Wwii Battle Rifle Field Guide
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Brandon’s WWII BATTLE RIFLE FIELD GUIDE P a g e | 2 Table of Contents · United States o Springfield 1903 4 o M1 Garand 7 o M1 Carbine 10 · Great Britain o Lee-Enfield 14 · Germany o Karabiner 98k 18 o Gewehr 41/43 21 o Sturmgewehr 44 24 o Fallschirmjägergewehr 42 27 · Russia o Mosin Nagant 31 o SVT-40 34 · Japan o Type 99 Arisaka 38 P a g e | 3 United States P a g e | 4 United States Rifle, Caliber .30, Model 1903 (Springfield 1903) Rifle Specifications Designed: 1900 Designer: Springfield Armory Service Life: 1903 – 1957 Action / Fire Rate: Bolt-Action / 20 rounds per minute Weight: 9 lbs (4.1 kg) Length: 43.5 in (1,105 mm) Barrel Length: 24 in (610 mm) Cartridge: .30-03 Springfield (.30-45); .30-06 Springfield Muzzle Velocity: 2,805 ft/s (855 m/s) Magazine: 5-round internal box magazine Effective Range: 500 – 900 yds (457 m – 823 m) Rifle Variants · M1903 (1903) - developed for the .30-03 (also known as the .30-45) cartridge. o M1903 (1905) - changed from a rod type bayonet to the knife type Model 1905 bayonet and to the improved Model 1905 sight. o M1903 (1906) - modified again to specifically fire the new M1906 .30-06 cartridge ("Ball Cartridge, caliber 30, Model of 1906"). o M1903 Air Service (1914-1918) - issued to aircrew with a permanent 25 round magazine and modified Type S stock for-end. o M1903 Mark I (~1918) - modified for specific use with the Pedersen device. · M1903A1 (1930-1939) - changed from a straight stock to a pistol grip type stock (Type C stock). · M1903A2 (1930s–40s) - basically a stripped A1 or A3 used as a sub-caliber rifle with artillery pieces. · M1903A3 (1942) - modified for easier production with stamped metal parts and somewhat different grip and stock (late model Type S stock; no finger grooves). · M1903A4 (1942) - an M1903A3 modified to be a sniper rifle using an M73 or M73B1 2.2X Weaver telescopic sight and different stock. · M1903 Bushmaster Carbine (1940’s) - the barrel and stock were cut down 18 inches (460 mm) for easier use in Panama; 4,725 such rifles were made. It was a training rifle and saw no action. After WWII most were dumped into the ocean and surviving pieces are rare. P a g e | 5 Cartridge Specifications and Ballistics .30-03 Springfield Developed: 1903 Bullet Diameter: .308 in (7.8 mm) Case Length: 2.54 in (65 mm) Overall Length: 3.34 in (85 mm) Weight: 220 grains Type: FMJ Velocity: 2,300 ft/s (700 m/s) Energy: 2,585 ft-lbs (3,505 J) .30-06 Springfield (Cartridge, Ball, Caliber .30, Model of 1906) Developed: 1906 (M2 Ball in 1938) Bullet Diameter: .308 in (7.8 mm) Case Length: 2.49 in (63.3 mm) Overall Length: 3.34 in (84.8 mm) Weight*: 152 grains (9.8 g) Type: FMJ Velocity*: 2,805 ft/s (880 m/s) Energy*: 2,660 ft-lbs (3,600 J) Maximum Range: 45° angle, 4,890 yds Springfield .30-06 Cartridge Specifications *Refers to cartridge specifications of the M2 Ball variation of the .30-06 Cartridge P a g e | 6 Information The Springfield 1903 was created to replace the Krag-Jørgensen rifle, a rifle with a very poor history of performance, as well as the Navy and Marine’s Lee Model 1895 and M1885 Remington Lee. The demand for a replacement rifle soon arose with the creation of Mauser’s Model 1893 (or Mauser M93). With a two-lug bolt, smokeless powder, and better pressure tolerances, the Mauser easily prevailed over the Krag-Jørgensen in terms of reliability and performance. Mauser rifles were also able to be fed by a stripper clip; a more reliable means of reloading rather than the Krag-Jørgensen’s single-bullet reloading system. Creation started in 1900, with Springfield Armory starting with the Mauser’s bolt-action and working their way up from there. Though Springfield incorporated some features from the Krag-Jørgensen, many more features were taken from the Mauser M93; so numerous, in fact, that the US Government paid royalties to Mauser for the 1903’s creation. Springfield developed the .30-03 cartridge, but the design failed. The bullet created high pressures and temperatures, causing severe bore corrosion. The heavy cartridge, at 220 grains, was also aerodynamically inefficient, causing extremely curved trajectories. Springfield designed the shorter .30-06, which had a smaller weight of 150 grains and a spitzer bullet tip. Springfield 1903’s were recalled and re-chambered for the .30-06 as a result. By the time the US entered World War I, 843,249 of these rifles were already in service; created both by Springfield Armory (Springfield, Massachusetts) and Rock Island Arsenal (Rock Island, Illinois). The war had created awareness of the rifle and her cartridge’s capability in warfare, prompting the Army to begin development and adoption of a new form of the .30-06 – the Cartridge .30 M2 Ball, utilizing a flat-base bullet which resulted in higher muzzle velocity (Ball refers to a bullet with a pointed tip, called a spitzer bullet, a lead core, and a gilding metal jacket). When World War II began, private arms manufacturers Remington Arms (Madison, North Carolina) and Smith-Corona Typewriters (Rochester, New York) began production the Springfield 1903 with old tooling from Rock Island Arsenal (tooling that had been locked away since 1919); Remington began at serial number 3,000,000. Production turned away from the M1903 and M1903A1 to favor the M1903A3 rifle, using a late-model Type-S stock, a simpler aperture rear-sight, (to help familiarize soldiers with the rifle’s sighting, due to the M1 Garand having a similar sight) and a stamped cartridge follower. The Springfield M1903A4 was the military’s first attempt at a designated sniper weapon, utilizing a different stock, Weaver Model 330 or 330C 2.2x telescopic sights, and removal of the front and rear iron sights. However, the M1903A4’s role as a sniper produced very poor results. The Weaver sights not only had poor magnification, but were also not waterproofed. Often times in climate changes the scopes would fog up or become waterlogged, and without the iron sights present on the weapon the A4 was virtually useless. The M2 cartridge also produced poor accuracy for long ranges, prompting many soldiers to adopt the enemy’s sniper weapon over the Springfield. P a g e | 7 United States Rifle, Caliber .30, M1 (M1 Garand) Rifle Specifications Designed: 1932 Designer: John C. Garand, Springfield Armory Service Life: 1936 – 1963 Action / Fire Rate: Gas Operated / 100 rounds per minute Weight: 9.5 lbs (4.3 kg) Length: 43.6 in (1,107 mm) Barrel Length: 24 in (609 mm) Cartridge: .30-06 Springfield Muzzle Velocity: 2,800 ft/s (853 m/s) Magazine: 8-round internal box magazine Effective Range: 500 yds (457 m) Rifle Variants · M1C (1944) – equipped with an M84 telescope and rear sight projector, the M1C’s scope was mounted by drilling and tapping the receiver; a process that was deemed too complex for quick production. o M1D (1944) – rather than drilling and tapping the receiver, the M1D used a simpler single-ring Springfield Armory mount for the M84 scope. P a g e | 8 Cartridge Specifications and Ballistics .30-06 Springfield (Cartridge, Ball, Caliber .30, M2) Developed: 1938 (M2 Ball) Bullet Diameter: .308 in (7.8 mm) Case Length: 2.49 in (63.3 mm) Overall Length: 3.34 in (84.8 mm) Weight: 152 grains (9.8 g) Type: FMJ Velocity: 2,805 ft/s (880 m/s) Energy: 2,660 ft-lbs (3,600 J) Maximum Range: 45° angle, 4,890 yds Springfield .30-06 Cartridge Specifications (2) .276 Pederson (Experimental Cartridge) Designed: 1923 Bullet Diameter: .2842 in (7.22 mm) Case Length: 2.023 in (51.4 mm) Overall Length: 2.855 in (72.5 mm) Weight: 150 grains (9.7 g) Type: FMJ Velocity: 2,400 ft/s (730 m/s) Energy: 1,918 ft-lbs (2,600 J) P a g e | 9 Information In the Spring of 1931, twenty .276 T3E2 Garand rifles competed with the .276 Pederson T1 rifle for a place in the military’s arsenal. When the dust settled, the Garand came out as the clear winner. Though the weapon was designed to be used with the .276 cartridge, Army Chief of Staff Douglas McArthur recommended the weapon use the existing .30-06 cartridge. As a result, the weapon’s design shifted to accommodate the .30 caliber design. The rifle was adopted, finally, in 1932. The rifle finally became the M1 on August 3, 1933. However, after field testing, numerous problems were reported with the rifle itself. The rifle underwent many changes, and finally was standardized on January 9, 1936. Production still slowed, however, and the rifle was not clear of flaws until 1940 due to the redesign of the barrel and gas cylinder assembly. By 1941 the Army finally had a sustainable number of M1’s to see service. Despite increased production, the M1 Garand could not keep up its supply to outfit all soldiers in combat. Men were being recruited faster than armories could produce the weapon, but as the war continued production was finally stepped up; the United States producing over 5.5 million Garand’s by the end of the war. By 1944 the M1 Garand had its own sharpshooter variant created; the M1C and M1D, both equipped with a M84 telescope and rear sight projector; 2.2x magnification.