In this video, Lucky Gunner discusses the history of the development of the M1 Garand rifle, explaining along the way why it took over 30 years from the Army first expressed its desire for a semi-auto rifle in 1902 to when the M1 was finally introduced into service. He also covers some of the early misgivings about the rifle and how those were put to rest in the battlefield and as soldiers clamored for the rifle over the 1903 Springfield. Interestingly, he notes that the M1 Garand was considered to be just as dependable as the bolt action rifle and a heck of a lot more useful on the battle field because of the ability to deliver fast follow up shots on an enemy or peppering areas of cover where the enemy might be hiding (what the Rhodesians later termed "drake shooting") rather than the slower fire offered by the bolt action that would see the enemy disappear or get behind cover before a follow up shot could be made.
VIDEO: "Why It Took 30 Years to Build the M1 Garand"
Lucky Gunner Ammo (22 min.)
Hide bound describes it. The .276 Pederson was a better round and could have resulted in a better rifle for the soldiers and Marines. Sadly, that attitude still prevails today; look at the Navy.
ReplyDeleteThe .276 Pedersen offered marginal advantages in certain types of shooting, and a larger capacity of ten per clip versus the 30-06 with eight per clip. But these did not justify replacing the 30-06, which had already begun to assume the status of legend due to its superb performance since being introduced - in combat, on the competitive field and in hunting.
ReplyDeleteAmateurs discuss tactics, professionals discuss logistics - and Army Chief of Staff General Douglas MacArthur was nothing if not a professional. During the lean times of the Great Depression, the Army Ordnance Dept. and the services could not afford to replace the 30-06, which was by then well-entrenched as the service rifle and medium MG cartridge.
Every dollar spent on the 276 Pedersen was one less to be spent on something else equally or perhaps even more deserving of support.
General MacArthur made the right choice then not to replace 30-06 and it is still the right choice today. And it wasn't even close. The 30-06 is today regarded by many FA historians as the most-significant and successful center-fire rifle cartridge of the 20th century - and for good reason. It does everything well and some things very well. The 276 Pedersen is now a footnote in our history, and deservedly so.