THE M1 GARAND RIFLE [WEAPON OF THE FORTNIGHT ~ SUNDAY 18 AUGUST 2013 TO SATURDAY 31 AUGUST 2013]

A World War II Veteran, Reverend Jean Ernest Darter died on this date, August 27, 1984. In loving memory of him, I chose The M1 Garand Rifle as the Weapon of the fortnight. I got the information from Wikipedia.

M1 Garand rifle, USA. Caliber .30-06. From the collections of Armémuseum (Swedish Army Museum), Stockholm.

  

Type	Semi-automatic rifle
Place of origin	United States
Service history
In service	1936–1957 (as the standard US service rifle)
Used by	See Users
Wars	World War II Korean War 1948 Arab–Israeli War Hukbalahap Rebellion First Indochina War Suez Crisis Cuban Revolution Vietnam War Cambodian Civil War Angolan Civil War Northern Ireland Troubles.[1] Numerous other conflicts
Production history
Designer	John C. Garand
Designed	1928
Manufacturer	Springfield Armory Winchester Harrington & Richardson International Harvester Beretta Breda[2] F.M.A.P. Springfield Armory, Inc. (civilian)
Unit cost	$85 (during World War II)
Produced	1936–1957
Number built	Approx. 6.25 million[3]
Variants	M1C, M1D
Specifications
Weight	9.5 lb (4.31 kg) to 11.6 lb (5.3 kg)
Length	43.5 in (1,100 mm)
Barrel length	24 in (609.6 mm)
Cartridge	.30-06 Springfield (7.62x63mm) 7.62x51mm NATO (.308 Winchester) (Used by the U.S. Navy and some commercial companies to modernize the M1 and increase performance)
Action	Gas-operated, rotating bolt
Rate of fire	40-50 rounds/min
Muzzle velocity	2,800 ft/s (853 m/s)
Effective range	500 yd (457 m)
Feed system	8-round "en bloc" clip, internal magazine
Sights	Aperture rear sight, barleycorn-type front sight

M1 Garand with en bloc clips.

The M1 Garand (officially designated as United States Rifle, Caliber .30, M1, later simply called Rifle, Caliber .30, M1, also abbreviated as US Rifle, Cal. .30, M1) is a semi-automatic rifle chambered for the .30-06 Springfield rifle cartridge. It was the first standard-issue semi-automatic rifle. Called "the greatest battle implement ever devised" by General George S. Patton, the Garand officially replaced the bolt-action M1903 Springfield as the standard service rifle of the United States Armed Forces in 1936 (although the switch-over wasn't instantaneous) and was subsequently replaced by the selective fire M14, starting in 1957. During World War II, the M1 gave U.S. forces a distinct advantage in firefights against their Axis enemies, as their standard-issue rifles were slower-firing bolt-action rifles. The M1 continued to be used in large numbers until 1963 and to a lesser degree until 1976. Like its predecessor, the M1 originated from the Springfield Armory.

The M1 is an air-cooled, gas-operated, clip-fed, and semi-automatic shoulder weapon. This means that the air cools the barrel; that the power to cock the rifle and chamber the succeeding round comes from the expanding gas of the round fired previously; that it is loaded by inserting an en-bloc (i.e., it goes into the rifle's action and functions as part of the rifle) metal clip (containing eight rounds) into the receiver; and that the rifle fires one round each time the trigger is pulled. After the eight rounds have been shot the clip automatically ejects causing a "ping" noise to occur.

The M1 was the standard-issue service rifle of the U.S. forces in World War II, the Korean War, and also saw service to a limited extent in the Vietnam War. Most M1 rifles were issued to U.S. forces, though many thousands were also lent or provided as foreign aid to America's allies. The Garand is still used by drill teams and military honor guards. It is also widely sought by the civilian population as a hunting rifle, target rifle, and military collectible. Although the name "Garand" is frequently pronounced /ɡəˈrænd/, according to experts and people who knew John Garand, the weapon's designer, /ˈɡærənd/ ('rhymes with "errand"') is preferred. It is available for American civilian ownership through the Civilian Marksmanship Program.

The M1 Garand with important parts labeled.

READ MORE HERE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M1_Garand