19 Nov 2024 Garand Picture of the Day - G. S. Patton Presentation Winchester

[Mark in Rochester]

General Patton wrote a letter to Springfield Armory that has given us one of the most memorable gun quotes of all time: “In my opinion, the M1 rifle is the greatest battle implement ever devised.” The other maker of the Garand besides Springfield during World War II was the Winchester Repeating Arms Co., who, thanks to Patton’s high praise, decided to do something about it. Winchester built a Garand specifically for Patton, put a nice piece of walnut on it and had all the metal components chrome-plated. Winchester didn’t have to do this; as a private company, Winchester spent its own money to create a very special presentation rifle for one of the greatest combat generals America has ever produced.