Longest Serving WWII/Korea-era weapons on Active Duty?

[NIGHTLORD40K]

Not a rumor. Also the only currently active USN vessel to have captured an enemy vessel during time of war.


Yes. And No. USN changed over to the L80 from the L70 patterns (also to 40x365 from 40x311).


That story may be a bit blurry as the last US AFV with a bow gun was the M-47, which only soldiered on in NG use into the 60s.

Most of the M3 is US armor after about 1965 were M3A3, which had two detents on the port cover to hold the bolt either open or closed. M3A3, IIRC sis used a ball detent and not a crimped lip. Interesting sidebar, by Contract, the tank manufacturer had to provide all the things needed in a track on delivery. So, they are the ones who contracted for the M3s carried, and the non-standard mag bags, and every tool roll, and the like, too.


They were really pretty good for Europe. The ERDL green were scary good in the tropics. Woodland pattern evolved out of the "brown" ERDL used by the Rangers for a while.

I went from OD Utilities to Woodland, to Chips, to DCU, to blueberries, and a single set of avocados. That photo over there at the top left is in blueberries.

Well, it was indeed an M47, Ive seen pictures of him and his crew in front of the tank. Roger remembered the date of the incident as being 1957 or '58. Although the Armored Divisions had already started transitioning to the M48 by then, the Infantry Tank Destroyer battalions retained 47s until about '60 and Im not sure which he was assigned to.

 

[Rifleman 173]

I've seen M-1 grease guns, M-1 carbines, M-1 Garand rifles and 50 caliber Maw Deuces that were still in use by different groups of some sort. Some of these groups were military, some were police, some were corrections/prison personnel and some were security groups. Up until 1988 or so, in some Army Reserve tank units, the M-1 grease guns were kept available or ready for dismounted use if needed.

Jim Cirillo, a member of the NYPD Armed Robbery Stake-out Team, used a M-1 carbine for his primary defensive weapon and got into over 20+ shootouts using it. Before the advent of the AR rifle, the M-1 carbine was the shoulder mounted firearm of choice for many police officers after WW2 and before 1975.

In Viet Nam, during the conflict over there, regional forces/popular forces troops used our old M-1 carbines and Garand rifles along with the Browning Automatic Rifles, Thompson .45 submachineguns and M-1 submachineguns as well. They also used our older 1911 pistols as well as Colt snub nosed and Smith & Wesson Model 10 revolvers too. They also used the older .30 caliber Browning machineguns on vehicles and as well as lugging them as squad automatic weapons too.

The truth is that even though many of the WW2/Korean War firearms are old, they represent good ideas in weaponry. Because they are good ideas their ability to be useful will remain in effect long after many of us have passed away. I wouldn't be shocked to learned that in the year 2500 people will still be using some variation of the 1911 pistol for their personal defense or military needs.

 

[GEM]

And they will be arguing that their reloads are better than factory loads in plasma rifles.