M1 Garand Rifle

Caliber: .30 in (7.62 mm) Length: 43.6 in Weight: 9.5 lbs Capacity: 8-round clip

One of the main distinctions of the M1 Rifle, almost universally known as the Garand but officially designated the Rifle, Caliber .30, M1, is that it was the first self-loading rifle to be accepted for military service, in 1932. However, it took some time before the rifle actually entered service. The original design was .30 caliber, but the Army wanted to use a newer smaller, caliber and had the rifle redesigned. Then the Army changed its mind when it realized it had tons of .30 caliber ammunition left over from World War I! When the USA entered WWII at the end of 1941, most of her regular forces were equipped witht the M1, but the rapid increase of numbers of men in uniform meant that the old M1903 Springfield had to be placed back into production, as a quick increase in the flow of M1s from the lines was virtually impossible due to retooling problems. Gradually production built up and some 5.5 Million were produced by the end of the war. Production was also resumed during the Korean War. For the American forces the Garand was a war-winner, whose strong construction earned the gratitude of many. However, it did have one operational fault, namely its ammunition feed. Ammunition was fed into the rifle in eight-round clips, and the loading system was so arranged that it was possible to load only the full eight rounds or nothing. There was a further operational problem encountered when the last of the eight rounds was fired, for the empty clip was ejected from the receiver with a definite and pronounced sound that advertised to any nearby enemy that the firer's rifle was empty, sometimes with unfortunate results to the M1 user. There were two special sniper versions, the M1C and the M1D, both produced during 1944 but never in any great numbers. Each had such extras as a muzzle flash cone and butt plates.

M1903A3/A4 Springfield Rifle

Caliber: .30 in (7.62 mm) Length: 43.5 in Weight: 9 lbs Capacity: 5-round box

In 1903 the US Army decided to replace its existing Krag-Jorgensen rifles and adopted a rifle based on the Masuer system. This rifle, known officially as the US Magazine Rifle, Caliber .30, Model of 1903 or M1903 was first produced at the famous Springfield Arsenal and has thus become almost exclusively known as the Springfield. Almost as soom as the M1903 was placed into production the original bllunt-nosed ammunition was replaced by newer pointed ammunition that is generally known as the .30-06 ("thirty-ought six") as it was a .30 caliber round introduced in 1906. This remained the standard US service cartridge for years and is still widely produced. The original M1903 served throughout World War I in US Army hands. In 1929 the design was slightly modifed, resulting in the M1903A1 and the M1903A2. When the USA entered World War II the new M1 Garand was not available in the numbers required, so the M1903 was placed back into large-scale production, this time as the M1903A3. This version was modified to suit modern mass-production methods, but it was still a well-made rifle. Some parts were formed using stampings instead of machined parts, but the main change was to the sights which were moved back from over the barrel to a position over the bolt action. The only other version of the M1903 (apart from some special match rifle models) was the M1903A4. This was a special sniper's version fitted with a Weaver telescopic sight, and was specialized to the point where no conventional "iron sights" were fitted. Numbers of the M1903A4 were still in service during the Korean War. Many are still used today as target rifles, for the M1903 Springfield is still regarded as one of the classic rifles of all time. It is still a rifle that is a delight to hamdle and fire, and many are now owned by weapon collectors for those reasons alone.

M1 Carbine

Caliber: .30 in (7.62mm) Length: 35.6 in Weight: 5.2 lbs Magazine: 15 or 30-round box

The traditional weapon for second-line troops and such specialists as machine-gunners has generally been the pistol, but when the US Army considered the equipment of such soldiers during 1940 they made a request for some form of carbine that could be easily stowed and handled. The winner of a competition between several design proposals was a Winchester design that was adopted for service as the Carbine, Caliber .30, M1. The M1 used an unusual gas-operated system and was designed for use with a special cartridge that was intermediate between a pistol cartrige and a rifle cartridge in power. From the start the Carbine M1 was an immediate success. It as light and easy to handle, to the extent that its use soon spread from the from the second-echelon troops who were originally supposed to be issued it, to front-line troops such as officers and weapon teams. In order to speed its introduction into service the M1 was a single-shot weapon only. However, there was a special variant with a folding stock known as the M1A1. This was produced for used by airborne units. When time allowed during the war, the automatic fire feature was added. This version was known as the M2, but although developed during WWII it never made it overseas in time to see action until the Korean War. By the time the war ended, the production total had reached 6.3 million for all versions, making the M1 series of Carbines the most prolific personal weapon of World War II.

Colt M1911/A1 .45 Caliber Automatic Pistol

Cartridge: .45 ball M1911 Lenght: 8.6 in Weight: 3 lbs Magazine: 7-round box

The Colt M1911 may very well be one of the most successful pistol designs ever produced, for it has been manufactured in millions and is still in relatively widespread use all over the world almost 90 years after its adoption for service in 1911. The design had its origins well before then, however, for the weapon was based on a Colt Browning Model 1900 design taken as the basis for a new US Army service pistol required to fire a larger .45 caliber cartridge rather than a .38 caliber round which was deemed as too light to stop a charging enemy. The result was a series of trials in 1907, and in 1911 the Pistol, Automatic, Caliber .45, Model 1911 or M1911 was accepted. Production was slow at first, but by 1917 was well enough under way to equip in part the rapid expansion of the US Army for its new role in France. As a result of that battle experience it was decided to make some production changes to the basic design and from these came the M1911A1. The changes were not extensive, and were confined to such items as the grip safety configuration, the hammer spur outline, and the mainspring housing. Overall the dsign and operation changed only little. The basic method of operation remained the same, and this mechanism is one of the strongest ever made. This robust system, along with a positive applied safety and a grip safety, make the M1911 and M1911A1 very safe weapons under service conditions. However, the pistol is a bit of a handful to handle and fire correctly, and a goo deal of training is required to use it to full effect.

M1/M1A1 Thompson Submachine Gun

Caliber: 0.45 in (11.43 mm) Length: 32 in Weight loaded: 10.45 lbs Magazine: 20 or 30-round box Rate of Fire: 700 rpm

There can be few who have not heard of or seen some pictures of the Thompson sub-machine gun at some time or another. Known universally as the "Tommy Gun", the Thompson has even provided the sub-machine gun with a nickname, for the general public all sub-machine guns are known as "Tommy Guns" thanks to Hollywood's gangster films. The Thompson may have been the gun that "made the Twenties roar", but the story began in 1918. While the US was embroiled in World War I, the need became apparent for some kind of "trench broom" to sweep the trenches clear of the enemy. Since this sweeping had to be carried out at short ranges a powerful cartridge was not necessary and a pistol cartridge was all that was deemed necessary. General John Thompson initiated the development of an automatic weapon using the standard .45 cal pistol cartridge. By the time the first examples were produced WWI was over and all development for the next two decades was carried out on a commercial basis. The Thompson Gun, as it was soon labelled, went through a long chain of different models. Military sales were few, other than in small batches, but it was with the coming of Prohibition in the USA that the weapon gained its public notoriety. The gang warfare that mushroomed throughout the American underworld soon found the Thompson a most useful weapon, and when Hollywood began to make gangster films the gun became famous overnight. Military sales were few until the 1928 when the US forces started to purchase some large batches. The Thompson M1928 was a complex piece of gunsmithing which used a 50-round drum magazine or 20 or 30 round vertical box magazines, required a lot of maintenance, and there were many variations between different models. In 1940 large scale production commenced for France and the United Kingdom, wehere the Thompson was used until the Sten became available. When the USA entered the war the USA Army decided that it also wanted sub-machine guns but the Thompson had to be redesigned to meet US Army requirements for mass production. After redesign the Thompson became a far simpler weapon with a straightforward blow-back action with no frills and the old large, noisy and awkward drum magazine so beloved by Hollywood was replaced by the simpe vertical box. The new design became the M1 and a later version with some extra simplifications added became the M1A1. In service the M1 proved to be a well-liked weapon.

M3/M3A1 "Grease Gun"

Caliber: .45 in (11.43 mm) or 9mm Length: 29.33 in Weight, loaded: 10.25 lbs Rate of Fire: 350-400 rpm Magazine: 30-round box

By the beginning of 1941, although the United States was not yet directly involved in World War II, the American military authorities had acknowledged that the sub-machine gun had a definite role to perform on the modern battlefield. They already had numbers of Thompson guns and more were on their way, but the appearance of the German MP38/40 and the British Sten indicated the modern production methods that could be employed in future mass-produced designs. Using an imported Sten, the US Army Ordnance Board initiated a design study to produce an American Sten-type weapon, and in a very short time a development models were produced for trials. The first of these was handed over just before Pearl Harbor. After Pearl Harbor the project got a higher priority and it was not long before the design was issued with the designation M3. The M3 was just as unpleasant-looking as the Sten. Construction was all-metal with most parts simple steel stampings welded into place. Only the barrel, breech block, and parts of the trigger mechanism required any machining. The M3 was rushed into production and once issued to the troops it soon ran into acceptable troubles. The very appearance of the weapon soon provided it with the nickname "Grease Gun" and it was regarded with about as much affection. But once in action it soon showed itself to be effective, although the rush into production led to all manners of in-service problems. The cocking handles broke off, the wire stocks bent in use, some important parts of the mechanism broke because they were made of too soft a metal, and so on. Consequently the M3 received more than its fair share of in-service development and modification, but what was more important at the time, it rolled off the production lines in huge numbers for issue to the troops at the front. The M3 never overcame the initial reception to its appearance. Whenever possible the troops in the front line opted for the Thompson M1 or used captured German MP38s and MP40s, but in the Pacific there was often no choice other than to use the M3 and when this happened the design often gained grudging acceptance. For drivers of the many transport units and tank crews the M3 became a virtual blanket issue, since the M3 was easy to stow and handle in close confines. The M3 was designed to be easily converted to 9mm, and this was sometimes done in Europe where the M3 was dropped to resistance forces. A silenced variant of the M3 was also produced. Simple as the M3 was to make, in 1944 it was decided to make it even simpler. The result of combat experience allied with production know-how resulted in the M3A1, which had some substantial changes, such as an enlarged ejection cover, the doing away with of the flimsy cocking handle, and a flash-hider added to the muzzle. The M3A1 was still in production when the war ended; by which time it had been decided to phase out the Thompson Guns in favor of the M3 and M3A1. Apart from the appearance problems, the M3 and M3A1 were not perfect weapons. They were rather prone to breakage, the ammunition feed was often far from perfect, and the lack of a safety often gave rise to alarm. But it worked and it was available, and in war those two factors are more important than hankering after the something that might be better. Thus the M3 went and M3A1 were used wherever the US military went, and that was all over the world.

Browning Automatic Rifle (B.A.R.)

Caliber: .30 (7.62mm) Length: 47.8 in Weight: 19.4 lbs Rate of Fire: 500-600 rpm,  or 300-450 rpm Feed: 20-round box

The Browning Automaic Rifle, or B.A.R., as it is usually known, is one of those odd weapons that falls into no precise category. It may be regarded as a rather light machine-gun or as a rather heavy assault rifle, but in practice it was used as a form of light machine-gun. The BAR was a product of John Browning' s inventive mind, and Browing produced the first prototypes in 1917 which when demonstrated were immediately adopted by the US Army servie and taken to France for active use during 1918. The numbers involved at that time were not large, and the few used were employed as heavy rifles. This was not surprising as the first models, the BAR M1918, had no bipod and could only be fired from the hip or shoulder. A bipod was not introduced until 1937 with the BAR M1918A1 and the full and final production version, the BAR M1918A2 which had a a revised bipod and the facility for a stock rest to be added for additional stablity. These versions became the main American operational models, and they were issued to bolster squad firepower rather than as a squad support weapon, produced in large numbers and were the sort of weapons upon which soldiers came to rely. The BAR did have its faults however, namely the weight and the limited magazine capacity of only 20 rounds, which was far too few for most infantry operations. Being something of an interim weapon type the BAR had few tactical adherents but the soldier swore by the BAR and always wanted more. After 1945 the BAR was used again in Korea and was replaced until 1957 by the US Army.

Browning M1919A4 .30 Caliber Machine Gun

Caliber: .30 in (7.62 mm) Length: 41 in Weight: 31 lb Rate of Fire: 400-500 rpm Feed: 250-round belt

The Browning M1919 series differed from the earlier M1917 series in that the original water-cooled barrel was replaced by an air-cooled barrel. This air-cooled model was originally intended for use in the many tanks the United States was going to produce, but the end of World War I led to the tank contracts being cancelled along with those for the original M1919. However, the M1919 was developed into the M1919A1, the M1919A2, and then the M1919A3. The production totals for these early models were never very high, but with the M1919A4 the totals soared. By 1945 the production total stood at 438,971, and more have been produced since then. The M1919A4 was produced mainly for infantry use and it proved to be a first-class heavy machine gun capable of pouring out masses of fire and absorbing all manners of abuse and punishment. As a partner for this infantry version, a special model for use on tanks was produced as the M1919A5. Perhaps the strangest on the M1919 variants was the M1919A6. This was produced as a form of light machine-gun to bolster infantry squad power, which until the introduction of the M1919A6 had to depend on the firepower of the BAR and the rifle. The M1919A6 was a 1943 innovation: it was basically the M1919A4 fitted with an awkward-looking shoulder stock, a bipod, a carrying handle and a lighter barrel. The result was a rather heavy light machine-gun that could be produced quickly. Disadvantages were the general awkwardness of the weapon and the need to wear a mitten to change the barrel when it got hot. If there was one overall asset that was enjoyed by all the versions of the M1919 series of machine-guns it was reliability, for the types would carry on working even in conditions in which other designs (other than perhaps the Vickers) would have given up.

M1/M1A1 Bazooka

Caliber: 60mm (2.36 in) Length: 4 ft 6.5 in Weight: launcher 13.25 lbs rocket 3.4 lbs Max Range: 650 yd Armor Penetration: 4.7 in at 0 degrees

The American Bazooka was one of the more original weapons of World War II and was founded on basic rocket research that had been conducted at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, since 1933. The active service development of the weapon began in earnest in early 1942 and the first of them went into action in North Africa in November 1942, although it was 1943 before any were used against Axis armor. The full designation of the first model was 2.36-in Rocket Launcher, M1. The rocket fired was the M6A3 and the practice rocket was known as the M7A3. The bazooka was a very simple weapon, being nothing more than a steel tup (open at both ends) through which the rocket was launched. The rocket was fired electrically and in low temperatures not all the propellant was consumed before the rocket left the launcher, allowing the burnt powder to be blasted into the firer's face. To prevent this it was possible to fit a small circular wire mesh screen just behind the muzzle. In practice the bazooka could be used at point targets up to 300 yards away but for most purposes range was confined to about 100 yards. Soon after the M1 Bazooka enterred service it was replaces by the essentially similar M1A1. It was a popular weapon that could knock out any enemy tank and was normally served by a two-man team, one aiming and the other loading the rockets and connecting their electrical firing circuits. the bazooka soon found a great number of battlefield tasks other than use against tanks: it was very good at knocking out pillboxes of all kinds, and could even blast holes through barbed-wire obstacles. I was also used to clear combat lanes through minefields and against artilerry pieces at close range. By 1945 the M9 had been introduced, which differed from the M1 in that it was able to be broken down into two halves for transport. Smoke and inciendiary rockets were developed and used before 1945, although much of their use was in the Pacific Theater. As the war ended the all-aluminum M18 launchers were being introduced into service. By the end of the war no less than 476,628 bazookas of all types had been produced, along with 15 million rockets of all kinds.

Mortars

Smallest was the French-designed (it was a licensed copy of a Brandt design) 60-mm Mortar M2. This became the standard US Army mortar for use down to a company level, and for it a wide variety of ammunition was produced, including one odd projectile that was meant to illuminate low-flying enemy aircraft at night so that light anti-aircraft weapons could deal with them; the round had other uses as well.

From the M2 America developed the 60-mm Mortar M19, which can be regarded as the US equivalent of the British 2-in Mortar, which it closely resembled. Not many M19s were produced, and of these most went to airborne formations.

The standard battalion mortar of the US Army was another Brandt license-built product, yet one more variation of th mle 27/31 design. The Ameicans produced their version as the 81-mm Mortar M1, and with some slight alterations to suit local production methods it was manufactured throughout WWII. On odd piece of equipment used with this weapon was a small hand cart onto which the mortar and its ammunition could be loaded, but perhaps the the most universally used was the M21 halfrack carrier from which the mortar could be fired without the need to dismount the weapon.

Perhaps the best known of all American Mortars in WWII was the 4.2-in Chemical Mortar. It was devised to be a mortar firing smoke projectiles (hence the Chemical Mortar Designation) but it was not long before it was realized that bombs would be very effective as well. It was a cumbersome and large weapon with a massive and heavy baseplate and the barrel was rifled to fire bombs that closely resembled conventional artillery charges. The rifling made the mortar very accurate and the projectiles were much heavier than their smooth-bore equivalents. In action they were often used as infantry support weapons, but many were issued to smoke-screen units.