| Mako11 | 11 Aug 2015 2:47 a.m. PST |
Perhaps many of you know this already, but while doing a little surfing I ran across a reference to the U.S.' WWII era, M-1 Garand rifle, and see that it wasn't replaced in the army by the M-14 completely, until 1965. Therefore, it appears I can use some of my WWII guys for the early Cold War in Europe, 1950s to mid-1960s, as desired. Perhaps mix in a few guys with M-14s, and/or M-16s as well, for the USAREUR, and/or troops in Vietnam. How cool is that? Excellent for me, since I want to do some 1950s and early 1960s era gaming in Europe. |
| Navy Fower Wun Seven | 11 Aug 2015 3:07 a.m. PST |
Didn't know that, but on reflection it kind of makes sense, after all, it was a self loading rifle, so in a sense as capable as other NATO rifles at this time. |
| HistoryPhD | 11 Aug 2015 5:57 a.m. PST |
The National Guard used them into the early 70s |
| Garand | 11 Aug 2015 6:12 a.m. PST |
Uniforms would be different though… Damon. |
| Mako11 | 11 Aug 2015 6:35 a.m. PST |
Perhaps, but at 15mm scale I suspect they might be passable, given that the rifle and helmet are the same as the WWII variants. As HistoryPhD mentions above, the BAR also was used until the mid-1970s as well, by the National Guard units. |
| HistoryPhD | 11 Aug 2015 6:42 a.m. PST |
The Ohio National Guard used M1 Garands at Kent State in 1970 |
| skippy0001 | 11 Aug 2015 6:43 a.m. PST |
Don't forget the BM-59. A M1 with a 20 round magazine built by Italy. So you can use figures with M14's and just designate them as BM-59's. Saw one in a gunshop once, chambered for .308. Nice heavy battle rifle. There is a para carbine version. link Love the '50's, 60's era-M3 grease guns, SKS's, Mongolian Cavalry in MOPP suits, T-10's/M103's, Conqueror's, Saladin's and all my favorite Jets! Plus the Skipjack SSN. Nice. |
| nevals | 11 Aug 2015 6:56 a.m. PST |
@HistoryPhD-
You mean as in Kent State shooting?
Amzing. Thanx for the information. |
| Weasel | 11 Aug 2015 9:53 a.m. PST |
I imagine if the balloon had gone up, plenty of ww2 kit would have been dug out of storage when armies expanded. Of course, worse case, ww2 guys can always make generic army guys (regardless of time and nationality!) for "Mars Invasion" games :-) |
| Toronto48 | 11 Aug 2015 9:56 a.m. PST |
Based on this recent picture from the Middle East it looks like some may still be in use It is upposed to be a picture of a Lebanese or Syrian militiaman
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| Jozis Tin Man | 11 Aug 2015 10:57 a.m. PST |
I saw tank crewmen carrying M3 Grease Guns as late as 1995 at Ft. Hood… |
| HistoryPhD | 11 Aug 2015 11:28 a.m. PST |
@nevals: Exactly. The students at Kent State were all shot with Garands. |
| Mako11 | 11 Aug 2015 11:51 a.m. PST |
"I saw tank crewmen carrying M3 Grease Guns as late as 1995 at Ft. Hood"… That is pretty surprising. I would have thought they would have been "retired" long before that. |
| Weasel | 11 Aug 2015 2:27 p.m. PST |
Maybe for something like SMG, there were less ready replacements so they just kept them around? I imagine replacing sub machine guns for tankers is pretty low on the budget priority, compared to something like infantry rifles. |
| skippy0001 | 11 Aug 2015 4:52 p.m. PST |
At one time they wanted Tankers to have Mac-10's because Sov/WP had Skorpions. |
| rdg1125 | 11 Aug 2015 8:45 p.m. PST |
I went to basic June 1963. Trained on the M-1. Then to Fort Knox where I went to armor crewman advanced training. Didn't see a rifle for some time. Was trained on the 90mm and 105mm tank guns, the grease gun, the .30 caliber MG (was the coax MG) and the M2 .50 caliber. Stayed at Ft Knox as cadre. In 1965 I was deployed to the Dominican Republic, attached to XVIII Abn Corps – not as tanker, tho'. Was issued an M-14 (was never really qualified on one. Learned on the job.) The airborne units (82nd) were armed with the M-16, I believe). My interest lies in the early to mid 60's, not so much the European theater, but the various "proxy" wars (Congo, the Middle East, and even "what if" situations). |
Bunkermeister  | 12 Aug 2015 9:44 p.m. PST |
The M1 was used by my high school JROTC unit in 1972. The Grease Gun was used for a very long time because the .45 caliber ammo was used for it and the M1911 pistol, also carried by the tankers. The Civilian Marksmanship Program still has M1 rifles in storage they give away. There was a plan to repatriate vast numbers of M1 Carbines from South Korea a few years ago. The military keeps stuff in storage forever, especially weapons. I think if we got WWIII as late as 1990 we would have National Guard and newly raised units would get mixtures of gear from WWII onward. Even in WWII as many US troops carried the Springfield bolt action rifle as the M1. I certainly use Imex Korean War US Army and ROK troops for the Cold War era along with M16 armed troops in 1/72nd scale plastic. Mike Bunkermeister Creek
bunkermeister.blogspot.com |
| LORDGHEE | 12 Aug 2015 9:54 p.m. PST |
M-1 had a Grease gun stowed in the tank as late as 2000 or so until replace with m-4 when the army as whole was issued. But really cool was the National guard guys I talked with in 2006 who had pictures of themselves with m-3 grease guns they got issue going into the Iraq war. They where a supply trucking unit. I ask if that was a problem and the reponse was "well the insurgents ambushed us once and we open up with a huge volume of fire. Luckly it was a close ambush and the m3 impressed them and us and the bad guys left us alone after that." A secound guardsmen stated "well we once open up on a building at 50 yards and chopped it down." "really" I replyed. "yep" he stated, " 2nd floor crashed down on the first and that ended the fight, impressive out to 100m". they were not happy as a group that they went into the war with a WWII gun. |
