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My First M14/M1A (Part 1 of 3)
I’ve had a lifelong interest in history in general and US military history in particular. A Spring 1983 visit to Springfield Armory National Historic Site heightened my interest in US military firearms. Two of the rifles I wanted to own were an M1 Garand and a Springfield Armory Inc. M1A, the civilian version of the M14. In February 1984 Springfield was offering dealer direct a service grade M1A with upgraded National Match (NM) barrel and a NM type walnut stock that was heavier than the service grade stock and without the selector cutout. I ordered my first M1A. At that time little did I know that this was the rifle…
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My Favorite Garands (Part 2/2)
By Scott Duff A brief examination of the Springfield Garand quickly reveals it to be a rifle that has been carried and fired. Between the throat erosion reading, wear pattern on the left bolt lug, overall wear patterns of reciprocating parts, and the patina of the wood and the minor dings, it is apparent that this rifle did not spend its service life in a rack in an arms room. The presence of three groups of bullet tip dings on the right side of the stock is also a clue of possible combat use. An examination of the Winchester Garand also quickly reveals service use. The bore is dark and…
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My Favorite Garands (Part 1/2)
My Favorite Garands (Part 1 of 2) If you have followed my writings, you know that I advocate a theme to collecting. As an example, my theme for collecting World War II era Springfield Armory M1 rifles is to have one of each year from 1939 through 1945. I also have a theme with my entire US martial arms collection. I collect by war usage: French and Indian War, American Revolution, Seminole Wars, Mexican War, Civil War, Indian Wars, Spanish American War, World War I, World War II, and Korean War. I prefer firearms that were most typical of those used by the average soldier, cavalry man, or paratrooper. Nothing…
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What were the origins of the Garand? “Our New Service Rifle (1938)”
Above: John C. Garand shows off the excellent balance of the M1 rifle. Credit: SANHS Our New Service Rifle JOHN CANTIUS GARAND 1888-1974 “A Quiet Genius Who Gave To His Adopted Country ‘The Greatest Battle Implement Ever Devised’ The M1 Rifle” Above from the inscription on the John C. Garand bust at the Springfield Armory National Historic Site Donated by the Membership of the Garand Collectors Association June 6, 1994 For more than thirty years the Ordnance Department endeavored to obtain a satisfactory semi-automatic or self-loading rifle to replace the bolt action Springfield. These efforts were not confined to development within the Department. Invitations were extended periodically to…
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My Path to Becoming an M1 Garand Collector, Researcher and Author, (Part 4/4)
My Path to Becoming an M1 Garand Collector, Researcher and Author, Part 4 By Scott Duff For most of the 1980s I was employed at the Pittsburgh based headquarters of a major national mechanical contractor that specialized in large industrial and commercial projects. I worked in the law department as a contracts administrator specializing in claims and litigation support. My activities included coordination with outside attorneys, document discovery, claims writing, contract writing, and preparing expert witness testimony. My work experience prepared me for research and writing on the topic of the M1 Garand rifle. Therefore, it seemed logical to me to transfer the results of my research at SANHS and…
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My Path to Becoming an M1 Garand Collector, Researcher and Author (Part 3/4)
In addition to participating in IPSC competition, I began to shoot in Service Rifle matches. I was shooting in four matches a month, practicing with pistol and rifle weekly, and spent my free time cleaning guns and reloading ammo. Great fun! I wish I had kept track of how many rounds I fired in both platforms, but I did not. My best guess is that in the 1980s I was somewhere between 50,000 and 75,000 rounds. It could have been higher. I don’t really know for certain, but that is a good guess of the range. While competing in the shooting sports, I also I had become interested in collecting…
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“US Infantry Weapons in Combat” – Jack Walentine
Jack Walentine enlisted in the US Army in 1947. He was 16 years old at the time; he got in using his older brother’s birth certificate. The Army sent him to Fort Dix, NJ for basic training. Following basic, he attended jump school at Fort Benning and then was assigned to the 188th Infantry Regiment of the 11th Airborne Division in Japan. In 1949, he was transferred to the 25th Division and he remained with them until the outbreak of the Korean War. He served in Korea from July 1950 until being wounded for the fourth time in February 1951. After being wounded in February he was returned to the…
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“US Infantry Weapons in Combat” – Darrell ”Shifty” Powers
Darrell ”Shifty” Powers enlisted in the U.S. Army in early 1942 in Portsmouth, VA. He volunteered for the Paratroops and was sent to Camp Toccoa, GA. where he was assigned to E Company, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment. The story of Easy Company has been described in Stephen Ambrose’s excellent book, “Band of Brothers” and in the HBO miniseries of the same title. The Regiment became one of the three infantry regiments assigned to the 101st Airborne Division during World War Two. After intensive training in the US, the 506th moved to England and continued to train for the invasion of Europe. Mr. Powers made combat jumps with Easy Company into…
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“US Infantry Weapons in Combat” – Personal Experiences from World War II and Korea
The first thing that the reader must know about this book is that it is a gun book. It is not simply war stories, but is a series of interviews with soldiers and Marines specifically relating their experiences with the US infantry weapons in combat during World War II and in the Korean War. We decided to include both wars as basically both saw the same weapons used. As I first read the manuscript I was fascinated by the dramatically differing opinions. One man loved the M1 rifle and hated the M1 carbine while the next loved the M1 carbine and hated the M1 rifle. One thought that the Garand…
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My Favorite Ruger 10/22
Let me begin by saying that I’m not much of a .22 rifle guy. Like many youngsters who grew up in the late 1950s and early 1906s my Father taught me firearms safety and shooting at around age 10 to 12. I learned to shoot on my Dad’s Marlin Model 81 bolt action rifle. We shot at tin cans behind grandpa’s barn. I inherited that rifle when my Father passed away in 1999. Still own it. A used Marlin Glenfield Model 25 bolt action rifle was my first firearm purchase after I turned 18 and had a steady, full-time job. The price was $50 in 1973, which was all I…
