Eisenhower National Historic Site

M1 Rifle
c 1941-1945
Springfield Armory and Winchester Repeating Arms Company

This .30 caliber semi-automatic M1 Rifle was the standard weapon of the American infantry soldier in World War II. It was designed by John Garand (1888-1974), thus nicknamed Garand Rifle. During the war over 4 million were produced. General Patton called the M1 Rifle, “The greatest battle implement ever devised.”

Ammunition for this weapon was loaded in clips that carried eight rounds. The rifle reloaded itself after each shot. This feature prevented the soldier using it from having his aim disturbed as he fired a series of shots. This greatly increased the fire power and effectiveness of the soldier. When the last round in a clip was fired, the clip automatically ejected, making a metallic pinging sound that under certain circumstances could alert the enemy that the soldier needed to reload. The rifle weighed 9.5 pounds without bayonet, 10.5 pounds with a M1905 Bayonet attached. Its length was 43.6 inches. It had an effective range of 440 yards and its muzzle velocity was 2,800 feet per second.

Wood, metal. L 111.2, H 18.7, W 7.4 cm
Eisenhower National Historic Site, EISE 15833.



M1 Rifle c 1941-1945 Springfield Armory and Winchester Repeating Arms Company This .30 caliber semi-automatic M1 Rifle was the standard weapon of the American infantry soldier in World War II. It was designed by John Garand (1888-1974), thus nicknamed Garand Rifle. During the war over 4 million were produced. General Patton called the M1 Rifle, “The greatest battle implement ever devised.” Ammunition for this weapon was loaded in clips that carried eight rounds. The rifle reloaded itself after each shot. This feature prevented the soldier using it from having his aim disturbed as he fired a series of shots. This greatly increased the fire power and effectiveness of the soldier. When the last round in a clip was fired, the clip automatically ejected, making a metallic pinging sound that under certain circumstances could alert the enemy that the soldier needed to reload. The rifle weighed 9.5 pounds without bayonet, 10.5 pounds with a M1905 Bayonet attached. Its length was 43.6 inches. It had an effective range of 440 yards and its muzzle velocity was 2,800 feet per second. Wood, metal. L 111.2, H 18.7, W 7.4 cm Eisenhower National Historic Site, EISE 15833.
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