Development of M1 Garand - World War II Rifles

Development of M1 Garand - World War II Rifles The M1 Garand was the first semi-automatic rifle to be issued to an entire army. Developed in the 1920s and 1930s, the M1 was designed by John Garand. Firing a .30-06 round, the M1 Garand was the main infantry weapon employed by US forces during World War II and the Korean War. Development The US Army first began its interest in semi-automatic rifles in 1901. This was furthered in 1911, when testing was held using the Bang and Murphy-Manning. Experiments continued during World War I and trials were held in 1916-1918. Development of a semi-automatic rifle began in earnest in 1919, when the US Army concluded that the cartridge for its current service rifle, the Springfield M1903, was far more powerful than needed for typical combat ranges. That same year, the gifted designer John C. Garand was hired at the Springfield Armory. Serving as the chief civilian engineer, Garand began work on a new rifle. His first design, the M1922, was ready for testing in 1924. This possessed a caliber of .30-06 and featured a primer-operated breech. After inconclusive testing against other semi-automatic rifles, Garand improved the design, producing the M1924. Further trials in 1927 produced an indifferent outcome, though Garand did design a .276 caliber, gas-operated model based on the results. In the spring of 1928, the Infantry and Cavalry boards ran trials which resulted in the .30-06 M1924 Garand being dropped in favor of the .276 model. One of two finalists, Garands rifle competed with the T1 Pedersen in the spring of 1931. In addition, a single .30-06 Garand was tested but was withdrawn when its bolt cracked. Easily defeating the Pedersen, the .276 Garand was recommended for production on January 4, 1932. Shortly thereafter, Garand successfully retested the .30-06 model. Upon hearing the results, the Secretary of War and Army Chief of Staff General Douglas MacArthur, who did not favor reducing calibers, ordered work to stop on the .276 and that all resources be directed to improving the .30-06 model. On August 3, 1933, Garands rifle was re-designated Semi-Automatic Rifle, Caliber 30, M1. In May of the following year, 75 of the new rifles were issued for testing. Though numerous problems were reported with the  new weapon, Garand was able to correct them and the rifle was able to be standardized on January 9, 1936, with the first production model cleared on July 21, 1937. Specifications Cartridge: .30-06 Springfield (7.62 x 63mm), 7.62 x 51mm NATOCapacity: 8-round en bloc clip inserted into an internal magazineMuzzle Velocity: 2750-2800 ft./sec.Effective Range: 500 yds.Rate of Fire: 16-24 rounds/minuteWeight: 9.5 lbs.Length: 43.6 in.Barrel Length: 24 in.Sights: Aperture rear sight, barleycorn-type front sightAction: Gas-operated w/ rotating boltNumber Built: approx. 5.4 millionAccessories: M1905 or M1942 bayonet, grenade launcher Magazine Action While Garand was designing the M1, Army Ordnance demanded that the new rifle possess a fixed, non-protruding magazine. It was their fear that a detachable magazine would be quickly lost by US soldiers in the field and would make the weapon more susceptible to jamming due to dirt and debris. With this requirement in mind, John Pedersen created an en bloc clip system that permitted the ammunition to be loaded into the rifles fixed magazine. Originally the magazine was meant to hold ten .276 rounds, however, when the change was made to .30-06, the capacity was reduced to eight. The M1 utilized a gas-operated action that used expanding gases from a fired cartridge to chamber the next round. When the rifle was fired, the gases acted upon a piston which, in turn, pushed the operating rod. The rod engaged a rotating bolt which turned and moved the next round into place. When the magazine was emptied, the clip would be expelled with a distinctive ping sound and the bolt locked open, ready to receive the next clip. Contrary to popular belief, the M1 could be reloaded before a clip was fully expended. It was also possible to load single cartridges into a partially loaded clip. Operational History When first introduced, the M1 was plagued by production problems which delayed initial deliveries until September 1937. Though Springfield was able to build 100 per day two years later, production was slow due to changes in the rifles barrel and gas cylinder. By January 1941, many of the problems were resolved and production increased to 600 per day. This increase led to the US Army being fully equipped with the M1 by the end of the year. The weapon was also adopted by the US Marine Corps, but with some initial reservations. It was not until midway through World War II that USMC was completely changed over. In the field, the M1 gave American infantry a tremendous firepower advantage over Axis troops who still carried bolt-action rifles such as the Karabiner 98k. With its semi-automatic operation, the M1 allowed US forces to maintain substantially higher rates of fire. In addition, the M1s heavy .30-06 cartridge offered superior penetrating power. The rifle proved so effective that leaders, such as General George S. Patton, praised it as the greatest implement of battle ever devised. Following the war, M1s in the US arsenal were refurbished and later saw action in the Korean War. Replacement The M1 Garand remained the principal service rifle of the US Army until the introduction of the M-14 in 1957. Despite this, it was not until 1965, that the changeover from the M1 was completed. Outside of the US Army, the M1 remained in service with reserve forces into the 1970s. Overseas, surplus M1s were given to nations such as Germany, Italy, and Japan to aid in rebuilding their militaries after World War II. Though retired from combat use, the M1 is still popular with drill teams and civilian collectors.

Rebuild your hiring process into a successful one with 5 easy steps

Rebuild your hiring process into a successful one with 5 easy steps If you work in HR, you know how important it is to place real value on the hiring process- but does the company you work for feel the same way?Although it can be argued that nothing is more important to the short- and long-term viability of an organization than ensuring that the teams who work towards its success contain the best and the brightest candidates available, the truth is that some companies don’t take the hiring process as seriously as they should, and have a poor hiring process that reflects this thinking.Having a strong and well-defined hiring culture can really take your business to the next level and help propel it past the competition in your industry. It stokes the flames of motivation and innovation- key determinants of success that truly separate those businesses just looking to hang on from those looking to leap ahead of the pack. Conversely, if your company fails to commit to taking its hiring practices seriously, it can make it difficult to attract top-ti er individuals in today’s candidate-driven job market, where seemingly infinite opportunity is outpacing available talent, and those with the background and skill sets to disrupt the status quo and drive real change have plenty of options to choose from when looking for their next job or project.An article by the International Franchise Association (IFA) highlights the importance of having a well-defined hiring process for your company: â€Å"Every new employee will either contribute positively to customer satisfaction, growth and profitability, or contrastingly have a negative impact on the business. By adopting a structured and comprehensive hiring process, you’re taking the first step in positioning your business for success by attracting the right talent. The type of talent that will help build the company culture, drive sales and ultimately position the company as a leader in the industry.†So, it seems abundantly clear that having a well-defined hiring proc ess is a crucial element of any company- but how can you tell where your company ranks? As an HR professional, there are some key indicators you can use to determine if your company is taking its hiring culture and practices seriously (or not).hbspt.cta.load(2785852, '9e52c197-5b5b-45e6-af34-d56403f973c5', {});How were you hired?A key performance indicator you can use is the process you encountered when you were a candidate for your current position. Even if it was years ago, this information can help you establish a baseline regarding how your company is faring when it comes to hiring. Was the experience streamlined, polished, and completely effective at answering your questions, addressing your needs and concerns, keeping you updated during the process, and capturing your interest in joining the team? Were there clear areas for improvement? Do those areas still need improvement?How does your company treat HR overall?Does your company place a real value and importance on cultivatin g a top-tier HR department that’s made up of seasoned and well-trained staff who fully understand the company’s mission and culture? Are they prepared to support and bolster the company’s goals with each new position they’re tasked with filling? Take stock of your department and its position in the organization, which will help you determine if your company has a strong hiring culture, or if there’s room for improvement.Do you have a set process in place?Is your company’s hiring process structured for success? According to the IFA, the following steps are essential for a comprehensive hiring process for each open position:Define, create, and identify the role to be filled.Source, market, and promote your open position and receive applicants.Select, evaluate candidates for the position and company culture.Verify, follow up with ideal candidates to confirm the skills and information they’ve represented.Of course these are basic steps an d a lot of nuance goes into each hire, but if your company is falling down when it comes to any of these broad strokes, it may be an indication that your hiring culture can use some work.If you’ve read this far and are starting to feel as if your company’s hiring process and culture can use some real work, don’t despair. There is plenty you can do as an HR professional to help make lasting and positive changes in your organization.Improve recruitment efficiency.Make sure your company is taking full advantage of available professional tools to support the hiring process. This includes checklists for organizational efficiency when screening candidates, preparing for interviews, and aggregating candidate data; taking advantage of well-designed and well-maintained email templates for a wide ranges of tasks, from basic correspondence to scheduling interviews and sending feedback, and more; and using helpful recruiting software for tracking candidates through the hiri ng pipeline and analyzing data.Enhance the candidate experience.As an HR professional, you’re often the first point of contact for a candidate regarding your company, and are instrumental in effectively forming their first impressions. Do your best to ensure that each candidate’s experience during the hiring process is positive, regardless of whether or not they’re hired (because word spreads). Make sure the careers page on your company’s website is well-maintained and your application process is seamless and candidate-friendly, and keep all candidates in the loop and well-informed with friendly updates during the decision-making process. Candidates are people, and possibly even potential customers of your business and brand, so be respectful, helpful, and genuine with every one of them- as in most aspects of life, the Golden Rule applies here, too.Evaluate candidates more effectively.This one’s mainly designed to streamline the internal hiring pro cess, but it’s important to keep HR staff satisfied and engaged with their work in order for them to do their jobs effectively. Make sure that your evaluation process for each position is accurately capturing crucial data to assess the potential effectiveness and value of each candidate. Some key methods for obtaining useful candidate metrics include portfolio and work sample reviews, having candidates complete thoughtfully designed standardized tests, and structuring interviews for maximum impact and hiring efficiency. All HR personnel should be trained properly to evaluate candidates at all levels and positions- if they’re not, this is a worthy investment in time and resources for your company to make.Boost candidate sourcing.Help boost the effectiveness of your HR department, and in turn stimulate your company’s hiring process and culture by implementing effective candidate sourcing strategies. Take advantage of social media to build your company’s bra nd and keep followers and potential candidates informed about job openings, make sure your company is represented at key industry events and associations, develop an effective company referral program, invest in helpful sourcing tools to find qualified candidates quickly, and build and maintain an active candidate pipeline for current and future job openings.Attract top talent with top ads.This one may seem obvious, but you’d be surprised by how many companies run ineffective and sometimes downright confusing ads when seeking candidates for open positions- and you’d better believe that candidates notice poor ads, which factor into first impressions and can serve to pollute your organization’s hiring culture. Make sure your company is utilizing engaging and clearly crafted ads that include all key relevant details about the position, as well as candidate requirements and â€Å"nice-to-haves,† and make sure your company’s brand is well represented.Us e the advice and strategies presented here to help you figure out how strong your company’s hiring culture is right now. Take an honest look at the way you operate, and then determine how to make any needed improvements to your organization’s hiring practices and processes. Good luck!