If you are a fan of the M1 Garand rifle...

Here is a great video filmed at the Springfield Armory, included is Mr. Garand discussing his beautiful battle rifle. This is the first time I have heard him speak. Hope you enjoy it as much as I have.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVljNGittno

Awesome! Thanks for sharing. Still perhaps my favorite battle rifle

If you're not a fan of the M1 rifle...

Thanks!

A kid wearing a confederate kepi and shooting a gun.

The M1 Garand is the most magnificent rifle ever. It may be obsolete today but that doesn't take away from it in any way. Many an enemy of the USA fell to it and while we would have won the war anyway, it would have taken longer without it. The M1903..which is a great rifle in its own right...was no Garand.

Thanks for posting. I really enjoy watching these videos of our past manufacturing capabilities. Whether it's autos, weapons, or furniture it's amazing what this nation could do.

Its a shame we lost our manufacturing and assembly advantages. If we needed to arm up to defend our country I'm not sure we could do it today. We've given away the steel plants, large manufacturing and assembly plants, and the where-with-all to manage and direct those plants.

Interesting and sad.

Fred

Thanks for sharing. Excellent video!

There is something special about the Garand: there is no other rifle quite like it. When you step up to the line with an M1 Garand, people will turn their heads and take notice. Strong men will respect you. Beautiful women will fall at your feet. The enemies of freedom will flee in dismay.

This has been posted before, but is always cool watch. It is a high speed video of a M1 in action.

M1 High speed

fred55 said:

Thanks for posting. I really enjoy watching these videos of our past manufacturing capabilities. Whether it's autos, weapons, or furniture it's amazing what this nation could do.

Its a shame we lost our manufacturing and assembly advantages. If we needed to arm up to defend our country I'm not sure we could do it today. We've given away the steel plants, large manufacturing and assembly plants, and the where-with-all to manage and direct those plants.

Interesting and sad.

Fred

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At least in regards to small arms, in 2016 27 million firearms were sold. Since that is based on background checks, they are somewhat more likely to be new firearms. Even if you third that, that is 10 million a year new firearms.

If there was the need and the political will with some retooling you could have a crap ton of M4s and M16s rolling off hundreds of small to large firearm manufacturer's lines. Sure, a pistol line might not be retoolable to rifles, but at least a couple million service rifles a year production rate could probably be pumped out in short order.

Auto factories could be retooled to armed vehicle factories, etc. no, this couldn't be done over night. The US didn't retook for WWII over night either. We saw it coming and did a lot leading up to the war. We were pumping out job lots for the French and the British from around 1939. Then the British from 1940 on. Then for ourselves and every other Ally from 1942 on. Even from there we were continuing to ramp up until near the end of the war. It was roughly a 5-6 year effort to get to producing the stupendous amount of arms and munitions we were.

In 1939 there were 334,000 US service members, but 1945 there were over 12 million. In 1941 1.8 million and 1942 3.9 million. 1943 9.2 million.

I am not as pessimistic as you about how quickly we could change our economy to a war material economy in short order if needed. Per individual worker, factories are massively more productive now than compared to the 1940s.

Of course things are massively more vulnerable. An EMP could destroy most of the US power grid.

Major03 said:

Awesome! Thanks for sharing. Still perhaps my favorite battle rifle

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Damn nice rifle indeed, heavy as shot though. To think soldiers hand carried these from Normandy to Berlin is fascinating for sure.

Capt Skup said:

Here is a great video filmed at the Springfield Armory, included is Mr. Garand discussing his beautiful battle rifle. This is the first time I have heard him speak. Hope you enjoy it as much as I have.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVljNGittno

Click to expand...

Very nice, I am looking for one chambered in .308

jrhzn said:

Very nice, I am looking for one chambered in .308

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CMP has them.
Look at the RM1308SPECIAL in the Special Grade M1 Garand section.

http://thecmp.org/cmp_sales/rifle_sales/m1-garand/

Teachers should show that to their kids now.....oh wait, that's evil.