M1 Garand vs AR 15 , which is America's Rifle?

[survivalshop]

  Interesting article from the NRA news letter .

https://www.shootingillustrated.com/articles/2017/12/6/m1-garand-vs-ar-15-which-is-americas-rifle/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=insider&utm_campaign=1217

[bubbas4570]

That was fairly entertaining.

 

And sort of indicative of how I have noticed many gun writers put stuff out.....no real end to the story, lest someone gets pissed off and "forgets" to buy the next month's rag....

[392heminut]

Did you notice how towards the end of the article it got off topic and started arguing about 'clips' and 'magazines'? We need that author on the forum, he would fit right in here, not to mention he keeps talking to himself throughout the article!

[AngelDeVille]

I can't remember the last time I saw a garand at the range... but it has been at least 5 years.

 

I see at least 5 AR's a day even if I'm not going to the range...

 

I read the first line of the article...

[dsdmmat]

My club has a military rifle league every summer. There are 2 Garands, (one is mine), a few M1 Carbines, a few 03s and a bunch of ARs. 

[unforgiven]

I love my AR's but I love my Garand more. 

[survivalshop]

7 hours ago, unforgiven said:

I love my AR's but I love my Garand more. 

  I get a audience when I take my M1 & 1903A3 to the range .

[mineralman55]

The Garand is and always will be my first love in rifles. It just fits right. No love lost for the M14 or the ARs. How can you not love all your children?

[Robocop1051]

The M1 carbine is one of my most loved rifles. Probably the best conceived  firearm of the time. 

[mrmackc]

The development of the little M1 carbine by "Carbine" Williams which allows semi-automatic action. with a relatively low power cartridge in a carbine because of a"floating chamber"  was a real advantage for me. My first semi auto .22 rimfire Remington model 550-I rifle that shoots.22 shorts, long, and long rifle ammo interchangeably. It was the only rifle I owned from when I was 11 years old until I was 18.  BTY I still have the well worn rifle it is 69 years old this Christmas.

[unforgiven]

A bro had an M1 carbine, it was a soft shooter.

He also had a 30-30 Winchester lever action that was fun to shoot.

[Robocop1051]

I have had three M1 carbines over the years. One  was a Rockola, one was a Singer and I still have the Winchester. There was a guy making them in 10mm a while back. He probably would’ve done a LOT better if he went to the 9mm instead. 

[98Z5V]

I want another one, Rob.  Mine is all IBM, matching.  That's a strong indication that it wasn't original, and someone actually searched out the parts and put it together from the IBM parts.  I'll never, ever get rid of it, as it was a gift from my dad - it was actually HIS retirement present when he got out of the Army.  I'd love to have a Rockola or a Singer.  Something iconic like the M1 Carbine, made by a jukebox company and a sewing machine company.  I think my typewriter carbine is pretty badass. 

That's what makes these things so damn cool. 

[Robocop1051]

My dad pieced the Winchester together in a string of good luck. It’s a complete Winchester, but it took two or three rifles to make it. 

For those that don’t know. Military weapons were made in parts back then. A company made only a few parts at a time, then shipped those parts out to be assembled with other parts. A complete military rifle often had several different mfg stamps on it. During all of the big wars, every capable machine shop was commissioned to fabricate parts for firearms. There are some very famous names stamped on th side of military weapons, that you’d never normally associate with the gun world. 

[unforgiven]

That 1944 MK IV Enfield I have is BSA.

[98Z5V]

1 hour ago, Robocop1051 said:

For those that don’t know. Military weapons were made in parts back then. A company made only a few parts at a time, then shipped those parts out to be assembled with other parts. A complete military rifle often had several different mfg stamps on it. During all of the big wars, every capable machine shop was commissioned to fabricate parts for firearms. There are some very famous names stamped on th side of military weapons, that you’d never normally associate with the gun world. 

And a little more to that - all these manufacturing companies were contracted to complete xxxx numbers of M1 Carbines per allotted timeframe.  There was a HUGE push to rapidly field the M1 Carbine.  Rockola might have had a thousand receivers and no barrels or bolts.  IBM is sitting on SOME bolts, but no receivers or barrels.  Winchester would have barrels, and need bolts.  Singer might have receivers (only thing they produced)...

They would trade. Seriously.  Deals left and right with the other companies, to make the quota, and get those carbines produced.

Here's a list of the companies that made M1 Carbines:

Over 6 million carbines in 38 months...

M1 Carbine Production

	Inland Manufacturing Division, G.M.C......	2,632,097	43.0%
	Winchester Repeating Arms Co................	828,059	13.5%
	Underwood-Elliot-Fisher Co..................	545,616	8.9%
*=right>	Saginaw Steering Gear Div., G.M.C...........	517,212	8.5%
**=right>	National Postal Meter Co....................	413,017	6.8%
***=right>	Quality Hardware & Machine Co...............	359,666	5.9%
	International Business Machines Corp (IBM)..	346,500	5.7%
	Standard Products Co........................	247,160	4.0%
	Rock-Ola Co.................................	228,500	3.7%
		---------
	Total:	6,221,220

[98Z5V]

Here's a great write-up on it all from Clint McKee:

http://fulton-armory.com/faqs/M1C-FAQs/M1Carbine.htm

[jtallen83]

6 hours ago, 98Z5V said:

Winchester would have barrels, and need bolts. 

Have that exact situation on my WWI P17. When I first got it there was a local collector of WWI weapons that showed me a copy of some period documents that included a letter from the war department ordering Remington to supply Winchester with several thousand bolts so the rifles could be completed in time for the troop deployment to Europe. Just so happened my rifle was one of those Winchesters built with Remington bolts and deployed late spring of 1918 in time for the allied offensive that summer. My rifle would be worth more on the collectors market with the addition of a Winchester bolt but I like it as is, original condition as it left the war.

[survivalshop]

  I have had several M1 Carbines , even one that was Chromed for Parade use , I think it was a Winchester , not sure , but have no use for the Cartridge at all . Good collectors rifle , but to me they were kinda boring to shoot . 

  I'll take my M1 Garand , may be heavy & only eight rounds , but the power the 30'06 has is legendary . The .30 cal Carbine , not so much .

[Matt.Cross]

Having a Singer would be awesome, their 1911s are legendary and worth a fortune.

[Robocop1051]

2 hours ago, Matt.Cross said:

Having a Singer would be awesome, their 1911s are legendary and worth a fortune.

As much as $80k 

[survivalshop]

 This article says which they believe is the winner .

http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/12/29/the-ar-15-americas-rifle/

[unforgiven]

I don't care what they say for a door smasher,head crusher with a good size pill coming at ya. M1 Garand is the winner. I really am surprised that in these restrictive states that it isn't a big seller. 8 rounds of 30-06 gotta love it.

[Sisco]

That article doesn't even mention the M-1 Garand.

1 hour ago, unforgiven said:

I don't care what they say for a door smasher,head crusher with a good size pill coming at ya. M1 Garand is the winner. I really am surprised that in these restrictive states that it isn't a big seller. 8 rounds of 30-06 gotta love it.

To paraphrase General Patton: The M-1 was the weapon that won WWII. (You could add the T-34 to that list to make it two and I wouldn 't argue). The AR-15 is the American millennials weapon, no doubt. Give me 308 or 30 cal M1.