After 36 years the familiar old Springfield rifle has met its nemesis and is to be supplanted. To the millions who have gazed upon the figures “1903” marked on the old rifle, the coming of its successor will bring mixed feelings of nostalgia, resentment at this intruder, and satisfaction that finally the old, slow, single-shot weapon is to go by the board.
As far back as 1902 the Chief of Ordnance stated the willingness of his department to consider in relation to muskets “the application to these arms of the automatic principle,” but that “mechanical invention has not solved its part of the problem.” The era of research, trial, and development of an automatic rifle started about that time and has progressed to the present day culminating in the United States rifle caliber .30, M1. This new arm represents the result of approximately 25 different rifles submitted from time to time by reliable concerns and inventors. Open invitations were publicly announced in 1921 and in 1928 to inventors and arms manufacturers to submit a rifle of an automatic or semiautomatic type, outlining to them characteristics and requirements both mandatory and desirable. The need for an improvement over the Springfield was felt and expressed in no uncertain terms.
The answer has come. It is the child of one John C. Garand, Ordnance Engineer of the Springfield Armory, and an employee there since 1920. During this time he has made great research into semiautomatic arms and has turned out several very creditable products. The new M1, as it is popularly called, is often referred to as the “Garand” or the “S.A.R.” (semiautomatic rifle). It is a gas-operated, clip-fed, self-loading, air-cooled shoulder weapon weighing slightly over 9 pounds, 5 ounces more than the old Springfield. It fires the same ammunition as the caliber .30, M1, 1903, and all standard U. S. caliber, .30 machine guns. There are 8 rounds to the clip mounted en bloc which are fed by hand into the magazine of the rifle, similar to feeding the clip of 5 rounds into the M1, 1903. The insertion of the clip depresses the follower which releases a catch allowing the bolt, under the action of a compressed spring, to go forward, stripping the top cartridge from the clip and immediately chambering it. After firing 8 shots, the last case is ejected and the empty clip is also thrown out automatically, leaving the bolt open and ready for the insertion of another loaded clip.
The semiautomatic or auto-loading of the rifle is accomplished by a mechanical arm called the operating rod. This component replaces the manual operation of the bolt, the source of power being obtained from the propellent powder gases. In the Springfield the bolt remains closed and locked to the receiver after the round is fired. To reload it is necessary to grasp the bolt, raise it till the locking lugs of the bolt are disengaged from their locking recesses in the receiver, and then draw the bolt to the rear thus extracting and ejecting the empty cartridge case. The bolt is next returned to its locked position by hand, and at the same time the cartridge is chambered. In the M1 all this is performed automatically and instantly by the operating arm in this fashion: When the bullet passes a gas slot near the muzzle, the propellent gases enter a gas chamber below the bore and impinge on a piston, driving it to the rear. This piston is an integral part of the operating rod or arm. The rear end of the rod contains a slotted cam into which projects a cam-shaped extension of one of the bolt-locking lugs. In traveling to the rear, this slot cams the bolt-locking lug extension upward, rotating the bolt until the bolt-locking lugs are disengaged from their locking recess in the receiver. The operating rod continues to the rear with the bolt in tow, extracting and ejecting the empty case and cocking the hammer. During this rearward travel of the operating rod, its circumscribing spring is compressed thus storing up enough energy to return the rod, bolt, and a new cartridge to the firing position. Absolutely the only manual requirements are insertion of a new clip after 8 rounds and squeezing the trigger.
In addition to reliable functioning there are features in the Garand that make it stand out above the many other models submitted to the various boards. Simplicity and relatively very few parts are conducive to ease of manufacture, cleaning, and general maintenance. The M1 has a total of 72 parts against 92 for the M1, 1903, including every spring and screw, and this in spite of the added semiautomatic feature. The gun is completely secure against premature discharge by a double safety feature. Ease of assembly and disassembly is amazing to even the most experienced rifleman. It is by far the simplest weapon in our service and one of the simplest yet evolved.
The rear sight is entirely new in principle and operation. The short receiver, which incidentally gives beautiful balance, permits a longer sight radius (27.48 inches) thus providing for greater accuracy, the rear sight being mounted on the rear of the receiver. The sights are graduated up to 1,300 yards. The rear sight is operated by a knob emitting a distinct click for each 25 yards. Even hundreds of yards are engraved on the knob with a mark in between to note odd hundreds. The windage knob is the counterpart of the range knob and is mounted on the right side. There is no danger of a bolt being blown back in the shooter’s face or gas from punctured primers ruining his eyesight since the bolt is sunk into the receiver assembly.
To satisfy the requirements for a military weapon there are certain demands and many must be met. The rifle must weigh about 9 pounds; must be well balanced and adapted to shoulder firing; must be simple, strong, compact, and fool-proof; must be adapted to ease of manufacture; must be as absolutely safe as practicable. Tests clearly showed that the M1 rifle possessed all these characteristics and many others, classed as highly desirable. Inspection boards are not prone to nurse along a weapon submitted for approval. When any gun has been approved, it may be positively assumed that it is fit for wars. This is necessary, for in this country, which depends largely upon a great civilian army in time of national emergency, it would be folly to put any rifle into the hands of relatively untrained men which did not possess all of the above characteristics.
In all comparative tests between the M1 and the M1, 1903, the new rifle clearly demonstrated its marked superiority. These tests included all types of firing—range, combat, anti-aircraft, etc., by expert, partially trained, and untrained soldiers. It is generally conceded that for short periods of fire the M1 has the value of approximately 3 bolt-action rifles. There have been some exaggerated claims for the high rate of fire of the M1, but personal experience has shown that 25 to 30 well-aimed shots per minute can be expected from the average rifle shot. Greater speed has been demonstrated by experts, chief among whom maybe mentioned “Al” Woodwood, of Springfield Armory, who fired 100 aimed shots at 200 yards in a minute, never dropping out of the 4 ring. Actually the rate of fire depends solely upon the ability of the individual to insert clips and pull the trigger. The rifle cannot be fired automatically, since besides the sear there is an additional lug to catch the hammer upon cocking if the trigger is maintained depressed.
Many skeptics of the principle of the semiautomatic shoulder rifle have been enthusiastically converted by one firing experience with the M1. The lack of fatigue after continuous firing is a pleasant surprise. No shooting jacket or padding is required.
The M1 shows a great superiority over the Springfield in anti-aircraft work, which is becoming more and more important and even necessary. Visualize a company of infantry on a road on the march equipped with the semiautomatic rifle, being suddenly approached by a combat plane moving at about 200 knots. In a fraction of a second every man can be pumping .30-caliber lead at this visitor as fast as he can pull the trigger for 8 rounds. This represents nearly 1,000 rounds of ammunition aimed and fired at this plane from over 100 different firing points, during the few seconds that he will be within range. The plane will do well to get off 200 rounds.
The tactical employment of units armed with the M1 rifle is exactly the same as with the Springfield rifle M1, 1903. In battle men armed with the M1 will perform the same duties, use the same formations, and function in all particulars exactly as does the man armed with the Springfield. No change in tactical doctrine is foreseen as a result of the adoption of the M1. It is true that the individual rifleman and rifle units are expected to function more efficiently because of the more efficient rifle and increased fire power. The fundamental role of the rifleman is, however, unchanged. One great field advantage is the lack of movement required by the rifleman to operate the M1 which will tend not to disclose his position.
There has been some thought that the increased fire power of rifle units makes it advisable either to reduce the strength of these small units or to increase the battle frontages. The present thought is that the adoption of this new rifle makes neither suggestion advisable. Any modification in organization and doctrine now being considered is due to other considerations. It is not expected that the maximum fire power of the M1 will be frequently employed due primarily to the difficulty in locating distinct targets. This gun is employed for accurate, aimed fire and is not designed to be used in the place of an automatic arm. The great fire power is available and will likely be used in defense during mass attack. The problem of ammunition supply will be more difficult, but this will undoubtedly be satisfactorily solved.
Springfield Armory is now engaged in the production of the new rifle. At first the usual difficulties to be expected in adapting the rifle to mass production were met; however no problems were met which were not readily overcome. Facilities for production within the funds now available have been made and at present the output is hardly 100 a day. This calendar year 7,500 of these rifles will be delivered. Two regiments of the Army and two companies of the Marine Corps will soon be equipped. Many of these rifles will be distributed for instruction purposes. Additional funds have been made available for the purchase of more and better facilities for manufacture of the M1, such as jigs, fixtures, tools, gages, and the most modern machinery. This will step up the output to a figure that will enable the manufacturers to equip a war-time army in the not too distant future. It is proposed to have several arms manufacturers turn out a limited number of the M1 rifles for a time, thus insuring a number of possible sources of supply should necessity arise. It is confidently believed that this innovation is one of the greatest improvements for the individual fighter that has been made in many years and will soon be normal equipment of the individual foot soldier.