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.
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M1 Garand rifle, USA. Caliber .30-06. From
the collections of Armémuseum (Swedish Army Museum), Stockholm.
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Type
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Semi-automatic rifle
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Place of origin
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United States
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Service
history
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In service
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1936–1957 (as the standard US
service rifle)
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Used by
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See Users
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Wars
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Production
history
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Designer
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Designed
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1928
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Manufacturer
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Springfield Armory
Winchester Harrington & Richardson International Harvester Beretta Breda[2] F.M.A.P. Springfield Armory, Inc. (civilian) |
Unit cost
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$85 (during World War II)
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Produced
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1936–1957
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Number built
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Approx. 6.25 million[3]
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Variants
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M1C, M1D
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Specifications
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Weight
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9.5 lb (4.31 kg) to
11.6 lb (5.3 kg)
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Length
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43.5 in (1,100 mm)
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Barrel length
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24 in (609.6 mm)
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.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) |
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Gas-operated,
rotating bolt
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Rate of fire
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40-50 rounds/min
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Muzzle velocity
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2,800 ft/s (853 m/s)
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Effective range
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500 yd (457 m)
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Feed system
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8-round "en bloc" clip,
internal magazine
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Sights
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Aperture rear sight,
barleycorn-type front sight
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M1 Garand with en bloc clips.
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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.
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The M1 Garand with important parts labeled.
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READ
MORE HERE:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M1_Garand
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