Filipino Weapons

These tools of the trade were the main weapons issued to the Philippine Reserve during the early 1940s. These decided a soldier's fate.

The M1 Garand was the main rifle during WWII. It was the first semiautomatic rifle that became the standard small firearm of the US Army. The M1 underwent production during 1936. It was designed to be a semiautomatic weapon with an 8 round clip. Semiautomatic means it is like an automatic weapon but multiple bullets don’t unload while the trigger is held down. Each time the trigger is pulled only one shot is fired. There would have been no point to make this gun automatic because during its era the clip was only limited to eight rounds. It is suitable rifle for a sniper or as a secondary weapon. Rumor has it that this gun is where the term “clip” came from. A clip is a detachable ammo supply with a spring inside to push bullets up. Previously guns had a fixed clip or magazine. The maximum range of the rifle was 3,200 meters. Its effective range was 400 meters. It could have been equipped with a bayonet.<M1 Garand Page. Modern Firearms. March, 2004. 18 July 2004<http://world.guns.ru/rifle/rfl05-e.htm>>

The M1 Carbine was the result of a lightweight firearm project. The US Army asked for a firearm that was lightweight and easy to train soldiers how to use it. It was to replace the Colt 1911 .45 ACP because it was easier to use and had a better range. The rifle was created for secondary troops or reinforcements for the first line. The muzzle velocity of the gun was 1860 feet per second; this was about 2 times the muzzle velocity of the .45. Muzzle velocity is the speed at which the bullet is fired. The US Army first issued it in 1938, about the time the Philippine Army Reserve was being formed. Many variations of the weapon came out such as the Garand. Some were modified with long bayonets, some as large as short swords! The original M1 carbine was great for jungle fighting because of its compact size. It was smaller than the Garand, which was an all out combat rifle. Later on great modifications came along such as an automatic receiver and 30 round clips. This may sound like an assault rifle but it wasn’t due to its lack of an effective range that was 200 meters.

Source:<M1 Carbine Page. Modern Firearms. March, 2004. 18 July 2004<http://world.guns.ru/rifle/rfl08-e.htm>>
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