My Surprising Thoughts About The Rifles We Used In WWII

My Pre-War M1 Garand

When we think about WWII, we think about that great battle rifle-the M1 Garand.  Sure, thats the rifle that you see on Saving Private Ryan and every other great movie about the war.  Sometimes (especially if you are like me ) you also think about the M1 Carbine.  Certainly, when the United States adopted the Garand back in 1936 we intended that this is the rifle we would go to war with, the only trouble is that when Pearl Harbor was bombed, we didn't have enough of them to equip our armed forces.  So, what do you do? Ask the Japanese to please take it back and sneak-attack us again in a few years?

My Springfield 1903, refitted and rebarreled  for WWII

Let us digress, back before WWI we adopted the 1903 Springfield Rifle as the rifle we intended to fight the next war with.  We manufactured enough to outfit our army based on our previous experiences in war.  When WWI rolled around we discovered that we needed a much larger army than we had ever had before.  Even working our 1903 assembly lines around the clock, we could never make enough, soon enough, to equip our army.  Thus was born the Model of 1917 Rifle. (I hope to discuss this in depth in a future post)  So we ended up fighting a war with a rifle that we hadn't even considered when we declared war.

My Model of 1917 Remington, refitted for WWII.

So, Here we are, our fleet is in tatters, we have a tiny army, navy, and air force, and we have almost nothing with which we can use to attack our enemies.  We increase our production of M1 Garands, and even get another company to produce them, We rush the M1 Carbine into production (Which is much easier and cheaper to make than a Garand).  Still, we don't have, and won't have, enough rifles for a long time.  Well, what we did was drag our old M-1903 Springfield and Model of 1917 rifles out of storage and start issuing them to troops.  Then, since we still have all of the machinery to make 1903's, we give the stuff to Remington Arms and a typewriter company (Smith Corona), and start to making more outdated 1903 rifles.

My 1903A3 Remington

Okay, so if you look at the total rifle production figures for the Garand and Carbine for WWII, you see a combined total of over 9 million.  That's a lot of rifles!  Then you remember we had around 14 million men in the Armed forces and figuring that there were lots of sailors and air crewmen who had no need of a rifle you think, "Wow!, 9 million was plenty!"  Then you stop reading this post and go watch Band of Brothers for the 10th time and say   "Gee, look at all them Garands"  Well, it was a long time before we had all those Garands and Carbines, and I have tried to discuss this with people, but I have never had any cold hard facts...Until now.

I compiled this chart (as best I could) from information I read in several books written by Larry Ruth, Scott Duff, and Bruce Canfield (Lets give credit where credit is due)

Rifles Available for Use by US Armed Forces

Date             1903 (All models)     M-1917          M1 Garand          M1 Carbine           Grand Total

Dec 1941     1,905,964                 298,816          401,271              0                            2,606,051

% of Total         73.13%                  11.46%            15.39%               -

Dec 1942      2,244,212                 298,816        1,165,411             111,209                3,819,648

%  of Total        58.75%                   7.82%              30.51%               2.91%

Dec 1943       3,112,830                298,816         2,412,357           3,004,296               8,828,299

% of Total          35%                        3.38%              27.32%               34.03%

April 1944      3,190,294                298,816         2,826,794            4,281,894             10,298,982

% of Total           30.97%                  2.9%                 27.44%               41%

Dec 1944        3,190,294                298,816         3,483,825            5,017,430             11,990,365

% of Total           26.6%                     2.49%              29.05%                41%

This chart is very telling, as our first month of the war ended, 84% of our rifles, that's  more than 8 out of 10, were rifles that we never intended to use in WWII!!!

On the eve of D-Day (April 1944 figures) less than 3 out of every 10 rifles (read that carbine too) was a Garand.  Or, to put it another way, we still had more 1903's than Garands!  It is not until just before the battle of the bulge that we finally have more Garands than 1903's.

And what about carbines???  This was never intended to be used as a rifle, rather it was a replacement for the pistol for rear area troops to combat Hitler's Bliztkreig tactics, but if we hadn't used it as our go-to gun, what would we have done?

My Late-War Inland M1 Carbine

I am not trying to re-write history and convince you that Pvt. Ryan was really carrying a 1903, I am just saying that it took a lot more than just the Garand to win the war.

The first Weapon I ever shot

My Dad's Stevens Model 87A .22 caliber rifle

1969 was a turbulent time in America.  The Watts riots, Vietnam, anti-war protests.  My father's world was changing and not for the better.  Dad saw all of the civil unrest and decided to take steps to protect his family from any possible trouble.  He had brought back a Walther PP and a Walther PPK as souvenirs from WWII, but when he married Mom she let him know that there would be NO GUNS IN HER HOUSE!!...Dad gave the pistols to his brother.  Twenty years had passed, times had changed, and Dad was insistent: He was getting a rifle.  Dad turned to his good friend Henry Heisch, a retired Sears Department store manager who enjoyed travel, rockhounding, drinking and guns.  He sold my Dad a semi-automatic Stevens .22 cal rifle. Model 87A.  I still remember the sense of awe I felt as I watched Dad hold it and turn it over in his hands. Testing its weight he said: "This reminds me of the gun I carried in the Army-lightweight and handy"(He was talking about the M-1 Carbine)  Henry took us all out to a nearby sand quarry and let us test fire it.  What surprised me the most is that after my incessant "please, can I shoot it?" Dad finally laid me down on the ground and set the rifle next to my cheek, helped me place my left hand under the stock just forward of the trigger guard, my right arm under the buttstock, my finger up to the trigger and told me to look at the sights and try to aim at the can.  Then he told me to pull the trigger.  This I knew how to do from playing cowboys and indians with capguns.  I stared more at the ribbed metal that enclosed the bolt than I did at the sights and I pulled the trigger.

I could see the bolt through the metal ribs

 I heard a loud crack, my ears started to ring, and I smelled for the first time the distinct smell of burned gunpowder.  Out of the corner of my eye I had seen a flash of metal after I had shot and so the next time I pulled the trigger I watched to see what was happening instead of watching down range.  What I saw was the  bolt as it recoiled to the rear to eject and load another bullet. Of course I didn't know that then.  Luckily my father was also holding the rifle and kept me from killing anyone!
Dad purchased the Stevens and took it home.  He carefully placed it in it's black plastic sleeve, folded over the end and tied it off and placed it in his closet in his room in the basement. He turned to see me wide-eyed watching him.  He picked me up and set me on the bed and told me in no uncertain terms that I was to NEVER pick up, touch, or even try to look at that gun when he wasn't around.  I solemnly nodded my head and said "yes Daddy" and then went up stairs with my Dad...About 3 minutes later when I was sure he wasn't watching I snuck down the scary steps and without turning on the lights braved the dark hallway back to my Dad's room.  Opening the closet door, I started to untie the knot in the folded over plastic that covered the rifle.  Being a father myself now and with the clarity of 41 years I realize that I had been set up.  My father knew exactly what I was going to do and was just waiting to give me the worst beating of my young life when I did it!  WHAM!  the door burst open and my father unleashed!  Down came the pants for a "bare bottom spanking"  the worst, and most feared punishment in our house.  I wailed and cried but...I NEVER touched that gun again without my Dad.
In 1999 my father passed away  and the ol' Stevens passed to me.  I took my family out and let my sons and daughters shoot it.  I remember when my youngest son turned five and I had him shoot it like I did.  I helped him hold it in his too short hands and helped his little finger find the trigger.  I wonder if he looked down range or was more interested in the movement of the bolt.  I can understand if he was.

Broken Bolt
Techincal Note:  in 2005 the bolt snapped and I spent about a year looking for one.  After much fruitless searching I finally tried Numrich arms and found a replacement.  It is back in firing condition and I plan to pass it to one of my sons one day.

M1 Carbine, My "War Babies"

My Dad with his carbine just after the war.

For most of WWII my Dad carried an M-1 Carbine.  This fueled my interest in carbines and I bought my first one 30 years ago. I only wish that I knew then what I know now.  Now, if someone were to say "I just bought an Inland in the 6 million block with a round bolt, a stamped IBM trigger housing and pot-bellied stock."  I would understand every word, but at 16 years old, to me, a carbine was a carbine.  I put my 150.00 on what I thought at the time was a beautiful specimen, complete with 30 round clip, bayonet lug and metal ventalated handguard.  Made by Universal.  Sigh.  I owned one or two carbines over the years, I learned from my first mistake and made sure they were USGI.  I bought a National Postal Meter, and an Inland, both Blue Sky imports.  About 10 years ago I discovered The CMP and with the help of my good friend Ray I got quite an education about Garands.  I was still fairly ignorant about carbines.  I would ask lots of questions to Ray and he helped a lot.  One day, he suggested a book called "War Baby!" by Larry Ruth.  This book gave me quite the education.  I have bought several books on the carbine.

CARBINE BOOK LIST:
"War Baby!" and "War Baby! Comes Home" by Larry Ruth.
"Complete Guide to the M1 Garand and the M1 Carbine" by Bruce N. Canfield.
"U.S. Infantry Weapons of World War II" also by Canfield.
"U.S. M1 Carbines, Wartime Production" by Craig Riesch.
"Comprehensive Guide M1 Carbine" by R.C. Larson.
I think War Baby! is the best, but Larson's is the one I use the most.
I now own three "War babies"
An Underwood from the CMP
A Rock-Ola that I have built as best I can from a barreled receiver I bought from gunbroker.com
And a Saginaw that I bought from my friend Ray.

Top-Rock-ola early war. Middle-Underwood mid war. Bottom-Saginaw Late-war, Korea

 My first rule is USGI Parts ONLY!!! I had a few repo parts but I got rid of them!  (Okay, So, two of the slings are repops. but other than that USGI)

Here are some of my favorite PLACES TO GET PARTS:
Gunbroker  A great auction site, but be CAREFUL who you buy from,  I've had Great experiences and a few less than great.  I've done well with parts but hit and miss with actual guns (more on that in later posts)  I have spent months trying to find a certain part, but my effort always pays off.
Numrich Gun Parts Wow! great site but it doesn't always have what you need, keep checking back if you can't find it because they are always adding new stuff.
Riverbank Armory Top Dollar but good stuff if you can't find it anywhere else.

M1 Carbines



Note the Rock-ola Recoil Plate



About me.



My Dad 89th Infantry Division

 My father was a Radio Operator in the 89th Infantry Division in WWII.  I remember his buddies coming over to our house when they passed through town.  My Dad would drag out his box of "liberated souvenirs" from the war and I would see things that totally fascinated a young boy.  A Hitler Youth Dagger, k98 bayonets, flags and a helmet.  Then they would sit and talk about how it was and "remember the time..."  These early memories started me on a path that led me into a lifelong pursuit of history, love of my country, shooting and collecting military weapons, and even serving in the US Army and National Guard.

My Dad(with "liberated binocs")in Zwickau, Germany The day the war ended.

Me in Germany...46 years after my Dad left!