![]() Technical Manuals, such as TM 9-1275, detailed the specific procedures to be performed and the equipment (gauges, tools, etc.) necessary for such work. While the specific type of modifications performed during overhaul varied depending on the type of arm being rebuilt, the general practices were similar. After 1945, the mission of Springfield Armory changed from M1 manufacture to M1 overhaul, along with other types of small arms. Although such cursory repair work enabled the rifles to continue in service until hostilities ceased, it resulted in large numbers of them needing substantial repair and overhaul at the war’s end. Many M1s that would have been overhauled in peacetime were kept in action by the hardworking ordnance personnel in the field or at small base shops. Most repair and refurbishment was done by overseas ordnance shops due to the difficulty of shipping large numbers of arms from combat zones to the “Zone of the Interior” (continental United States). Generally, only the barrels, gas cylinders and stocks were changed, otherwise, the very early M1 rebuilds retained most of their original parts.Įven though Springfield Armory turned out large numbers of M1s during World War II, there was some limited overhaul of M1s during the active war. In late 1940 and early 1941, some of the earlier gas trap rifles were rebuilt by Springfield Armory and converted to gas port configuration. A number of very early M1s were modified at Springfield Armory to correct the deficiency.Ī couple of years later, the original gas system, dubbed the “gas trap,” was found to be faulty, and an improved “gas port” system was adopted. ![]() The production tooling was changed, and the issue quickly became a thing of the past. It was caused by improperly machined receivers. The first significant M1 overhaul occurred prior to 1941 when the so-called “Seventh Round Stoppage” problem arose. It has a modified operating rod, modified trigger housing pad, T105E1 rear sights and an “sa/shm” stock cartouche. This M1 rifle was rebuilt at Springfield Armory in 1947 and has a mixture of World War II and earlier parts. Rebuilding enabled worn or damaged rifles to be reclaimed and re-issued as essentially new guns. Whether carried in combat overseas or subjected to use by recruits in stateside training camps, virtually all M1s were eventually shipped to an ordnance facility for rebuild at some point, sometimes more than once. From its adoption in 1936 until production ceased in 1957, well over 5 million M1s were made, and the majority saw widespread service during World War II and the post-war era. military arms were manufactured in greater numbers or saw more extensive use than the venerable “U.S. If more extensive work was needed, the arms were sent to an arsenal or ordnance depot, usually in the United States, for overhaul, which was officially referred to as “Fifth Echelon Maintenance Responsibilities.”įew U.S. Such work was referred to as “Third or Fourth Echelon Maintenance Responsibilities” in Ordnance manuals. Most routine repair and maintenance procedures were performed by military ordnance personnel in the field or at rear echelon ordnance facilities. Whether mishandled by careless recruits or subjected to hard use without cleaning or maintenance on the battlefield, virtually all military rifles require varying degrees of repair and maintenance during their tenure of service.īasic cleaning and simple maintenance were the responsibility of the soldier, but often a rifle needed repair or maintenance to a degree beyond the capability of individuals. Such low-level repair and maintenance activities were very common, but substantial repair and modification required the services of a well-equipped ordnance depot or arsenal.Īny mechanical object eventually requires some form of repair or refurbishment, and few objects are subjected to as much use and abuse as military rifles. Army Ordnance unit during World War II is cleaning and repairing stacks of salvaged rifles, including many M1s. To subscribe to the magazine, visit the NRA membership page here and select American Rifleman as your member magazine. This article, "In the System: M1 Garand Rebuilds," appeared originally in the December 2003 issue of American Rifleman.
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