M1 Nomenclature

[RCS]

I like the gas trap and gas port terminology too but was curious as to the terminology used by the US Ordnance during the period when "both" types of gas cylinders were in use - the only information I could find was "screw-on gas cylinder" and later "spline type" gas cylinder.

Information

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[Bob Seijas]

only information I could find was "screw-on cylinder" and later "spline type"

That's about it, Robert, that's all I ever found, too. They also used "new front end" a lot, how's that for clumsy!

[Cosine26]

According to an article entitiled "Military Rifles - M1 to M14" by T.E. Cosgrove ( an engineer in the Infantry Weapons Group of Research, Development and Engioneering Directorate in the Army Material command) appearing in the March 1974 AMERICAN RIFLEMAN Magazine:
"The original alpha-numeric identificatiopn of the final experimental version of the Garand rifle was T1E2 and although the rifle was not officially adopted until 1936, , this designation was changed on Aug. 3, 1933 to U.S. Semi-automatic Rifle, Caliber .30 M1"
According to Cosgrove, the "M1"" designatin was continued and each modification carried the designation "M1E?" and went from "M1" through "M1E9"
FWIW

[Bruce Canfield]

Actually, the last of the "M1E" series was the M1E13 which was a refinement of the White-type gas system used on the M1E4 and M1E9.

[LeagleEagle]

Why did the designation jump from M1 all the way to M14 for the next service rifle? And then to M16?

[Bruce Canfield]

That's a great question and I've been searching for a cogent answer for decades. The M14 to M16 is easy...there was a M15 which was essentially a M14 in squad-automatic weapon configuration. However, there was never a "M2" through "M13" standardized so why was the "M14" the next standardized service rifle after the M1? Melvin Johnson proposed that his semiautomatic rifle be designated as the "M2" and serve as a supplement to the M1 but, of course, that didn't happen.

The various selective-fire, detachable box magazine weapons developed to supersede the M1 from late WWII through the mid-1950s were assigned "T" designations (T-20 through T44). The final test variant was the T44E4 which was eventually standardized as the "M14." Go figure!

[Rick B]

M2 Carbine. Rick B

[Bruce Canfield]

Yes, but the M2 carbine was an entirely different class of weapon from the M1 rifle. There was both a M1 Rifle and M1 Carbine, but no "M2" rifle.

[LeagleEagle]

And the carbines follow in numerical progression. There was an M-1, M-2, M-3 and now the M-4 carbine.

[GUTS]

I would also like to welcome you to the board Mr. Canfield, I look forward to your knowledge and your company on the forums..