The Eddystone Story By Walter J. Kuleck, Ph.D.   The war activities of the Baldwin Locomotive Works also included the construction of two large plants on their property at Eddystone for the manufacture of rifles and ammunition, and accomplishments in this connection constitute a series of achievements worthy of record. On April 30, 1915, the British Government placed

THE GUAM GARANDS Introduction In all military conflicts, the price of an objective is paid with the lives of combatants.  Historically it has been considered that the force armed with superior weapons incurs fewer casualties and has a greater chance of victory.  For this reason tacticians and military historians have studied small arms for centuries.  As the appreciation for

  The M1C Sniper Rifle by Scott A. Duff   Two telescope-mounted versions of the M1 rifle were developed at Springfield Armory for use by snipers. They were designated the M1C and M1D. The M1C was adopted as standard on 27 July 1944. A Lyman produced M81 or M82 telescope was mounted with a two-piece system consisting of a

The M1D Sniper Rifle by Scott A. Duff   Two telescope-mounted versions of the M1 rifle were developed at Springfield Armory for use by snipers. They were designated the M1C and M1D. The M1D was adopted as substitute standard in September 1944. The M1D utilized a machined base fitted around the chamber end of the barrel and secured with

  National Match M1 Rifles by Scott Duff   Perhaps the most refined version of the M1 is that known as the National Match (NM) rifle. In March 1953, Springfield Armory was directed by the Ordnance Department to furnish 800 M1 rifles for use at the High Power National Matches at Camp Perry, Ohio. These rifles were to be

  Who Made M1 Garands? How Many Were Made? When Were They Made? by Scott Duff   World War II Production Springfield Armory The first production M1 was successfully proof fired, function fired, and fired for accuracy on 21 July 1937. Thus began manufacture of what was to become the greatest production effort in the long history of Springfield

  What Is Heat Lot Number By Scott Duff   Another factor (in addition to drawing numbers) used in the identification of Springfield Armory manufactured receivers, barrels, and bolts is the “heat lot” number. This is an alphanumeric code used by the Armory to identify the discrete lot of steel from which these three critical components were manufactured. Springfield

  What Is A Drawing Number??   An understanding of the engineering drawing numbers which were stamped on some M1 parts is necessary in order to fully comprehend the evolution of those components. For example: A hammer may be marked C46008-2 SA. The “C” designates the physical size of the drawing. The “46008” is the engineering drawing number. The

  What’s a “Tanker” Garand? By Walter J. Kuleck, Ph.D.   The “Tanker Garand” is a “misnomer.” During WWII two separate prototypes were developed for paratroop use. The first was the M1E5. The M1E5 had a short barrel and a folding metal stock. It was developed and tested in the Summer of 1944, but then abandoned because of the