Since we looked at two iconic swords from history this month and one firearm, I thought it appropriate to look at another firearm in keeping with his month’s theme. That firearm we will explore today is the famous M1 Garand. Known officially as the “United States Rifle, Caliber .30, M1,” the M1 Garand is one of many iconic weapons from history that changed the way battles were fought and moved tactics forward by introducing new ways to fight.
The M1 Garand was originally designed by John Cantius Garand. It was made of steel and black walnut wood, machined and assembled at the Springfield Armory in Massachusetts – one of the first two arms manufacturing plants commissioned by George Washington to rectify American dependence on foreign arms imports centuries earlier. The receiver of the rifle was forged and machined with an assembly line which could produce several hundred M1 rifles per day at their peak. Simultaneously, the stocks were woodworked at the facility on a separate line. At the end, the steel and wood were assembled together to produce a finished M1 Garand.
The weapon was prominent among the U.S. military in WWII and the Korean War. During the Cold War, stockpiles of the weapon were handed down to U.S. allies as the American forces began phasing the M1 out for the M14. The weapon was officially in service between the years of 1936-1958 in the United States, and other countries still use it as their standard issue service weapon to this day. The weapon is also still used in drills and training among many countries in the modern age, including the United States.
The M1 Garand replaced the M1903 Springfield bolt-action rifle, although the M1903A4 variant remained in service as a sniper rifle. The M1 Garand provided a higher rate of fire and greater accuracy than the M1903. It was a semi-automatic weapon with less recoil. The ammunition was lighter and allowed more to be carried, and the semi-auto fire enabled more rounds to be fired in a shorter period of time. Overall, it made for a superior infantry weapon, allowing the slower, heavier hitting M1903A4 to be delegated to a long-range role.
The M1 Garand makes a distinctive ping noise when the last round is fired and the empty clip is ejected. This was reportedly used to the advantage of both the combatants facing Americans equipped with the weapon, and by the Americans themselves to deceive their adversaries. During WWII and the Korean War, combatants facing the M1 Garand would listen for the distinctive ping to know when there may be an opportunity to charge the position of the ones wielding the weapon. On the other side, sometimes soldiers with an M1 Garand would fire one round and throw an empty clip to feign being out of ammo and lure combatants into a charge.
Looking at the muskets and cannons of centuries past; the M1 Garand still in use today but on its way out; and the modern weapons which have replaced it like the M16 rifles based off the AR-15 design, I marvel at how far humans have come and wonder what we will make next. After all, it was not that long ago in our history that we were training with swords, spears, and bows not as recreational endeavors and a way to preserve the past, but to familiarize ourselves with the conventional defense tools of the day. Now, those tools have passed from the conventional class to the historical. I wonder what will come next, and when the day may come when the firearms of today are displaced by some new tool which makes them obsolete.
I also wonder which weapons may stand the test of time and remain in common use, such as how the knife has remained conventional since the dawn of human existence. Only time will tell, I suppose. I look forward to seeing what comes next and familiarizing myself with any new tools which come onto the scene of human history.
What do you think of the M1 Garand? Have you ever had a chance to wield the weapon yourself? What is your favorite weapon design or system from human history?
Also, you may have noticed that some of the headings and references to the “Pen and Sword” have changed to the “Pensive Warrior.” I finally decided on this as the final name of the blog to differentiate it from other blogs and employ a unique name. I will be changing the domain name soon as well to provide a unique URL.
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