Moral-Flexibility.Net

The M1 rifle was introduced as the standard service rifle for the US Army in 1936 and served until its replacement by the M14 Rifle in 1957.

Designed by John Cantius Garand it is a semi-automatic rifle, holding 8 rounds of .30-06 ammunition in a spring steel clip (en-bloc clip). Capable of delivering accurate fire out to 400 meters (officially), and with a range of 3,600 meters. Loaded, and with its standard accessories (cleaning kit and sling etc) the rifle weighs 11 - 12 lbs.

Just over 4 million of these rifles were manufactured (this number does not include the Beretta, Breda and other foreign manufacturers).

The M1 was replaced as it was felt that the design could be improved on, two specific weaknesses of this rifle were felt to be the enbloc clip (which does not allow for reloading until all 8 rounds are expended, or otherwise cycled out of the rifle) and the heavy weight of the rifle.

My M1 was manufactured by Springfield Armories and is numbered 657000 (the last three digits I’ll keep to myself, if you don’t mind) which places its date of manufacture around 1942.

I purchased the rifle last year, and found that its condition was rapidly approaching “horrible“, I replaced a number of parts, reparkerized the receiver, internal parts and trigger group.Then replaced the barrel (as the barrel it had come with had suffered extensive errosion to the chamber, making the rifle unsafe to fire). The stock (which bore no historical markings or cartouches) was replaced with a Boyds Stock of modern manufacture, but still appears authentic.

The end result of these modifications / restorations is that the rifle is a satisfactory shooter, although I take more pleasure in admiring the work that has gone into it, than dragging it out to the range (I have not managed better than 3 inch groups at 100 yards with this rifle).