Military Long Arms that were issued in more than one caliber?

[DMK]

Can you all think of some military rifles and machine guns that were issued for service in calibers other than they were originally issued in?

Here are some I can think of:

M1 Garand - Original U.S. issue on 30.06, U.K. lend lease in .303, late 60s U.S. Navy use in 7.62x51 NATO.

K98 Mauser - Original German issue in 8mm, Israeli service in 7.62x51 NATO

British Enfield - Original U.K. issue in .303, Indian service in 7.62x51 NATO

Winchester 1895 lever action - U.S. issue in 30-40 Krag, Russian contract in 7.62x54R

Lewis Gun - originally used in .303 by the U.K. in WW1, later used by the U.S. Marines and Navy in 30.06


Wasn't the Krag issued in a couple different calibers

 

[natedog]

The Garand was converted to .303 British at some point? Are any of these rifles available in the states, and do you have a link to more information? Very interesting!

 

[rbernie]

1914 Enfield in 303 begat the M1917 Enfield in 30-06.

 

[Rebar]

Japanese Arisaka was issued in 6.5mm and 7.7mm.
Italian Carcano was issued in 6.5 and 8mm.

 

[PAC 762]

FR-8's and FR-7's are converted from 8mm & 7mm mausers.

I believe CZ-52's were converted to 9mm in limited numbers at some point.

Then there was that czech rifle in 7.62x45 that was converted to 7.62x39.

The FN-D is a .308 BAR.

Various guerilla forces have been known to convert calibers often.... a VC modified 7.62x25 1911A1 comes to mind.

 

[warth0g]

K98 Mauser - Original German issue in 8mm, Israeli service in 7.62x51 NATO, Norwegian army: 30.06, later 7.62 NATO

 

[Tankcommander]

The FN-49 was made in four different calibers; 8mm Mauser, 7mm Mauser, 30-06 and 7.65 Argentine. Thats quite a few.

TC

 

[seeker_two]

Don't forget the AK designs (7.62x39, 5.45x39, & 7.62x54R) and the Stoner Weapons Systems (5.56 & 7.62 NATO)....

Lugers & "Broomhandle" Mausers in 7.62mm & 9mm Parabellum...

"Trapdoor" Springfields rifles in .50-70 & .45-70...

1903 Springfields in .30-03 & .30-06....

French Chauchat & British Lewis guns in their original 8mm & .303 calibers converted into .30-06 for American forces...

I'm sure there are many more...

 

[Number 6]

Don't forget the Bren gun. Originally issued by the British in .303 then converted to 7.62x51. Since it was a Czech design it was originally issued by them in 7.92x57. You also might want to include the Vickers which was used by almost all of the major militaries in WWI in their respective calibers.

 

[DMK]

The Garand was converted to .303 British at some point? Are any of these rifles available in the states, and do you have a link to more information?

Sorry, don't have a link. There was a story about them in American Rifleman a while back.

 

[DMK]

Don't forget the Bren gun. Originally issued by the British in .303 then converted to 7.62x51. Since it was a Czech design it was originally issued by them in 7.92x57. You also might want to include the Vickers which was used by almost all of the major militaries in WWI in their respective calibers.

Hmmm, wasn't there also a German MG that was converted from 8mm to 7.62x51 when they joined NATO? Was it the MG42?

 

[Ash]

The AK's in 7.62x39& 5.45x39.5
the Yugo M76 in 7.62 NATO and 8mm Mauser,
the Hakim in 8mm Mauser and Ljungman in 6.5 Swede,
the Mosin-Nagant in 7.62x54R, 7.62x39, & 8mm Mauser (Poland)
the Turkish Mauser in 7.65Turk and 8mm Mauser,
the M93 Spanish mauser in 7.65 and .308,
The Carcano was also 7.35
The Vetterli was issued in the original black powder and then rechambered for 6.5 Carcano
Martini-Henry was issued in original blackpowder and then .303
ditto for Russian Berdan
All the Rolling Blocks
Don't forget Enfields in .22LR
And the list goes on and on.

Ash

 

[Gewehr98]

I have a hard time believing that one.

M1 Garand - Original U.S. issue on 30.06, U.K. lend lease in .303, late 60s U.S. Navy use in 7.62x51 NATO.

The M1 Garand feeding a rimmed round? That would require an extensive rework, including a different type of en-bloc clip.

I have, however, seen a few Israeli-issued M1 Garands that were chambered in 8x57 Mauser, complete with Hebrew overstamps on the barrel and receiver. I wish I had the money to bring one home from the collector who had it. The story was that Israel was given a goodly amount of leftover 8x57 Mauser ammo after WWII, so it was only natural that the M1 Garands Uncle Sam gave them would be rebarreled to use this ammo.

I would imagine those leftover K-98k Mausers that Israel rebarreled sometime after the transition to 7.62mm NATO made use of that extra 8x57 ammo, too.

There were three versions of the Carcano, 6.5mm, 7.35mm, and (last-ditch late war) 8x57 Mauser. I had one of the latter, which we used for a proof test.

The Dutch Mannlicher turnbolt started out life as 6.5x53R, but was modified late in the Pacific war to accept .303 British ammo. Not that I would want to shoot a carbine so configured.

Then there were the Astra 400 and 600 series of blowback-operated pistols, which could shoot 9mm Bayard/Largo and 9mm Parabellum in a pinch.

 

[fletcher]

Winchester 1895 lever action - U.S. issue in 30-40 Krag, Russian contract in 7.62x54R

I would love to get my hands on one of those

 

[Gewehr98]

The Winchester Model 95's in 7.62x54R are quite collectible...

But so are the ones chambered in .30-03!

This one's going for $2250.00:

http://www.collectorsfirearms.com/w1435.htm