged, capable of sustaining incredible abuse and yet still knock down an enemy at 500 meters.  It is a rifleman's rifle--in the purest form--yet it does not encourage wild, inaccurate fire, nor does it break in half when used in close combat. It instills confidence, not disgust. It is the almost ideal compromise between firepower and accuracy, between the old and the "new."  Even outside the military application, there can be no finer rifle for a serious survivalist or adventurer in the field, for most of the same criteria still apply. The box magazine is the result of a need to mass suppressive fire, so important to the successful consummation of squad tactics. It has no value whatsoever to an individual, only the members of a larger group. It is fragile, must be kept separate from its loaded counterparts, catches on things incessantly in the field, and is uncomfortable to carry and manipulate. The 8-round en bloc staggered clip of the Garand is small, light, simple in principle and application, and disposable. Once it fulfills its function, it is automatically ejected from the weapon. Criticisms of the fact that one cannot "top off" a partially loaded clip while in the weapon appear to more theoretical than practical, for if one has time to realize the need to reload, he can simply insert a fresh clip and at leisure reload any partially expended one via single rounds of ammunition carried on his person. This is no secret to the seasoned infantryman, no matter what his generation. No box magazine-equipped rifle compares to the superior balance and "feel" of the M1. It shoulders quickly, positively, and possesses the best human engineering in the world. In the overall context, it is the easiest battle rifle to shoot well.  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). 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.  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.  Even G.I. Joe carried the M1-Garand.       |
Thanks for the very informative thread, Snippy. Keep up the good work, guys!
LOL!!! He probably would.
The new-generation armour piercing ammunition from Bofors Carl Gustaf for assault rifle or machine gun is designed for full effect against modern targets.
The 7.62 AP round penetrates 15 mm armour plate at 300 m. It also penetrates 120 mm Plexiglas helicopter protection and is highly effective on brick and concrete walls and causes no barrel wear.
Cartridge, 7.62mm AP, M993 and the Cartridge, 5.56mm AP, M995 are similar in design. Both cartridges employ a tungsten core within a jacketed bullet envelope. The projectiles are crimped onto a brass cartridge case with a standard propellant charge. The shaped tungsten core provides enhanced armor penetration over the standard issue cartridges.
The M993 7.62mm AP round enhances the performance of the M60 and M240 7.62mm machine guns and the M24 Sniper Weapon System over the M80 Ball by effectively increasing the engagement ranges against lightly armored targets.
I suppose I should change mine again. I'm no good at being a meanie. :)
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