Garand

The Garand (M1) was the first semi-automatic rifle to be put in active military service. It weighed 9 pounds 8 ounces unloaded, and was 43.5 inches long.

It was developed by weapons designer, John Garand in the 1930s and the 0.30 inch caliber weapon became the standard long arm of the US Army, entering service in 1936. It served through World War II and the Korean War where it proved to be an excellent weapon to the point where the Axis Powers used as many as they could capture. Some were still being used in the Vietnam War in 1963, although it was officially superseded by the M14 rifle in 1957.

It did have its defects. The magazine only held 8 cartridges, which were loaded by pushing a clip containing them into the rifle. It was not possible to load single rounds, so a partially discharged magazine could not be easily refilled. Another drawback was that when the rifle fired the last round, it automatically ejected the clip, producing a loud high pitched "Tang" sound which could alert the enemy that the shooter had to reload his weapon.

See also weapon.