M1/M1903/M1917/Info

[eclancy]

Hi all,
I have a Ordnance file you might find of Interest. It seems that The Cavalry Board, at Ft. Riley is already making plans based on the M1 Garand for ALL its troops. The file is dated Feb, 1937. The Cavalry also wants to know many Model 1903 and Model 1917 are ready. Ordnance tells them that of the first 3,370 M1 Garands the Cavalry School is to receive 60 M1 Garands. Also that the First Cavalry Div., at Ft Bliss will also receive 60 M1 Garands. However like a picture in time Ordnance does tell them that there are 901,548 Model 1903's on hand and 2,174,885 Model 1917 on hand.
http://www.garandm1rifle.com
http://www.users.fast.net/~eclancy
Thanks again for taking the time and effort to read and reply to this
Clancy

 

[Grump]

Well, at least that's not as bad as the German Army requesting winter clothing while on the way to Stalingrad, and receiving, in essence, this reply:

No, coats, no socks, no boots, no cold weather shells and no sleeping bags...

BUT

We got about a hundred rubbers for each soldier. Enjoy!

 

[homeka45]

two million 1917s, damn that must take up a lot of space. Wonder how many are still around. Sure would be nice to find one of those early garands.

 

[Billy Sparks]

I don't know where the other 2,174,884 are at but I know where there as at least one at...my gun safe.

 

[Jim K]

Well, 1,100,000 of those Model 1917's were sent to England in September and October, 1940, (before Lend-Lease), which is when Army ordnance looked at the low production rate of the M1 and panicked. The result was a contract to Remington to make more M1903 rifles. Ultimately, M1 production increased to the point where many later M1903A3 rifles were never issued.

Jim

 

[homeka45]

I have two M1s and a '03A3, hopefully I'll be able to swing a 1917 sometime this year. That should take care of the big three for the U.S., for now.

 

[JNewell]

2,174,885 Model 1917 on hand

Yikes, that really puts the production story of the First World War into perspective.