Chapter 1.
INTRODUCTION
1. Purpose and Scope
(a) This manual is a guide for commanders and
instructors in presenting instruction and training in the
mechanical operation of the M1 rifle. It includes a detailed
description of the rifle and its general characteristics;
procedures for disassembly and assembly; methods of loading; an
explanation of functioning; a discussion of stoppages and
immediate action; a description of the ammunition; and
instructions on the care and cleaning of both the weapon and
ammunition. The material presented is applicable, without
modification, to both nuclear and non-nuclear warfare.
(b) Marksmanship training is covered in FM 23-71.
(c) Users of this manual are encouraged to submit
recommended changes or comments to improve the manual. Comments
should be keyed to the specific page, paragraph, and line of the
text in which the change is recommended. Reasons should be
provided for each comment to insure understanding and complete
evaluation. Comments should be forwarded direct to the
Commandant, U.S. Army Infantry School, Fort Benning, Ga.
2. Importance of Mechanical Training
The rifle is the soldier's basic weapon. It gives him an
individual and powerful capability for combat. To get the most
out of his individual combat capability, the soldier must develop
two skills to an equal degree: he must be able to fire his weapon
well enough to get hits on battlefield targets, and he must know
enough about its working parts to keep them operating smoothly so
the rifle will not fail him. The soldier gets his firing skill on
marksmanship training ranges and he learns how to keep his rifle
in firing condition from the mechanical training that is outlined
in this manual.
3. Description of the Rifle
The U.S. rifle caliber .30, M1, (fig.
1), is an air-cooled, gas-operated, clip-fed, and
semiautomatic shoulder weapon. This means that the air cools the
barrel; that the power to cock the rifle and chamber the
succeeding round comes from the expanding gas of the round fired
previously; that it is loaded by inserting a .metal clip (containing a maximum of eight
rounds) into the receiver; and that the rifle fires one round
each time the trigger is pulled.
4. General Data (Specifications)
Weight |
9.5 pounds |
Weight With bayonet M1 and sling M1907 |
11.2 pounds |
Length: (over-all) rifle only |
43.6 inches |
Length (over-all) with bayonet M1 |
53.4 inches |
Length of barrel |
24 inches |
Length of rifling |
70.8 calibers (21.30 inches) |
Rifling, old barrels |
Four grooves |
Rifling, new barrels |
Two grooves |
Rifling twist |
Right hand, one turn in 33.3 calibers (10 inches) |
Depth of grooves, rifling |
0.0040 inches |
Type of mechanism |
Gas operated, semi-automatic |
Loading device |
.En-block clip |
Sight radius |
27.9 inches at 100 yard range |
Sights |
27.9 inches at 100 yard range |
Sights: Front |
Fixed blade |
Sights: Rear |
Adjustable peep. One click of elevation or windage
moves the strike of the bullet .7 centimeters at 25
meters |
Trigger pull: Minimum |
5 1/2 pounds |
Trigger pull: Maximum |
7 1/2 pounds |
Ammunition types |
Ball, AP, tracer, grenade - See .Chapter 6. |
Muzzle velocity (M-2 ammunition) |
853 (2,800 feet/second) meters/sec |
Chamber pressure |
50,000 pounds per square inch (copper) |
Maximum range |
3,200 meters (3,450 yards) |
Maximum effective range |
460 meters. (Maximum effective range is the
greatest distance at which a weapon my be expected to
fire accurately to inflict casualties or damage.) |
Maximum effective rate of fire |
16 to 24 rounds per minute. (Although there is no
prescribed maximum rate of fire, a trained rifleman can
fire 16 to 24 aimed rounds per minute.) |
[Back to M1 Garand Page.]
. - INTRODUCTION
. .- MECHANICAL
TRAINING
. .- OPERATIONS AND
FUNCTIONING
. .- STOPPAGES
AND IMMEDIATE ACTION
. .-
MAINTENANCE
. .- AMMUNITION
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