This unique M1 Garand was originally given to John C. Garand from the Springfield Armory. Images courtesy of NRA Museum (top), and NRA Publications. Allan Cors who served as NRA president from 2015 to 2017 has a very unique M1 Garand among his firearms collection. John C. Garand, the inventor of this unique M1 rifle, originally owned it. This historic Springfield Armory M1 bears a serial number of 1,000,000. This rifle, complete with a walnut-fitted box, a silver-plated clip, and gold-plated cartridges was originally given to its designer John C. Garand in 1953 as a retirement present. This was the only gift the gun designer received in recognition of his contribution to the victory of the Allies during the Second World War. Read the Full Story on NRABlog.com. >> After Garand’s death, his family offered to sell the rifle. Allan Cors, who was a fan of the M1 and understood the historical significance of the gun, made an offer to buy it. The Garand family accepted. “I felt good that they trusted in me to do the correct thing. Cors said, “Let’s face it: We are only temporary stewards of these things.” “They are in our hands for a little while, then they are handed on to the next generations.”
Jean Cantius Garand (also known as John C. Garand) was a Canadian firearms designer who designed the M1 Garand. This semi-automatic weapon was widely used by both the U.S. Army during World War II and U.S. Marine Corps in the Korean War. Garand’s love of machinery and target shooting naturally led him to design guns as a hobby. This took on a more professional turn in 1917, however. The United States Army invited bids for designs of a light machinegun in 1917. Garand’s design won the competition. Garand was employed by the U.S. Government as an engineer at the Springfield Armory between 1919 and 1953. John C. Garand, born in 1888, died in 1974. Credit : NPS Photo. Public domain. In Springfield, Massachusetts Garand was given the task of designing a basic self-loading gas-actuated infantry rifle and carbine. The system would eject spent cartridges and reload new rounds using a gas-operated mechanism. It took 15 years to perfect the M1 model in order to meet the U.S. Army’s specifications. The Semiautomatic Caliber.30 M1 Rifle, which Garand patented in 1932, was approved by the U.S. Army in January 1936, and entered mass production in 40. It replaced the bolt action M1903 Springfield as the standard infantry weapon known as the Garand Rifle. During World War II, more than four million M1 rifles have been manufactured. General MacArthur praised the Garand Rifle for its effectiveness and reliability. General Patton wrote: “In my opinion, I believe the M1 rifle to be the greatest battle implement that has ever been devised.” Source – Wikipedia.com.
