19 October, 1926 -For you Mark C.
Warbirds
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19 October 1926 – John C. Garand patented a semi-automatic rifle. Civil Service employee John Garand was in a class all by himself, much like the weapons he created. Garand was Chief Civilian Engineer at the Springfield Armory in Massachusetts. Garand invented a semiautomatic .30 caliber rifle, known as the M-1 or “the Garand,” which was adopted in 1936 after grueling tests by the Army. It was gas-operated, weighed under 10 pounds, and was loaded by an 8-round clip. It fired more than twice as fast as the Army’s previous standard-issue rifle and was praised by General George S. Patton, Jr., as “a magnificent weapon” and “the most deadly rifle in the world.”
For his work with the Springfield Armory, Garand was awarded the Meritorious Civilian Service Award in 1941, the Alexander L. Holley Medal from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and the first Medal for Merit (together with Albert Hoyt Taylor) on March 28, 1944. In 1973, Garand was inducted into the U.S. Army Ordnance Corps Hall of Fame for designing the M1 Rifle or The Garand.[23] The Hall of Fame entry acknowledges both Garand's inventive genius and engineering skills:
"Due to his initiative and instinctive inventive genius, the U.S. soldier possessed a firepower advantage during World War II. His remarkable mechanical skill and singular determination resulted in the design of numerous tools, jigs, and gauges necessary for the production of the "Garand Rifle." A remarkable engineering genius in the field of ordnance, his invaluable contributions served an important role in the history of World War II"
Comments
JCG was remarkable man, and he designed a remarkable rifle.
John Garand's twin brother.......
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Cool read, thanks for sharing. I did not realize the Garand came into existence that early.