M1 Garand (United States Rifle, Caliber .30, M1) Gas-Operated; Self-Loading Rifle (1936)
The M1 Garand was the principle frontline rifle of American forces worldwide for a time.
The M1 Garand was not only unique in its self-loading ways but the system managed an eight round "clip" of 30-06 Springfield ammunition. This clip was interestingly enough loaded from the top of the weapon, keeping the overall design clean and smooth. Though a novel concept in on the drawing board, this system proved to be the bane of many a soldier as the clip had to be completely emptied before the operator could reload the system - that meant no firing of single-loaded rounds and running out of ammunition at the worst possible times. To add insult to injury, the system would also end the firing of the final cartridge with a definitive "ping" sound, often providing the enemy with an assistant as to the the location of Allied forces - particularly in the fighting achieved in close quarters combat. A bayonet could be fitted under the barrel for close range assaults. Despite these detracting issues the system maintained an edge over their bolt-action German and Japanese counterparts with an almost "semiautomatic" firing operation performance.
The Garand would go on to prove its worth through all the war years and followed it up with equal success in the Korean War a few short years later. Additionally, the M1 Garand appeared, for a time, in redesigned form in the way of the M14 rifle (detailed elsewhere on this site). Though not nearly as successful as the M1 itself, the M14 was a reliable and robust weapon nonetheless. The M14 would see combat action in Vietnam (where handfuls of M1's were still in operation at the time!) and become a popular collector's rifle thereafter.
In all, some 5.5 million M1 Garands in various forms were produced. Those involved in the production run included the Springfield Armory, Winchester Repeating Arms Company, Harrington & Richardson Arms Company and the International Harvester Corporation. License production was undertaken for a time in the countries of Indonesia and Italy. Text ©2003-2013 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • No Reproduction Permitted
MilitaryFactory.com does NOT sell equipment/weaponry. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance or general operation. Please consult manufacturers for such information. Our disclaimer. Email corrections / Comments to MilitaryFactory at Gmail dot com.
Specifications for the
M1 Garand (United States Rifle, Caliber .30, M1)
Gas-Operated; Self-Loading Rifle
Country of Origin: United States
Manufacturer: Springfield Armory (various others) - USA
Initial Year of Service: 1936
Overall Length: 1103mm (43.43in)
Barrel Length: 609.00mm (23.98in)
Weight (Empty): 9.63lbs (4.37kg)
Cartridge: 30-06 Springfield
Action: Self-Loading Gas-Action Piston
Feed: 8-Round Internal Clip
Muzzle Velocity: 2,800ft/sec (853m/sec)
Range: 1,318ft (402m; 439yds)
Sights: Aperture Rear; Barleycorn-Type Front
Variants:
M1 - Main Production Model Designation
M1E1 - Limited Production Variant with subtle internal changes.
M1E2 - Experimental Variant; first M1 series rifle designed specifically with mountings for telescopic sights.
M1E3 - Experimental Variant; re-engineered firing action.
M1E4 - Experimental Variant; re-engineered firing action.
M1E5 - Short barrel M1; folding stock.
M1E6 - Experimental Sniper Variant; redesigned telescopic sight mountings.
M1E7/M1C - Sniper Variant; fitted with Telescopic Sight M73 ("Lyman Alaskan") or M73B1 ("Weaver 300"); flash suppressor; redesignated to M1E7 in June of 1944.
M1E8/M1D - Sniper Variant; fitted with Telescopic Sight M73; redesignated as M1D in June of 1944.
M1E9 - Experimental Variant looking to iron out heating issues in the M1E4 series; redesigned gas expansion system.
T26 - Ordered for Pacific forces in 1945 as a combination of the M1E5 action with the stock of a shortened M1; never produced and the order was cancelled.
Operators: Italy; Indonesia; United States
BY YEAR:
• 1700 to 1799
• 1800 to 1899
• 1900 to 1909
• 1910 to 1919
• 1920 to 1929
• 1930 to 1939
• 1940 to 1949
• 1950 to 1959
• 1960 to 1969
• 1970 to 1979
• 1980 to 1989
• 1990 to 1999
• 2000 to 2009
• 2010 to 2019
• VIEW ALL
• Compare Guns
BY TYPE:
• Anti-Aircraft Weapons
• Anti-Material Rifles
• Anti-Tank Weapons
• Automatic Rifles
• Bolt-Action Rifles
• Carbine Guns
• Flamethrowers
• Flintlock Guns
• Grenade Launchers
• Hand Grenades
• Lever-Action Rifles
• Machine Guns
• Mortars
• Musket Guns
• Pistols / Handguns
• Recoilless Rifles
• Revolvers
• Rocket Launchers
• Shotguns
• Silenced Guns
• Sniper Rifles
• Special Weapon Systems
• Submachine Guns
• VIEW ALL
SPECIAL:
• 18th Century Warfare
• 3 Soldiers Statue
• Battle of Mogadishu
• Chainmail Armor
• Firearm Types Defined
• French Military Victories
• Medieval Crossbow
• Medieval Longbow
• Vietnam War Casualties
• Vietnam War Memorial
WORLD WAR 2:
• British Guns
• French Guns
• German Guns (ALL)
• German Rifles
• Italian Guns
• Japanese Guns
• Soviet Guns
• US Guns
• US Infantry Regiment-Level Guns
• Machine Guns
• Pistols
• Rifles
• Submachine Guns
• Sniper Rifles
• VIEW ALL
WORLD WAR 1:
• Pistols
• Rifles
• Machine Guns
• Mortars
• US Guns
• VIEW ALL
KOREAN WAR:
• Machine Guns
• VIEW ALL
VIETNAM WAR:
COLLECTIONS:
• Ancient Weapons
• British SAS Weapons
• Civil War Guns
• Colt Guns
• Glock Guns
• GROM Polish Special Forces
• Guns of Libya
• Guns of North Korea
• Guns of Syria
• Guns of WW1 & WW2
• Heckler & Koch Guns
• Kalashnikov Guns
• Modern Russian Guns
• Navy SEAL Weapons
• Spetsnaz Weapons
• Weapons of Desert Storm
• Wild West Guns
• Winchester Guns
HOLLYWOOD/GAMES:
©2013 www.MilitaryFactory.com • Content ©2003-2013 MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • Site Contact Email: militaryfactory at gmail dot com. The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® trademarks and protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws.
Top MF Stuff: 2013 Military Pay Scale | Military Ranks | WW2 Weapons | Sniper Rifles | Kts to Mph | WW1 Aircraft | Automatic Rifles | Aircraft Cockpits | Vietnam War Weapons | Main Battle Tanks | Submachine Guns | Shotguns | French Military Victories
Most photographic images appearing on this site are courtesy of the United States Department of Defense and are approved for public use. Other images acquired through the public domain. Digital art work courtesy of Dan Alex. Business Consulting by Kyle Williams. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance or general operation. Please consult manufacturers for such information.
