May 17, 1957
Los Angeles
An otherwise unidentified author named James McLean writes a misty-eyed
farewell to the passing of M-1 Garand, recalling the day in 1941 that
his Army drill sergeant introduced him to the replacement for the ’03
Springfield rifle, the standard weapon of World War I.
No, neither the troops nor the sergeant liked the M-1, McLean writes.
The M-1’s rear sight had a wider aperture than the Springfield’s, which
made it less accurate. The M-1 had less kick than the Springfield, but
that was small compensation for the smashed right thumbs that soldiers
suffered until they learned to keep them out of the M-1’s operating
rods, McLean said.
Praising the superiority of the M-14 rifle, which allowed automatic or
semiautomatic fire, McLean says that although it may provoke grumbling
and complaints, replacing the Garand with the M-14 is just as
wise–and inevitable–as getting rid of the ’03 Springfields in World
War II.
If he knew, McLean certainly didn’t allude to the tinkering of Lockheed
engineer George C. Sullivan. Experimenting in the garage of his home on
Lake Hollywood Drive, Sullivan began building a rifle that wouldn’t be
so heavy on his hunting excursions. Substituting plastic and lightweight metal used
in aircraft whenever possible, Sullivan said, he drew the attention
of fellow "gun nuts" and Air Force Gen. Curtis LeMay. The AR-10 passed
the Springfield arsenal’s tests in February 1957, clearing the way for
introduction of the rifle.
Rechambered for .223-caliber rounds from the original .308 ammunition,
Sullivan’s design eventually replaced the M-14, which was discontinued
in 1964. The M-16 is still in use by troops that weren’t born when it
was invented.
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