So since we are all dreaming of winning the M1 Garand Loto. Which manufacturer do you figure we are gonna end up with?
Which rifle do you think represents the best Garand.
According to Wikipedia :
Following the outbreak of World War II in Europe,
Winchester was awarded an "educational" production contract for 65,000 rifles,[7] with deliveries beginning in 1943.[7] The British Army tested the M1 as a possible replacement for its bolt-action Lee-Enfield No.1 Mk III, but rejected it.[18][19]
John Garand points out features of the M1 to Army Generals.The M1's semiautomatic operation gave United States forces a significant advantage in firepower and shot-to-shot recovery time over individual enemy infantrymen in battle (German, Italian, and Japanese soldiers were usually armed with bolt-action rifles).[20] General George S. Patton called it "the greatest implement of battle ever devised."[21] The impact of faster-firing infantry small arms in general soon stimulated both Allied and Axis forces to greatly augment issue of semi- and fully-automatic firearms then in production, as well as to develop new types of infantry firearms.[22]
Much of the M1 inventory in the post-World War II period underwent arsenal repair or rebuilding. While U.S. forces were still engaged in the Korean War, the Department of Defense determined a need for additional production of the Garand, and two new contracts were awarded. During 1953-56, M1s were produced by
International Harvester and
Harrington & Richardson.[23] A final, very small lot of M1s was produced by
Springfield Armory in early 1957, using finished components already on hand.
Beretta also produced Garands using Winchester tooling.
The M1 proved an excellent rifle throughout its service in World War II and the Korean War. Surplus M1 rifles also armed many nations allied to the USA postwar, including West Germany, Italy and Japan. Some Garands were still being used in the Vietnam War in 1963; despite the M14's official adoption in 1957, it was not until 1965 the changeover from the M1 Garand was completed in the active-duty component of the Army (with the exception of the sniper variants, which were introduced in World War II and saw action in Korea and Vietnam). In other components of the armed forces, such as the Army Reserve, Army National Guard and the Navy, Garands continued to serve into the 1970s or longer.
Just came back from Granby shooting club and one of the members just had tried for the first time his new (new to him) Springfield Armory Garand and boy was I envious.
So all this to say "me too I want one bcz I love : bang,bang,bang,bang,bang,bang,bang,bang,Pling !"
BTW : Did you know that John Garand was Canadian and that the price to produce a Garand in 1937 or so was 85$ for WWII and there was 6 million of so produced
So good luck to all of us