What M1 Garand was called

[Joe W]

When reading a recently closed thread I started thinking about how those that carried the M1 Rifle in the military referred to it. As it was the "only" rifle we had there was no need to identify it any further than simply calling it a "rifle". You would be told to "fall out, with rifles and cartridge belts". If you were to ever call your rifle a "GUN" you would find yourself receiting "This is my rifle and this is my gun, this is for fighting, this is for fun." Can't explain this in any more detail . We went to the Rifle Range and fired and cleaned our Rifles. In any case, all I ever remember it being called was a "rifle", nothing more, nothing less.

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[Ben Hartley]

...all I ever remember it being called was a "rifle", nothing more, nothing less.

Joe...

I'm inclined to agree with you.

[browningautorifle]

That's what I've heard all the way up here in Canada too. The other thing I heard was it was called your M1, as the smaller one was called your car-been (by pronunciation). In the Canadian army it's the same. Whether it was the FN C1 or the Colt offshoot, it's called either by the number assigned (C1's or C7's) or rifle.

[RCS]

I never heard anyone in the military call the M1 rifle a "Garand" either, I first heard the name Garand from my father who remembered the Garand/Johnson testing in 1940

[Cosine26]

I agree wiith RCS, I never heard the M1 called a Garand until recent years. I was an active high power competitive shooter during the hey day of the M1 and I never heard it called anythkng but "M1". I know that in pre-M1 days the M1903 was never called anything but a "Springfield". Of course in my active M1 days I ws associated with mostly militry shooters. In those days the military teams could shoot either a bolt gun (usually a M70) or the service rifle. The question usually asked was "Are you going to shoot the M1 or the bolt gun today?"
FWIW

[Joe W]

I can understand calling the M1 rifle the "M1", in the setting of which you speak, as you had to distinguish between two (2) rifles, the M70 and the M1. I had said in my original post that the M1 "was the only rifle we had" but in thinking about it, we did have two rifles, the M1 and the BAR. So rather than having to say " fall out with your M1, and you BAR men fall out with your BAR", simply, "fall out with your rifle" worked. I too don't recall ever hearing the M1 rifle called the Garand back in the 1950's military, but then again, there is an awful lot I no longer recall from those days.

[Harlan (Deceased)]

My dad was in the Korean War and I never heard him say Garand once. Ever. All I remember was "M1" or "Damned heavy M1" -

He was a sergeant with the First Armored and he referred to his rifle as a "car-bean" - Never heard either of them called anything else, and the only other weapons I remember him talk about was a "B-A-R" and "MAH-DOOS".

[cicguy]

In basic at Ft Leonard Wood 1960 it was a rifle, nothing more or less. On my USA badge the attachment is RIFLE and the next attachment is M1 RIFLE. I bought my M1 some years ago (love it!) but only recently have I heard the term "Oh you have a GARAND". Didn't carry it in SE Asia I carried an Underwood and sometimes a Royal. Have to go now - FIGMO.

For God and Country

[AZPhil]

My Father was in the Marine Corps just after the Korean war. When I showed him My M1 Garand,he refered to it as " Old 9 pounds"

[kenwest516]

My Dad was in the army during the korean war. The first time I called an m-1 a Garand he ask what that was. He always called it an m-1 and the carbine a 30 carbine.