M1 Garand rifle, a rifle with a deep history.

The History of the M1 Garand

M1 Garand History

John C Garand designed the rifle that came to be known as the M1 Garand in 1932. It was never officially named after its inventor, it was the United States Rifle, Caliber .30, M1, but it is known to veterans and users as the M1 Garand.

M1 Garand rifle, left side view.

Garand's design became the standard service rifle of the U.S. Army in 1936, and it remained in that official role until 1957. However, the changeover within the active-duty component of the U.S. Army was not complete until 1963, and it remained in use in some U.S. military units at least into the 1970s. It remained in service as a national standard service rifle until 1994, and it is still in use in military auxilliary units today!

Here is the history of this impressive design — its origins, its adoption, its use in World War II and Korea, through its continuing use today.

Hatchers Book of the Garand
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U.S. Rifle M14.
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