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Production
Between Wars: Records on the production of M1
Rifles immediately following WWII until the outbreak of hostilities in
Korea are spotty at best. This is probably due to Army Ordnance effort(s)
being directed toward product improvement of the M1 rifle design
as a result of lessons learned during WWII, and the development of
the so-called lightweight rifle system. This lack of active
production of the M1 due to the research and development efforts,
creates something of a dilemma for researchers of M1 Rifle production.
The last rifle produced during WWII by Springfield Armory WWII lies in
the 3,888,xxx serial number range with production ending in October
1945. According to Armory records, Springfield M1 production was resumed
in 1952 with serial number 4,200,000. This leaves an unexplained gap of
approximately 312,xxx serial numbers
1.
WWII Production Totals: (approx.)
Springfield
Armory: 3,526,922 (produced from
1932 - 1945 including tool room models)
Winchester: 513,880 (produced
from 1941 1945)
Total WWII Production from Springfield and
Winchester: (approx.) 4,040,800
2.
Post WWII production totals: (approx.)
Springfield Armory: 661,747 (produced from 1952 1956)
Harrington & Richardson Arms:
428,600 (produced from 1953 1956)
International Harvester Corporation: 337,623 (produced from 1953
1956)
Total Post War Production from all manufacturers: (approx.) 1,427,970
3.
Total M1 production from all manufacturers: (approx.)
Springfield Armory:
..4, 188, 669
Winchester:
513,
880
Harrington & Richardson:
...428,
600
International Harvester Corporation:
.337,
623
Grand Total (all manufacturers): (approx.)
5, 468, 772
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Assigned Serial Number
Ranges:
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Beginning Number
|
|
Ending Number
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Manufacturer
|
Year Contract
Completed
|
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1
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to
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100,000
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Springfield
Armory
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Dec. 1940
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100,001
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to
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165,500
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Winchester
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May 1942
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165,501
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to
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865,500
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Springfield
Armory
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Sept. 1942
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865,501
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to
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1,999,999
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Springfield
Armory
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Feb. 1943
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1,200,000
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to
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1,261,260
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Winchester
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Nov. 1942
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1,261,261
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to
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1,357,473
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Winchester
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July 1943
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|
1,357,474
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to
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1,387,xxx
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Winchester
duplicated approximately 30,000 Springfield s/ns in this
range.
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Aug. 1943?
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1,357,474
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to
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2,305,849
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Springfield
Armory
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Dec. 1943
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2,305,850
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to
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2,655,982
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Winchester (Rifles were
actually produced to about s/n 2,540,000)
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Jan. 1944
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X2,655,982
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to
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X2,655,148
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Rock
Island Arsenal
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Experimental
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2,656,149
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to
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4,100,000
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Springfield
Armory (Rifles
were actually produced to about s/n 3,889,xxx Last actual WW II
serial number unknown)
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Oct. 1945
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X4,100,001
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to
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X4,200,000
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Possibly
planned as a dumping ground for duplicate, mutilated or
overrun s/ns. Two IHCs have been found that had two s/ns one
below the other. The original s/ns apparently inadvertently
duplicated by IHC at the factory. The duplicate numbers were
lined out and the substitute numbers electro-penciled under
the original.
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Field Service
Use
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4,200,001
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to
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4,399,999
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Springfield
Armory
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1952 1954
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4,400,000
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to
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4,660,000
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International
Harvester
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1953 1954
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4,660,001
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to
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4,800,000
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Harrington
& Richardson
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1953 1954
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4,800,001
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to
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4,999,999
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Not
Assigned
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N/A
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5,000,000
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to
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5,000,500
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Springfield
Armory (Actual intended use unknown, but ALL documented guns
are in this range are generic SAs). Perhaps allocated for
Beretta samples or experimentation?
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NATO, Aug.
1952
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5,000,501
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to
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5,278,245
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International
Harvester
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1954 1956
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5,278,246
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to
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5,488,246
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Springfield
Armory
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1954 1955
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5,488,247
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to
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5,793,847
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Harrington
& Richardson
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1954 1956
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5,793,848
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to
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6,099,905
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Springfield
Armory
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1955 1957
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6,034,330
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to
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6,034,729
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Numbers
assigned to HRA from the Springfield s/n range for a
400-rifle contract overrun.
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Aug. 1956
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These are the
ASSIGNED serial number ranges and do not necessarily reflect
the actual number of rifles produced within each range.
Several semi-major anomalies were the result of duplicate
serial numbers produced by both Springfield and Winchester.
Other serial numbers ranges were curtailed by such events as
the end of WWII.
Records of rifle
deliveries from all manufacturers were not kept as
meticulously during the Korean War as they were during WWII.
As a result, the delivery dates are listed here in their
beginning and completion year of each assigned serial number
range.
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