Thanks to the ingenuity of one man, a Marine infantry unit serving in the Korean War was equipped with M1 Garand rifles capable of full-auto fire. This is the story of selective fire Garands built by then Marine Staff Sergeant Harold Johnson that were used in combat during the Korean War.

During the Korean War, WWII Marine combat veteran Harold Johnson, at the time a staff sergeant, was serving as platoon sergeant in 1^st Battalion, 5^th Marine Regiment. During his time there, the Korean Army was largely out of the fight, and the enemy were the Chinese communists. The war was fairly static, and his unit spent the bulk of their time in an established bunker and trench line. There were frequent Marine night patrols forward of their line to keep themselves informed of enemy troop activities. Most of the Chinese troops in his area were armed with the Soviet PPSH submachine gun. Naturally most of Hals Marines were armed with the M1 Garand or M1 Carbine with approximately one Thompson submachine gun and one Browning Automatic rifle per squad. In short, he felt that his patrols were short of firepower when they engaged in skirmishes with the Chinese during patrols.

Accordingly, Hal Johnson modified several Garands, though the total number is unknown, to be capable of selective fire. He did this work in the field, which is testimony to his skill. Also bear in mind that Hal Johnson was a tanker in WWII, and an infantryman after that; it was not until after the Korean War that he moved into the Ordnance Corps.

During our many conversations, Hal stated to me that he always sent at least two of his modified rifles out with each patrol. In use, the modified rifles provided good, reliable service. They put lots of rounds in the direction of the enemy and helped keep their heads down. On occasion the front hand guard would char or even smoke from the overheated barrel. A story Hal liked to tell was of a buddy of his from WWII arriving at his unit. This guy’s attitude was “a Springfield was good enough to shoot Japanese, its good enough to shoot Chinese.” Accordingly, he carried a Springfield on his first night patrol, made contact with the enemy and heard burp-gun fire all around him. Upon his return to friendly lines, he promptly asked Hal for one of his modified Garands.

HOW WAS THE RIFLE MODIFIED

The modification made by Johnson was simple in design and was reliable. Starting with the trigger group and working forward, the left disconnector hook is ground off of the hammer to prevent that left hook from engaging. A trip lever is fabricated and installed inside a channel cut inside the stock. This trip lever has a lug welded to its rear that protrudes into the action of the gun. This lug engages with the right side of the disconnector. This trip lever pivots on the selector switch to the rear of the center of the trip lever. A spring is installed under the rear of this trip lever to provide upward tension. A transfer bar is fabricated and installed on the outside of the stock below the charging handle. It pivots at its center and has no spring tension on it. The charging handle is ground flat on its front surface. The transfer bar and trip lever were fabricated from M1919 and M2 .50 caliber feed cover belt feed levers. Disclaimer: This is not a how-to guide on building your own full auto M1. Do not modify an M1 to fire full auto unless you are in possession of the appropriate licenses.

HOW THE RIFLE WORKS, THE CYCLE OF OPERATION

When the rifle is fired, the operating rod moves to the rear, bringing the bolt with it. At the beginning of this movement, the flat surface of the charging handle moves away from the transfer bar. Spring tension on the rear of the trip lever moves it up out of engagement with the right side of the disconnector. toward the end of the rearward travel of the bolt, the hammer will lock in the rearward position, held by the disconnector on the remaining right lug on the hammer. As the bolt is returning forward, and just as the bolt locks up, the flat cut into the front of the charging handle impacts the top of the transfer bar forcing the rear of this transfer bar up. This forces the front of the rear trip lever up, moving the rear of the trip lever down against spring tension. The lug welded to the rear of the trip lever pushes down on the right hook on the disconnector, pushing and holding it to the rear and releasing the hammer to fire the chambered round and firing the successive round. The cycle repeats as long as the trigger is held down, or until the rifle runs out of ammunition.

A MODERN REPRODUCTION OF HAL JOHNSONS DESIGN, PROOF OF CONCEPT

Some years ago, in the post-1986 era, but prior to the advent of handheld movie studios, hence the low-quality photos taken with a disposable camera, a working copy of Hals design was built. It was built under my tutelage by a tax stamp holder. That individual has long since surrendered his tax stamp and the rifle was duly turned into the BATFE. I like to think that it resides in their reference collection. It was built as a tool-room prototype with no attempt to make it pretty or field worthy. It also lacks the selective fire option and is full-auto only. This rifle ran and ran flawlessly for many rounds. The rate of fire was an estimated 600 rounds per minute. Controllability of this rifle was not great, but it was manageable for an experienced full-auto shooter. As the owner of an original M-14, I can state that it was more controllable than an M-14 in full-auto mode. It is worth noting that it is possible to build this design to operate at a rate of fire of 600 per minute up to 800 rounds per minute. To do this imagine the lock-up of the bolt and auto firing taking place during a very short window of time. If the rifle fires at the earliest moment in this window, the rate of fire will be faster. The reproduction rifle I fired could have been made to shoot at a higher RPM by adding metal to any contact surface in the linkage, causing a slightly earlier release of the hammer by the lug on the rear of the trip lever.

Though largely unknown, Garands capable of full-auto fire were used in combat in the Korean war by infantry Marines in 1/5 courtesy of the efforts of one smart and able man, Harold Johnson, who has gone largely unrecognized by history.

There were originally two separate Marine Corps museums. One was located in Washington, D.C., the other at Quantico, Virginia. The Marine Corps Air-Ground Museum that was located on the Quantico Marine Base featured displays documenting the Marine’s achievements on the ground and in the air during World War I, World War II and many other campaigns. The museum itself was housed inside one of the early World War I aircraft hangers. The Marine Corps Historical Center and Museum was located forty-miles north of Quantico at the U.S. Navy Yard, Washington, D.C. At this facility there was a standing exhibit that chronicled Marine Corps history from 1775 to modern day with uniforms, weapons, photographs and documents.

On 13 November 2006, after many years of careful planning and hard work, the new National Museum of the Marine Corps opened its doors to the public. This new ultra modern facility is situated on over 135 acres adjacent to the Marine Base at Quantico, Virginia. Currently, the display area inside of the museum building covers approximately 118,000 square feet, with a planned future expansion of over 181,000 square feet. A 210-foot iconic spiral protrudes from the roof of the facility and is clearly visible for miles on Interstate 95, especially when lit-up at night.

The word to describe the new museum is “impressive.” The facility and displays are all first-class, using state of the art multimedia technology to replicate the sights, sounds and even the temperature of being there. When you first enter through the museum doors you will encounter the Leatherneck Gallery. The stainless steel base of the 210-foot spire rises from the center of the gallery and its design was inspired by the famous raising of the American flag on Iwo Jima during World War II. On the walls surrounding the display area are the portraits of eight Marines and overhead are four Marine aircraft representing different eras: from the 1920 Banana Wars, a Curtiss JN-4 Jenny armed with a Lewis Gun, two Corsair fighters from World War II and an AV-8B Harrier VSTOL (Vertical Short Take Off and Landing) jump jet that saw action during Operation Desert Storm in 1991. On the ground, an LVT-1 (Landing Vehicle Tracked) armed with a .50 caliber Browning machine gun breaches defenses on a Pacific Beach. Across the room a Marine machine gun crew with a M1919A4 Browning, disembark from a Korean War era Sikorsky HRS-2 helicopter to take up positions.

The visitor with a critical eye will notice that careful attention has been given to all of the weapons and equipment in the displays to insure the correct configurations for the time period depicted.

The next gallery on the tour is Making Marines, which conveys the anxiety experienced by recruits during basic training. The display features a Marine Corps bus, from which voices of nervous recruits can be heard, and on the ground are the famous yellow footprints. There is even a military barbershop to bring back memories for visiting veterans. One of the more pleasant displays in the gallery is an M16 laser rifle range where visitors can test their marksmanship skills. In the Marine Corp despite your job description, “Every Marine is a Rifleman.”

The Legacy Walk captures the more than 230 years of Marine Corps history featuring displays of the earliest Colonial Marines atop sailing ships. On a wall above, two-time Medal of Honor recipient Marine Dan Daly struggles with an opponent during 1900 in Peking, China. From World War I, a Marine engages a German soldier in hand to hand combat. During World War II, a Navy Corpsman attends to a wounded Marine. Displayed overhead is the actual UH1E Iroquois “Huey” helicopter that Medal of Honor recipient Marine Major Stephen Pless flew during the Vietnam War. Life-like figures, aircraft, photographs and artifacts create a Marine history timeline from 1775 to the modern day.

World War II Gallery

The story of the U.S. Marines in their Pacific island-hopping campaigns is told with displays of tanks, artillery pieces, aircraft, small arms and personal items that belonged to individual Marines. Highlighted are Marine innovations in tactics, equipment and special units. An excellent display is a Marine aiming his water-cooled .30 caliber M1917A1 Browning machine gun at enemy aircraft. Weapons fielded by the Japanese Imperial Army are also displayed.

One exhibit briefs visitors for an assault landing on Iwo Jima before boarding a Higgins Boat for the hazardous trip to the beach. Sound and video combine to provide a realistic experience. One of the most historically important artifacts in the museum is the actual flag that was raised by Marines atop Mount Suribachi on the island of Iwo Jima and photographed by Joe Rosenthal. The resulting image is the most famous and inspiring photograph of World War II, with the image almost immediately becoming a Marine icon. The World War II Gallery honors the sacrifices and accomplishments of America’s Greatest Generation.

Korean War Gallery

This gallery documents the Marine’s involvement in the Korean War that took place from 1950 to 1953. After World War II ended both the Marine Corps and U.S. Army had been drastically reduced in size. On 25 June, 1950, at approximately 4 a.m., a rainy Sunday morning, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea Army (North Korea) invaded the Republic of Korea (South Korea). At 11 a.m., North Korea announced a formal declaration of war. An unprepared United States military scrambled to train and deploy troops to Korea. Korea was the first combat action of the cold war era.

Included in the Korean Gallery is a display of Marine positions near the infamous Chosin Reservoir. The temperature in the display area is twenty degrees lower than the rest of the museum, the sky is dark, and voices of approaching Chinese troops can be heard; all contributing to an eerie feeling felt by the visitor. Other displays include a machine gun position in a sandbagged bunker, and a LCVP landing craft representing General MacArthur’s bold plan for an amphibious landing at Inchon to get behind the enemy and cut off his supply lines.

Another display depicts a U.S. Pershing tank moving through the streets of the war-torn capital city of Seoul, about to run over an abandoned Communist 12.7mm DShK machine gun position.

Vietnam Gallery

Marine units were first deployed to Vietnam in 1965, unaware that this would be the longest engagement in their history. Visitors are taken into the fight through a series of displays featuring both enemy and Marine uniforms, weapons and equipment. In one display, a Marine armed with an M79 grenade launcher peers around a wall. Behind him is a rare Marine Ontos tracked anti-tank vehicle armed with six 106mm recoilless rifles. During its service in Vietnam, the Ontos often fired fleshette filled “beehive” rounds to clear paths through the dense jungles. Another display depicts a Marine armed with an M14 rifle patrolling past a series of hooches lead by a German Shepard. Next, one enters a hot landing zone on Hill 881 through the fuselage of a CH-46 helicopter. The floor of the aircraft vibrates and sounds of rotor blades and weapons engulf the visitor’s senses. Scanning the landscape reveals Marines assisting wounded buddies and attending to a dead comrade. One of the many weapons on display in this gallery is the actual 7.62mm M40A1 Remington sniper rifle used by Marine Lance Corporal Benjamin “Chuck” Mawhinney. Corporal Mawhinney scored 103 confirmed enemy kills and 216 probables during his 16 months in country.

Global War on Terrorism

By using combat photographs, art, maps, and text, this gallery features images from Marines serving in ongoing conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. Most of the photographs in this exhibit were taken by any one of the 400 personnel serving in the Marine Combat Camera Units today. This gallery was designed to help the families of deployed servicemen and women understand why their loved ones have been called to serve.

When the National Museum of the Marine Corps opens its second expansion phase, it will feature a permanent gallery that highlights Marine contributions during the Persian Gulf wars, and the continuing Global War on Terrorism.

USMC Combat Art Gallery

The Corps’ early association with combat art began during World War I when Colonel John W. Thomason, Jr. drew a series of battlefield sketches. Since that time, art has been used to help convey Marine Corps history. Works in the museum’s display are those of both Marine and civilian artists and illustrators and represents a small sample of the nearly 8,000 pieces in the Marine Corps art collection.

Semper Fidelis Park

Overlooking the Marine Corps National Museum is a three-acre park dedicated to honoring all Marines who have served their country. Throughout the park are many monuments honoring the accomplishments of various Marine organizations. The walkways through the park are lined with special commemorative bricks that have been purchased and donated by family members and friends of Marines.

This article has described but a few of the displays of weapons, vehicles, aircraft and artifacts fielded by both the Marines and their adversaries featured in the museum. This is a tremendous museum with much more to see and experience in a first-class facility and is definitely worth a trip to see.

A special thank you is in order to Al Houde, Ordnance Curator of the National Museum of the Marine Corps, for his valuable time and assistance.

Directions to the Museum

The National Museum of the Marine Corps is located near the town of Triangle, Virginia just off I-95, 36 miles south of Washington, D.C., and 76 miles north of Richmond, Virginia. From I-95, take the VA-619 exit 150 toward Triangle/Quantico. Merge onto VA-619 East. Turn right onto the Jefferson Davis Highway/US-1. Travel approximately 1/4 mile and turn right into the National Museum of the Marine Corps parking lot. Parking is free and there is no admission charge to visit the Museum. The National Museum of the Marine Corps is open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. every day except Christmas.

National Museum of the Marine Corps
18900 Jefferson Davis Hwy.
Triangle, VA 22172
(877) 653-1775
info@usmcmuseum.org

7.62mm Nagant

Used by communist forces in the Nagant revolver. This cartridge uses an unusually long case which seals gas in the chamber as the cylinder of the gun is pushed forward on firing. The full metal jacket (FMJ) bullet weighs 108 grains and is said to develop 1,100 fps in Soviet military loadings. I have found less velocity is more common. A very weak caliber, probably used very little. Penetration of web gear and heavy clothing would have been minimal, much in 8mm Nambu class.

7.62 x 25mm Tokarev

Adopted largely due to large stocks of 7.63mm Mauser ammunition for the popular Broomhandle pistol, this is a stronger round than the Nagant. Most sources give the military loading as 86 grain .30 caliber FMJ bullet at 1390 fps. It develops as much as 100 fps extra when fired in the ‘burp gun’. Good condition Tokarevs are often surprisingly accurate. This cartridge has excellent penetration.

.38 Smith and Wesson

Standard military revolver cartridge of the commonwealth, used in the Webley revolver. This round jolts a 200 grain lead bullet to about 700 fps or a 176 grain jacketed bullet to a bit more. Its penetration would be sadly lacking against heavily clad Chinese in a winter battle. Worthless as a military round.

9mm Luger

Used in the new French MAC 50 and a number of Browning Hi Powers in both commonwealth and Chinese hands. This cartridge jolts a 9mm (.355 inch) 115 to 124 grain bullet to 1100 to 1300 fps. Used in British Sten and Sterling submachineguns among many others. Accurate and offering plenty of penetration, an adequate battlefield round.

.45 acp

This cartridge saw a great deal of use in American hands in Korea, adding to an already excellent reputation. However, the Marines found that if the enemy was close enough for a pistol it was best to ‘feed him a grenade.’

Rifle cartridges

.30 US Carbine

This is a controversial little round. Those who used it in combat either loved it or hated it. The M 1 carbine is short, light, and handy. The M 2 full auto version came into use in Korea. One authority who used the M 1 carbine stated that reports of the .30 caliber carbine’s ineffectiveness were largely due to misses with the full auto version! The carbine saw great use in Korea. Ballistics are 110 grains at 1975 fps.

7.5 x 54mm French MAS

Manufactured by the Manufacture d’Armes de Saint Etienne, this round is similar to the later 7.62mm NATO round. Functional ballistics are a 140 grain FMJ bullet at 2600 fps. Used in the French M 36.

.30-06 Springfield

Easily the finest full power battle rifle cartridge ever fielded. The .30-06 is the standard by which the others are judged. Known as the 7.62 x 63mm in Europe, the .30-06 offers plenty of powerful and excellent accuracy even in standard military rifles such as the Springfield and M 1 Garand. Capable of extreme penetration against heavily garbed adversaries, the .30-06 is a fine military round. The military standard was a 172 grain FMJ-BT at 2640 fps.

7.62 x 54 mm Russian

Much that is said about the .30-06 could apply to this Soviet round. Dated by its rimmed cartridge case, the 7.62mm Russian as it is often called can be counted on for extreme accuracy. It is about as powerful as the .30-06. Military loads varied but included a 147 grain ball round at 2886 fps.Both the US and Soviet .30 caliber rounds were used in light machineguns as well as both bolt action and semi auto rifles.

.303 British

A powerful round which never showed the accuracy potential inherent in the US and Soviet .30 caliber cartridges. Loaded with Cordite powder, the .303 was clearly powerful enough for battlefield use. Standard ballistics are a 175 grain ball round at 2440 fps. Dated by a revolver like case rim, this cartridge was also used in the Bren light machinegun.

7.7 mm Japanese

Used in great numbers by the Chinese early in the war as thousands were captured from the Japanese. While the description may seem simplistic for practical purposes this is a rimless .303 British. Ballistics are a 175 grain FMJ at 2400 fps. This cartridge is accurate in a rifle with a good bore, and is much in the same class as the .303 British.

7.62 x 39mm

Used in the SKS, this is among the first true medium power battle rounds. A FMJ 122 grain bullet at 2300 fps is standard. I have found that most Soviet ball ammunition does not have bullets that break in half or fragment as US 7.62mm Nato bullets will. As a result, penetration is excellent but wound potential is often low. The 7.62 x 39 is not particularly accurate in military rifles but with proper load practice can be an accurate, powerful round.

The .303 British and .30-06 would soldier on for many years, but the rest of the cartridges listed would soon be gone from front line combat. The newcomer 7.62 x 39mm Soviet, conversely, would become the most popular military cartridge of all time, chambered in the Russian AK 47.

By Bob Naess

“Floyd Pope and the rest of the squad stayed off the ridgeline, but Firebug walked on top of it. The entire 3rd Battalion was strung out behind us like a long snake slowly moving up the ridgeline. As we neared a right angle turn in the ridge, the Chinese opened up on Firebug with a machine gun at close range but missed. He hit the ground but started sliding backwards to get off the ridgeline. Unfortunately he straddled a tree and they fired at him again. I ran forward to Pope to see if he knew where the Chinese were located. He said they were right in front of us. We both popped up hoping to get a shot at them. Then we charged their emplacement. They were gone when we reached their position. We could hear their wheeled Maxim machine gun bouncing off rocks as they retreated down a brushy draw.” – From “Misfit Squad” by Sergeant Jack Dean; 17th Regiment, the Buffaloes, Korea, 1951

Only a few years from the end of WWII in 1945, the obsolescent water-cooled 1910 Russian Maxim was back in front line action as a mainstay HMG of the Chinese and North Korean Communist forces in their effort to unite Korea under Communist control. The Yalta Conference in 1945 prescribed that, north of the 38th parallel in Korea, the Communist Soviet Union accept the surrender of the Japanese, who had occupied Korea since 1905, and the US accept their surrender south of that demarcation. From 1946 to 1949, more than 10,000 North Koreans undertook military training in Russia, while North Korea obtained large quantities of Russian small arms and equipment.

The former Korean Volunteer Army, which had fought with the Communist Chinese in their civil war from 1945 to 1949, returned to North Korea as trained, war hardened infantry veterans. Well trained and equipped by the Soviet Union, and with unconditional support from the Chinese, North Korea stepped up its guerilla insurgency into South Korea with a major invasion across the 38th parallel in June of 1950. Once again, the 1910 Russian Maxim was dragged into combat by infantry on foot, tugged along on its wheeled Sokolov mount.

At the close of WWII, the Soviet Union was well supplied with 1910 Maxims. Starting in 1905 and continuing through 1945, Russian arsenals, the only producer of the 1910 Maxim, manufactured close to 600,000 of both the 1905 and 1910 patterns, with only very minor changes in the overall design of gun and mount. Although many of these weapons were destroyed or left Russia during and between the World Wars, the majority of serviceable 1910s remained there after WWII, and they were readily provided by the Soviet government to the North Koreans and newly Communist Chinese military. The successor to the 1910, the Goryunov designed, aircooled SG43 HMG, produced and fielded by the Soviet Union during the latter part of WWII, was also available to North Korea, but the mainstay HMG of the North Korean forces was the 1910 Maxim.

The water-cooled 1910 Russian Maxim, or SPM, embodied the characteristics common to Russian small arms; simplicity, ruggedness and ease of maintenance. The principal virtue of these characteristics was the ease with which unskilled soldiers could learn the use and maintenance of the weapon. The initial production of the 1905 Maxim and its successor, the 1910, incorporated the best features of several earlier Maxim HMGs. The most efficient improvements were the simplified ‘S’ shaped charging handle, a simplified lock that could be easily disassembled without special tools and easily headspaced using shims, and a very simple muzzle booster. The ‘S” shaped handle was much sturdier, involved fewer parts and one less spring, which reduced breakage and helped reduce manufacturing time and materials. The lock was robust, of simpler design, and the mainspring of very high quality and strength. Quick disassembly of the simplified lock was facilitated by the use of split pins to hold pivoting parts. A small cup cut into the end of the ‘T’ handle of the backplate retaining crosspin could be used to compress the split pin ends for their removal and quick disassembly of the components. Adding or removing shims in increments of .002” or .003” under a nut at the point of attachment on the crank spigot greatly aided in maintaining headspace tolerances through changes of locks or barrels. The efficiency and reliability of the piston effect on the muzzle of the barrel in the booster was increased by using a barrel with the muzzle flared to 3/4”.

Among the small number of tools and accoutrements provided for maintenance and cleaning was a reamer on a combination headspace/booster wrench to clean combustion reside from the inside of the booster body. The removable orifice in the front of the booster allowed use of orifices of different diameters to vary the rate of fire of the gun through a range of approximately 450 to over 700 rpm. The box receiver was rigidly held to the trunion/ waterjacket by tapered dovetails, as was the backplate/grip assembly, and a heavy riveted bottom plate unified and strengthened the structure. The waterjacket , fabricated from light gauge steel, was fluted to enhance rigidity and increase surface area for heat dissipation, and these were often “tinned” on the interior surface to reduce corrosion. From early 1943 through the end of production in 1945, rapid filling of the waterjacket was achieved by the addition of a 3” diameter port capped and latched with a stamped hinged tractor radiator cap. This adaptation, copied from the Finnish Maxims, allowed the fast injection of snow and ice into the jacket during winter use, a very practical feature in Korea’s severe winter weather. A sled apparatus could be affixed to the wheels in snowy conditions, and anti-freeze mixed with the water in the jacket prevented the guns from freezing up solid. Use of a hose fitted to a port on the waterjacket delivered steam to a condensing can, eliminating the potential signal of the guns location due to the steam plume from boiling water during continuous fire.

The 1910 Maxim, firing the Russian issue 7.62X54R (rimmed) rifle cartridge, used a fabric belt that was identical to that used in the German MG08, with extended fingers every three rounds to align the belt in the feedway. The reliability of fabric belts is compromised when they are wet, or wet and then frozen, and the Korean climate, often foggy and wet in the warm months and alternately wet and severely frozen in the winter, no doubt tested the patience of the gunners. However, although it is speculation, the continuous 200 round steel link belts used in the Goryunov air-cooled SG43 HMG, also widely used in Korea, would function well in the Maxims and may have been used, eliminating the problems with the fabric belts.

The Russians found during the Russo-Japanese War of 1905 that HMGs on high mounts exposed the gunners to enemy fire, but they did not abandon the practical wheeled mounts. The 1905 Maxim was prepared with a low wheeled mount, designed by A. E. Sokolov, that was continued with the 1910 version. The heavy, wide turntable on which the gun cradle rode, combined with the weight of the gun, wheeled mount, and heavy steel shield made an excellent, very sturdy platform for the 1910. The stability of the mount enhanced the long range accuracy of the gun, which was used effectively by the well trained North Korean infantry.

Early in the war, due to the weight of the guns, mounts and ammo and the necessity of moving them long distances and over mountainous terrain by foot, they were used rather sparingly in defensive positions. Often the guns were used at great ranges, over a mile or more from their targets, to aid in concealment. Using the MGs from long distance to rake the forward slopes against advancing US troops, the North Koreans registered their mortars behind the US soldiers who would fall back when they took too many casualties from the long range MG fire, only to discover they were under mortar fire. As the war continued, it developed into a contest of many fixed positions in mountainous areas which were traded back and forth between the combatants. As with the static trench warfare of WWI, the thoroughly dug-in emplacements of 1910s in defensive positions were very effective in retaining ground gained by the North Koreans.

The Korean War was not the last theater of combat in which the 1910 was fielded, as reports of their use in Vietnam attests to their practical value despite their age and the shortcomings of their weight and rather cumbersome mount. There are still many 1910s in the arsenals of countries scattered worldwide which could well be used long into the future.

The one that I own was remanufactured by Black Mountain of Florence, MT for Hayes Otoupalic. They did a fantastic job. I’d dare ya to try and show me where they rewelded the deactivated cut receiver, but it was all done to ATF regulations. The subcaliber device is quite simple yet effective. They take a .50 BMG M2 heavy barrel with two stainless steel washers, one with the outside diameter the same as the inside diameter of the M18 barrel and the other with the inside diameter of the breach. The barrel is then headspaced and both washers are permanently welded in place. There are widely differing opinions on the safety of this style of subcaliber conversion I’m afraid.

The U.S. Military originally trained with a very different subcaliber device, essentially made of a 57mm cartridge case, an inert projectile, a barrel bushing, a machine gun barrel and a lock nut. Simply put, the projectile is drilled through the center to receive a standard A5 .30 caliber barrel, then the subcaliber device is inserted into the M18 chamber using normal loading procedures. The safety issue is the difference in chamber pressure between the .30 caliber and the .50 BMG. The .50 BMG has about the same kinetic energy as an exploding hand grenade. The M18 was designed to vent the violently expanding gas from the 57mm round through the rear breechblock. The escape of these gases is controlled so that no movement of the weapon occurs. This is the recoilless principle.

As a .50 BMG rifle these gases are now contained within the receiver and the M18 breechblock is now acting as the locking bolt. If one takes a close look at exactly how much material is left between the breech block vent holes, one comes face to face with the academic questions, should I stand behind this thing while it is fired? I myself have put over sixty of the Greek manufactured and marked “HXP 74” rounds through this firearm without a hitch. I later examined the breechblock with a magnifying glass and found nothing unusual. That’s not to say something couldn’t happen in the future not withstanding our litigating lifestyle. But in my opinion, it appears to work just fine.

Sighting in this firearm can be a bit of a challenge. The 1917A1 tripod is a given, as many sandbags as you can find and one extra helper wouldn’t hurt. For the target we used a 36” x 12” x 1 1/2” steel plate designed as a counterweight in Otis elevators and donated by them. It was spray painted white so we could see it on the 225 yard berm in Ukumehame firing range. The best way we found to first get in the ballpark was to kneel behind the gun and bore sight straight through the open breech, then bring your M86F telescope traverse and elevation on target. Then load a round, cock the firing assembly and squeeze the handle grip trigger. Even with its muzzle ported for recoil, be prepared. This puppy still likes to come right off the ground, even with the sandbags. After several rounds we heard a loud satisfying gong and watched that sixty pound piece of steel spin like a top.

We spent the rest of the day dinging that steel. I did notice the firearm has a very tight headspace. Closing the rotary breech takes some effort, because of the subcaliber device the original extractor is omitted from the firearm. The first time you try to remove the spent .50 BMG shell you will wish you had fingernails of steel, but most people don’t. What worked best for me was a car tire iron spoon that I painted black to match the weapon.

To complete this project, I had Master Carpenter, Mr. Tom Johnson of Kula, Maui, build an original looking solid wood transit chest, including casters and rope handles. Last but not least, a set of custom oilboard stencils for the chest from Rick Larsen of Westbury, NY. Aloha from the Valley Isle.

By Michael Shyne

Thirty five thousand American troops and over one-half million Republic of Korea troops, focusing on the joint security area at Panmunjom, face-to-face with the sharp edge of the one million man army of the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea. Panmunjom, the middle of the demilitarized zone separating South and North Korea, the most heavily armed, heavily mined area of the world. Today, it is still one of the world’s hot spots, after 5,000 years of civilization on the Korean peninsula, after 5,000 years of conflict.

Equal to the magnitude of the arms buildup at Panmunjom, one of the world’s largest military museums, War Memorial in Seoul, Republic of Korea (South Korea) covers the history of life and combat for five millennia. The War Memorial, appropriately located face-to-face with the Republic of Korea’s Ministry of National Defense, is beyond the scope of the concept of a military museum, as we Americans know it. For a country no bigger than Indiana, war, ceremony and honor given to warriors, and the national recognition of the importance of a strong national defense, justifies a museum of this size.

As I approached the War Memorial, I could not believe the magnitude of the architecture. A marble structure of over 100,000 square yards. Quickly I converted that measurement into meaningful numbers. Imagine, a museum of 1 million square feet! Its size is a warning to you. It is not to be visited as a brief stop between breakfast and shopping.

War Memorial is composed of 7 major exhibition halls, honoring the 5,000-year history of the people of this peninsula, as they defended their country from over 900 invasions by neighbors. America’s involvement in Korea since 1866, and our sacrifice of 54,000 American soldiers during the Korean War, as profound and consequential as it was, suddenly shrinks in significance when visiting War Memorial.

A well-planned visit to War Memorial begins in Memorial Hall, architecturally designed to honor and remember the great spirit and the achievement of this nation’s national heroes. Symbolism in Korea is deeply rooted in tradition and carried forward into contemporary architecture, well beyond the accomplishment of American architects. Memorial Hall greets visitors with a circular marble room enclosed with a concave ceiling, honoring a Star Trek-like blue light descending from the ceiling’s apex onto a magnificent hemisphere of marble, the focal point of the room. Nearby, more traditional black marble monuments list the names of Korean officers and soldiers killed in action during the Korean War, South Korea’s proud involvement in the Vietnam War and even in Somalia. As one begins to tour War Memorial, the philosophy of the nation becomes clear: solidarity among its people, and their determination to defend their homeland, is all that separates prosperity and true democracy from communist North Korea’s (the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) attempt to invade and communize the entire Korean peninsula. The Republic of Korea’s strong national defense is founded on unity and this single-minded focus by its national leadership.

The War History Room includes reproductions of fortresses and dioramas of Korean combat not only with the Japanese and the Chinese in recent times, but in wars that date back to before the Tang Dynasty. Some of Korea’s implements of war are most unique. In fact, they may cause you to realize that modern weapons designers are doing nothing more than “modernizing” the developments of weapon designers of ages past. A model of a Shin Ki-Jon, a multiple rocket launcher is on display. Practically little different than the German Nebelwerfer Portable Rocket Launcher of World War II, this portable, wheeled, multiple launcher sends a cloud of arrows towards its enemy. In the same area cannon are on display. Nearby, are examples of traditional cannon ball, as we are used to seeing in our Civil War battlefields. Yet protruding from the barrels of these ancient cast-bronze cannons are giant Sabot-looking projectiles with fins little different from the air-to-air missiles deployed by America’s contemporary fighter aircraft!

The first exhilarating display of small arms is in the Korean War Room. Keep in mind, the noun “room” is used very differently at War Memorial. For the Korean War Room contains more than a dozen rooms on two floors of this mammoth building. The Korean War resulted in 4.4 million Koreans dead or wounded and 10 million separated from their families. The entire country was devastated. The degree of that devastation is easy for Americans to grasp, for we have many living Korean War veterans. Ask them about their memories of Korea. Ask them if they want to return. Most will tell you the experience was horrible and the nation ugly. Yet today, a visit to South Korea is a visit to a beautiful nation, with 45 million people eagerly wanting to welcome Americans! There are few places on this planet Americans can visit, where one will experience the welcome received in South Korea. The citizens of South Korea clearly recognize their country exists today as a free nation because of the prompt and forceful actions of President Truman and the United States, when North Korean forces, armed and trained by the Soviets, launched an unprovoked, all-out invasion on June 25, 1950, just two years after U.N.-observed elections created Korea’s first democratic government. During my visit to Korea, I was fortunate to be accompanied by a former Korean soldier. This man’s father fought in the Korean War. As explained to me, like virtually all other Korean children of his generation, he was raised with a continued reminder that America and its soldiers (as well as soldiers from 53 U.N. countries) saved South Korea from being overrun by innumerable Chinese troops. My guide’s grandparents suffered the cruelty of the 4-decade long Japanese occupation of Korea. His father fought to save Korea from North Korean dominance. As he explained his family’s history to me, he reached the time of the Vietnam War. He told me there was absolutely no doubt in his mind, and in his family members’ hearts that he would represent his nation, supporting America’s involvement in Vietnam. He explained that military action was an opportunity for South Koreans to attempt to give back to America, as America had so generously given to South Korea between 1950 and 1953.

I have heard from American soldiers who fought with Korean KATUSA (Korean Augmentation to the U.S. Army) troops in Vietnam, describing the Koreans as ultimate warriors. Previously I had thought that their motivation was simply their training. Now I understood that the motivation of Korean soldiers in Vietnam was much deeper, it was rooted in the family tradition of repaying debts owed, even on a global scale. He then told me about the next generation by describing his son’s dilemma. His son was ready to go to college, with a chosen career path and the money to attend college. Yet his father’s challenge was explaining to the son how that plan would have to be put off for a couple of years, while he receives a token monthly payment, serving in the ROK army, meeting the military requirement and fulfilling family tradition.

The Korean War Room is a must-see experience. Along with firearms exhibits are action-filled bronze sculptures and dioramas that allow one to glimpse the struggles of the millions of refugees of that war. I visited this museum with several U.S. Korean War veterans. As we passed a diorama of Chinese soldiers running into battle, one of my friends, almost ashamed, told of how hundreds of unarmed Chinese soldiers descended on them, armed with nothing but pots and pans, hoping to kill Americans and requisition their guns. This Korean War veteran was a youngster when armed Americans were fighting armed Germans in World War II. His understanding of combat was torn apart when he was forced to fire on a swarm of Chinese soldiers coming to beat him to death with kitchen utensils.

As visitors to the War Memorial immerse themselves into the Korean War, a dark doorway awaits them. Beyond that doorway is something seldom experienced in military museums. Beyond that doorway is something two of the Korean War veterans I was with were unwilling to re-experience, for beyond that doorway is the Combat Experience Room. Intellectually described as a place where visitors are able to experience the atmosphere of the real battlefield at night, the Combat Experience Room was much more to the Korean War veterans choosing to accompany me into that darkened environment. We were standing in a foxhole. In front of us were mannequin soldiers crouching down in the heat of battle. Some of the soldiers in front of us were firing M-1 Garands. To our right were two men on a 1919A-4 Browning. Nearby others were firing 60mm mortars into the distance. Separating all of us from the enemy were the battle-scarred remnants of vegetation, entwined with barbwire and destruction. In the distant hills the flash of gunfire pointing our way was constant, as was the roar of automatic weapons fire around us, and the flashes from ordnance exploding nearby. The Combat Experience Room proved too graphic for one of my Korean War friends. Faster than a psychiatrist’s couch, this experience was resurrecting memories he wanted to remain buried. Yet War Memorial’s Combat Experience Room is a great success. It helps successive generations of Koreans feel, on a soul level, the sacrifices made by their parents and their grandparents to create the freedom they unintentionally take for granted.

Ten times in Korean history its troops were sent abroad for participation in other nations’ wars. The Expeditionary Forces Room honors those ten events with particular attention to Korea’s proud participation in the Vietnam War, the Gulf War and the Somalia conflict. In terms of the length and scale of involvement and the role played, its participation in the Vietnam War was the most significant among all ten expeditionary dispatches. Through its participation in the Vietnam War, Korean armed forces displayed their strong might to the world. Its 8-year participation in that war demonstrated to the world that Korean armed forces, which used to receive support from other countries, were now able to provide help to an ally of the free world. Koreans are confident that their involvement in the Vietnam War enhanced the status of the Republic of Korea in the world community by proving to the world that Korea is able to keep its own peace and to contribute towards the peace of the world as well.

We readers of Small Arms Review love to look at guns. But War Memorial carries us beyond that interest, offering us a much deeper understanding of the dangers posed by the enemy. A diorama of Vietcong mines and booby traps, and another of the Vietcong tunnel system, start to reveal the scope of the challenge American and ROK troops experienced during the Vietnam War.

The Armed Forces Room includes halls dedicated to the Army, the Navy and the Air Force, portraying how the Constabulary, which was activated after the liberation of Korea from Japanese colonial rule, transformed itself into the Korean armed forces. With the help of other nations, it ultimately repelled North Korea’s invasion. That trial by fire, just two years after the Republic of Korea was established, began the evolution of the ROK armed forces into today’s military might utilizing up-to-date armament and intensive training of its 600,000 troops.

The next visit is to the Large Equipment Room. In this context, “equipment” fulfills SAR readers’ dreams: helicopters, U.S. and Russian aircraft, tanks, anti-aircraft guns, the big equipment is all here, well preserved in this immense indoor exhibition room.

The final chapter in the statement made by War Memorial is the Korean Defense Industries Room. Here, actual examples and miniature models of weapons and armament currently manufactured in Korea are on display. This exhibit includes small arms, ammunition, electronics and even power plants, all demonstrating the Republic of Korea’s military might and its ability to supply and equip its army and the armies of the world.

One million square feet makes an immense museum. Yet your tour is not over! Leaving the building one enters the next phase of exhibits. The outdoor exhibition area at War Memorial is a grand experience by itself. Imagine Korean, Russian and American aircraft on the grounds surrounding this mammoth marble structure. Would you expect a B52 bomber to be parked in the middle of urban Seoul, Korea? Yet here it is, along with rockets, tanks, and examples of every type of stationary, portable, tracked and naval artillery that one could imagine. I was delighted to be able to photograph the missing pieces to my 90mm anti-aircraft gun. You will find something equally meaningful if you take the trip to South Korea and visit the nation that is eternally extending its hand of friendship and thanks to America.

In 1950, Korea was a state divided by the political machinations of the United Nations, an organization central to the Truman administration’s foreign policy but barely five years old. The Chinese civil war was only two years ended, and Stalin was testing the resolve of the World War II allies all along his “iron curtain.” World War II had only recently brought forty years of Japanese colonialism to an end, and General Douglas MacArthur was establishing himself as nominal king of Japan. Committing the same blunders of intelligence and deployment that assured disaster in the Philippines less than a decade earlier, Americans were surprised by eight divisions of the North Korean People’s Army that struck south without warning on June 25.

The Marines were called to Korea about a week after the well-planned deluge of North Koreans, and the 1st Provisional Marine Brigade came ashore at Pusan on August 2 to reinforce the ill-prepared U.S. and Korean armies that had wilted under the armor, mechanized artillery, and massed infantry of the invaders. Marines brought the best equipment proved in WWII, and the visitor will find examples of the M-1 Garand, The M-1 and M-2 Carbine, the BAR, and Browning heavy and light machine guns. Interestingly absent is the M-3 “grease gun” that officially replaced the Thompson submachine gun, but never won the hearts of the Marines. An F4U-4 (an improved but obsolescent Corsair) and an F9F Panther jet symbolize the aircraft used by Marine fighter squadrons to assist in stabilizing the Pusan perimeter.

Not impressed by American assessments that the terrain was unsuitable for armor, the North Koreans deployed large numbers of T-34 tanks and SU-76 self-propelled guns. Just as the German Wehrmacht had discovered to its dismay, the U.S. military found mere bazookas, mines and grenades ineffective against these well designed weapons deployed along with massed infantry. An SU-76 and an M1942 ZIS 3 field gun are included in the museum displays to emphasize the unexpected well-equipped nature of the invading army.

Much has been written about the remarkable success of MacArthur’s daring amphibious assault at Inchon, an undertaking made possible by the Marine Corps’ expertise and specialized equipment from late WWII. Many serving officers and men had direct experience from places like Saipan and Okinawa. On display are LVT-1 and LVT-3 tracked landing vehicles and an M-26 Pershing tank, machines that made the rapid strike at Inchon and across the Korean peninsula possible. The hardheaded defense of the Pusan perimeter and the shocking success of the Inchon landings led to a rapid collapse of the North Korean logistic support structure. As they fell rapidly back to the north, the communists committed many atrocities, murdered American prisoners of war, and the museum visitor will need a strong stomach to view some of the photographs.

In a doomed advance from the Korean East Coast to the Chosin reservoir, the Marines met a new and enormous army crossing the Yalu River directly from communist China. The story of their orderly withdrawal is a featured lesson in sharp contrast to the collapse of June 1950. The Chinese were stopped near the 38th Parallel, the original dividing line, and held in a stalemate that continues to this day. Several technical advancements that allowed the Americans to hold their own, if not to prevail, are featured at Quantico. Bell and Sikorsky helicopters may cue the MASH television show watchers, but really represent the first true implementation of air-ground force integration. Recoilless rifles allowing organic artillery, all-terrain “Weasel” vehicles, and many other items, including a selection of Chinese mortars, are displayed for close examination.

The Marine Corps Air-Ground Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday, from April 1 to November 15, 10am to 5pm. Located at the Marine Corps Combat Development Command, Quantico, Virginia 22134-5001, and on the USMC webpage, the museum can also be telephoned at (703) 784-2606 weekdays and (703) 784- 2425 on weekends. Two other buildings house exhibits addressing the Marine experience through World War I and World War II, and a standing exhibit detailing the history of the Corps from 1775 can be found at the Washington, D.C. Navy Yard, just forty miles to the north.