World War II: M1 Garand

Developed to replace the M1903 Springfield, the M1 Garand was the first semi-automatic rifle to be generally issued to any nation's army. Designed by John C. Garand (left) at the Springfield Armory, the M1 continued the US Army's interest in self-loading rifles. After testing several prototypes in the late 1920s and early 1930s, the armory decided to pursue the development of the .276 caliber Garand. This was vetoed by the Secretary of War and Army Chief of Staff General Douglas MacArthur who desired the new weapon to be .30 caliber. This was largely due to large existing stocks of .30 ammunition. After further testing and correcting several problems with the initial design, the M1 Garand entered service in 1936. By 1941, the US Army was completely re-equipped with the new rifle. The M1's semi-automatic operation gave American infantrymen a tremendous advantage over their World War II opposition who still largely used bolt-action rifles. Employed throughout World War II and the Korean War, the M1 remained in service into the 1960s.

Photograph Courtesy of the Library of Congress