War Museum II.

This is coolbert:

Exhibits/artifacts/displays.

A collection of rifles as would have been carried by the common infantryman of the various warring combatants during World War Two [WW2] are available for visitors to touch, to feel, to take into their own two hands. To include:

* Japanese Arisaka.

* German Karabiner 98K.

* Soviet [Russian] Mosin-Nagant carbine.

* U.S. M1 carbine.

* U.S. M1 Garand rifle.

With regard to the latter, one of the more significant weapons used during WW2.

"The M1 Garand (more formally the United States Rifle, Caliber .30, M1, was the first semi-automatic rifle in the world to be generally issued to infantry"

In this case, issued to the American infantryman. The U.S. military WAS able to issue and equip each and every American infantryman with a semi-automatic rifle. In this regard, the U.S. military was unique. Top-of-the-line weapons technology made available to the common soldier. Infantry of the other warring powers in WW2 went into battle using rifles the basic design of which dated from fifty years earlier!!

"The M1's semiautomatic operation gave United States forces a significant advantage in firepower and shot-to-shot response time over individual enemy infantrymen in battle (German and Japanese soldiers were usually armed with bolt-action rifles)."

"The rifle's [M1 Garand] ability to rapidly fire powerful .30-06 rifle ammunition also proved to be of considerable advantage in combat. In China, Japanese banzai charges had previously met with frequent success against poorly-trained Chinese soldiers armed with bolt-action rifles . However, armed with the Garand, U.S. Infantrymen were able to sustain a much higher rate of fire than their Chinese counterparts [quicker to fire, quicker to reload!]. In the short-range jungle fighting . . . the penetration of the powerful .30-06 M2 cartridge enabled a single U.S. infantryman to kill up to three Japanese soldiers with a single round."

Pre-Garand era: [thanks here to the late SSG John Holstein, who tragically met his death in Vietnam!]

One-two-three-banzai!!

One-two-three-banzai!!

Post-Garand era:

One-two-three-four-five-six-seven . . . .

The M1 Garand HAD to have given the American infantryman a significant leg up over his enemy counterpart. Just the ability to put more fire on the target faster and reload quicker HAD to be an advantage!!

Especially in a defensive situation where putting a lot of lead into the air quickly is a necessity.

The M1 Garand is still in favor with civilian long-range target shooters. That "powerful .30-06 M2 cartridge" is ideally suited for competitive target shooting where the range is up to 1000 yards!!

The M1 Garand, complete with bayonet affixed and sheathed, does feel heavy. NOT light, weighs about ten pounds [even more with eight rounds loaded], but has a feeling of "substance" to it. SOLID in a way the modern M-16 is NOT!!??

[NO PLASTICS!!]

Surprisingly:

"The AK-47 was developed from an earlier Kalashnikov carbine which heavily drew from the Garand design; particularly, the locking system with its rotating bolt is based on Garand's design. The AK-47 also uses a highly simplified form of the Garand trigger group".

I had always thought that the AK was a totally indigenous Soviet design, using ideas and concepts of Kalashnikov that were particularly unique. This IS NOT SO??!!

coolbert.