M1 Garand

Also known as M1 rifle, Garand, M1 semiautomatic

Semi-automatic rifle

AI overview

The M1 Garand is a semi-automatic rifle that was widely used by the United States military during World War II and beyond. It is historically significant as one of the most iconic firearms of the 20th century and played a major role in American military operations during that era.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Key facts

Type: Semi-automatic rifle
Place of origin: United States
In service: 1936–1957 (as the standard U.S. service rifle) 1940s–present (other countries)
Used by: See § Users
Designer: John C. Garand
Manufacturer: Military Springfield Armory Winchester Harrington & Richardson International Harvester Beretta Breda F.M.A.P. Civilian Springfield Armory, Inc. McCann Industries
Unit cost: About $85 during World War II (equivalent to $1,580 in 2025)
Produced: 1934–1957
Number span no built: 5,468,772
Variants: See § Variants
Mass: 9.5 lb (4.31 kg) to 11.6 lb (5.3 kg)
Length: 43.5 in (1,100 mm)
Barrel length: 24 in (610 mm)
Cartridge: .30-06 Springfield 7.62×51mm NATO
Action: Gas-operated , closed rotating bolt
Rate of fire: 40–50 rounds/min
Muzzle velocity: 2,800 ft/s (853 m/s)
Effective firing range: 500 yd (457 m)

via Wikipedia infobox

~40 min read

Encyclopedic overview

The M1 Garand or M1 rifle is a semi-automatic rifle that was the service rifle of the U.S. Army during World War II and the Korean War.

The rifle is chambered for the .30-06 Springfield cartridge and is named after its Canadian-American designer, John Garand. It was the first standard-issue autoloading rifle for the United States. By most accounts, the M1 rifle performed well. General George S. Patton called it "the greatest battle implement ever devised". The M1 replaced the (bolt-action) M1903 Springfield as the U.S. service rifle in 1936, and was itself replaced by the (selective-fire) M14 rifle on 26 March 1958.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “M1 Garand” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.