DID YOU EVER WONDER ?

DID YOU EVER WONDER ?

by Dick Culver

(Originally published in the January 1998 Edition of the CMP Newsletter "The First Shot")

Did you ever wonder how they come up with the model designations on military small arms? If so, here is some insight into the sometimes murky world of model number assignments. Prior to the adoption of the M1 Rifle, U. S. Military small arms usually utilized some combination of caliber designation and year date. Modifications sometimes took the form of a date change on the rifle (or pistol) or the utilization of an A1, A2, for variations in the model, etc. For instance we had the U. S. Springfield Rifle caliber .45, Model of 1873 (the so-called "Trapdoor Springfield"). Subsequent variations were known as the U. S. Rifle caliber .45 Model of 1878, later the Model of 1881 etc. This was carried over into the days of the Krag. First we had the U. S. Rifle caliber .30, Model of 1892 (later designations included the Model of 1896 and 1898, not to mention the Carbine Models). The venerable 1903 Springfield started off life as the U. S. Magazine Rifle, caliber .30 Model of 1903. Later modifications dropped the "Magazine" portion of the name, and the addition of a pistol grip (type "C") stock in late 1929 again changed the official designation to the U. S. Rifle caliber .30 M1903A1. Other modifications resulted in the designation of M1903 A2 (a sub-caliber firing device for various large caliber guns {cannons} to allow practice with inexpensive ammunition), the M1903A3 (WWII stamped-part version with a receiver mounted rear sight) and the M1903A4 (a sniper version).

When the Garand Rifle was (informally) adopted in 1932, it was decided to call it the U. S. "Semi-automatic" Rifle caliber .30 M1. The designation "semi-automatic" was dropped following serial number 80, and starting with serial number 81 it became the familiar, U. S. Rifle caliber .30 M1 (or just plain old M1 as it was generally called).

Between the M1 and the M14, little or no reason seems to have been used when jumping between "1" and "14" (although many different variations were tested on the way to the adoption of the M14 - perhaps some of them had been earmarked for the interim numbers). There is however, a rationale for the M16 designation, as there was such a rifle as the M15! The M15 Rifle was simply a heavy barreled version of the M14 with a heavier stock, a hinged butt plate, a selector for full automatic fire and a bipod. The M15 was designed to be a replacement for the BAR (Browning Automatic Rifle) as the new squad automatic weapon. Subsequent tests proved that the standard M14 would shoot as well as the M15 in the full automatic mode if the M14 was fitted with a bipod, a selector and an M15 style hinged butt plate. The heavy barrel and heavy stock went out the window, as did the old reliable M1 style butt plate originally planned for use on the standard M14. The resulting rifle became a jack of all trades, becoming the squad automatic rifle when fitted with a selector and bipod and… the service rifle in its standard mode.

The new full auto version became known as the M14 (modified). Problems in accuracy and control however, resulted in the adoption of a different style stock with a pistol grip (the "E1 stock"), a folding metal fore-grip and a muzzle stabilizer (a "slide over" addition to the flash suppressor) for the full auto version. This rifle (the XM14E1) became the squad automatic, and the final version was designated the M14A1.

The M16 is self explanatory of course, although the first versions actually used in combat were designated the XM16E2. The "X" was for experimental, and the E2 was for the second variation. The finally adopted version of the XM16E2 became the M16A1. The new heavy barreled model with adjustable sights and new barrel twist is now the M16A2.

U. S. Submachine-guns are easier to track. Our first official "sub-gun" was the M1928 Thompson Submachine Gun. WWII modifications for simplification of the manufacturing process resulted in the M1 Thompson and later the M1A1. An effort to produce a cheaper and more easily produced submachine-gun resulted in a "short lived" M2 Submachine-gun again followed by the familiar M3 Submachine-gun, better known as the "Grease Gun" because of its distinctive shape. Our latest Submachine-gun is simply a short barreled version of the M16 with a collapsible stock, however since it is now our "designated submachine-gun" it is called appropriately enough, the M4 Submachine-gun.

The carbine in U. S. Service is a bit trickier, but not much. During the days of the Trapdoors, and the Krags, they were simply numbered and designated along with their longer counterparts and were designed primarily for mounted (calvary) use. A series of tests determined that no carbine version of the 1903 Springfield was necessary, so no problem occurs here. Our next carbine was adopted at the beginning of WWII, and since it was the first carbine adopted under the new rules, it became simply the U. S. Carbine caliber .30 M1. A folding stock version for the Airborne was designated the M1A1, a full automatic version became the M2, and an infra-red scope sighted night firing carbine became designated the M3.

What’s next? Who knows? …"The U. S. Laser, Frequency XXMHz (or GHz), M1"? Stay tuned...