These second-generation self-defense sights are available with a high-contrast green dual-illuminated Glow Dot front sight that is wider than many on the market at 0.145”.  Brighter, stronger, and even easier to install than the original R3D models, the R3D 2.0 provides an edge in self-defense situations by getting you on target faster and more accurately in any light.

Improvements include:

• Bigger and brighter rear tritium dots
• PVC rings surround the rear tritium dots for a more defined edge to improve sight picture and differentiate the front and rear sights.
• EasyPress features eliminate the need for filing and hammering and reduce the force needed for installation by up to 50%.
• BlackNitride surface finish with double the corrosion resistance of the original black oxide surface treatment for increased durability.

Retail Price: $137.49

All XS sights are backed by a 30-Day Satisfaction Guarantee. The company also offers a 12-year warranty on all tritium products and a limited lifetime warranty on all other products. For more information, visit www.xssights.com.

Springfield Armory made a noteworthy introduction recently to their product lineup with the Echelon 9mm. Not resting on their laurels, the Echelon is a fresh Springfield design. Do not mistake it as a XD variant or anything else in the Springfield catalogue. It is made in Croatia to Springfield Armory’s specifications by the same manufacturer cranking out Springfield’s XDs, Hellcats, and Hellion bullpup rifles. The American consumer signaled their acceptance by snatching up Echelons from dealers’ shelves. In many areas demand still outweighs supply. A nice problem to have if you are Springfield Armory.

Many may ask what the Springfield Echelon offers to shooters compared to other polymer-framed striker-fired handguns already on the market. The answer lies more with refining the striker-fired concept that started more than 40 years ago than anything revolutionary. The Echelon benefits from lessons learned, combined with a manufacturer intimately familiar with what it takes to create a quality weapon.

REFINEMENT

The Echelon attracts admirers thanks to its ergonomics. For example, its grip angle offers a natural point of aim, especially when a red dot is mounted. With the Echelon, Springfield focused on enhancing the handgun’s interaction with the user using its “Adaptive Grip Texture”, oversized trigger guard that is undercut at frame, ambidextrous slide stops, and magazine releases, plus textured indexing points on both sides of the frame. The Echelon arrives with the medium grip module with small and large available for purchase separately… more on this later. This is further accentuated by three different backstrap contour options.

The Echelon slide’s shape is engineered to aid in increased muzzle control and manipulation. Echelon’s slide features four distinct engagement surfaces. A trench cut forward of the action gives shooters a natural index location for press checks and charging the firearm. The back of the slide is flared for positive purchase if this method of manipulating slide is preferred. Deep forward and rear serrations provide gripping surface from any angle.

INNOVATION

The heart of the Echelon is its chassis trigger group that bears the required serial number. Springfield labels it their “central operating group” (COG). The COG is self-contained and can be moved between grip modules in seconds. Think of the modularity options that will be forthcoming after the Echelon’s initial rollout. Precision built from stainless steel, the COG provides a host for a patent-pending operating system i.e., the trigger group. The Springfield Echelon takes full advantage of the learning curve based on previously introduced chassis operating system handguns by other manufacturers. The Springfield COG features trigger bar and striker block safeties, reducing the opportunity accidental discharge incidents.

Concealed beneath the slide cover plate is the Echelon’s patent-pending optic mounting system. The variable interface system (VIS) allows users to mount more than 30 optics directly to the slide without the use of adapter plates. In short, if your optic is or shares the footprint of Trijicon RMR, Leupold DeltaPoint Pro, or Shield RMSc you are good to go out of the box. Simply configure the self-locking pins for the footprint of your desired optic to achieve a low, direct mount for intuitive sight alignment.

The Springfield Armory VIS employs patent-pending self-locking pins. As the optic mounting screws are torqued, the pins exert lateral pressure on the optic’s interior mounting surface to eliminate variance and left/right movement. The result is an unparalleled fit between the slide and a wide variety optics. This Springfield VIS system mounts your red dot deep into the slide, keeping it as low to the bore as possible. This translates into seamless dot acquisition when combined with the Echelon’s grip angle.

DESIGN INPUT

I think we all accept that elite competition shooters are the highest skilled “pistoleers” in the world — after all, that is what they do for a living. Expending time and ammunition that most people cannot imagine. Tier one special operation units often invite world class competition shooters to train with them in an effort to teach its members how to gain any advantage possible in running a handgun more efficiently and ruthlessly. After all, the physical aspects of shooting are the same in every realm i.e., grip, stance, weapon manipulation, trigger control, hand-eye speed, and coordination. Springfield Armory has one of the greatest ever — Rob Leatham — on their team. He surely collaborated on the Echelon project — especially regarding aspects of the trigger and the pistol’s overall ergonomics.

The Echelon offers a repeatable 5-pound trigger pull with a minimal reset. Short tactile reset allows rapid, multiple shots placed on target. The Echelon’s trigger is proof Springfield engineers listened to customer feedback… as well as one of the greatest ever competition shooters — Rob Leatham. To my way of thinking, the secret to striker-fired handgun success is minimal operating controls, high cartridge-capacity-to-size ratio, relentless reliability, and, to mis-paraphrase an famous political advertisement….”it’s the trigger, stupid…” The Springfield Armory Echelon follows this formula and improves upon what was previously thought possible with striker-fired handgun triggers.

THIS IS THE WAY

What if there were ways to maximize potency of your personal defense handgun? After all, as a civilian, or even a law enforcement officer, if a hostile situation is encountered you may most likely be dealing with it with a handgun. So, what would be some of the ways to best boost your handgun’s capability and functionality? The most obvious personal defense handgun equipment upgrade over the last 10 years has to be red dot sights (RDS). My first articles on red dot use appeared in 2010, thus dating my own journey. Though technology should not be used as a crutch that substitutes diligent practice and training, red dots are definitely a positive in supplementing the centuries-old iron-sight concept. With a red dot, a user can now do as nature intends–focus on the target/threat. Moreover, because the indexing of a red dot is far easier than shoving multiple pieces of steel back and forth on a pistol slide, shooters find they can perform beyond what was considered possible with iron sights. All simply because the concept uses the eyes in a more normal manner. The Springfield Echelon embraces red dot usage with their VIS system.

An EOTECH EFLX was mounted to the Echelon. The EFLX uses a top mounted CR2032 battery offering 20,000 hours of run time. The EFLX mounted on the Echelon features a 3 MOA dot (with a 6 MOA dot version also available.) EFLX’s aluminum housing offers durability while only still only weighing 1.4 ounces. The Echelon’s already low bore axis is further enhanced with the beavertail and undercut triggerguard allowing for a very stable sight picture no matter how many or how rapidly rounds are fired. The low mounting position of the Springfield VIS system is appreciated with the EO Tech EFLX’s dot seamlessly located.

FEEL DOES NOT MEAN FIT

One note here of an important lesson relearned. While the medium backstrap fit my hand well, the position of the EOTECH dot seemed high in the screen. Out of curiosity the smaller backstrap was installed. The benefit of finding the dot upon extension of draw was immediate. In short, while “feel” is important, proper fit is crucial. Think about how custom rifles and shotguns are contoured to the end user. The same applies to handguns, especially those with a red dot.

Proper grip starts from the holster and sets the stage for the most efficient use of a red dot-equipped handgun. The majority of aiming any pistol, red dot or not, is achieved through kinesthetic awareness. Kinesthetic awareness is a person’s ability to sense the relative location of their body’s parts based on the engagement and tension of muscles and joints. This especially pertains to red dots via proper grip and tension applied to the pistol as soon as possible with shooting hand from the holster and support hand close to the body under the dominant eye. Grip is the key for tracking the red dot vertically on target during multiple round drills.

Back to the earlier competition shooter reference, I got to take advantage of Origin Shooting’s Ken Bloxton while testing out the Echelon. Ken was the 2015 Two-Gun Nationals Champion and placed fifth in the Three-Gun Nationals the same year. He created Origin Shooting in 2017 with an emphasis on enhancing students’ speed placing rounds on target accurately, even when combined with movement. This, after all, would facilitate better performance, no matter the matter situation. Competing is encouraged by Origin Shooting to better define weaknesses; thus, allowing weaknesses to be overcome.

PERFORMANCE:

Echelon testing consisted of establishing reliability first, then testing accuracy and handling. The Echelon arrives with a flush fitting 17-round magazine and a 20-round magazine featuring an extended baseplate. Several magazines worth of ammunition was spent engaging plate racks and man-sized steel targets. Ken Bloxton and I took turns running the Echelon during an initial range visit with it. No malfunctions were encountered with nearly 300 rounds fired that first day. The Springfield Armory Echelon is a handgun you can count on being ready to go straight out of the box.

While technological quick fixes are not to be used in lieu of training, red dots on a personal defense weapon cannot be ignored. Focusing on the target is one of the key concepts of red dot use. The natural pointability of the Echelon comes into its own in this realm with the EOTECH EFLX doing its part, as well. The EFLX rectangular “wind shield” offers a superior field of view compared to other red dot options. The glass in the new EFLX is clear with no tinting or other coatings being obvious. The EFLX clarity gives better target acquisition without having to figure out what you’re looking at through the glass. The dot is crisp with no halos or disfiguration. The Springfield Armory Echelon combined with the EFLX proved very capable at quick target engagement with shots broken faster than what it takes to read the description.

Two main evaluation priorities were making sure that the Echelon’s reliability was beyond reproach and answering the question that the handgun offers something beyond what the other polymer handguns on the market offer. The Echelon handled several types of ammunition without a problem. Firing began with basic drills to get acclimated with the trigger, sights, and overall feel. Brass and steel ammunition was used along with various bullet weights and bullet profiles. Federal, Black Hills, Hornady, and Remington ammunition was used. Accuracy was in the 2.5- to 3-inch range for five rounds at 25 yards, depending on ammunition used. Drills quickly moved past stand and deliver drills to more dynamic drills involving movement, magazine reloads, and firing from behind cover. The Springfield Echelon’s simplicity of operation allowed for rapid engagement of targets combined with well thought out ergonomics positioning the hand near optimum placement starting with the presentation from the Black Scorpion holster.

With the Echelon, Springfield Armory’s attention to detail is instantly sensed. Crucial items such grip texture, trigger, and maximizing getting the shooters hand as near the bore axis are seamlessly interfaced between the handgun and shooter. Years of experience allowed for Springfield Armory engineers to take the nebulous concept of “feel” and translate it to being one of best shooting pistols on the market, right out of the box.

SPECIFICATIONS:

The plethora of 1911 manufacturers currently in the marketplace would boggle the mind of John Browning himself. The shapes and sizes the 1911 has morphed into would surely impress Mr. Browning. One specific style I would be curious of old John’s opinion of is the polymer/steel hybrid frame double-stack 9mm variants. The arrival of this form can be marked in the late 1980s; and really taking off in the 1990s. Over time, these competition-based weapons morphed into more serious tactical and personal defense offerings.

Mention of 1911 chambered in 9mm will cause many purists a side-eye. However, the quest for the 1911-style 9mm handgun is not a new phenomenon. After World War II it was recognized that a smaller frame 1911 versus the issued “Government Model” would aid in ease of carry for officers. A U.S. procurement solicitation issued requirements for a handgun chambered in 9mm (yes—9mm) not to exceed a 7-inch length or weigh more than 25 ounces. Candidates for this trial included Browning Hi-Power variants by Canada’s Inglis, Belgium’s Fabrique Nationale, Smith & Wesson’s S&W Model 39 and Colt. Colt developed a modified version of its M1911 pistol that was chambered for 9mm with an aluminum alloy frame, a 4.25-inch barrel, and a 9-round magazine. The Colt offering eventually spawned into the company’s “Commander” and “Officer” model 1911s.

Springfield Armory Joins the Double-Stack Club

Springfield Armory enjoys a solid reputation in the all-metal single-stack 1911 world. Their entry into the double-stack hybrid frame arena with 9mm 1911 DS Prodigy AOS surprised many. It shouldn’t. The last several years have shown Springfield Armory expanding into ARs, bolt actions, bullpups, classic Hi-Power variant etc. Each category has Springfield Armory providing a feature packed model. The saying “a lot of gun for the money” rings true here.

The 1911 DS Prodigy AOS serves notice with its features, price point, and performance. Certain entities in Texas and Arkansas immediately took note when the DS Prodigy was announced. Two Springfield models are available in the Prodigy line up—5-inch and 4.25-inch barrels with a factory mounted Hex Dragonfly red dot sight as an option.

One definition of prodigy is, “An amazing or unusual thing, especially one out of the ordinary course of nature.” Not only is the DS Prodigy AOS a good representation of the hybrid frame genre, but the pistol’s price is hundreds of dollars less than competitors.

Springfield stays away from any reference to a “2011 frame,” likely due to trademark or patent reasons. Since 1994 “2011” has been associated with another well-known manufacturer. With that said, the 1911 DS Prodigy’s frame is a modular two-piece design consisting of a forged steel sub-frame and polymer grip. The steel frame contains the rails that the slide runs on, fire control group, ambidextrous thumb safeties, grip safety, slide stop, and railed dust cover.

The DS Prodigy polymer grip is contoured to maintain 1911 characteristics while accommodating high-capacity double-stack magazines. The same grip texture used on the Springfield Hellcat Pro is found on the DS Prodigy. Use of polymer in the grip construction minimizes the material thickness required. The DS Prodigy grip circumference is not that much bigger than a single-stack, steel-framed 1911.

It is the high-capacity nature of the Prodigy that attracts so many. Springfield uses U.S.-made DuraMags with steel bodies and polymer followers and base pads. The standard magazine holds 17 rounds with 20- and 26-round mags available. For many, even for 1911 lovers, the consideration of handguns chambered in 9mm becomes more feasible as capacity increases. The Prodigy ships with one 17 and one 20-rounder. The 17-round mag sits flush, with only the small base pad extending below the frame. With the 20-round mag in place, the extended base pad extends almost an inch below the bottom of the frame. The 26-round magazine extends a little over 2-inches inches below the grip. Nothing like carrying most of a box of 9mm ammunition in one magazine.

A match grade 4.25-inch stainless bull barrel is fitted inside Prodigy’s carbon steel slide. The Prodigy uses a full-length two-piece guide rod system The steel slide features angled front and rear slide serrations. All external metal components have a black Cerakote finish. The full-length dust cover provides a resting place for lights/lasers. It also serves to reduce muzzle flip, especially if sending multiple rounds downrange quickly. Overall weight of the DS Prodigy 4.25-inch is 32.5 ounces.

My hands are average size yet have no issue working the trigger or other DS Prodigy controls. Trigger break measured 4.5 to 4.75 pounds. The grip size/angle combined with single action trigger help make 1911s the most accurate handgun in most arsenals. It is accurate and conducive to precise shot placement. No one can argue that there is a more instinctive handling weapon than the 1911-pattern handgun.

Raison D’Etre

The Springfield Armory DS Prodigy 4.25 9mm represents portability, capacity, reliability, controllability, and lethality. These are poster child traits for a duty, tactical, personal defense handgun. The commander-length slide with 4.25-inch barrel provides the optimum mix of sight radius, concealment, weapon balance, and reliability in a 1911 pattern handgun. With that said, sight radius for our purposes is not that important. The DS Prodigy arrived with a Hex Dragonfly red dot factory mounted. Typical of Springfield Armory, their path to red dot usage was well studied and meticulously applied.

Developed in collaboration with Agency Arms, the AOS (Agency Optic System) are red dot mounting plates designed exclusively for the 1911 DS Prodigy line up. Machined from billet steel, each plate is designed specifically to deliver proper optic height for intuitive sight picture and instant target acquisition and features an integral rear sight. For a tactical/personal defense weapon the ability to co-witness iron sights with red dot is a must.

Users of the DS Prodigy equipped with the Hex Dragonfly find that they no longer have to switch focus from target to sights, invariably eliminating the “front sight focus” so difficult maintain when using iron sights, especially under stress. Handgunners with a red dot-equipped weapon can now do as nature intends for them to do—focus on the threat/target. The red dot will be there for aiming purposes. Moreover, because the indexing of a red dot is far easier than aligning two separate protruding pieces of steel, shooters can make accurate shots beyond what was considered possible with iron sights.

Supporting Staff

One of the unspoken benefits of choosing a 1911/2011 for use is the plethora of available holsters. Versacarry Compound and Decree OWB holsters with a Versacarry Double Stitch gun belt were used with the Springfield DS Prodigy.

Versacarry continues to innovate beyond its initial ZeroBulk offering from ten years ago. Versacarry’s new hybrid Compound series takes their known use of premium water buffalo leather and combines it with Kydex by infusing it between leather layers. This offers better support and retention for your handgun. The holster is built with a recessed area in the Kydex to keep the front sight from snagging when the firearm is drawn. The draw tension is adjustable to give owners the flexibility to adjust the holster to their firearm for customized retention.

Versacarry’s line up is admirable in how many handgun models their holsters accommodate. This is because Versacarry holster sizing is based off of trigger guard and frame size, rather than specific features of one given pistol model. Since most handguns share a lot of the same design similarities, Versacarry can fit hundreds of different handguns into three main holster sizes using this method.

The Compound and Decree holsters were mated to a Versacarry Double Stich gun belt. The importance of a quality gun belt is overlooked at the user’s peril. You do not want gear hanging loosely or flopping around on your waist. Versacarry uses double ply water buffalo leather that has been vegetable tanned. Heavy duty, industrial-grade, bonded nylon thread is used for double stitching. The nickel belt buckle is removable.

The Versacarry Decree and Compound holsters kept the DS Prodigy tight to the body and at the proper cant, facilitating a proper draw stroke. Weight was distributed well between the Versacarry holster and belt.

5.11 Tactical is a company not only helping equip our military, law enforcement, and private security contractors, but has not forgotten civilians either. The LV6 Waist Pack 2.0—do not call it a “fanny pack”—has been updated with quick release buckle waist strap that facilitates being worn around the waist or slung across the body like the cool people do. Interior pockets accommodate various items you see fit to carry along with a hidden slip compartment for a compact handgun such as the Springfield Armory DS Prodigy. The LV6 can also be attached to the larger 511 Tactical LV18 Backpack 2.0, if desired.

The LV18 Backpack has an ambidextrous side entry CCW compartment with increased hook/loop area for holster retention strap for keeping a handgun discretely close by. The padded laptop sleeve has been expanded in size, as well. A second set of webbing loops offer an attachment point for the LV6 Waist Pack 2.0 when extra cargo space is needed, as mentioned previously. Additional features include side compression straps, a padded back panel with a flex cuff channel, and quick-release shoulder straps with a removable sternum strap. Let’s face it, the world is only becoming a more dangerous place, not only overseas but also here in the US. 5.11 Tactical is here to assist in keeping you safe.

Range Time

Range testing purposely included Versacarry holsters and 511 Tactical packs to determine if DS Prodigy was worthy of being considered for daily carry duties. The Versacarry holsters featured a generous open cut top to use with the co-witness sights and Hex Dragonfly red dot topped slide.

Drills consisted of drawing from concealment to see if the red dot was easy to obtain when operating in haste. Various scenarios engaging targets from behind cover or on the move were also utilized. Magazine change drills were done for the dual purpose of getting a feel of manipulating DS Prodigy with Hex Dragonfly installed and making sure the red dot was seamlessly picked up after reloading and the pistol is brought back on target.

The Springfield DS Prodigy has great potential in terms of accuracy, speed, and extending effective engagement distances. The sight radius of the DS Prodigy 4.25 is not an issue with the Hex Dragonfly mounted—in fact it is irrelevant, thanks to the red dot.

In terms of ammunition, the DS Prodigy handled all brands, bullet types, and weights with equal aplomb. Black Hills Ammunition, Remington, Federal, and Hornady were used. Loads fired spanned 115-grain to 147-grain with hollow points and FMJ bullet types utilized. The DS Prodigy 4.25 generated 1.5- to 2-inch groups at 25 yards. No malfunctions were experienced while test firing over 350 rounds during multiple range visits. The overall balance of the 32-ounce DS Prodigy made recoil negligible.

PERFORMANCE

Springfield Armory DS Prodigy 4.25

Accuracy test consisted of three five-shot groups with each ammunition type; group sizes were averaged. Velocity figures obtained by averaging five rounds fired over Caldwell Precision Shooting chronograph.

Final Thoughts

What sets the DS Prodigy apart is the amount of product development and field trials it received from Springfield Armory. For example, a key element of the DS Prodigy is the Agency Arms’ AOS method of mounting red dots allowing for co-witnessing with the handgun’s iron sights. Anything electronic can fail, no matter how rugged; it’s important to have back up sights ready. Another advantage of retaining elevated irons around the red dot is that it provides instant verification of zero. If the red dot has been knocked off, the iron sights are there for instant back up.

The key point with the Springfield DS Prodigy is that it is eminently adaptable. Everyone from homeowners, law enforcement officers, to elite tactical team members will find the DS Prodigy a handgun worthy of consideration. The DS Prodigy arrives ready to go right out of the box. The DS Prodigy is a potent package due to its accuracy, reliability, and capacity.

SPECIFICATIONS

Make: Springfield Armory
Model: 1911 DS Prodigy 4.25″ AOS w/Hex Dragonfly
Caliber: 9mm
Magazine Capacity: 17-round and 20-round magazines arrive with pistol
Barrel Length: 4.25in
Overall Length: 7.8in
Height: 5.5in
Width: 1.15in
Weight Empty: 32.5oz
MSRP: $1699
URL: www.springfield-armory.com

The Springfield Armory XD handgun traces its heritage back to 1991 to the war-torn Balkan nation of Croatia. Initially, entry into the U.S. market was less than stellar via the HS2000 brand. In 2002, Springfield Armory had acquired the licensing rights to the design. Springfield Armory’s tweaks helped turn around the model’s reputation quickly. By 2006 the XD was winning multiple prestigious industry awards.

Like most modern handguns, the XD functions via short recoil-operated locked breech a la Browning’s design with camming-cut below the barrel. This serves to unlock and lower the barrel during the recoil cycle. The XD has slightly modified Browning’s design by removing the locking points located on the barrel in front of chamber. Instead, the XD utilizes a single locking lug milled above the barrel’s chamber, thus using the slide’s large overhead ejection port as its locking recess. The front contour of the barrel lug cam slot has been cut square to direct counter-recoiling forces up and forward, reducing stress on the lug.

Evolution has been constant with the XD. Springfield Armory decided to update their XD handgun lineup via the XD-M Elite series. After all, it would smack as arrogant to assume that refinements would not benefit the user after years of being on the market. The XD has always attracted admirers thanks to its ergonomics. For example, its grip angle found favor with many who argue it offers a better natural point of aim than competitors, especially polymer ones from Austria. The XD-M Elite 4.5-inch barreled 9mm featured herein is the latest creation building upon customer feedback and manufacturing expertise. Thankfully, Springfield Armory maintained the grip angle with the XD-M Elite model. Instead, they focused their attention on other aspects of the design, such as the trigger, magazine well, undercut trigger guard, enhanced slide serrations, extended beavertail, and sights.

The XD-M Elite 4.5-inch modifications consist of a capacity increase, a new magazine well, slide serrations, an ambidextrous slide stop, a more prominent grip safety with memory bump and, most importantly, a trigger upgrade. The XD-M Elite has a reinforced polymer frame and steel slide with a significant design emphasis on ergonomics for ease of function. The slide is covered with a Melonite finish for durability wrapped around the 4.5-inch match barrel. Stippling and raised grooves adorn both the front strap and the forward face of the squared-off trigger guard. Material has been relieved where the trigger guard connects to the grip allowing for the shooter’s hand sit as high as possible. This allows the XD-M Elite to sit low in the user’s hand. This assists in limiting muzzle flip during recoil. The frame features a beavertail to help prevent slide bite as well as further manage recoil, especially during rapid strings of fire. I have always felt the XD’s grip safety and grip angle gives off the aura of a polymer framed 1911. An integral railed dust cover allows for lights/laser. The XD-M Elite also comes with interchangeable backstraps to accommodate individual shooter requirements for grip feel. Vertical chevron-like cuts are found at the rear and front of the XD-M Elite’s slide for increased purchase when manipulating the slide. The pistol weighs 29 ounces.

Further enhancements with the XD-M Elite consists of Springfield’s Match Enhanced Trigger Assembly (META). Not only is the META one of the best out of the box striker-fired triggers; it stacks up well with many aftermarket trigger offerings. The trigger pull measured approximately five pounds. The Springfield Armory META’s straight trigger offers a near 90-degree break for better geometry and is less likely to pull sights to the right or left. The key with the XD-M Elite is how it provides the same trigger pull every time. Overall, the XD-M Elite META trigger is an asset.

Ambidextrous slide stop, fiber optic front, and Tactical Rack U-Do Rear sights and an increased magazine capacity of 20+1 round out the Elite’s list of features. Springfield Armory includes a removable extended and flared magwell to accommodate the 20-round magazines. Springfield Armory has developed the XD-M Elite to serve as the premium version of XD-series to show off the potential of the platform. The user knows something is different with the XD-M Elite as soon as its soft case is opened.

We evaluated the XD-M Elite using several drills experienced during training with Redback One, TMACs, Tactical Response, Graham Combat, and other schools. Drills included working around breaching facades, door entries, and other CQB activities. Multiple magazine changes and high volume ammunition consuming drills exhibited no idiosyncrasies with the XD-M Elite. The magazine release button is easily accessed and the magwell appreciated.

The Springfield Armory XD-M Elite impressively handled all ammunition brands, bullet types, and weights with equal aplomb. XD-M Elite ergonomics and handling characteristics were quickly appreciated. A user understands why the XD-M Elite and its predecessor are so well thought of. The beavertail grip frame and overall balance of the pistol made felt recoil negligible. The slide reciprocates smoothly with the sights tracking smoothly in between shots fired.

Norma ammunition led the way in testing with FMJ, NXD, and MHP loads. Hornady, Remington, Federal, and Black Hills was also shot. T&E was conducted at Echo Valley Training Center (EVTC), a private range located near Winchester, VA, where many local and federal law enforcement tactical team members train. Shooting from sandbags produced 2-inch groups at 25 yards. I quickly realized that the XD-M Elite possessed inherent accuracy superior to what I was capable of. That is a nice feeling that instills confidence in a handgun. The XD-M Elite digested anything fed to it. For example, the cutting edge (pun intended) Norma NXD 65 grain load, characterized by reduced recoil thanks to light bullet at high velocity, had no issues. A finicky ammo appetite is not an endearing trait with a personal defense handgun.

Norma has been manufacturing and innovating ammunition for 120 plus years. Norma Ammunition is associated with some of Europe’s other finer offerings—Premier League soccer, double rifles, and Formula 1 racing. All are truly world class.

The Norma MHP (Monolithic Hollow Point) is a monolithic solid copper projectile. Expansion is the MHP’s forte. Ballistic gel shoots with the 108-grain 9mm MHP exhibit compact 11-inch penetration, limiting concern of over-penetration. Expansion to 0.9 inches means all the energy created from the 1300fps+ 108-grains is dumped into the target. The MHP is skived so that expansion is generated from four petals that erupt from the projectile. The bullet profile is similar to an FMJ, so feeding will not be an issue.

PERFORMANCE:

EVTC’s Jungle Walk Range proved an ideal test location. A premium is placed on a quick handling accurate handgun such as the XD-M Elite with multiple rounds fired in quick succession being the norm to put a target down. The natural pointability of the XD-M Elite comes into its own in this realm. Random steel and paper targets were placed along the trail. Target arrays consisted of single and multiple engagement points only visible when shooter discovered them while coming around corner of the trail. Significantly, no malfunctions were experienced while test firing over 700 rounds.

Somewhat counterintuitively, the XD-M Elite would prove a solid choice for training new shooters. Its size is conducive to proper grip. Sights are intuitive. META trigger offers no excuses. In short, you perform the firing sequence correctly, you will be rewarded with rounds going where intended. As shooter proficiency increases, the XD-M Elite is more capable of keeping up.

The new Springfield Armory META trigger reminded me of other polymer handgun selections with one important nuance; only after they had experienced custom work from qualified gunsmiths, including aftermarket accessories. That is meant as a compliment to the new META factory trigger. The new trigger is crisper and has a tactile/audible reset. Everyone surely agrees that a trigger set-up properly is a great aid to accurate shooting. The XD-M Elite’s combination of good sights and trigger along with Springfield Armory quality control produces a weapon that can run plate racks at 25 yards with monotony. Along these lines, the XD-M Elite can deliver multiple hits on IPSC style targets at close range using point shooting techniques within 3-7 yards. This is a compliment to its overall design.

The key point with the XD-M Elite is that it is eminently adaptable to individual, or department needs no matter mission or budgetary concerns. Everything from the homeowner with a light/laser combo to an elite operator with night vision and infrared target designator will find the Springfield Armory XD-M Elite a handgun worthy of consideration. The buyer is getting a lot of value for the listed purchase price of around $609. The XD-M Elite is a potent package due to its accuracy, reliability, and capacity—all of this combines for increased lethality.

With the XD-M Elite, the Springfield Armory attention to detail is instantly sensed. Crucial items such as magazine release button shape, grip texture, trigger, and placing the shooters hand as near the bore axis are seamlessly interfaced. The XD-M Elite is one of the flattest shooting handguns I’ve shot. By flattest shooting, I am referring to minimal muzzle flip with sights tracking smoothly between trigger breaks. Springfield’s years of experience with the XD platform has allowed their engineers to take the nebulous concept of “feel” and translate it to the XD-M Elite being one of best shooting pistols on the market right out of the box.

Many may ask what the Springfield Armory XD-M Elite offers to shooters compared to other polymer-framed striker-fired handguns already on the market. The answer lies more with refining the striker-fired concept more than creating anything revolutionary. The XD-M Elite benefits from lessons learned combined with a manufacturer intimately familiar with quality weapon production.

SPECIFICATIONS:

Make: Springfield Armory
Model: XD-M Elite
Caliber: 9mm
Weight: 29 ounces
Magazine Capacity: 2-20 round magazine provided
Width: 1.2 inches at grip
Height: 5.75 inches
Barrel Length: 4.5 inches
MSRP: $609
URL: springfield-armory.com

Springfield Armory is at it again. The recent introduction of the Hellion 5.56mm bullpup will catch some by surprise. It should not. The Hellion confirms Springfield Armory is committed to offering its customers the best products in a multitude of categories. CEO Dennis Reese should be given credit as the guiding hand behind these efforts.

Reese has established Springfield Armory as a major player in the U.S. market. Reese has been part of Springfield Armory since its founding in 1974 right through to his role as CEO and owner, today. Most are familiar with Springfield Armory legacy products involving M1A rifles and 1911 handguns. Reese has overseen product-line expansions including the XD series of polymer-framed pistols, the 911 series of pocket pistols, the SAINT series of AR-pattern carbines and pistols, the compact Hellcat 9mm pistol, and the SA35, Springfield’s HiPower rendition. Now, the HS Produkt Croatian connection with the XD line of handguns has further expanded with the Hellion 5.56mm bullpup. Like the way the Croatian XD was imported to the U.S., Springfield Armory “Americanized” the Croatian VHS-2 military bullpup to create the Hellion.

Bullpup Background

Bullpup style rifles have always generated strong opinions. Bullpups are firearm configurations in which the action/magazine is located behind the trigger group in the space normally reserved solely for the stock. Bullpup advocates put forth a litany of reasons supporting their position. For example, bullpups are 7-10 inches shorter compared to traditionally laid-out weapons with equal barrel length, thus improving maneuverability and handling. Compactness is one of the most oft-repeated positive attributes of the bullpup rifle; all the while maintaining a full length barrel to maximize cartridge performance. Shorter overall length, center of gravity toward rear of rifle, and hands being closer together on the rifle makes the bullpup seem lighter and handier than standard profile rifles.

Let’s face it, we live in an AR centric firearms world here in the U.S. Advocates claim that nothing more than pointless moribund American traditionalism is stifling bullpup-style weapons from being adopted widespread. After all, the military forces of many countries, including France, Austria, England, Israel, and China have all adopted and fielded bullpup rifles.

On the other side of the equation, detractors denigrate bullpup effectiveness to the point of challenging the basic raison d’être for the design. This is based on aesthetics and ergonomics. The hesitancy with experienced shooters adapting to the bullpup stems from the bullpup’s foreign manual of arms when compared to traditional rifles. For example, bullpup magazine changes are different and the action isn’t as readily visible as it is on a traditional rifle. Bullpup naysayers like to point out the action on a bullpup is dangerously placed next to the user’s face. Another point raised is that bullpup weapons are not as ambidextrous as other designs.

While bullpup examples exist as far back as the early 1900’s, development started in earnest after WWII with most sources pointing to the British being at the forefront of the platform’s design. The groundbreaking German StG 44, the father of the assault rifle genre of weapons, with its high-capacity detachable magazine, select-fire capability, and 7.92×33 Kurz cartridge prompted this. The British saw opportunity to get rifle-like ballistic performance out of a package that, up to that point, had been reserved for SMGs firing pistol caliber cartridges. The emphasis was to find one platform to replace multiple types of sub-machine guns and battle rifles.

The WWII experience made it obvious that modern warfare would require the infantry to be armed with a light, compact, select-fire weapon with an effective range of fire much farther-reaching than that of a submachine gun, but shorter than that of conventional semi-automatic or bolt action battle rifle due to battles moving from traditional “open field” conflicts to close-quarters engagements. The short overall length of a bullpup was an asset in these new conditions. It was also advantageous when troops were being transported and engaging from fighting vehicles, which aren’t known for their spacious accommodations. The choice of the bullpup design was seen as a necessity to retain ballistic performance while allowing for reducing overall length.

Features

The Hellion’s cousin, the HS Produkt VHS, was adopted by the Croatian Army in 2009. The VHS-2 update appeared in 2013. The Springfield Armory Hellion weighs 8 pounds and measures approximately 28.25 inches with buttstock collapsed and 29.75 inches with the stock extended. The adjustable buttstock is one of the Hellion’s most distinguishing features and separates it from most other bullpups on the market. A full length Picatinny rail runs down much of the upper receiver. The rifle comes with functional iron sights that also serve as back up iron sights since the rail cries out for a red-dot or low-powered optic. The Hellion operates using an adjustable short-stroke piston system firing from a closed bolt position. The gas system has normal and suppressed settings. The rotating bolt has seven radial locking lugs, a spring-powered extractor, and ejector. The Hellion features M-LOK slots on the sides and bottom of the forend, along with numerous sling position options.

Ambidextrous controls are present, including a centrally located non-reciprocating charging handle found under the Picatinny rail. It can be swung out to either side of the receiver for operation. The bolt release is a sliding lever behind the magazine well. Its location is equally accessible with either hand. Sliding this horizontally to the rear will release the bolt when it’s locked back. Manually locking the bolt is awkward with no dedicated control. Manually open the action with charging handle, reach up into the open action with your finger and push the bolt hold lever upward like an empty magazine would. Ejection ports are on each side of the receiver. A trip to an armorer is not needed to change from left- to right-side ejection. Simply field strip and rotate the bolt 180 degrees in the bolt carrier. Move the port cover to the opposite side of Hellion where empty brass in not coming through. As with most bullpups, transitioning between shoulders is not advised as there is a good chance empty brass will strike you in the face. A self-correcting problem, once experienced.

Generally speaking, the triggers of most bullpups are not well thought of. This is due to the linkage required between the forward placed trigger and rear placed action. The Hellion trigger takes approximately 8 pounds of pressure to fire and has a large amount of travel. Our suggestion is to treat the Hellion trigger like a double-action revolver. One should not try to stage the trigger, but rather, work it smoothly.

Compactness, while maintaining a full length barrel to maximize cartridge performance, is one of the most oft-repeated, positive attributes of the bullpup platform. Bullpups are generally the same size of short barrel rifles without having to resort to sub-16-inch barrels, and their slower bullet velocities, to achieve this size. The Hellion features a hammer-forged 16-inch, 1:7 twist Melonite-treated barrel, while still only measuring 28.25 inches in length.

Transport

You can discretely transport the Hellion in Elite Survival System’s SUMMIT backpack. Try that with a 16-inch-barreled AR-style rifle. The SUMMIT backpack offers hide-in-plain sight transport with enhancements that accommodate ancillary gear. Aesthetically, the SUMMIT is designed to look like an inconspicuous hiking pack and is sized to conceal a broken-down or short-barreled rifle with plenty of room for mission-critical gear. The Hellion snuggles in nicely.

A padded panel divides the SUMMIT pack, keeping weapon segregated from prying eyes if the front of pack is unzipped. Internal foam padding at the top and sides, a padded bottom, and integrated weapon retention straps ensure safe, stable, and secure carry at all times. Carry handles on the sides and top are another nice touch. The SUMMIT is constructed of 500 denier nylon.

Optics

A ZeroTech Optics Vengeance 1-6×24 optic was mounted on the Hellion. As an Australian company, ZeroTech is still relatively unknown in the U.S. market. Its U.S. operation is based near Murfreesboro, TN, though the brand carries 50 years of experience producing optics made to withstand the demands of the rugged Australian Outback. The Vengeance features daylight-bright illumination and capped turrets. Its 1-6×24mm power and illuminated, second focal plane RAR reticle allow for quick accurate ranging based on target size inside the unique horseshoe reticle and spaced hash marks. The reticle also provides bullet drop compensation marks, as well.

Combat experiences since 9/11 served as the catalyst for new, low-power variable optics such as the ZeroTech Vengeance compared to non-magnified red dot or fixed powered magnified optics. The Vengeance offers a 1x illuminated reticle setting for quick target acquisition at close range with both eyes open. A quick turn of the knob to 6x enables longer precision shots. The ability to access 6x while still being able to use an illuminated dot at 1x is a force multiplier. The ZeroTech Vengeance 1-6x is loaded with high end features such as a 30mm aircraft-grade aluminum tube with high transmittance glass for outstanding clarity, along with an integrated removable throw lever, ½ MOA windage/elevation adjustments, six levels of illumination with an on/off space between each setting.

On the Range

Ammunition tested with the Springfield Hellion was a combination of Ammo Inc., Black Hills Ammunition, Hornady, American Eagle, Speer, and SIG Sauer loads. The Hellion kept all loads tested at or below 2 inches at 100 yards. Our range time consisted of moving around barricades and simulated cover while engaging an assortment of paper and steel targets at Echo Valley Training Center. The compact nature of the Hellion was appreciated when working around barricades, as was the bullpup’s ability to provide full-length barrel ballistic performance. The Hellion showed its true promise by performing not only within the 100-yard bays at EVTC, engaging multiple target arrays, but also back at the prepared firing line position. The Hellion/Vengeance optic combo produced consistent hits out to 350 yards on steel targets. The Hellion’s compact nature makes one forget it still features a 16-inch barrel. The recoil impulse of any 5.56mm chambered rifle is minimal, however, when working on sending multiple rounds downrange accurately, recoil management is important. The straight line bore axis and large surface area buttstock found on the Hellion dampens recoil better than most other 5.56mm rifles.

The Springfield Hellion bullpup’s center of gravity is toward the rear due to the placement of the action in the buttstock. This, combined with the shooter’s hands being closer together, makes the weapon seem lighter than it is. This contributes to better handling over time thanks to reduced fatigue on the arms and shoulders; an important consideration for CQB operations and structure clearing. Movement with the Hellion bullpup inside of structures is much easier and very similar to the size advantage offered by a SMG, and it comes without the terminal ballistic performance penalty. If you need to open a door, or other similar tasks, the Hellion offers an advantage, as it’s easy to use one-handed. You can effectively treat the Hellion like a big pistol, if the situation demands it.

Another example of the Hellion’s beneficial compactness is working around vehicles. As a driver or passenger, the rifle is short enough that you can have the Hellion pointed muzzle down between your legs with the buttstock resting on the seat cushion. The Hellion’s exterior is rounded with virtually no projections to hang up on straps, lines, vehicle interiors, or anything else. The front of the forend is oval, further limiting the chance of getting the Hellion snagged unintentionally while operating in tight environments.

Conclusion

It didn’t take much time to become familiar with the Hellion and its handling. It’s no different than switching between an AR and an AK, really. The magazine sitting closer to the body took some getting used to during reloads, as well as orientating hands when racking the charging handle during weapon manipulation.

Compared to a traditional action, arms aficionados will find the Springfield Armory Hellion’s differences intriguing and may desire one based on this uniqueness. Many will find the Hellion desirable due to its compactness and reliability. This combination is hard to argue against in terms of utility for any user. The handling advantages of SBR rifles are often touted as the difference-maker in terms of effectiveness. Why not enjoy this advantage while retaining barrel length and maintaining ballistic performance? Too often individuals get overly invested in a weapon platform, thus ignoring what might be a more advantageous system. Diverse experience with various platforms will serve someone far better than unreasoned devotion to only one weapon platform. The individual is the key to effectiveness, not the weapon. An operator with this type of mindset will surely appreciate the Springfield Armory Hellion.

Specifications

GLOCK 

44 Chambered in .22 LR 

GLOCK has taken everything that is fun and functional about a .22 LR caliber pistol and enhanced it to improve your experience with optimal performance. The G44 features many of the latest enhancements seen in the 5th Generation of GLOCK pistols, such as the ambidextrous slide stop lever and reversible magazine catch, the GLOCK Marksman barrel (GMB) for increased accuracy and performance, adjustable back straps and adjustable rear sights. The G44 also features a ghost-hole loaded chamber indicator and comes standard with two 10-round load assist magazines. plink44.com 

SIG SAUER 

.300BLK FMJ Rifle Ammunition 

SIG SAUER, Inc., has added .300BLK to its Elite Performance line of full-metal-jacket (FMJ) rifle ammunition for training. SIG FMJ ammunition is ideal for those seeking cost-efficient, high-quality training rounds. The 125gr .300BLK load has muzzle velocity of 2,145 fps. sigsauer.com

SHELL SHOCK TECHNOLOGIES / LIBERTY 

Ultra-Lights Ammunition 

Liberty Ammunition has introduced its Ultra-Lights round featuring Shell Shock Technologies’ revolutionary NAS3 casings. The new Liberty Ammunition Ultra-Lights are the Civil Defense rounds taken one step further. Liberty Ammunition’s innovative projectiles have been added to Shell Shock Technologies’ groundbreaking NAS3 casings. The 9mm Ultra-Lights’ total cartridge weighs only 93 grains and is 52 percent lighter than standard 125 grain 9mm lead jacketed hollow-points. shellshocktechnologies.com / libertyammo.com

TACTICA DEFENSE FASHION 

Black Python Camo Jacket 

You never settle for less, and our Black Python Camo Jacket offers superb protection. Slip on this durable jacket and experience the warmth and comfort of soft fleece, the convenience of generous storage space and the confidence of an irresistibly modern design. Dress warm, dress to protect and feel prepared for anything. tacticafashion.com

TACTICA DEFENSE FASHION 

Concealed Carry Leggings 

For the woman who’s undeniable in her pursuits, our concealed carry leggings are designed for comfort, flexibility and revolutionary convenience. Featuring two safe holster pockets, you can securely conceal a compact firearm. A strong layer of TPE protects your trigger guard, while a small front pocket provides credit card or phone storage. Slip on these leggings, strap in your firearm and continue devotedly in your concealed carry journey. tacticafashion.com 

TEAM WENDY 

Helmet Accessories 

Team Wendy announced the immediate availability of several brand-new helmet accessories, including: EXFIL Rail 3.0 system for the EXFIL Carbon and EXFIL LTP helmets, available both for new helmet purchases and as a retrofit kit for customers who already have the EXFIL Carbon or EXFIL LTP helmets with the original EXFIL Rail 2.0; A new helmet cover design with options for all Team Wendy ballistic and bump helmets, including two brand new colors: MultiCam Alpine and Wolf Gray; and Shroud Action Camera Adapter compatible with Wilcox L4 series and similar helmet shrouds. A new helmet cover design in six colors is available to fit the EXFIL Carbon, EXFIL LTP, EXFIL Ballistic SL and EXFIL Ballistic with either the EXFIL Rail 2.0 or EXFIL Rail 3.0 systems. The new covers utilize a combination of mesh and Nylon spandex fabrics and feature functional Velcro loop patches with slots for efficient cable management. TeamWendy.com 

SAVAGE ARMS 

Minimalist Rimfire Rifles 

Savage Arms is pleased to introduce Minimalist, a distinctly different take on the classic rimfire design. Minimalist combines a laminate stock for lightweight strength with several additional features for excellent usability in the field. With its button-rifled barrel and user-adjustable AccuTrigger, the bolt-action Minimalist delivers Savage accuracy. Minimalist rifles are offered in .22 LR, .22 WMR, and .17 HMR. savagearms.com 

LYMAN 

Pachmayr Shock Shield 

The Shock Shield is the simple solution to reducing recoil in a variety of rifles and shotguns. No need for different size pads, as its one size design stretches and contours to a variety of stock shapes and dimensions. Filled with a pocket of soft gel, felt recoil is greatly reduced. Easy on and easy off. Simply stretch it over the butt of your firearm. Keep one in your range bag so you always have it handy! lymanproducts.com 

SPRINGFIELD ARMORY 

Hellcat Profile Holster 

The Profile Holster was designed to be an ultra-concealable, minimalistic, appendix carry holster without the drawbacks. Distinct features such as the matte-edge finish and minimal material used facilitate in a comfortable fit providing maximum concealment for concealed carry. Each AIWB Profile holster is formed to the Springfield Hellcat for a snug fit with low drag. The adjustable retention along with the inherent positive retention “SNAP” ensures the firearm is secure when holstered. 

Removal of extra material between the muzzle and retention screw adds to a layer of comfort without digging into the body or thigh. The trigger guard is intentionally undercut to promote a higher grip on the Springfield and allow for a magazine release while the firearm is fully holstered. From the injection-molded belt clip to the soft loop option, the cant settings are easily adjustable from 0-15 degrees to allow for a perfect grip on the Hellcat. tulster.com

It was hot and unusually humid in Springfield, Massachusetts during the summer of 1953. Yet, it was not nearly as sweltering as most of the summers he had endured back in his home state of Alabama. Weather aside, LTC Roy E. Rayle took an early liking to his new assignment. His wife and two young sons were in love with the beautiful on-post housing supplied by the Army, and his new job was challenging, exciting, and important. He was to direct 350 people in the Research and Development of small arms at the Springfield Arsenal. He had leadership training from the Army and a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Georgia Tech. He felt well prepared for any challenge.

In his first job briefing, the Colonel in charge updated him on the status of the programs now under his control. It was a glowing report, with no major challenges on the horizon. Two Springfield Armory-designed guns in trials at Ft Benning were reportedly doing very well. The T161 machine gun and the T44 rifle were both undergoing user tests there. These two would later be designated the M60 machine gun, and the M14 rifle, respectively. Assuming successful trials, these would become the first small arms in U.S. history chambered for the new 7.62mm NATO round. Rayle’s predecessor had decided not to send a representative to the test site for technical support and feedback. As a result, not much had been heard from Ft. Benning since the testing began. Everyone assumed that the tests were going well. Going so well, in fact, that his new boss spent most of their meeting time reviewing the other developmental weapons now under Rayle’s direction.

LTC Rayle enjoyed a blissful honeymoon that lasted a full two days. Suddenly, the Armory received an urgent and most disturbing phone call from U.S. Army Ordnance’s Chief of Small Arms Research and Development, Colonel René Studler. TheT44 was performing poorly in testing. A Pentagon representative was already on his way to the test site and Springfield Armory was to immediately dispatch a representative to Ft. Benning. Who would they send? The new guy, of course, LTC Roy Rayle.

Once at Ft. Benning, it didn’t take Rayle long to figure out the major problem. The T44 was having cartridge feeding issues that stemmed from too much friction in the magazine. Rayle asked them, “How much time do we have to fix the problem.” He didn’t like the answer. Only eleven days of testing remained. Results had to be tallied and submitted to Army Field Forces headquarters at Ft. Monroe, VA. Ft. Benning had been directed to follow a rigid timeline.

It wasn’t only the gun that was having a problem. Since his arrival there, Rayle sensed a certain animosity from the test crew. It wasn’t toward him necessarily, but rather it was directed toward Springfield Arsenal. After he examined the T44 test weapons more closely, he understood why. The rifle was far from production ready. T44 receivers had been made from an earlier prototype, the T20E2 that used the longer M1 round (.30-06). To reduce the bolt travel in the rifle for the shorter 7.62mm NATO round (.308 Winchester,) filler blocks had been placed inside the receiver. The fix worked well enough. That is, right up to the point where the blocks loosened and caused malfunctions. This was only the beginning. Designers at the Armory had taken other shortcuts that made it blatantly obvious the T44 was little more than a cobbled-up prototype. In stark contrast was the rifle submitted by the competitor. The entry from Fabrique Nationale (FN) of Belgium was a well-made and well-thought out design. FN’s rifle was designed for in line firing that directed the recoil load straight into the shoulder. This greatly aided the shooter in controlling the weapon’s hefty recoil. The rifle we know today as the FAL was then designated by the Army as the T48. It featured smooth feeding, and a simple operating mechanism that was easy to field strip and service. The general consensus at Ft. Benning was that the Belgian design was far more mature than the T44 and better prepared for user tests at Ft. Benning. The test crew welcomed the amiable on-site FN representative and viewed his presence as part of FN’s commitment to winning the competition.

The Belgians had spent their own money on the development of the T48, making numerous design changes in answer to every whim of the American military. They converted their original design from the .280 British round and developed a simple top loading magazine charging clip that the Americans demanded. FN spared no expense in producing test prototypes for the Army and arranged for their top designer, Mr. Ernst Vervier, to be on standby at the test site to oversee weapon repair and to answer questions.

American regulations made the testing unfair to FN. As the Belgian company was foreign owned, the company was not allowed to obtain any of the information from the classified test results. FN was allowed to know how their own T48 was doing, but no information was provided as to how the T44 was faring. In spite of this, FN’s Managing Director, Mr. René Laloux, somehow knew a great deal about how the testing was going, stating at the end of this sequence of testing, “….between the two rifles, T44 and T48 FN, the final conclusions were in favour of the F.N. rifle.”

Before Rayle left Ft. Benning, the Colonel in charge pulled him aside to receive one more embarrassing admonishment. This time it was for the shabby performance by Springfield Armory on the T161 machine gun prototypes. Like the T44’s, these were failing miserably, too. There were failures to feed, broken firing pins, and ruptured cartridges that spewed debris all over the test cell. The weapon was not only performing poorly, but engineering support was lacking. What about that tripod Springfield sent for the machine gun tests, the Colonel demanded? His test crew was expecting a new design but received a cobbled up tripod instead. What was the Armory doing with all of its time and money? Rayle had no answers and none of it was his fault, of course, but now he was in charge of R&D and he now owned all the blame. Rayle was not even three weeks on the job and his two major programs were already in big trouble. It was an embarrassment; for him, and for the Springfield Armory.

LTC Rayle returned to Springfield on 20 July, anxious to get his team working on solutions to the T44’s problems. He began with a briefing on the history of the weapon. It was not a happy tale. The original design intent was to develop a .30 caliber rifle weighing no more than 7 pounds that offered semi and full automatic fire. Design goals included: reduce coil, accommodation of a new short round, and firing from a detachable box magazine. The purpose of the new rifle was to replace the M1 Rifle, the BAR, the M2 Carbine, and the M3A1 .45 caliber submachine gun. Four weapons and three different calibers replaced by a single weapon. This would greatly improve logistic support in the field. Since the end of World War II, numerous rifle designs had been developed and trialed until only the T44 remained.

“Who is the engineer in charge of the T44?” Rayle demanded. There was no single answer. The project started and stopped so often and priorities shifted so much that there really wasn’t one individual who followed the program from the beginning to now. John Garand had been responsible for some of the early designs, and Earl Harvey for some of the others. Garand had retired only a couple of weeks before Rayle came to Springfield, and was no longer available to the team.

The rifle’s status was a confusing mess that was compounded by the military’s “big picture.” How was the war with Japan brought to an end? It was with the atomic bomb, of course. There was a new thinking and general consensus by the military’s top brass. Wars would now be fought and won with nuclear weapons. Small arms would only be needed for a short cleanup with rifle wielding soldiers. What rifle did they need? For a totally demoralized enemy, almost any firearm would do.

As Rayle planned the direction forward, more bad news arrived. Classified Ft. Benning test results had been leaked to Newsweek magazine. The 20 July 1953 issue featured an article claiming that the Belgian T48 was far ahead of the American T44, and predicted it would soon be announced that FN was the winner. Those at the Armory doubted the veracity of the report. Long afterwards, they learned that the Newsweek article was totally accurate. Ft. Monroe had secretly decided the FN T48 was the winner. They also decided to allow the T44 to continue with the next scheduled round of testing in Arctic conditions, only to serve as a yardstick to gage how much better the T48 would perform in cold weather conditions.

At the end of August, Rayle gathered his group together and offered them three options: The first one was to build up some repair parts to refurbish the guns after testing and submit the guns for trial in the same configuration. The second was to address the gun’s major problems so the rifle would not be a total embarrassment to Springfield Armory. The third option was to use the remaining three months to fix everything that was broken. This included testing in both ambient and Arctic conditions with the objective to beat out the FN candidate.

Much was at stake. First and foremost was the avoidance of a huge loss of face for the United States, should a foreign weapon win the competition. Chief of Ordnance, General Ford, was already taking hits from the recent episodes of poor performance of Springfield designs. The decision of Rayle’s team was unanimous. They would pull out all the stops in order to win the Arctic competition. From what he knew of the two designs, Rayle recognized this would not be an easy task. The T44 had to overcome major design problems while the major issues with the FN gun were mostly metallurgical problems. From his engineering background he knew these could easily be solved by material or process changes.

Rayle was no stranger to solving difficult technical problems on a tight schedule. He once undertook a wartime assignment where his job was to discover the cause of mid air bomb collisions. The subsequent detonations, which occurred soon after release, were responsible for downing the very aircraft that dropped them. Rayle worked around the clock, conducting analysis, as well as filming and retrieving dropped bombs. He expeditiously determined the cause and verified the solution. Many bomb crews owe their lives to his timely solution.

To solve T44’s problems he decided on a direct approach, so he listed all of the technical problems in accordance with their severity. Once identified, they would be addressed one by one. Right away it became evident that he would need personnel and manufacturing capacity. Even though he had 300 people working for him, redirecting some of them to the T44 improvement would be detrimental to the schedule for the project they were working on. It wasn’t just warm bodies he needed either. He required top notch design talent – someone with expertise at the level of John Garand. Garand had earlier been approached, but refused after he learned that returning to work at the Armory would require him to give up his retirement pay. Getting Garand back this way was out of the question.

Rayle found a solution that solved both problems at once. A nearby machine shop, Mathewson Tool Company, was well known to the firearms industry for its excellent manufacturing capability. Their reputation was due, to a large extent, to the manufacturing prowess of its owner, Dave Mathewson. Rayle’s solution was simple. Mathewson would get a contract to produce any new T44 components that were needed and John Garand would work for him as a consultant. Garand could still collect his Army retirement along with a paycheck from Mathewson.

The T44’s number one problem was feeding cartridges from the magazine. They all knew that proper feeding is the primary key to the development of a reliable semi or full automatic weapon. Examining the test records, the Springfield team realized that rounds fed poorly from new magazines and much better from ones that were worn in. Their magazine improvement program included some spring and configuration design changes, but the major improvement was the application of what was then a relatively new development; a dry film lubricant called molybdenum disulphide. The new coating provided lubrication while the magazine was new and wore off at the same rate as the magazine wore in. Problem solved!

The buttstock was reinforced to improve it for grenade launching. For the Arctic testing, an enlarged trigger guard was developed to accept a gloved trigger finger. New designs were verified by testing in ambient, dusty, and cold conditions, until acceptable function was achieved. More than once, they found that parts that worked in ambient conditions were totally unreliable at low temperature. Rayle was impressed by the technical expertise of his team. Engineering technicians carefully conducted each test, taking careful notes and changing one thing at a time, so they knew if each individual fix was effective or not. By mid December the much-improved T44’s were sent to Alaska, meeting up with the T48’s that had been sent from the FN plant in Liege, Belgium. This time, Rayle decided, the Springfield team would send technical representatives to support the testing, replacing them every two weeks so that a new pair of eyes were available for a fresh look to address every problem that occurred. Rayle had recalled previous mistakes, and was determined not to repeat them.

As testing got underway, the T44’s were not problem free, but worked much better in the cold conditions than the T48’s, which suffered from a loss of power. These problems were reported to FN who once again dispatched their design expert, Ernst Vervier to witness the problem and hopefully provide a solution. Unfortunately, Mr. Vervier could only come up with one on-site solution to cure the sluggish operation. His only option was to enlarge the gas port to give the weapon more power. Determining the proper gas port diameter on any weapon is a very tricky undertaking, usually requiring extensive testing. Mr. Vervier was well aware of the risk associated with changing it, and knew it was a sword that cut both ways. It solved the immediate power problem but the higher bolt velocity worked all of the components harder causing an increased number of broken parts. Vervier tried to explain them away as normal parts life issues, but the malfunctions stood, counting against the T48 on the competition scorecard.

In spite of the redesigns, there were still plenty of problems with the T44. Those miserable filler blocks that shortened the T20 receiver were continually working loose and grenade launching was still problematic. At the end of February, it was clear that the T44 had come out ahead and was announced the winner of the cold weather testing. Cautious military commanders at the Pentagon recoiled a bit from this latest development. Had they been too hasty in discounting their own American entry? To the joy of Rayle’s team, Ft. Monroe announced that the next round of testing would again include the T44. Possibly this time it might be considered as a serious contender.

Rayle’s visit to command headquarters at Ft. Monroe was a disappointment. Rather than showing any enthusiasm for the success of the American weapon, most of the discussion centered on the Americanization of the T48. It was if the recent T44 success had never happened. The entire U.S. defense industry was based on English inch-system dimensions. With no easy way to introduce a metric-designed weapon into U.S. production, it would be necessary to convert the entire T48 drawing package to the inch-system. At the same time, it was also important to convert the European format drawing into one more recognizable in the U.S. The good news was that the Canadians were interested in helping with these tasks, since they had already decided to adopt the FN design as their service rifle.

To his dismay, he learned that Springfield Armory was to assist in the metric conversion. Now his R&D department faced a huge challenge. It would be necessary for them to do a near perfect job with the conversion. Should even one component be manufactured incorrectly as a result of the conversion, the failure would likely be viewed as an effort to sabotage the competitor. And how would anyone know? Easy. Competing right alongside the U.S. made T48 would be the same metric guns made at the FN factory in Belgium to assure the American conversion was flawless.

Rayle could not let anything jeopardize the non-metric T48 design and subsequent testing. The Armory was already in trouble with Congress and some branches of the military, accused of being wasteful, inefficient, and some even said incompetent. Springfield Armory had no friends in the U.S. firearms industry either. Concerned firearms manufacturers had insisted on a meeting with him, displeased that Springfield Armory was taking work they believed could be more efficiently performed by private industry. A mediocre conversion job could sound the Armory’s death knell.

Rayle went back to Springfield prepared for the direction forward. He would farm out the metric conversion to U.S. industry. The industry would be totally unbiased and if anything, supportive. This would be an opportunity for them to tool up for U.S. production of what might become the next U.S. service rifle. Harrington and Richardson won the contract for the conversion and the production of 500 inch-system T48 rifles.

Undaunted by these new developments, the luxury of additional time and the recent miracle they pulled off with the Arctic testing gave Rayle the time he needed to beat the T48 in the next round of testing. In June of 1954, Dave Mathewson delivered the first T44E4, a rifle with a proper length receiver that had been designed with the aid of John Garand. The T44E4 looked good and was a full pound lighter than the T48.

Excited about the work done by Mathewson and Garand, Rayle took the rifle home that same night to examine it more closely. Sitting in the kitchen with the rifle in his lap, Rayle thought back on the ease at which the FN rifle could be field stripped. “The T44E4 was easy to strip too,” he thought. Or was it? He disassembled the T44E4 a couple more times to convince himself. Then a better idea came to him. Relying on her unfamiliarity with firearms, he asked his wife to leave the dishes for a moment in order to try her hand at it. She succeeded for the most part, but floundered, when trying to remove the bolt.

The next day Rayle called Dave Mathewson and recounted the previous night’s field stripping exercise. Dave agreed to look into it, and sure enough the next models delivered had extra cuts to facilitate disassembly. After thirteen each of the T48’s and T44E4’s were delivered, the guns were sent in opposite directions. Arctic testing would continue in Alaska while Ft. Benning would be supplied five of each type for user testing. By the spring of 1955, it was concluded that the weapons had an equal number of deficiencies, but the Board had a clear preference for the T44. At the conclusion of testing in November 1955 the malfunction rates were: T44–1.4%, inch-system T48–2.4%, and FN made T48-2.4 %.

Design refinements of both weapons and testing continued through most of 1956 with the final report indicating that either rifle was suitable for Army use. The lighter weight, ease of manufacture, non-adjustable gas system, fewer components, and slight edge on reliability gave the Board reasons to make their choice the T44E4. Official notification was not made until June 1957, but by then Rayle had been reassigned as the Ordnance Adviser to the First Field Army of the Republic of China, in Taiwan.

The teams led by LTC Roy E. Rayle had overcome great odds, beating out one of the finest service rifles ever developed. Without his engineering and leadership skills, the history of U.S. small arms would look quite different than it does today.

It was spring of 1942 and the war was going badly for Allied forces. In March, American, British and Dutch troops surrendered Java to the Japanese. Just one month later the Japanese would capture Bataan in the Philippines and send 75,000 men on a 65 mile death march with only 54,000 to survive. There was no good news coming from the German front. The Germans captured the Greek island of Crete in an impressive vertical envelopment completing their occupation of most of Europe. In each newly conquered country, the Germans started rounding up Jews and began sending them to concentration camps.

Americans were enlisting in record numbers. War refugees from Europe, Africa, and Asia were anxious to join in the fight, and were looking to the Americans to supply them with rifles and equipment. The Government facility at Springfield Armory and privately owned Winchester were producing rifles in record numbers, yet they could not produce them fast enough.

The big bottleneck in rifle production was manufacturing the barrel and of this process cutting the four groove rifling was the largest time consuming element. Running at full speed, the rifling operation alone required between 10 and 15 minutes per barrel. On existing equipment, there wasn’t any way to speed things up.

In those years, there was only one way to manufacture an accurate rifle barrel: a hole was drilled in the barrel blank and then reamed to the exact dimension of the bore. Afterwards each groove was individually and painstakingly cut on a very special rifling machine. In a high volume production environment, rifling only 6 barrels an hour equated to an eternity.

It’s not that the best, state of the art equipment wasn’t available. Most of the rifling equipment in use at that time were top notch machines, manufactured by Pratt & Whitney – today a name that is synonymous with high-quality jet engines. There weren’t enough machines and there wasn’t enough time, which always led to the same conclusion: not enough gun barrels to keep up with the production of other rifle components.

As always, the firearms industry worked hand-in-hand with the U.S. Government, making available their finest engineers to support any effort to improve weapons or produce them faster. In the spring of 1942, one idea that surfaced was to eliminate cutting two of the grooves in the barrel. If this could produce an acceptable barrel, the time to cut the rifling would be reduced to almost half. The Industrial Engineers at Remington’s Ilion, New York facility and the Ordnance Department from Remington’s research division at Bridgeport, Connecticut stood ready to answer the Government’s question: would a two groove rifle barrel be as good as the current four-groove barrel?

Cutting two groove barrels wasn’t necessarily a new concept. Since the mid-1800s, the British had been using two groove rifle barrels on their percussion rifles. But this was the mid-1900s and there was a more strict demand for accuracy from the military, not to mention smokeless powder and spitzer bullet forms. Before any rifles could be shipped, a U.S. Government inspector would be on hand to check each production lot, inspecting parts and checking records to assure that each one met specification. The performance standard required every rifle be tested for accuracy and that at 100 yards five shots must fall within a three-inch circle. Failure to meet this “extreme spread” requirement was cause for rejection.

The state of the art rifling machine of that era was the Pratt & Whiney 1/2 B, available in two different models, one capable of producing 30-inch long barrels and the other for barrels up to 50 inches. Two other models of the larger 1 B could produce barrels up to 74 and 98 inches. These Pratt & Whitney 1/2 B and 1 B rifling machines were high precision , well designed machines, each having two spindles that could operate independently of each other. This meant that two different gun barrels could be made on the same machine at the same time.

The rifling operation on the P&W is simple, and is essentially the same process that has been used for centuries. The barrel is held stationary while a rifling rod is pulled through the bore, turning as it travels to give the required twist. Protruding from the rifling rod is a cutting tool set to a fixed depth in order to cut one groove on each feed stroke. At the end of the feed stroke, the pressure of the cutter plunger spring on the cutter plunger forces the cutting tool back into the rifling tool head so it no longer protrudes. This allows the rifling rod to make the return stroke without marring the bore or cutting additional material. After one groove is cut and the rifling rod has returned, the barrel is indexed 90° for cutting the next groove. This process is repeated until all four grooves are cut to the same depth.

Next in the process is the deepening of the cut. In this stage, the tool support wedge forces the cutting tool to increase its depth of cut. The feed screw, having been previously adjusted to control the depth of cut, advances automatically to the next cutting depth increment. Now the P&W is ready to make another series of cuts. The process repeats making the grooves progressively deeper until all four grooves have been cut to the required depth.

Rifling Tool Head for P&W 1/2 B Rifling Machine

The maximum cutting stroke speed for the 1/2 B is 50 feet per minute and the return stroke maximum is 65 feet per minute. To keep the cutting tool and barrel cool, oil is pumped through the rifling rod and into the rifling head. Keeping the cutter free of chips from the material removed is important. The P&W 1/2 B takes this into account before making a new cutting stroke. A small motorized brush attachment cleans the cutting tool, removing the chips of cut away barrel material. The M1903 barrel drawing specifies a groove depth of .004 inches, or just about the thickness of a normal sheet of notebook paper. With all this speed and sophistication, cutting four grooves, each one only .004 inches in depth doesn’t seem like it would take any time at all, but that wasn’t the case.

In order to run the P&W efficiently, the deepest single cut that can be made on a barrel of .30 caliber is only .0001 inches. Why? Simply because making a deeper cut creates a larger chip that can potentially clog the cutting surface resulting in a rough surface finish or a broken cutter. This limitation means that cutting a single groove to the specified depth of .004 inches requires 40 complete strokes. Just to make a single 4-groove barrel took 160 cutting strokes and 160 return strokes. In the spring of 1942, there was a lot of incentive in reducing the number of grooves to two.

Springfield Rifle Bore
Dimensions Ref:
RDR-42-12 Remington Arms
Company Report 1942

Remington engineers worried about the potential negative effects on this proposed change. There would no longer be four small lands in the barrel, all four totaling to about 0.2 inches in width that would dig into the projectile jacket to impart spin to the bullet. Now there were two huge ones, each one almost 0.3 inches wide. Would these two wide lands create so much additional bore friction that the projectile would be significantly slowed? Nobody knew for sure. Lower velocity and increased pressure were a concern.

Firearm experts knows that after primer ignition, any delay in getting that projectile moving causes the chamber pressure to rise quickly – sometimes to dangerous levels. Would the wider lands make a serious increase in chamber pressure? How much additional pressure could be expected? Would the 1350 barrel material be able to withstand the amount of increased pressure?

Accuracy and barrel life were also a consideration. Would the rifle be as accurate with two grooves as it was with four? It would be counter productive to find out the two groove barrel would meet all the performance requirements up front and later learn that barrel life was so greatly reduced that the new barrel would need to be replaced sooner. Again, extensive testing would be required to find the answers to all these questions. Through their years of experience, the Remington engineers knew there was something else to be considered. They knew that if it runs on gunpowder, they could expect the unexpected.

On March 1, 1942, the Remington Arms Company of Ilion, NY was awarded a contract to investigate the two groove barrel. The study was to be a joint effort of the Ilion Industrial Engineers of the Ilion Development section, Remington’s Research Division in Bridgeport, CT and the Army’s Ordnance Department. In their test plan, the Remington engineers proposed there – barreling of twenty seven Spring field ’03 rifles with the two groove barrel to be used in the test.

Manufacturing a two groove barrel at the Remington facility was accomplished by indexing the barrel by hand, bypassing the automatic indexer so that two grooves and not four would be cut. If the testing turned out to be successful, it became immediately apparent there would need to be a modification of the indexing mechanism for volume production should the two groove barrel be adopted.

The accuracy test was performed at 100, 200, and 600 yards. The 100 yard test was conducted indoors. Each rifle was hand held using a muzzle and elbow rest. Remington’s Mr. R.A.A. Hentschel described the test res ults : “Twenty-seven guns have been built with two groove rifling. All have passed the Government inspection standard for accuracy at 100 yards. This standard calls for five shots to be within, or cut the edge of a three inch circle. No difference in accuracy was noted between these guns and regular production.”

Following those encouraging results, Remington proceeded with the 200 and 600 yard testing. Two of the two groove test rifles were fired along with s/n 1283325, a standard 4-groove barrel used as a control sample for comparison. Again, the rifles were hand held, shooting from the prone position with a rest at the elbow and muzzle. As a baseline, four groups were fired with each rifle at 100 yards with the average group size indicated in the included table.

The two groove barrel was performing very well next to the four groove standard. Maybe the endurance test would give some indication why up to this point the service rifle barrels were designed to have four grooves in stead of two. The weapon selected for the endurance testing was Springfield , s/n 3030571. The endurance schedule required the firing of 16,000 rounds with three 5 round groups fired for accuracy after each 1,000 rounds.

The extreme spread was averaged at each 1,000 round interval. Other than an occasional foray slightly outside the 3 inch circle, the results were considered exceptional.

The results so far looked great with only a few tests remaining. Accuracy requirements were equal to or better than the four groove barrel on new guns and the endurance gun. Barrel life indications were also good. The bore of the rifle with 16,000 rounds was measured using sulfur casts. Although this barrel was badly fouled and significant heat checking evident at the breech, there was no measurable wear.

Two tests were left that still might keep the two groove barrels out of military service: pressure and velocity. Pressure testing was performed using the copper crusher method. It was the latest technology in those days but not highly accurate, giving not much more than a good approximation of the actual pressure developed.

Test results showed the expected: The pressure to force the projectile through those huge lands did increase the pressure with the two groove barrel, but fortunately not to a huge extent. The biggest concern was with the armor piercing ammunition that showed chamber pressure was unquestionably higher with this ammunition. Quick calculations showed the current barrel material could withstand the increase provided there was not extended firing with the AP ammunition.

Those two huge lands caused a small drop in muzzle velocity, but again the difference was not of great importance. With all testing complete, Remington concluded: “On the basis of tests made to date, the two groove rifling equals the standard four groove rifling in performance. Tests show an increase in pressure from 3,000 to 4,000 pounds when using armor piercing ammunition in the two groove barrel. Since armor piercing ammunition is seldom used in the Springfield rifle, this latter result is not particularly significant.”

On 22 October, 1942 the Ordnance committee met to review the results of the Aberdeen Proving Grounds testing. No one could argue with the performance of the two groove barrel. The recommendation for the two groove barrel was sent to the Ordnance Department for final approval.

When the approval was received, the following rifles were designated to receive the new barrel.

• U.S. Rifle Caliber .30 M1
• U.S. Rifle, Caliber .30 M1903A1
• U.S. Rifle, Caliber .30 M1903A3
• U.S. Rifle, Caliber .30 M1917

The Remington engineers described their testing and disclosed their findings in a concise report, No. RDR42-12. Upon completion, the report was classified “Confidential” to keep these results from reaching the enemy. Twenty years after the report was written, the security officer in charge downgraded each copy to “Unclassified” by scratching out the “Confidential” stamp and initialing below it.

Just over 300 Pratt & Whitney barrel machines 1 B’s and 1/2 B’s were produced, preferred for volume production over the older Pratt & Whitney sine bar model. Many of the 1B and 1/2 B models are still in use today. Most remained in the U.S. while some were sent to Australia and other countries – including Border Barrels Ltd. in Scotland.

Rifle barrels produced today use a variety of techniques to form the grooves, most being much faster than the single point cut method used by the Pratt & Whitney. But unquestionably the most accurate way to make a barrel is with a single point cut. The P&W 1/2 B is the preferred machine tool for this operation from the time it was introduced up till now. It is for this reason that the Pratt & Whitney 1/2 B and other models are currently used in the production of today’s competition and military sniper rifles.

The M1 and Springfield rifles with two groove rifling are scattered around the country and the world. Their accuracy, reliability, and durability is enjoyed by shooters everywhere. However, few people recognize the major impact on the war effort that resulted from this minor configuration change to the rifling – a change that made the two groove barrel one of the unsung heroes of World War II.

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).

There have been many accolades bestowed upon the World War II performance of the semiautomatic Caliber .30, U.S. M1 rifle, better known as the Garand. The U.S. had prudently adopted the M1 rifle back in 1936. During the ensuing years the weapon was continually being developed and improved, resulting in an exceptionally reliable weapon by December 1941 when the U.S. was suddenly plunged into war. The United States’ M1 rifle was by far the most successful semiautomatic service rifle fielded in World War II. Russia and Germany also fielded limited numbers of semi-auto rifles, but none of them could compare to John C. Garand’s M1.

Despite its stellar reputation, the M1 rifle did have a few shortcomings, such as its enbloc 8-round clip that made a distinct sound when ejected, and the rifle’s propensity to jam during a heavy rainfall. Work had begun during World War II to fix the weapon’s various problems as well as provide the rifle with a select-fire capability. During 1945 a select-fire, magazine fed Garand designated as the T20E2 rifle was briefly adopted as a limited procurement item. However, the end of the war curtailed all interest in the weapon resulting in the cancellation of a contract for 100,000 of the modified Garand Rifles.

There were only two concerns that manufactured the M1 rifle during World War II; the U.S. Government Springfield Armory and the Winchester Repeating Arms Company. By the end of World War II the total production of M1 rifles was 4,040,802 weapons, a wartime production figure second only to the M1 carbine. All during the war there numerous upgrades and modifications being implemented into the rifle. When hostilities ended in 1945, M1 production was suddenly terminated, and the Springfield Armory began to receive shipments of well-used M1 rifles to upgrade, rebuild and place into long-term storage.

On 25 June 1950, the North Korean Army stormed across the 38th Parallel on the Korean peninsula into South Korea marking the start of the Korean War. The U.S. took quick action under the United Nations flag to assist their South Korean allies and basically fought the war with same small arms issued in World War II. The same U.S. weapons were also supplied to the South Korean army. As the war dragged on a need for additional service rifles became apparent. Despite the continued work on a select-fire, magazine fed service rifle, none were manufactured for issue. Instead, the government decided to resume production of the stalwart M1 Garand rifle. The Springfield Armory, who had produced a large number of M1 rifles during World War II, began to remove its vast array of M1 tooling and machinery from storage. During 1951, preparations for resuming manufacture began, however the monthly rifle and spare parts production rate was nowhere near that achieved during the Second World War.

International Harvester Company was awarded a government contract for the manufacture of M1 rifles at their Evansville, Indiana plant on June 15, 1951. The company’s primary business was the manufacture of commercial trucks and farm machinery. Although the company was seemingly an odd choice to manufacture a service rifle, experiences during World War II had proven that American companies, especially those who had mass production assembly line experience, could easily adapt and produce excellent small arms, and in large quantities. The location of the International Harvester plant was also considered to be geographically advantageous, due to the growing post World War II fear of a nuclear attack on North America. Small arms manufacturers like the Armory, Colt, H&R and High Standard were all located in the New England area and could theoretically be wiped out in a single strike.

The Line Material Company of Birmingham, Alabama was granted its first government contract for the manufacture of M1 rifle barrels on April 30, 1951. The barrels were marked LMR for contractor identification and were used on International Harvester rifles and were, on occasion, supplied to the Harrington & Richardson factory.

The Harrington & Richardson Arms Company of Worcester, Massachusetts received a government contract for 100,000 complete M1 rifles and spare parts on April 3, 1952. There were several contract amendments issued for additional M1 rifles from H&R. Harrington & Richardson was a well established manufacturer of sporting arms, and had produced the Reising submachine gun during World War II, and on into the 1950s for police sales. They would also become a primary contractor for the U.S. 7.62mm M14 rifles.

The adoption of the M14 rifle and 7.62mm NATO cartridge on May 1, 1957 would signal the end of the M1 Garand’s long reign as the standard U.S. service rifle. M1 Rifle production continued until May 17, 1957 when the last service grade M1 emerged from the Springfield Armory plant.

Original World War II configuration M1 rifles are quite uncommon, due to the Ordnance Corps rebuild and upgrade programs. The exclusive use of corrosive caliber .30 ammunition during World War II also resulted in the replacement of many of the rifle’s original 1940s dated barrels. An original configuration 1940s era M1 is able to bring quite a premium price in today’s M1 collectors market. This situation has resulted in a growing collector interest in the M1 rifles manufactured during the Korean War. Many original Korean era M1 rifles can be found in good to excellent condition, because most were actually manufactured after the Korean War had ended. Despite a production run during the 1950 to 1953 war era, most of the M1 rifles used during the war were refurbished weapons of World War II vintage.

Springfield Armory rifles manufactured during the 1950s era will have serial numbers beginning in approximately the 4,200,000 range. Like the World War II era Springfield rifles, the receivers were marked with the Springfield Armory name. The barrels and parts were marked SA and the barrels were also marked with a 1950’s date of manufacture. The stock cartouches on early manufacture rifles would be SA/JLG to designate the Army Inspector of Ordnance Colonel James L. Guion. After 1953, rifles of Springfield manufacture would have been fitted with a stock stamped with the Defense Eagle stamp enclosed inside 1/2-inch square box also known as the DOD stamp. Total production at the Springfield Armory from 1952 through 1956 was 661,747 rifles.

International Harvester M1 rifles had at least four separate varieties of receiver marking configurations, due to the subcontracting of some of the company’s receiver manufacture. Barrels found on International Harvester M1s are usually those of the Line Material Company marked with the letters LMR. Parts manufactured by or for International Harvester were stamped IHC. All stock cartouches were the Defense Eagle stamp enclosed inside 3/8-inch square box. International Harvester produced 337,623 rifles from 1953 until 1956.

Harrington and Richardson M1 rifle receivers were marked H&R Arms Co. Barrels and other parts were marked with the letters HRA, although there is evidence that during production some H&R M1 rifles were fitted with barrels supplied by the Lines Material Company (LMR). All H&R stocks were stamped with the Defense Eagle cartouche enclosed inside 1/2-inch square box. The company manufactured 428,600 M1 rifles from 1953 to 1956.

There are certainly enough variations of post-World War II M1 Garand receivers, parts and barrels to interest the purist collector, as well as today’s average shooter/collector.

M1 Garand rifles were at one time difficult for collectors to obtain resulting in the salvaging of many demilled receivers by welding remnant pieces back together. During the 1980 period many M1 rifles and other U.S. small arms were allowed to be re-imported back to the U.S. as many of these rifles had been given to friendly countries as military aid. Many of the re-imported rifles came back from Korea, their condition being anywhere from good to poor. One government import requirement that turned many collectors off was that the barrels had to be marked with the importer’s name and address. Sometimes this was tastefully done with small letters; others used much larger fonts that greatly distracted from the gun’s appearance. Another source for M1 Garand rifles has been the Civilian Marksmanship Program; more commonly known as the CMP. The CMP offers M1 rifles in various grades direct from U.S. Government stores. Both of the rifles available from these sources are commonly referred to as “mix-masters,” meaning that the rifles were assembled from parts from different manufacturers and eras. This is a common virtue among U.S. weapons that have been repaired or have undergone Ordnance rebuild programs. The CMP does however occasionally offer “collector grade” M1 rifles, although these generally sell out very quickly. Another source for collector grade M1 rifles is from M1 expert and author Scott Duff. Scott has written many articles and books on the M1 rifle and is highly regarded among the M1 collector community. He posts his rifle offerings monthly at http://www.scott-duff.com and they usually sell out very quickly.