the garand :: essays research papers

The US Rifle M1 was the first semiautomatic rifle to be the standard small arm of the US Military, and the first semiautomatic rifle to be adopted by a major military power. It was the product of a genius, John Cantius Garand. While the M1 Rifle was never officially referred to as the Garand, it is known by no other name so widely. First adopted in 1936, the M1 Rifle served the US in World War II, Korea, a host of "police actions" and interventions, and, in the hands of allies, in the Vietnam War. Even there the US Army used the M1 rifle as a sniper rifle even though the M1 had by that time been supplanted by the M14 and later the M16. The M1 Garand is a full-blown combat rifle with maximum range of 3,200 meters and maximum effective range of 400 meters. Fully loaded with 8-round en block clip, cleaning kit in butt stock, sling and with stock of dense GI issue wood the M1 weighed in at 11-1/4 lbs. The M1 came into production in 1936 using the .30-06 rifle cartridge. It was the designated service rifle of World War II and the Korean War for the United States Military. Also was designed for semi-automatic fire using a spring steel clip containing 8 rounds. This is where the term "clip" originated. All other rifles used a detachable or fixed magazine. There is some discussion on whether this is accurate though. The M1 Garand was designed for long-range accuracy and was the only rifle that had fully adjustable rear sights, with windage and elevation. 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. This be true the M1 proved to be quite accurate, durable, rugged and reliable. The M1 Rifle was also distributed to several nations under many American military assistance programs and used to date. During The Vietnam War the M1 served as a training rifle for troops inducted into the U.S. Army and still serves in the training rifle role for the U.S. Navy. The M1 was the main rifle of many military reserve units until the mid-1970s (for example, the M1 was seen in the hands of Illinois National Guard troops during confrontations between Guardsmen and demonstrators outside the 1968 Democratic National Convention complex), when it was replaced by the M16.