On April 29 through May 1, 2011, the National Rifle Association (NRA) held its 140th Annual Meetings and Exhibits in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The official attendance of 71,139 is the second largest NRA Annual Meetings and Exhibits on record for the longest running shooting and hunting show in the world. With a record braking 559 exhibitors, the exhibit hall was packed with NRA members the entire weekend, many of whom traveled from all over the country to attend the event. Additionally, most seminars and workshops were standing room only.

In addition to the industry display booths, and in conjunction with the show in their own exhibit area, are displays of rare, historic and interesting collector firearms sponsored by NRA affiliated clubs. This year, there were 26 gun collector affiliates that participated with displays in this 51st year of awards competition. These gun collector groups take great pride in their displays in not only presenting weapons of rarity and historical note, but in the professional looking displays as well. While the NRA primarily focuses on shooting and hunting, they are well aware of the value of collecting and displaying significant weapons to the public to educate them on the history and the roll collecting plays within the gun culture. The competition between the affiliated clubs and their displays is intense.

In recognition of this, the NRA awards medals and certificates in a number of different categories. These include:

• Best Arms Awards – Each year a maximum of ten sterling silver numbered medallions are awarded to those collector arms judged best on display (and not necessarily will ten be awarded). Firearms are judged on their individual quality, condition, originality, collector importance and historical value.
• Certificates of Recognition – In 1981, the NRA Gun Collectors Committee authorized an award for unique displays of items related to firearms. Up to ten certificates are normally awarded in any one calendar year. An item which has received a Certificate of Recognition is not eligible for this award in subsequent years.
• Best Educational Display Awards – In 1962, the Gun Collectors Committee authorized the Best Educational Group Awards to recognize outstanding displays that creatively and effectively present a well-organized theme. The committee has divided the Best Educational Display Awards into four categories: Antique Arms (pre-1898), Classic Arms (1898, 50 years prior to the show), Contemporary Arms (50 years prior to the show to current) and Combined Arms (collections that represent a mixture of more than one category.) Emphasis is placed on recognition of those exhibits that best inform the NRA members and general public of the historical, technical and cultural aspects of firearms and related items.
• The National Firearms Museum’s Spirit of Collecting Award.
• The Best Miniature Arms Awards – Each year, since 1987, sterling silver numbered medallions have been awarded to those miniature arms judged best on display. In 1998, the Collectors Committee decided to heighten competition for this award by presenting only three medals each year.
• The NRA Gun Collectors Committee Trophy – This sterling silver bowl is a perpetual trophy awarded for the display judged best of each year’s Annual Meeting and Exhibits. The winning organization’s name is engraved on the trophy and the organization receives a miniature of the trophy to retain. This is the top honor and the award all strive for.

World renowned Thompson submachine gun collector and author Tracie Hill is the force behind bringing the validity and legitimacy of collecting and displaying historic machine guns to the forefront of the NRA community. For so many years, machine guns were taboo at the NRA show and considered “evil” within the NRA hierarchy and by many even within the general NRA membership. His efforts have truly enlightened all that collecting historic classic machine guns is just as legitimate as collecting any other historical firearm and he has done it in a most profound and professional way.

He broke the ice within the NRA and the NRA Collectors Committee with exhibits of the iconic Thompson submachine gun winning awards from the judges, and the public, and winning the coveted NRA Gun Collectors Committee Trophy and a number of Best Arms awards beginning in 1998. Under the sponsorships of several NRA affiliated organizations over the years that include the Thompson Collectors Association, the Dallas Arms Collectors and The American Thompson Association, he has been responsible for winning the coveted NRA Gun Collectors Committee Trophy six times.

With the success of having displayed, and winning multiple awards, for Thompson exhibits, it was decided to become ambassadors of the Class III world and bring to display some of the other wonderful and historic collections that exist. The first foray into other machine gun exhibits was in 2006 when the Thompson Collectors Association and the Dallas Arms Collectors sponsored a Maxim machine gun exhibit at the NRA show in Milwaukee that won the NRA Gun Collectors Trophy and a sterling silver Best Arm medallion for a Colt Model of 1904 Maxim. (See Small Arms Review, Vol. 9, No. 12, September 2006.)

In 2011 in Pittsburgh, under the sponsorship of The American Thompson Association, they presented an exhibit entitled The Machine Gun Designs of John Browning. The 30×10 feet exhibit featured a Colt Automatic Gun Model 1914 on a Marine Light Landing Carriage, a New England Westinghouse Model of 1917 water-cooled machine gun on a Model of 1917 tripod mounted on an M1 machine gun cart, a Winchester Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR) Model of 1918, a Colt Browning M2 .50 caliber water-cooled mounted on an M3 anti-aircraft mount, a Buffalo Arms .30 caliber ANM2, an Inland Arms M1919A6, a GM/Frigidaire .50 caliber M2 HB on a M3 tripod and a twice-size cut-a-way of a .30 caliber Browning. Accompanying the display of the firearms were lighted display cases that contained tools, manuals, accoutrements, medals, awards and ephemera relating to the guns with explanatory signage for everything present. Additionally, a professionally printed 8-page handout describing all the weapons on display was freely distributed to all show attendees that expressed an interest. The response by those attending the show was overwhelmingly positive with many thanking us for bringing such a collection and making it available for close-up viewing.

These displays are not slapped together at the last minute. A full year of planning is required to establish what and how the display will be presented: what guns, accessories, accoutrements, historical information, signage, handouts, glass cases, lighting, overall theme, etc., all has to be thought through and decided upon well before the start of the show. This collection of Browning machine guns came from the Robert Segel collection with additional pieces from David Albert and Phil Askew. Helping set up the display and staffing it during the show answering questions and highlighting the historical aspects were David Albert, Richard Vensel, Jackie Vensel, Tom Davis, Phil Askew, Bill Yenglin, Robert Segel, Jennifer Segel, Tom Rasch, Tracie Hill and Thomas Hill. The human element and the truly enthusiastic volunteers set a high standard for that very much helped guarantee a successful presentation to the public.

The exhibit of The Machine Gun Designs of John Browning won the top honor of the NRA Gun Collectors Trophy and a sterling silver medallion for one of the Best Arms at the show for the New England Westinghouse Model of 1917 water-cooled machine gun, serial number 6, on a Model of 1917 tripod. The medallion is numbered and registered to the gun and stays forever with the gun should it ever be sold.

It should be noted that as sponsor of the exhibit, this is the third time The American Thompson Association has won the NRA Gun Collectors Trophy. But even more importantly, with the displays of Thompsons, Maxims and Browning machine guns over the last 13 years, machine gun collecting has been recognized and accepted within the main stream gun collecting fraternity as the historic, relevant and legitimate endeavor that it is with the stigma of being “evil” finally disappearing.

Miniature 1/3 Scale MG 34

Another machine gun also won an award at the 140th NRA Meetings and Exhibits in Pittsburgh. The Miniature Arms Society, a recognized NRA collector affiliated organization, had a display showing many fine examples of the art and craft of miniature arms makers. These are not toys but a testament to the skill of making actual working miniatures that fully represent their full-size brethren except in a diminutive size. The judges award just three sterling silver medallions each year to those miniatures that represent the height of the art. Robert Segel, a Miniature Arms Society member, submitted a fully functional 1/3 scale German MG 34 light machine gun on fully functional Lafette, one of only six made by MiniArt in Moscow, Russia in 2006, and won one of the Best Miniature Arms sterling silver medallions. The medallions are numbered and registered to that gun and if the gun is ever sold, the medallion must go with it.

Miniature Arms Society (MAS) president Wayne Driskill (left) and MAS member Robert Segel display the 1/3 scale MG 34 that was submitted for judging.

The fully functional MG 34 in 1/3 scale, one of only six made by MiniArt in Moscow, Russia in 2006 on fully functional Lafette is displayed with the numbered and registered NRA sterling silver medallion for Best Miniature Firearm. It is one of three awarded to miniature arms.

Tracie Hill, Robert Segel, Jennifer Segel and The American Thompson Association president Tom Davis accept the NRA Gun Collectors Trophy and silver bowl during the NRA Gun Collectors Committee awards presentation ceremonies. (Lloyd Hill)

Back at the display after the awards presentations, (left to right) Tracie Hill, Phil Askew, Tom Davis, Jennifer Segel, Robert Segel and David Albert proudly display the NRA Gun Collectors Trophy, silver bowl, and silver Best Arm medallion.

Robert Segel accepts a numbered and registered sterling silver medallion for one of the ten BEST ARMS on display during the awards ceremony for the New England Westinghouse Model of 1917 Browning water-cooled machine gun.

2006 marks the 100th Anniversary of the quintessential American 20th Century military cartridge. While outdated by modern cartridges it has been kept alive by nostalgia and the deep affection of shooters and collectors the world over.

The average gun enthusiast may be forgiven for wondering what all the fuss is about. After all, didn’t the .30-06 start its service life with a 150-grain spitzer bullet and end its service life with basically the same 150-grain bullet? Well, yes it did, but for the first 50 years of its service life it was available in a myriad of military loadings and for the following 25 years it was used as a vehicle for testing ideas in small arms ammunition development. By the turn of the 21st century, its military use was limited to training purposes and for military salutes.

This article will focus on the U.S. military evolution of the .30-06 and only briefly touch on non-US development and civilian use. Even so, this will be a superficial look at the official U.S. rifle and light machine gun cartridge through two World Wars and countless “Police Actions.”

Politics and Cavalry Charges

To look at the use of the .30-06 around the world is a lesson in geopolitics. Its spread around the world didn’t really occur until after WW2 when the U.S. sought to influence foreign governments, either to stem the spread of communism or to develop trade – and what better way than to provide these friendly governments with your excess munitions. Eventually the .30-06 was used in almost 50 countries.

Even a cursory look at the various .30-06 loadings and how they were developed illustrates the changing face of warfare through the 20th Century – from cavalry charges to “dirty tricks.” The development of the .30-06 through the 1920s and 30s reflected the lessons learned during WW1. However, by the advent of WW2, cavalry charges had been relegated to the history books and the importance of the aircraft was becoming obvious.

During WW2, the diverging requirements of ground, air and sea warfare often resulted in serious development and production delays for the various .30-06 loadings. Basically, they were trying to have a single cartridge do everything.

As the U.S. became more and more involved in S.E. Asia after Korea, it seems that running wars became the province of the intelligence agencies and not the armies, navies and air forces actually doing the fighting.

The .30-06 was replaced by the 7.62mm NATO round in 1954 and U.S. military production for combat use ceased in the 1960s.

Modest Beginnings

The .30-06 was the result of several basic developments that occurred in the late 19th Century: the use of smaller caliber weapons; smokeless powder and rimless cases. The move towards smokeless powder came with the .30-40 Krag introduced in 1892 but this had limited powder capacity.

By 1901, Frankford Arsenal in Philadelphia (the government facility where the majority of ammunition development took place) had developed a rimless .30-caliber round. This was adopted as the .30 Ball Model of 1901 and commonly referred to as the “.30-01”. It used a 220-grain round-nose bullet and it had a thick rim – much thicker than contemporary rimless cartridges. At this time, Springfield Armory was also developing what would become the .30 Rifle, Model of 1903. The .30-01 was also further developed, losing its thick rim but retaining the 220-grain round-nose bullet to become the .30 Model of 1903 – or “.30-03”.

With the rest of the world pursuing pointed bullets, it only took a couple of years for someone to stick a pointed bullet into a .30-03 case that had the neck shortened by 0.10-ins to accommodate the reduced bearing surface of the pointed bullet. Things were simpler in those days and on October 15, 1906, the resulting cartridge was approved as the .30 Cal. Model of 1906, what we now call the “.30-06”.

Loadings

Before discussing the various loadings, we should mention colored bullet tips. The U.S. used these to identify various loadings in the .30-06. The following is a list of the colors used on service rounds and their meaning. Caution is advised if you are using this list to identify a loading as other countries did not always follow U.S. marking practice.

Common U.S. .30-06 Bullet Tip Color Codes

• Black: Armor Piercing (AP)
• Black/Silver: AP Plate Test
• Blue: Incendiary
• Green: AP for UK
• Green/White: Frangible
• Green/Tan: Frangible
• Orange: Tracer
• Red: Tracer
• Silver: Armor-Piercing Incendiary (API) and Navy contract Ball (1941)
• White: Tracer (and unfinished Frangible)
• Yellow: Observation

BALL

The first ball round for the .30-06 used a 150-grain flat-based bullet with a cupronickel jacket. This is referred to as the “M1906” bullet and it remained in use through World War I.

The use of machine guns at long range in that war revealed that the .30-06 was outclassed by rounds firing heavier bullets. Thus, in the immediate post World War I period, the U.S. experimented with heavier bullets. They tested many variations and it is amusing to note that one of the rounds tested at this time used a modified round-nose Krag bullet. The result of these tests was the adoption, in 1925, of the 172-grain boat-tailed “M1” bullet which had a gilding metal (a copper alloy) jacket.

By the mid-1930s it was evident that the use of machine guns at long range was a thing of the past and the recoil of a 172-grain bullet would be uncomfortable for the average GI. As a result, the original 150-grain M1906 bullet was re-adopted in 1937, though it did now have a gilding metal jacket. At first the original nomenclature “M1906 Ball” was used, but this was quickly changed and this new bullet was called the .30 M2 Ball. The 172-grain M1 bullet didn’t go away and continued to be used by the Navy. Initially, M2 ball rounds used a stannic (i.e.: tin) stained bullet to identify them from the M1 and this staining lasted until 1940. To further confuse matters, one of the last lots of M1 ball rounds produced by Frankford Arsenal in 1941 for the U.S. Navy had silver-tipped bullets. These should not be confused with silver-tipped API rounds which didn’t appear until 1943.

During World War II, because of supply problems with strategic materials like copper, the use of a steel bullet jacket was permitted. The jackets were given a gilding-metal plating and are referred to as the “.30 M2 Alternate” – a name which often appears on packaging. Though the supply of copper improved, the M2 Ball and the M2 Alternate Ball bullets continued to be used for the remainder of the .30-06’s military career.

ARMOR-PIERCING (AP)

The first AP round produced in service quantities in the U.S. was the controversial M1917 which had a cupronickel jacket with an exposed lead tip. Since The Hague Convention of 1899 effectively banned the use of expanding bullets on personnel, there were significant worries from the front lines to the extent that General Pershing ordered that it not be used by the American Expeditionary Forces.

The M1917 was quickly replaced by the M1918, which was identical in design except that it did away with the exposed lead tip. It is identified by a smooth cannelure (ring) on the bullet above the casemouth. The M1918 remained the service issue AP for a few years but was replaced in 1922 by a round having a slightly heavier steel core and identified, for the first time, by a black tip to the bullet. It was termed the “M1922” and had a gilding-metal jacket.

By the early 1930s, with the increasing use of armor, significant development took place with high-velocity AP bullets. It resulted in the adoption in 1934 of the high velocity AP M1. It was also identified by a black bullet tip and at 3,180 fps was considerably faster than the M1922 AP’s 2,600 fps. This was very much an interim measure as experimentation continued with this high-velocity series throughout the 1930s. In 1939, this avenue was abandoned and the M1922 was adapted slightly and renamed the AP M2, which remained the standard .30-06 AP bullet until the 30-06 was phased out.

One variation of the AP that wasn’t “service issue” is worth mentioning and this is the AP Plate Test. Loaded at various velocities and provided to companies manufacturing armor plate, it was intended to “proof” the plate prior to government acceptance. Initially they were not identified except by a box label and can be found with a black or a plain bullet tip. From about 1940, when large quantities of these Plate Test AP rounds were made, they were identified by a silver-over-black-tipped bullet.

ARMOR-PIERCING INCENDIARY

While the search for a way to give the small .30-06 AP bullet an incendiary effect started in World War I, it wasn’t until World War II that they had any success. The small lead point filler between the steel core and the bullet jacket was exchanged for a small quantity of a barium nitrate/magnesium mixture called IM-11. First identified by a black and blue bullet tip and called the T15 in 1943, it was quickly changed to a silver bullet tip and called the M14 API. By the late 1940s, they had changed the shape of the AP core which allowed substantially more of the incendiary mixture to be used and this was termed the M14A1.

BLANKS

Blanks were designed to perform a variety of functions from simply noise blanks to the launching of grenades or radio antennas.

In the U.S., the first noise blanks were those using the same paper bullet as used in the .30-03 blank and these were called the M1906 Blank. The paper bullet also contained a charge of powder to facilitate its break up. Some may be found with the tinned cases and in 1909 some .30-03 blanks with this bullet were adapted to the .30-06 chamber by resizing the neck.

Due to the cost and complex production process, an alternative to the paper bullet blank was designed that had a casemouth simply roll-crimped over a tan cup-shaped wad and this was adopted as the M1909 Blank. It went through a series of improvements, the most notable of which was the use of a simple red card wad, and was the standard noise blank for the life of the .30-06.

Grenade blanks first appeared on the scene in the early 1920s. Most of these functioned on a rod-type grenade and used a heavy powder charge to propel it. These were eventually standardized as the M3 Grenade Blank in 1941. This was identified by a rose-crimped casemouth with a red seal. Also of note is that throughout its life, the powder charge was a mixture of smokeless and black powder.

One interesting grenade blank from the 1920s is that made for the Viven-Bessiere practice grenade, which functioned by using the residual gases of a ball cartridge with the bullet passing through the center of the grenade. Since the danger space of a ball round greatly exceeds the danger space for the grenade (the bullet being able to travel much further than the grenade), a blank using a solid wood bullet was designed that could launch the practice grenade in range areas too small to accommodate a full-power ball cartridge.

It is worth mentioning here that you cannot safely tell a noise blank from a grenade blank strictly by its appearance. While the U.S., for the most part, used a blank with a roll-crimped casemouth over a red wad as the service issue noise blank, other countries did not adhere to this identification. In addition, there are numerous movie blanks that used military surplus cases, with a rose-crimped casemouth. Lake City made several batches of .30-06 blanks as late as 2002 for veterans’ funerals and these had a rose-crimped casemouth.

While not a U.S. development, Norway, France and Germany made extensive use of plastics for blanks starting in the 1950s. The U.S. did not embrace plastic cartridges in small arms ammunition in those days and even now there seems to be some reluctance. Nevertheless, these are colorful variations and perhaps the most familiar in the U.S. is the blank made of gold-colored plastic that was used in the movie “The Longest Day.”

DUMMIES

The early drill practice dummies (called the M1906 Dummy) had 6 corrugations running down the tinned case and from 1 to 4 holes in the case. It evolved, losing the tin plating, and gradually reducing the number of case holes until there were none, but retained its “Dummy M1906” designation through World War II. It was resurrected in the Korean War as the Dummy M40 and may frequently be encountered with a corrugated steel case.

Dummies for weapon functioning and inspection normally have smooth cases as corrugations might not reveal imperfections in an action or chamber. These smooth-case dummies first appeared at the end of World War I. These were usually tinned with two holes in the case. In 1938 a similar dummy, called the M2, was introduced with the tinned case and from one to three holes. It was made through the 1950s and is often seen with a plain brass or steel case.

The Range Dummy is, as far as we know, unique to the .30-06. It appeared in 1920 as a device for detecting flinching with recruits on the firing range. Identified only by a tinned primer and a groove cut in the head of the case, it was slipped into a magazine by the instructor without the knowledge of the recruit. It remained in use in some places until the early 1940s.

Perhaps the oddest .30-06 dummy is that intended for the Hollifield Target Practice Rod device. A special rod with a sharp point was fitted into the rifle barrel. The “Dotter” cartridge also had a rod in it and when it was “fired” the blow was transmitted to the rod in the barrel which popped out and pricked a paper target hung just in front of the muzzle. Designed in 1908 it was used extensively through World War I.

FRANGIBLE

The development of the frangible cartridge (i.e.: where the bullet breaks up on impact without damaging the target) illustrates the challenges endured by developers faced with different requirements from each branch of the Armed Forces.

In the early 1940s, the basic idea was to be able to train bomber gun crews by having them fire at real aircraft. Initially the Air Force approached the Ordnance Department but nothing happened. To cut a long story short, the NDRC (National Defense Research Committee – a civilian “think-tank”) was contacted. Duke and Princeton Universities got involved and eventually developed the frangible cartridge two years later. The mottled green/gray bullet was a mixture of bakelite and powdered lead referred to as RD-42-93. It was identified by a green and white bullet tip and muzzle velocity was a mere 1,360 fps. It was initially called the T44 Frangible but formally accepted in April, 1945 as the M22. A minor variation, the T74, using a tan over green bullet tip was developed in 1945 using a different propellant. By this time, the limited value of .30 cal. aircraft armament had been realized and most aircraft had been upgraded to .50 cal. machine guns.

GUARD & GALLERY

While these were initially considered separate loadings, they eventually filled both functions. The first Guard cartridges appeared in 1907 for use by sentries at military installations and prisons in urban areas. They were identified by 5 cannelures in the middle of the case and had a very small powder charge (muzzle velocity was 1,200 fps). The cannelures were its downfall as the case would separate in a dirty chamber. The identification was then changed to 6 short corrugations on the case shoulder. Production ceased about 1918 though it was still issued for a number of years after that.

Gallery or “Short-range” cartridges were used for training purposes. Up until 1919, various solutions were tried and the most common being a 198-grain pointed lead bullet called the “Ideal” bullet. It was replaced by a 140-grain lead bullet that became the Gallery Practice M1919. This nomenclature was changed again in 1933 when it became the M1 Guard Cartridge.

Countries like Norway and Germany used plastic cases and/or plastic bullets in .30-06 short-range cartridges from the 1950s. Again, these did not prove popular in the U.S.

INCENDIARY

The earliest .30-06 incendiary round was the M1917 which had a charge of white phosphorous and was identified by a flat tip bullet. The side of the bullet had a small hole that was sealed with solder which melted as the bullet traveled down the barrel – igniting the phosphorous on contact with the air.

This was quickly replaced by the M1918 which was identical internally but had a blackened pointed bullet to match the trajectory of the ball cartridge of the day. With experience passed on from the R.A.F. following the Battle of Britain, the U.S. was able to develop a bullet with a charge of barium nitrate/magnesium as the incendiary agent inside a steel sleeve. It was identified by a blue bullet tip and was accepted as the M1 Incendiary in 1941. It remained virtually unchanged for the rest of its service life.

SPORTING

While sporting cartridges are beyond the scope of this article, it is worth mentioning one commonly encountered load that had a military connection. It was made by Remington with a 280-grain round-nose soft-point bullet and packaged in military style boxes with a government contract number. Folk-lore has its purpose as protecting Alaskan bases from polar bears. As has recently been discovered, these were actually a contract for Springfield Armory in Massachusetts for their heavy recoil tests of 1955.

TRACER

The earliest .30-06 tracer you are likely to encounter is the M1917, which was identified by a chemically blackened case and used through World War I. The bullet had a cupronickel jacket until 1921 when it was changed to gilding metal.

In the 1920s there was considerable effort to improve the tracer with the M1923 and then the M1924 Tracers being adopted, both identified by black cases. It was renamed the “M1 Tracer” in 1926 and in 1930 the identification was changed from a black case to a red bullet tip. It remained in service into World War II when the differing requirements of air and ground wars triggered further development. Like its ball counterpart, the use of steel jackets was permitted in 1943 and packaging may be seen labeled “M1 Alternate Tracer.”

While the M1 tracer was used until the end of WW2, a short-trace version was developed in 1942 and became the “M2 Tracer.” Initially it was identified by a white bullet tip but this was quickly changed to a red bullet tip with an additional knurled cannelure on the bullet. Also in 1942, the Air Force voiced the need for a dark-ignition trace; one that would not blind the pilot. The result was a dim-ignition tracer at first called the T10 and later adopted as the M25 in 1945 with an orange tipped bullet. It remained the standard tracer for the rest of the .30-06’s military life.

SPECIAL PURPOSE LOADINGS

While there were many experimental loads developed in its first 50 years, we will concentrate here on a few of the unusual loads that illustrate the .30-06 usage in the 1950s and 60s.

Multiball

The concept of firing multiple projectiles with one shot is as old as ammunition itself. As far as the .30-06 is concerned there were experiments by Greener of the UK in the post World War I period with duplex and triplex loads being developed. In the U.S., it wasn’t until Project Salvo (1952-1961) that serious development took place along these lines. Commonly seen with both the standard length case and ones with an extended neck holding two or three bullets, these were developed by Olin (who owned Winchester-Western). Of note is the powder charge between the bullets to ensure separation and the fact that they had to angle the base of the lower bullets to ensure sufficient dispersion to make it worth while. Some of these rounds had colored bullet tips to identify special lots.

Explosive/Observation

These were designed to either increase damage to a target or to indicate the point of impact – often in a sub-caliber device. There were World War I experiments with a blunt-nose bullet with protruding nipple/firing pin, and World War II experiments using the Pomeroy bullet done by Winchester. The latter bullet is notable in that it has a capsule of dynamite in the nose activated by the bullet’s rotation. Both Frankford Arsenal and Winchester developed observation bullets with a complex internal mechanism called the T99. These appeared in the early 1950s and were identified by a yellow bullet tip. (A yellow bullet tip was used on a number of experimental loadings and not just observation rounds).

Silent Cartridge

Nothing illustrates the changing use of the .30-06 more than the silent .30-06 cartridge. Using the captive bolt principle, these were an all-steel assembly where a piston propelled a steel bullet that had a nylon driving band. It was developed in the 1960s and eventually patented in 1977. The same concept was applied to the QSPR (Quiet Special Purpose Revolver) rounds for the Viet Nam “Tunnel Rats.”

DUDS

Most will be familiar with the Remington “Accelerator” round that uses a .223-cal. bullet in a plastic sabot to provide a high velocity round as pictured in the lead photo on page 42. The concept was used on what is probably one of the .30-06’s rarest loadings – the Depleted Uranium Discarding Sabot (DUDS). This armor-piercing round was developed during the 1960s and 70’s and used the plastic sabot to hold the uranium slug.

These represent just a few of the special purpose loadings from this era. Others include manstopper, helmet test, radio destructor, flare and tear-gas loads.

U.S. Manufacturers

While many military and commercial manufacturers made the .30-06, this is a listing of the main U.S. Military manufacturers. The headstamp letters used are shown in parenthesis.

• Frankford Arsenal, Philadelphia (FA, FAL) made .30-06 from 1906 until ~1961. It closed in 1977.
• Denver Ordnance Plant, Colorado (DEN) made .30-06 from 1941-1944.
• Des Moines Ordnance Plant, Iowa (DM) made .30-06 from 1942-1945.
• Eau Claire Ordnance Plant, Wisconsin (EC/EW **), made .30-06 from 1942-1943. (** Initially they used “EC” on the headstamp but this was changed to “EW” to avoid confusion with Evansville Chrysler – which didn’t actually make .30-06).
• Lake City Ordnance Plant / Lake City Arsenal / Lake City Army Ammunition Plant, Independence, Missouri (LC), made .30-06 from 1941-1945, 1951-late 1970s, 1993, 2002. Also produced the clandestine headstamp “C / N [false date]” in 1953.
• St. Louis Ordnance Plant, Missouri (SL), made .30-06 from 1941-1945, 1952-1957. Also produced the clandestine headstamp “B / N [false date]” in 1953.
• Twin Cities Ordnance Plant, Minneapolis (TW), made .30-06 from 1942-1945, 1951-1957. Also produced the clandestine headstamp “A / N [false date]” in 1953.
• Utah Ordnance Plant, Salt Lake City, (U, UT), made .30-06 from 1942-1943.

The big commercial companies like Winchester-Western, Remington, Peters, United States Cartridge Company (U.S.C.Co.) and UMC also made .30-06 on government contract at various times.

Chris Punnett is author of the book “.30-06” and Editor of the International Ammunition Association’s Journal (http://cartridgecollectors.org).

U.S. Rifle, Caliber .30 Model of 1903

The U.S. M1903 Rifle was designed and adopted to replace the Krag-Jorgensen rifle and its .30-40 cartridge. Adopted on June 19, 1903, the M1903 Rifle was chambered for the Model of 1903, .30 Government Cartridge (.30-03), which had a 220-grain round-nose projectile. The Model of 1903 Rifle was only in service a short period of time before some changes were made. One of the most prominent upgrades was the rechambering for the improved Model of 1906 cartridge, which had a lighter, spitzer-type projectile and an improved powder. A newly designed M1905 rear sight was also added. The rifles were manufactured by Springfield Armory and Rock Island Arsenal from 1903 until 1914. Production was quickly resumed during 1917 with the U.S. entry into World War I.

The M1903 Rifle in .30-06 caliber remained the standard service weapon of the U.S. until the adoption of the M1 Rifle in 1936. During World War II, production of the M1 Garand was not able to keep up with the wartime demand. Thus, Remington Arms was awarded a contract to resume manufacture of the M1903 Rifle. During production, there were many new features implemented into the original design of the ’03 rifle to speed up production. These rifles were designated as the M1903 (Modified). Subsequently, more improvements were made resulting in the M1903-A3 model, which was adopted on May 21, 1942. The 03-A3 had many stamped parts, a new receiver mounted aperture rear sight and a longer hand guard. The L.C. Smith & Corona Company was awarded a contract in February of 1942 to supplement production. The M1903 and its variants remained in service until declared obsolete on July 24, 1947.

U.S. Maxim Automatic Machine Gun, Caliber .30, Model of 1904

The U.S. Maxim Model of 1904 was the first rifle caliber heavy machine gun approved for use as the standard service type by the U.S. Army in 1904. The Army was interested in the Maxim as early as 1887 and procured examples of the “World Standard” Maxim Model 1889 and Model 1900 for evaluation. After sporadic testing, the Chief of Ordnance finally gave approval for adoption in 1904. The first order for 50 guns and tripods were manufactured by Vickers, Sons & Maxim (VSM) in England in the U.S. caliber .30-03.

The Ordnance Department wanted the gun to be made in the United States and enlisted Colt to manufacture the gun. Problems arose and it was several years before Colt could begin production. In the meantime, another forty guns were ordered from VSM. Colt finally began production in 1908. By 1908, the service cartridge had changed from the .30-03 to the .30-06. The ninety guns produced by VSM were all converted to the new service cartridge while all the Colt guns were manufactured in .30-06. Colt produced 197 guns, and with VSM’s 90 guns, total production of the Model of 1904 was 287 guns. Colt never produced any tripods. All the tripods were made by VSM and wheeled carriage mounts were produced by Rock Island Arsenal.

The Model of 1904 saw a brief service life, quickly being declared obsolete by 1915, yet was widely used and saw service in such distant outposts as the Philippines, Hawaii, Mexico, Central and South America. The gun never saw active combat service, particularly in World War I, being relegated to training purposes.

U.S. Automatic Machine Rifle, Caliber .30, Model of 1909

The Automatic Machine Rifle Model of 1909 is commonly referred to in the U.S. as the “Benet-Mercie.” Laurence Benet was an American engineer who worked for the Hotchkiss Company in Paris, France. He, along with another Hotchkiss engineer named Henri Mercie, collaborated to develop an air cooled, gas operated, lightweight machine gun based on the Hotchkiss Model 1900 heavy machine gun design. The Model 1909 differed from heavy machine guns in that it weighed just 30 pounds and was fitted with a wooden stock with elevation gear and a bipod. It was mechanically modified as to how the breech closed and the feedway and feed mechanism were changed. The gun also had a barrel changing ability, unique at that time. The number of parts to the gun were reduced to just twenty five.

The French adopted the French made Hotchkiss gun in 8mm Lebel and the British adopted it in .303. in 1909 and was known on the Continent as the “Hotchkiss Portative.” That same year, the U.S. Army, after lengthy trials, adopted it as service issue as the Automatic Machine Rifle Model of 1909 and ordered 29 guns from Hotchkiss. The Ordnance Department wanted the gun to be made in the U.S. The rights were secured and Colt and the Springfield Armory were contracted to produce the American version in .30-06. Over the next several years, both manufacturers combined produced approximately 670 guns. The Model of 1909 was issued for service with the Model of 1908 Warner & Swasey telescopic musket sight, originally used for sharpshooter use with the Model 1903 Springfield rifle.

The Model of 1909 was issued to U.S. infantry and cavalry troops from 1909 to 1918 and saw limited tactical use in the landing at Vera Cruz in 1913, all along the Mexican border in 1916 and was used in the defense of Columbus, New Mexico against the sneak attack by Poncho Villa in 1916. Though the British and French “Hotchkiss Portative” version was widely used in World War I, the U.S. “Benet-Mercie” was relegated to training use. It was declared obsolete in 1918 and ultimately replaced by the far superior M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle.

Model 1914 Colt Automatic Gun

Invented and designed by John Browning, the Colt Model 1895 Automatic gun was the world’s first practical gas-actuated machine gun. Using a gas-impingement system that operated against a lever that traveled downward and backward in a 170-degree arc underneath the gun, it affectionately became known as “The Potato Digger.” Colt manufactured the gun and was extremely successful in selling the gun world wide in a variety of calibers. The U.S. Navy purchased fifty guns in 1897 in 6mm Lee and another 150 guns in 1898. These guns were used as secondary armament on ships and with naval landing parties and with the U.S. Marines. The gun was also used with some degree of success in the Philippines, the Boxer Rebellion, Mexican border war and the Spanish-American War.

The U.S. Army ordered 100 guns for testing and training in .30-40 Krag. Upon the recommendation of a joint Army-Navy board of 1898 for standardizing arms and ammunition, the Navy rechambered their 6mm Lee to .30-40 Krag, and then they all were changed to .30-03 and ultimately to .30-06. Though the Army, Navy and Marines all used the Colt Model 1895; only the Navy officially adopted the weapon. The Army just continued to buy it commercially as they deemed necessary eventually buying 2,800 guns during World War I. The “Model” designation was a name used by Colt and did not represent acceptance as issue by the Army.

In 1914, Colt modified the Model of 1895 by replacing the heavy, thick permanent barrel with a finned barrel that was easily changeable and became the Model of 1914. It was this version and its variants that ultimately saw use in World War I by a number of Allied nations though relegated as secondary armament and training by the U.S. The gun was used with three types of tripods, basically differing only in height.

U.S. Vickers Machine Gun, Caliber .30, Model of 1915

The U.S. began to realize how vastly under-armed in automatic weapons it was and started a new series of tests in 1913 and field trials in 1914. The new, improved version of the Maxim gun, now called the Vickers, was the clear winner. The new British Vickers was redesigned internally to maximize space within the receiver box by inverting the toggle joint and lock, and the overall weight of the gun was substantially reduced; all without sacrificing reliability. In 1915, the Board of Ordnance unanimously approved the type for the Army as the Model of 1915 chambered for the .30-06 cartridge. They immediately placed an order for 125 guns to be made by Colt and in 1916 placed an additional order for 4,000 even though the first order had not yet even been made. When the U.S. entered World War I in April, 1917, not a single Colt Vickers M1915 had been delivered due to production problems at Colt.

Colt made Vickers guns finally became available in late 1917. By mid 1918, Colt Vickers started to be shipped overseas. The first twelve divisions arriving in France were issued the French Hotchkiss Model of 1914. The next ten divisions that sailed for France in May and June of 1918 were equipped with the Colt Vickers. By August, 1918, thirteen divisions were using the Colt Vickers. In all, 12,125 Vickers Model of 1915 ground guns were produced by Colt.

At the end of World War I, the remaining inventory of Colt Vickers were put into storage and held in reserve. They were ultimately sent to Great Britain under Lend-Lease to help guard against German invasion during World War II, especially after the huge losses of equipment at Dunkirk, while British production fought to rearm the British Army. After World War II, the U.S. did not want the guns returned and the British destroyed the remaining inventory.

U.S. Browning Machine Gun, Caliber .30, Model of 1917

John Browning continued to experiment with different machine gun designs after the introduction of his first machine gun, the Model of 1895 Automatic Gun. He developed a short-recoil, water-cooled gun in 1900 and patented it in 1901. There was no government interest in this prototype and he ceased work on it until 1910 when he made further modifications and improvements to it. Again, there was no governmental interest in the gun.

As the U.S. was being drawn into World War I, the Ordnance Board urgently requested designs for new machine guns. Browning took his heavy water-cooled machine gun along with his new Browning Automatic Rifle to be tested in February, 1917. Both guns tested exceptionally well and the BAR was ordered immediately. As war broke out, another official test occurred in May, 1917. The genius of John Browning shone through with the simplicity of design, reliability and ease of maintenance. Browning’s heavy machine gun was adopted as the Model of 1917 chambered for the .30-06 service cartridge and ordered into production with contracts being awarded to New England Westinghouse, Remington and Colt.

30,089 M1917 Brownings were sent to France before the war ended with 1,168 guns actually being used in the front lines. The first instance of combat usage was in September, 1918 in the battle of the Meuse-Argonne, where, in wet and muddy conditions, the new Browning guns performed exceptionally well with one company firing 10,000 rounds per gun.

The Browning M1917 was to replace the variety of machine guns in American use (British Mk I Vickers, U.S. Vickers Model of 1915 and French Hotchkiss Model of 1914) but the war ended two months later so the Browning actually saw limited use. Yet, Browning’s design was so brilliant that the M1917 and its subsequent variants soldiered on in the U.S. inventory for another fifty years.

U.S. Lewis Machine Gun, Caliber .30, Model of 1917

Colonel Isaac Lewis began development of the Lewis gun in 1910 based upon a previous design by Samuel McClean. Lewis presented his gun for formal testing in 1912 to the Ordnance Board, which included a “stunt” by firing the gun from an airplane – the first time a machine gun had ever been fired from an aircraft. The Ordnance Board took a dim view of the “stunt” and during the rest of the trials took particular efforts to find fault with the gun and rejected it claiming it was no better than the already approved Model of 1909 Benet-Mercie.

Lewis then went to Europe where his gun was warmly received and went into production in 1913 at Armes Automatiques Lewis in Liege, Belgium and at the Birmingham Small Arms (BSA) Company in Birmingham, England. Belgium was soon overrun by Germany in 1914 and production continued at BSA who eventually produced 145, 397 Lewis guns during World War I in the British .303 caliber. The gun was widely used to great effect throughout the war.

Savage Arms Company of Utica, New York began producing Lewis guns for a Canadian contract in .303 and the U.S. Army procured 350 guns (in .303) for use in 1916 along the Mexican border. Nevertheless, the U.S. Army still harbored a grudge against Lewis and his gun that dated back to 1912. The U.S. Navy, however, held no such animosity and purchased 6,000 Lewis guns from Savage for the U.S. Marines chambered in .30-06 and it was designated as the Model of 1917. Upon arriving in France, the 5th Regiment of the Marines attached to the 2nd Division, who had been issued and trained with the Model of 1917, had their Lewis guns taken away and were issued the French Hotchkiss M1914 and Chauchat M1915 machine guns. The American .30-06 Lewis guns were turned over to the Aviation Services. The Army in due course purchased 2,500 M1917 Lewis guns but they relegated them to U.S. training. U.S. Model of 1917 Lewis guns saw little or no infantry combat during the war. After the war, the Army discarded the Lewis gun though the Navy and Marine Corps kept it in their inventory until the 1930s.

Marlin Machine Gun Model of 1917/18

As World War I heated up, orders for the Colt M1914 increased as well. Colt entered into an agreement with Marlin Arms Company on manufacturing the M1914. Marlin’s designer, Carl Swebilius, worked out an improvement to the operating system that changed Browning’s original “Gas Hammer” style lever action to a straight piston arrangement. The Marlin guns, with the exception of a small run of M1917 trainers, were no longer “Diggers,” the piston in tube arrangement ran along the bottom of the barrel and applied the energy to the bolt system.

This change made Browning’s system easier to adapt into aircraft and vehicles; thus, the M1917 and M1918 Marlin Aircraft Machine Gun designations, and the M1917 Marlin Tank Machine Gun designation. Unfortunately, changing to a straight line piston changed the impulse time and energy, and the early guns had trouble in extraction tearing case rims. Adjustments were made to the design, but not before negative publicity occurred. Marlin had taken the position that the ammunition the Army had did not have strong enough cases and the Army said that the Marlin guns had to work with ammunition that was fielded. In the end, the Marlin M1917 type guns were relegated to aircraft use where there was more control on ammunition quality. Some of the Marlin guns had aluminum radiators on the barrels similar to the Lewis M1917, but most had a bare barrel.

The Marlin M1917 and M1918 machine guns did see combat in U.S. use. During World War II, may were shipped to England for their naval defense.

There were an additional 2,816 of the Marlin Model 1917 that are virtually identical to the Model of 1914 “Potato Digger” made by Colt. These were for training in the U.S. Army, and the main difference was in the location of the belt feed opening.

U.S. Rifle Caliber .30, Model of 1917

The U.S M1917 rifle was originally produced as the Pattern 14, .303 caliber “Enfield” for the British. Prior to the U.S. entry into World War I, the British negotiated several contracts with the U.S. firms of Remington, Winchester and Eddystone (a Remington subsidiary), to produce the P14. Collectively, 1.2 million of the Pattern 14 rifles were made from 1916 to 1917.

Upon the United States’ entry into World War I, the U.S. Army faced a service rifle shortage. With the British contracts completed, instead of having the companies retool for the M1903 rifle, the War Department decided to make a few design changes and rechamber the P14 to the U.S. M1906 rimless .30-06 round and the new rifle was ready for production. The U.S. M1917 rifle was officially adopted in April 1917. There were over 2.4 million manufactured from 1917 to 1919 at a cost of $26.00 per weapon.

When World War I ended, the M1917 rifles were prudently placed into storage, after having been rebuilt by various U.S. arsenals. When World War II broke out in Europe, the U.S. and her Allies again faced critical shortages of small arms. The M1917 rifles were pulled from storage and issued to rear echelon soldiers and for training. After the war in October, 1945, the U.S. Army declared the M1917 rifle obsolete. While the U.S. M1917 rifle was more utilitarian then glamorous, it did everything it was intended to do.

U.S. Browning Automatic Rifle, Caliber .30, Model of 1918

As the U.S. was being drawn into the First World War, the Ordnance Board met in May, 1917 to consider for adoption designs for light machine guns and automatic rifles. John Browning had been previously working on a gas-operated, magazine fed, true automatic rifle design and submitted it to the board. It was unanimously accepted by the Ordnance Board and requested that production begin immediately at Colt who had secured the rights. However, Colt was already at peak production and requested approval from the Board for delay in production while they built a new facility in Meriden, Connecticut. Due to the immediate need, the request was denied and the lead manufacturer became the Winchester Company.

The initial contract with Winchester called for 25,000 BARs. They were in full production by June, 1918 delivering 4,000 guns and in July were turning out 9,000 BARs. Colt and Marlin-Rockwell also began production shortly after Winchester got into full production.

By July of 1918, the BAR began to arrive in France and the first unit to receive them was the U.S. Army’s 79th Division and they immediately exchanged their woefully inadequate French M1915 Chauchat machine rifles with the new BAR and began training. In the September 1918 battle of the Meuse-Argonne, the BAR was used extensively. World War I only lasted another two months before ending in November, 1918. Thus, while the BAR was the state-of the-art weapon, it saw limited combat service. Nevertheless, the M1918 BAR was such a fine weapon that it remained as the standard U.S. service automatic rifle after the war and production continued after the war. Of the total 102,125 M1918 BARs produced, Winchester made 47,123, Marlin-Rockwell 39,002 and Colt 16,000.

U.S. Chauchat Automatic Rifle, Caliber .30, Model of 1918

The U.S. was ill-equipped when it entered World War I in 1917 and was particularly lacking in automatic weapons. With less than 1,100 automatic weapons in inventory, consisting of four types in two different calibers, these guns were needed in the U.S. for training the new army. When U.S. divisions arrived in France, they had no automatic weapons.

The French, at war since 1914, had an arms industry in full force. Thus, U.S. troops in eighteen divisions were issued the French Model 1914 Hotchkiss heavy machine gun and the Model 1915 Chauchat automatic rifle: both chambered in 8mm Lebel. The French quickly developed the Chauchat to fill the immediate wartime need of France and consisted of fabricated steel tubing of standard sizes and stampings. The only parts requiring extensive machining were the barrel and bolt. The long-recoil operation, cheap materials, unorthodox enclosed design and hurried production produced a gun that had poor reliability and worse accuracy. But, it was all that was available.

To help alleviate a two-cartridge supply nightmare, the U.S. asked the French manufacturer, C.S.R.G., to produce the gun in .30-06. Good idea, bad execution. The gun was simple in its design and conversion was easy: change the barrel, replace the semicircular magazine with a detachable box magazine, change the angle of the bipod and change the graduations on the rear sight. However, the already poor reliability of the gun went from bad to worse.

The more powerful, straight cased, rimless .30-06 cartridge was very difficult to extract. With its violent action, the M1918 Chauchat tore the cartridges instead of extracting them and the more powerful .30-06 caused major stress on all the working parts causing failures. Additionally, the gun heated up very quickly causing the action to freeze until it had cooled. Due to the enclosed design, clearing stoppages and jams was almost impossible. The gun, in a single word, was awful.

The U.S. nevertheless quickly adopted it as the Chauchat Model of 1918 and bought and paid for 25,000; taking delivery of 19,241. There is no record of M1918s being used in combat and were relegated to training use. They were so bad, that immediately after the war, the U.S. ordered them to be destroyed.

Browning Machine Gun, Caliber .30, M1917A1

In the rush to supply American troops in World War I, deficiencies in design and manufacturing methods of the Model of 1917 manifested itself quickly in operational use. Many of the problems stemmed from the lack of, or improper heat treating of, key internal parts that included the bolt, barrel extension, accelerator, firing pin, trigger and extractor. Inaccurate manufacturing tolerances also contributed to leaking water jackets at the muzzle cap. The most severe problem was due to the pounding of the breech lock on the breech lock cam causing cracks in the receiver side and bottom plates.

As early as 1919, steps were taken to remedy these problems; the most obvious being welding or riveting a “U” stirrup under the bottom plate and extending up each side of the receiver to strengthen the receiver box. A program was initiated by Rock Island Arsenal in 1936 to covert all Model of 1917 guns with upgrades. Changes included a large, new-manufactured reinforced bottom plate that extended up the sides of the receiver and riveted in place, a new belt feed lever, an improved top cover latch that also incorporated a hold open feature and a new rear sight graduated in yards for the M1 ball cartridge (original Model of 1917 sights were in meters). This improved version of the Model of 1917 was designated as the M1917A1. (The “Model of” designation for U.S. arms was dropped in 1939 and replaced with the letter “M”.)

During World War II, more changes occurred to the M1917A1 that included an improved bolt, the bronze end cap and trunnion replaced by steel, the steam tube assembly was strengthened and the rear leaf sight graduated for the now standard M2 ball cartridge. While almost all Model of 1917s were ultimately converted to the A1 specifications, production resumed from 1936 to 1945 with 55,859 M1917A1s being produced by Rock Island Arsenal.

The M1917A1 was used extensively in both theaters of operation during World War II and continued service throughout the Korean War and the beginning stages of Vietnam.

U.S. Browning Automatic Rifle, Caliber .30, Model of 1918A2

During the interwar period, many attempts were made to improve on the M1918 BAR. The M1918A1 and the M1922 were made in very small quantity, with the basic addition of a bipod being the most obvious change. In 1938-39, serious work was begun on what became the Browning Automatic Rifle, Model of 1918A2. The initial experiments with the bipod were expanded upon, and the bipod placement was moved to the front of the barrel utilizing a new flash hider to secure it. The bipod allowed full rotation of the barrel, which made up somewhat for the loss of traverse due to the forward location.

A second addition was that of a pistol grip which extends slightly below the trigger. The method of firing was changed from select fire, (semiautomatic and fully automatic) in the Model of 1918, to dual rate of fire in the Model of 1918A2. This rate reducing mechanism was initially based on the Belgian FN-D BAR trigger group but was later adapted to a US design. Magazine guides were also added to the front of the trigger guard. The fore end was shortened and a heat shield was added, all to help the cooling process. There was a hinged buttplate to add support from the operator’s shoulder, and the new buttstock design allowed for a monopod stock rest.

Production of the M1918A2 was initially performed by upgrading M1918 and M1918A1 BARs. M1918A2 new manufacturing was started in January of 1943. The M1918A2 BAR served in the US military forces throughout World War II, Korea, and well into the Vietnam War. M1918A2s are still seen in various inventories around the world, obsolete though they are.

Browning Machine Gun, Caliber .30, M1919A4

The success of John Browning’s designs is evident in the proliferation of Browning machine guns used by U.S. and other forces around the world. The end of World War I and the advent of more mobile military forces led firearms designers to confront new problems of portability, and the use of tanks and aircraft compounded this. Browning’s basic design for the M1917 series had morphed from water-cooled to air-cooled as early as 1918, and the first models of 1919 Browning machine guns were basically for aircraft use.

The most prolific of the air-cooled Browning machine guns in rifle caliber was the M1919A4. This final variant was designed as either a flexible mount unit for tank use, or for mounting on the M2 tripod with traverse & elevation mechanism and pintle. Production began with the adoption of the M1919A4 in 1935. At that time, all M1919A2 and other earlier variants were started onto a rebuild program to have the longer 24 inch heavy barrel as well as other modifications. By 1939 the elongated slots in the barrel jacket were changed to the quickly recognizable pattern of 5/8 inch diameter holes.

The M1919A4 served well into the Vietnam War for U.S. forces and is still in use today in various armies around the world, primarily in South and Central America and Africa, although most have been replaced with more modern weapons. The M1919A4 was fielded in .30-06, but it has been issued to various armies in 8mm Mauser, 7.62×51 NATO, 7.65 Argentine, and others.

Browning Machine Gun, Caliber .30, M1919A6

The Browning M1919A6 was conceived as a stop-gap measure to fill a void between the M1919A4 and the BAR. The BAR, while relatively light and portable, did not have the capability of sustained firepower. The M1919A4, while perfectly adequate, lacked the ability to be quickly set up and employed and still required the use of a tripod for stability.

The Infantry Board in 1942 investigated many light machine guns of the time, including the German MG42. While a number of designs were submitted, wartime shortages, production constraints and immediate need precluded the design and production of a superior weapon versus modifying a current production weapon to fill the need. (A bird in hand is better than two in the bush.) Reminiscent of Germany’s decision in World War I to develop a light machine gun from an already existing production gun (the MG08/15 from the MG08), the Infantry Board decided to make modifications to the Browning M1919A4 machine gun.

Beginning in 1943, the gun was standardized as the M1919A6 and featured a removable shoulder stock, a lighter barrel with a different barrel bushing to accommodate a bipod and was fitted with a carrying handle. The gun weighed 12.5 pounds lighter than the M1919A4 mounted on its M2 tripod, and was easily transportable and set up by one man. Other than these relatively minor modifications, the gun was mechanically identical to the M1919A4.

Production of the M1919A6 was by the Saginaw Steering Gear Division of General Motors, who produced 43,479 M1919A6s. A number of M1919A4s were also converted to the M1919A6 configuration. The gun saw wide service in the last two years of World War II and continued to see service through the Korean War and the early years of Vietnam.

U.S. Rifle, Caliber .30, M1

Development of the M1 rifle began in 1919. Limited funds and the conflicting ideas of many of those involved caused the program to drag on until 1936, when a suitable prototype finally emerged. Original prototype rifles were chambered for a .276 caliber cartridge. However, the weapons were soon changed over to the existing, standard U.S. 30-06 round by order of General Douglas MacArthur. The decision was due in part to the large stockpiles of the ammunition that remained from the First World War. The basic M1 design was continually refined until 1940 when large-scale production finally began.

The gas operated, semiautomatic M1 rifle was the inspiration of John C. Garand, who designed the weapon while employed by the Springfield Armory. During World War II, the M1 rifle was manufactured by Springfield Armory and the Winchester Repeating Arms Company. Approximately 4,040,802 M1 rifles were manufactured from 1937 to 1945. The remarkable M1 design was to have a service life extending long past the conclusion of World War II.

In 1950, the outbreak of hostilities in Korea brought the World War II M1 out of pending retirement. A dwindling supply of rifles dictated that additional M1s would be needed and production resumed. During the Korean Conflict M1 rifles were manufactured by International Harvester, Harrington & Richardson and the Springfield Armory. During the1950s era, approximately 1,427,970 additional M1 rifles were produced, and many more WWII era rifles refurbished. The last M1 rifle was manufactured in 1957.

Browning Machine Gun, Caliber .30, M2

Immediately following World War I, experiments began on making a high speed air-cooled Browning machine gun variant for aircraft use. The original high speed guns were designed by Colt, and these included the M1918, M1918A1, M1919, and MG40. Each model had its problems, leading to the next variant. Part of the problem was that in going to the newer more powerful M2 .30-06 service cartridge, the cyclic rates went up by percentages in the 20% range. At 1,000 rpm, problem occurrences were magnified.

The final variant of the high speed Browning machine gun is commonly referred to as the “Aircraft Gun” or the “M2”. The prefix “AN” simply stands for “Army-Navy.” There were two basic models of the M2: Fixed or Flexible. The M2 Fixed gun was forward firing only, mounted in the wings or cowling, for remote firing by the pilot on an aircraft. The M2 Flexible gun had a spade grip assembly and was mounted so that an air gunner could engage targets within his traverse area.

The M2 guns were designed so that they could be switched out for feeding from either the right or left sides. This also allowed for the use of a twin mount. Twin M2 Browning machine guns firing at 1,200 rpm each made for a very impressive increase in hit probability in air battles.

The M1941 Johnson Rifle

Designed by Melvin M. Johnson, Jr., the M1941 Johnson was unique for a rifle caliber semiautomatic weapon because it was recoil operated rather than the more commonly used gas operating system. This unique feature made the Johnson rifle easy to manufacture and less prone to gas fouling. The weapon also featured a 10 round rotary magazine that could be topped off with additional rounds. The nomenclature M1941 was a commercial designation as there were no Johnson rifles manufactured under U.S. contracts.

The Johnson Automatics Company subcontracted with the Universal Windings Company to manufacture the weapon at their factory complex located in Cranston, Rhode Island. The company would be known as the Cranston Arms Company. Approximately 30,000 Johnson Rifles were manufactured before production ceased in early 1943.

Although the Marine Corps had chosen the M1 Garand, few M1 rifles were available as wartime demand far exceeded the supply. One feature of the Johnson rifle that the Marines liked was it could be easily broken down. This was considered an asset for their newly formed “Paramarine” battalions where the rifles could be easily carried when disassembled. The Marines procured a limited number of the Johnson rifles for issue to the 1st Parachute Battalion in 1942.

Model of 1941 Johnson Light Machine Gun

Invented and designed by Melvin M. Johnson, Jr., it was his intent that the M1941 Johnson LMG replace the BAR. Despite the light machine gun designation, it really was an automatic rifle like the BAR. Notwithstanding the name game, the M1941 LMG had many unique features. Chambered for the M2 .30-06 cartridge, it had a straight line stock which decreased muzzle rise during full automatic fire; necessitating a high front sight. It was light weight at only about 13 pounds and was very accurate in the semiautomatic mode as it fired from a closed bolt, yet in full automatic mode, fired from an open bolt to assist in cooling and preventing cook-offs from a hot barrel. The magazine well was also unique in that the 20-round box magazine could be topped-off by the addition of single rounds through the right side of the receiver or by five round stripper clips. Additionally, the feed lips were a machined part of the receiver rather than being part of the magazine and thus not subject to deformation. The M1941 LMG also employed a quick change barrel.

The M1941 Johnson light machine gun was never officially adopted by the U.S. but was used by selected units of the Marines and Army. Because BARs were in short supply, the U.S. Marines obtained a small quantity of M1941 LMGs primarily intended for use by airborne units and Marine Raiders which saw combat use in the South Pacific. The Army also acquired some M1941 LMGs for issue to the Army’s First Special Service Force, the OSS and there are unconfirmed reports that they were also used by some Army Rangers.

Though some 10,000 M1941 LMGs were produced by Cranston Arms Company, only a relative few (less than 3 percent) were used by the U.S. with the bulk originally ordered by the Dutch for use in the Dutch East Indies. At the fall of the Dutch East Indies to the Japanese, the remaining guns of the contract were embargoed so as not to fall into Japanese hands and is the reason a number of guns were available to the U.S. as needed.

Browning Machine Gun, Caliber .30, M37

The .30 caliber M37 machine gun was a post World War II machine gun variation designed as a secondary weapon for use on combat vehicles and tanks. The M37 differed from the M1919A4 in that it could be fed from either the right or left side by repositioning of a few parts. The top cover also had a new type latch that could be opened from either side. The M37 was generally used as a fixed tank weapon, but was also utilized in the flexible role, primarily by the U.S. Marine Corps. When used in the flexible role, rear sights were added and the weapon was used on the M2 tripod. Among other improvements, the M37 featured a chromed trunnion block, barrel and booster. Many of the parts of the M37 were redesigned and not readily interchangeable with the M1919A4 machine gun. Rock Island Arsenal and Saco-Lowell Shops manufactured the M37 machine gun from 1953 to 1969. The M37C variation was similar to the M37, but used an electric solenoid to fire the weapon, and rather than manually charged, it used a hydraulic system to perform the task. The M37C was used in early helicopter applications, as well as being fitted in the U.S. M48 and M60 tanks.

Model: U.S. Rifle, Caliber .30, Model of 1903
Caliber: .30-06
Operation: Bolt action
Overall length: 43.5 inches
Barrel length: 24 inches, twist right hand 1 turn in 10 inches
Weight: 8.69 pounds
Magazine: Integral, 5 round capacity
Sights: Front: blade.
Rear: M1903 ladder type, M1903-A3 stamped, aperture type .
Production: Pre-WWII approximately 1,704,779. During WWII 1,415,593
Manufacturers:
    World War I: (M1903) Springfield Armory, Rock Island Arsenal.
    World War II: (M1903-A4) Remington Arms, L.C. Smith & Corona

Model: U.S. Automatic Machine Rifle, Caliber .30, Model of 1909
Caliber: .30-06
Operation: Full automatic, gas operated
Cooled: Air
Weight: 30 lbs.
Overall length: 48.5 inches
Barrel length: 25.1 inches
Cyclic rate: 400 rounds per minute
Feed: 30-round metal feed strip
Sights: Front: Protected blade.
Rear: Ladder type graduated to 2,800 yards Warner & Swasey M1908 telescopic sight
Production: 670
Manufacturer: Colt, Springfield Armory

Model: U.S. Vickers Machine Gun, Caliber .30, Model of 1915
Caliber: .30-06
Operation: Full automatic, short recoil with muzzle gas assist
Cooled: Water
Weight: Gun: 32.5 lbs. Tripod: 50 lbs.
Overall length: 43 inches
Barrel length: 28 inches
Cyclic rate: 500 rounds per minute
Feed: 250-round cloth belt
Sights: Front: Protected blade.
Rear: Ladder type graduated to 2,600 yards
Production: 12,125
Manufacturer: Colt

Model: U.S. Maxim Automatic Machine Gun, Caliber .30, M1904
Caliber: .30-06
Operation: Full automatic, short recoil with muzzle gas assist
Cooled: Water
Weight: Gun: 57.5 lbs. Tripod: 80 lbs.
Overall length: 44 inches
Barrel length: 28.5 inches
Cyclic rate: 500 rounds per minute
Feed: 250-round fabric belt
Sights: Front: Protected blade.
Rear: Ladder type graduated to 2,600 yards
Production: 287
Manufacturer: Vickers, Sons & Maxim, Colt

Model: M1914 Colt Automatic Gun
Caliber: .30-06
Operation: Full automatic, gas impingement system
Cooled: Air
Weight: Gun: 35 lbs. Tripod: 56 lbs.
Overall length: 41 inches
Barrel length: 28 inches
Cyclic rate: 400 rounds per minute
Feed: 250-round cloth belt
Sights: Front: Protected blade.
Rear: Ladder type graduated to 2,600 yards
Production: 25,000
Manufacturer: Colt, Marlin-Rockwell

Model: U.S. Lewis Machine Gun, Caliber .30, Model of 1917
Caliber: .30-06
Operation: Full automatic, gas operated
Cooled: Air
Weight: Gun: 25.5 lbs. Bipod: 3 lbs.
Overall length: 51 inches
Barrel length: 26.5 inches
Cyclic rate: 550 rounds per minute
Feed: 47-round rotating pan magazine
Sights: Front: Blade protected by ears.
Rear: Ladder type graduated to 2,100 yards
Production: 8,500
Manufacturer: Savage Arms Co.

Model: U.S. Browning Machine Gun, Caliber .30, Model of 1917
Caliber: .30-06
Operation: Full automatic, short recoil
Cooled: Water
Weight: Gun: 30 lbs. Tripod: 53 lbs.
Overall length: 38.5 inches
Barrel length: 24 inches
Cyclic rate: 500 rounds per minute
Feed: 250-round fabric belt
Sights: Front: Protected blade
Rear: Peep, adjustable leaf graduated to 2,800 meters
Production: Approximately 72,000. Wartime 42,750
Manufacturer: New England Westinghouse, Remington, Colt.

Model: U.S. Rifle Caliber .30, Model of 1917
Caliber: .30-06
Operation: Bolt-action
Overall length: 46.25 inches
Barrel length: 26 inches, twist: left hand 1 turn in 10-inches
Weight: 9.187 pounds
Magazine: 5 rounds integral box type
Sights: Front: protected blade
Rear: protected aperture style adjustable ladder sight
Production: Approximately 2.4 million
Manufacturers: Remington, Winchester, Eddystone

Model: U.S. Chauchat Automatic Rifle, Caliber .30, Model of 1918
Caliber: .30-06
Operation: Full automatic, semiautomatic, long-recoil
Cooled: Air
Weight: 19 lbs.
Overall length: 45.5 inches
Barrel length: 17 inches
Cyclic rate: 300 rounds per minute
Feed: 16-round detachable box magazine
Sights: Front: Blade.
Rear: V-notch tangent
Production: 19,241
Manufacturer: C.S.R.G. (Chauchat, Sutter, Ribeyrolle & Gladiator

Model: Marlin Machine Gun, Caliber .30, M1917/18
Caliber: .30-06
Operation: Full automatic, gas operated straight piston
Cooled: Air
Weight: 25.0 lbs.
Overall length: 40 inches
Barrel length: 24 inches
Cyclic rate: 600 rounds per minute
Feed: 250-round fabric belt
Sights: Front and rear sights varied by model and application. Ground guns had similar sights to theColt M1914. Other mountings used a variety of aircraft and anti-aircraft sights.
Production: 1917 (Navy): 1,605; 1917/18
Aircraft: 38,000
Manufacturer: Marlin Arms Corporation, Marlin-RockwellCompany

Model: U.S. Browning Automatic Rifle, Caliber .30,Model of 1918
Caliber: .30-06
Operation: Full automatic, semiautomatic, gas operation
Cooled: Air
Weight: 15.5 lbs.
Overall length: 47 inches
Barrel length: 24 inches
Cyclic rate: 550 rounds per minute
Feed: 20-round detachable box magazine
Sights: Front: Blade.
Rear: protected aperture style adjustable
Production: 102,125
Manufacturer: Winchester, Marlin-Rockwell, Colt

Model: Browning Machine Gun, Caliber .30, M1917A1
Caliber: .30-06
Operation: Full automatic, short recoil
Cooled: Water
Weight: Gun: 33 lbs. Tripod: 53 lbs.
Overall length: 38.5 inches
Barrel length: 24 inches
Cyclic rate: 500 rounds per minute
Feed: 250-round fabric belt
Sights: Front: Protected blade
Rear: Peep, adjustable leaf graduated to 2,600 yards.
Production: 55,859
Manufacturer: Rock Island Arsenal

Model: U.S. Browning Automatic Rifle, Caliber .30, Model of 1918A2
Caliber: .30-06
Operation: Full automatic, gas operation
Cooled: Air
Weight: 19.4 lbs.
Overall length: 47.8 inches
Barrel length: 24 inches
Cyclic rate: 300-450/ 500-650 rounds per minute
Feed: 20-round detachable box magazine
Sights: Front: Blade.
Rear: protected aperture style adjustable
Production: 249,380 total new production as A2
Manufacturer: New England Small Arms (NESA), 168,363; IBM Corporation, 20,017; Royal Typewriter Company, 61,000

Model: Browning Machine Gun, Caliber .30, M1919A6
Caliber: .30-06
Operation: Full automatic, short recoil
Cooled: Air
Weight: Gun: 32.5 lbs.
Overall length: 53 inches
Barrel length: 24 inches
Cyclic rate: 450 rounds per minute
Feed: 250-round fabric belt
Sights: Front: Folding blade
Rear: Peep, adjustable leaf graduated to 2,600 yards.
Production: 43,479
Manufacturer: Saginaw Steering Gear Div. of General Motors

Model: Browning Machine Gun, Caliber .30, M2 Caliber: .30-06
Operation: Full automatic, short recoil
Cooled: Air
Weight: 23.0 lbs
Overall length: 39.9 inches
Barrel length: 23.9 inches
Cyclic rate: 1,200 rounds per minute
Feed: disintegrating links Sights: Varied according to mounting
Production: Brown-Lipe-Chapin 33,311; Buffalo
Arms Co. 96,822; Savage 14,800; Colt 49,681
Manufacturer: Brown-Lipe-Chapin Div. General Motors, Buffalo Arms Company, Savage Arms, Corporation. Colt’s Patent Firearms Mfg.

Model: Browning Machine Gun, Caliber .30, M1919A4
Caliber: .30-06
Operation: Full automatic, short recoil
Cooled: Air
Weight: Gun: 31 lbs. Tripod: 14 lbs.
Overall length: 41 inches
Barrel length: 24 inches
Cyclic rate: 450-500 rounds per minute
Feed: 250-round fabric belt or disintegrating links
Sights: Front: Folding blade
Rear: Peep, adjustable leaf graduated to 2,400 yards.
Production: RIA 31,596; Saginaw 367,853; Buffalo 38,300. Total production of all M1919A4 variants from 1939 to 1945: 441,494.
Manufacturer: Rock Island Arsenal, Saginaw Steering Gear Div. of General Motors, Buffalo Arms Co

Model: U.S. Rifle, Caliber .30, M1
Caliber: .30-06
Operation: Semiautomatic, gas operated
Overall length: 43.6-inches
Barrel length: 24 inches, twist: right hand, 1 turn in 10 inches
Weight: 9.5 pounds
Magazine: 8 round enbloc clip
Sights: Front: Blade with protective ears
Rear: Aperture
Production: Approximately 5,468,772
Manufacturers: World War II: Springfield Armory, Winchester Korean War era: Harrington & Richardson, International Harvester, Springfield Armory

Model: M1941 Johnson Rifle
Caliber: .30-06
Operation: Semiautomatic, short recoil operated
Overall length: 45.87 inches
Barrel length: 22 inches, twist: right hand 1 turn in 10-inches
Weight: 9.5 pounds
Feed: Internal rotary type, 10 round capacity
Sights: Front: blade with protective ears
Rear: aperture type, graduated in meters
Production: Approximately 30,000
Manufacturer: Cranston Arms Company

Model: Model of 1941 Johnson Light Machine Gun
Caliber: .30-06
Operation: Full Automatic, semiautomatic, short recoil operated
Overall length: 42 inches
Barrel length: 22 inches, twist: right hand 1 turn in 10-inches
Weight: 13 pounds
Cyclic rate: 450 rounds per minute
Magazine: 20-round detachable box magazine
Sights: Front: blade with protective ears
Rear: Folding aperture type, graduated in meters
Production: Approximately 10,000
Manufacturer: Cranston Arms Company

Model: Browning Machine Gun, Caliber .30, M37
Caliber: .30-06
Operation: Full automatic, short recoil
Cooled: Air
Weight: 31 lbs.
Overall length: 41.75 inches
Barrel length: 24 inches
Cyclic rate: 450-550 rounds per minute
Feed: Disintegrating links
Sights: Added for C Front: Folding blade
Added for C Rear: Peep, adjustable leaf graduated to 2,400 yards.
Production: RIA 7,340; Saco, unknown
Manufacturer: Rock Island Arsenal, Saco-Lowell Shops

I spent some time looking at the tanks and the guns out front, but once inside I went almost directly to The Arms Room. A placard there states;

“One cannot understand military history without some awareness of the development of small arms—notably the rifle, pistol and machine gun.”

Specimens in the room give clear examples of that development. The earliest Arms Room exhibits date from the Indian Wars and the Civil War. World War I is well represented with German Maxims, British Vickers, M98 Mausers, 1903 Springfields and a Mauser Tank-Gewehr M1918.

World War II subguns on display include the British STEn, German MP40, U.S. Thompson, an M3, and a PPsh. The battle rifle case holds an M-1, an M1 Carbine, an M-14, a couple of M16s, two AKs, an RPK and a BAR. Single shot and bolt action rifles from America’s wars are also displayed.

Several pistols I saw were interesting and unusual. One, a 1911 with adjustable sights, was the “personal weapon”of Major General Chester J. Moeglein. Another Colt, a 1903 in .32 ACP, was also donated by General Moeglein. A Spanish pistol, an Astra 300 or a lookalike, was displayed too. According to the card it was not a simple semiautomatic pistol, but could be made into, “a rudimentary submachine gun.” The card also said the pistol was only produced from 1934 to 1936. Other pistols of note included a Nazi-marked 1910/22 Browning.

The museum is dedicated to preserving the military history of the State of Minnesota. Since the state has been involved in American conflicts since 1861, the exhibits also give a good history of America’s wars from then until now. Minnesota also has quite a record of military firsts. Museum Director David L. Hanson, Colonel USA Retired, ran down the list for me in an interview at the museum.

Minnesota was the first state to provide militia troops to Lincoln’s army in 1861. The first armor unit deployed for World War II was the 194th Tank Battalion from Brainard. It was sent to the Philippines in 1941 and was involved in fighting the invading Japanese army in a delaying action before the Philippines fell. Many of its men were on the Bataan Death March. On November 19, 1943 the first shell fired by American ground forces against the Germans was fired by Battery B, 175th Field Artillery Battalion of the 34th Infantry Division of the Minnesota National Guard at Medjez-El-Bab, Tunisia. Members of a Minnesota Naval Militia unit crewed a deck gun aboard the destroyer USS Ward. An hour before the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Ward and the Minnesota gun crew fired the first shot against the Japanese in Hawaii, sinking a two-man Japanese mini-sub that was trying to enter the harbor.

The museum also has material on General John W. Vessey, Jr. He enlisted in the 34th Infantry Battalion of the Minnesota National Guard in May of 1939, and received a battlefield commission at Anzio in 1944. After World War II, he stayed in the army and rose to wear four stars. He became Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Of Staff in June of 1982 and served in that position until October, 1985.

Exhibits, which include correct firearms and equipment for the times, cover The Indian Wars, The Spanish American War, World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam and Desert Storm. My wife and I thought the exhibits were well designed. Our kids are still a little museum-resistant after a family trip through Wisconsin, Minnesota, the Dakotas and a little of Montana two years ago. Say “Buffalo Hide Scraper made from a rifle barrel,” and they cover their ears and wail. All three of them—17, 15 and eight—seemed to have a good time at the Minnesota Military Museum. It didn’t hurt that there were no hide scrapers displayed, or that climbing was allowed on the tanks outside the museum.

Director David L. Hanson, Colonel USA Retired told me that the museum, “caters to the tourists during the season.” It is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday from late May to early September, but closed on National Holidays. The rest of the year it is open Thursdays and Fridays from 9 a.m to 4 p.m. Tours for groups may be arranged by calling ahead. The suggested donation is $2 per adult with military personnel and children admitted free. Annual memberships start at $18. The Museum can be reached at (320) 632-7374, or by mail at Minnesota Military Museum, Camp Ripley, 15000 Hwy., 115, Little Falls, MN 56345. The email address is mnmuseum@brainerd.net., and there is a also information available on the Web through the Explore Minnesota website.