M1 Garand

The M1 Garand rifle was the standard infantry rifle for the US Army and US Marines before and after the Second World War and also during the Korean War. Designed in the early 1930s by Canadian inventor John Garand, the M1 was issued in 1936 and by the year 1941, it became the standard front-line rifle in almost every branch of service. After the war, Garands became available to the public through the Civilian Marksmanship Program. The rifle fires .30-06 rounds from an 8-shot en-block clip. The Garand was the only semi-automatic standard issue rifle during World War II and it gave American troops a distinct advantage over their enemies during that conflict.

General George S. Patton, one of the greatest heroes of World War II, praised the M1 Garand thusly: "In my opinion, the M1 Rifle is the greatest battle implement ever devised."

Due to political considerations involving America's joining NATO, the US military shelved the M1 Garand, replacing it with the experimental T44 rifle (in the 7.62 mm NATO chambering) as the M14. The M14 was a modernized version of the M1 with a larger, detachable magazine, improved ergonomics, more reliable mechanism and (in early versions) selective fire capability. The M1 Garand is still held in high esteem by civilian firearms advocates within the United States, and regularly used for competitive shooting, and is well-regarded as a Homeland Defense Rifle (HDR).