“The most dangerous weapon in the world is a U.S. Marine and their rifle” – Gen. John “Blakjack” Pershing
By: Donald J. Mihalek
As Americas 9-1-1 force, the U.S. Marine Corps is capable of “full spectrum combat via combined arms task forces, capable of forcible entry from the air, land, and sea.” In short, if you call, the Marines will answer!
Legend has it that on 10 November 1775 in Tun Tavern, Captain Samuel Nicholas formed two battalions of Continental Marines in Philadelphia as naval infantry. Their mission was to serve as an infantry unit and perform security aboard naval vessels. Continental Marines also manned raiding parties, both at sea and ashore – the impetus for their amphibious origins.
Since that day, this elite military service trains’ some of the most able warriors this world has ever seen. Their proud legacy is built on the blood, sweat and tears of Marines that, for over 200 years, have answered the nations call and protected it from any enemy “on the air, land and the sea”.
National Museum of the Marine Corps:
The National Museum of the Marine Corps (www.usmcmuseum.org) proudly displays the Marines legacy. Located at the “the crossroads of the Marine Corps,” in Quantico, Virginia, every exhibit honors the proud fighting tradition of the Marine Corps and showcases the tools and tactics they bring to bear.
From the Leatherneck Gallery at its entrance to the photos from Iraq and Afghanistan, Marine history is replete with tales of combat prowess and fighting ability. As America’s true “expeditionary” force, Marines have been to every “hot spot’ in the world to help stabilize nations, evacuate U.S. citizens, conduct relief operations or gain a foothold for the arrival of more U.S. forces.
As you walk the Museum, you journey from “boot camp” and making of a Marine to a tour of every combat zone, the Marines have fought in. From the Revolution to WW2 to Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan, the Marine Corps expert use of the rifle has been pivotal to the defense of our nation.
The Museum reinforces Commandant Alfred M. Gray, Jr’s vision that “every Marine is a riflemen.” regardless of rank or position.” “For Marines the focus will always be on honing the infantry combat abilities of every Marine.”
The First “Rifle”:
As the Marines left Tun Tavern, they became central to the defense of the new Continental Navies ships during the Revolution.
Colonel Brooke Nihart (USMC-Ret) said, “For the most part, Marines have used the same weapons as the U.S. Army in order to be assured of the availability of the weapon and its ammunition. However, when a more effective weapon became available, the Marines have always been ready to test it and, if found suitable, to adopt it.”
The weapon of choice was the smoothbore flintlock .75 caliber musket. According to www.libertyreferences.com, “from the Revolution through the War of 1812 the smoothbore flintlock musket was used modeled after the .75 caliber British “Tower” or “Brown Bess” musket. Later, the colonies received large numbers of French .69 caliber Charleville muskets.”
Due to the close combat range of the Revolution, the smoothbore muskets range of 100 yards was very effective. Using these muskets, the Marines executed America’s first amphibious assault during the Revolution at the naval port in New Providence, Bahamas seizing a British ammunition depot…introducing amphibious warfare to the colonial forces.
Expert Marksman:
After the Revolution, the two U.S. arsenals in Springfield, Massachusetts, and Harpers Ferry, Virginia began producing American military muskets based upon French designs. Springfield’s first musket the M1795 was a smoothbore flintlock musket that copied the French M1763 Charleville. At almost six feet long and weighing 10 pounds, the M1795 packed a .69 caliber punch with a maximum range of 100 and effective range of 50-75 yards. As the War progressed, the improved M1812 flintlock smoothbore musket was issued with a maximum range out to 200 years.
Marines equipped with the M1795 and M1812 held the center of Gen. Andrew Jackson‘s defensive line, protecting New Orleans from the advancing British. Don Burzynski at leatherneck.com says “Gen. Jackson commended the Marines for their valor and regarded them as “expert rifleman.”
Chapultepec:
During the Mexican–American War, American Military Historymsw.com states, “The .69-caliber, smoothbore flintlock musket was standard issue for the U.S. soldier. It had an effective range of about 100 yards. About ten different models were used during the war, the most famous being the 1822 model. Some troops also carried the Hall breech-loading flintlock rifle or the Model 1841 percussion musket (also called the “Mississippi rifle”). Relatively few men carried percussion rifles.”
Some of these weapons had an effective range out to 800 yards and the Marine hymn enshrines the battle with its opening stanza, “From the Halls of Montezuma.”
As the 19th century progressed, American firearms manufacturers started moving away from flintlock muskets and began to retrofit old and building new percussion cap muskets. The percussion cap was a self-contained ignition source for the musket negating many of the weather issues of flintlock making it more reliable
The Civil War and Rifling:
Due to their mission at the time, Marines saw relatively little land action during the Civil War. Most of their duties involved shipboard protection during the blockade of southern ports.
During the First Battle at Bull Run, a small detachment of Marines participated with the M1855 .58 caliber “mini ball” rifled musket. As the Civil War continued, a new simplified Springfield M1861 .58 caliber “percussion lock” rifled muskets armed the Marines. The rifling and percussion locks made the weapons more accurate an increased effective range out to 400 yards.
Despite their more limited role in the Civil War, 17 Marines received the Medal of Honor for conspicuous bravery.
Marines in Cuba:
The Lee Navy M1895 was a straight-pull bolt-action rifle adopted by the Marine Corps in 1895 as the infantry rifle. It fired a 6 mm cartridge and used smokeless powder that fired rounds from an en bloc clip inserted with five rounds.
The First Marine Battalion used the M1895 during the Spanish American War to capture Guantanamo Bay while Teddy Roosevelt and the “Rough Riders” fought up San Juan Hill.
Today, the Marines “host” some of the world’s most dangerous terrorists in Guantanamo Bay.
The Springfield 1903:
At the behest of President Theodore Roosevelt, the M1903 was developed. After experiencing the effectiveness of the Spanish Mauser, Roosevelt insisted that the U.S. military build a better weapon.
The M1903 is an American magazine-fed, 5 shot clip-loader, bolt-action rifle with a 20 round per minute rate of fire, that was used up to and including WW2. Every Marine carried a standard issue of 12 clips.
In WWI, at the Marine position near Beallau Wood, the Germans launched a major offensive punching a hole in the French lines. During the battle, the Marines held their ground until the Germans closed and opened up with accurate and deadly rifle fire form their Springfield M1903’s.
Overall, the Marines attacked a total of six times before they expelled the Germans. The Marines fought off parts of five divisions of Germans, often reduced to hand-to-hand combat.
When the Marines finally cleared the forest of the enemy, the report sent out simply stated, “Woods now U.S. Marine Corps entirely.” The French renamed the wood “Bois de la Brigade de Marine” (“Wood of the Marine Brigade”) and the German’s nicknamed the Marines “Teufelshunde,” translated into “Devil Dogs.”
After the battle, Gen. John “Blakjack” Pershing said, “The most dangerous weapon in the world is a U.S. Marine and their rifle.”
The Springfield stayed in service up to an including WWII.
The M1 Garand:
General George S. Patton called the M1,”the greatest battle implement ever devised” and the Marines put it to good use. The Garand replaced the bolt-action M1903 Springfield as the standard service rifle for the U.S. military in 1936 and the Marines made good use of it.
The M1 rifle is gas-operated and was revolutionary. John Garand, inventor of the M1 developed the M1 Garand as a .30-06 caliber semi-automatic bolt-action rifle. It became the rifle of choice for the U.S. military until the Vietnam War. Garand’s design used the .30-06 Springfield ammunition in an eight round “clip” with a maximum effective range of 440 yards, with armor piercing ammunition of beyond 875 yards.
Marines had the M1 at Iwo Jima and after a two month long battle, cleared the island setting the stage for Japan’s surrender. The Marines suffered 6,821 KIA and inflicted over 21,000 KIA. Marines cleared caves, searched out, and defeated an entrenched enemy with the M1. During WWII 81 Marines received the Medal of Honor – 22 at Iwo Jima..
In Korea at the Yalu River, eight Chinese Army Divisions attacked the First Marine Division in order to destroy it. For four weeks, the Chinese and Marines fought and despite the adverse odds, the Marines held their ground and used the M1 Garand with skill and precision. While the Marines fought at the “Frozen Chosin,” Gen. Chesty Puller said, “We’re surrounded. That simplifies our problem of getting to these people and killing them.”
In total, the Marines suffered over 4,000 casualties but inflicted over 25,000 casualties. The Chinese paid dearly for trying to overrun the Marines
The M14:
In 1959, the M14 rifle, a selective fire semi automatic rifle firing 7.62x51mm NATO ammunition entered into service. The M14 became the standard issue for the U.S. military from1959 to 1970. It was the last so-called “battle rifle“, as it was the last to fire full-power rifle ammunition.
In 1965, the Marines were the first combat troops to Arrive at Danang, Vietnam. In Vietnam, the M14 was introduced and its 7.62 mm NATO cartridge was able to penetrate the jungle cover with 2,470 ft·lb of muzzle energy.
Today, the M14 is still in inventory and used by the Marines and their snipers.
The M16:
In 1969, the U.S. Military adopted the M16 as the standard U.S. Rifle, a weapon that was lighter and used a smaller 5.56 mm round. It is an air-cooled, gas-operated, magazine-fed assault rifle, with a rotating bolt, actuated by direct impingement gas operation. The weapon is made of steel, 7075 aluminum alloy, composite plastics and polymer materials.
Its 5.56x45mm round is known to produce massive wounding effects due to its high velocity, cavitation and yaws in tissue leading to fragmentation of the round.
Over time, the Marines helped make them better:
With the M16A2, the Marines requested select-fire semi and 3 round burst, other features were also changed including; forward assist to circular shape, added a brass deflector to prevent lefties from catching it in the face. Heavier barrel forward of the front sight post.
The Marines currently have the M16A4 as their standard issue. The M16A4 has a flat-top receiver, a handguard with four Picatinny rails for mounting a sight, laser, night vision device, forward handgrip, removable handle, or a flashlight.
The M16 rifle family has been the primary infantry rifle of the U.S. military and 15 NATO countries, and is the most produced firearm in its caliber.
The M4:
In 1997, the M4 made its debut in U.S. Military circles and for the Marines. These days, it’s getting a lot of downrange time. Based on the M16, the M4 and its variants fire the 5.56x45mm NATO ammunition and are gas-operated, air-cooled, magazine-fed, selective fire firearms with a multi-position telescoping stock.
M4 is semi/3rd burst. Has barrel reduction cut forward of front sight post to allow mounting of M203 grenade launcher. Furthermore, the M4A1, while similar in appearance, sports a semi/full auto sear (created at the request of special operations community).
The M4 has become a versatile weapon used by the Marines and every branch of the U.S. Military as well as many law enforcement agencies. The shorter barrel sacrifice’s some ballistics capabilities but the weapon makes up for it with its handling and maneuverability.
Due to its design, it has become the ideal weapon for close quarter’s battle (CQB), which has dominated the Marines warfare for the last part of the 20th and 21st Centuries. In both Iraq and Afghanistan, the Marines have used the M4 in heavy house-to-house fighting and urban combat.
In Al Anbar Providence, Iraq; the former crossroads of insurgent movement from Iran and Syria, a hot, dangerous and inhospitable place, saw some of the fiercest combat in Iraq. A Tribal Chieftain when referring to that combat was quoted in a Time magazine article, “the beasts from hell who drink the blood of children and cannot be killed by bullets or bombs.”
He wasn’t talking about the terrorists; he was “complimenting” the United States Marines.
Semper Fidelis!
“Some people wonder all their lives if they’ve made a difference. The Marines don’t have that problem.”
– President Ronald Reagan.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Springfield M1795 Musket:
Weight: 10 lbs.
Length: 60 inches
Barrel length: 42 -45 inches
Caliber: .69 musket ball
Action: flintlock
Rate of fire: 2-3 round/min
Effective range: 100 to 200 yards max 50 to 75 effective
Feed system: muzzle-loaded
Springfield/Harpers Ferry M1841Musket:
Weight 10 lbs.
Length 58 inches
Caliber .69 musket ball
Action percussion lock
Rate of fire 2-3 round/min
Effective range 100 to 200 yards max 50 to 75 effective
Feed system muzzle-loaded
Springfield M1861:
Weight 9 lbs.
Length 56 inches
Caliber .58 minie ball
Action Percussion lock
Rate of fire 2-3 round/min
Effective range 100 to 400 yards / Max 900 to 1000
Feed system Muzzle-loaded
M1895 Lee Navy:
Weight 8.32 pounds
Length 47.75 inches
Barrel length 28 inches
Cartridge 6 mm Lee Navy
Caliber 6 mm (.244 cal.)
Effective range 600 yards to 1,000 yards
Maximum range 2,000 yards
Feed system 5 round internal en bloc clips
Sights Blade front, u-notch rear, adjustable for windage/elevation
Springfield M1903:
Weight 8.67 lb
Length 43.9 in
Barrel length 24 in
Cartridge .30-03 Springfield; .30-06 Springfield
Action: Bolt-action
Rate of fire: 15/20 rounds/min
Muzzle velocity: 2,700 ft/s
Feed system: 5-round stripper clip, internal box magazine
Sights: Flip-up rear sight, barleycorn-type front sight
M1 Garand:
Weight 9.5 lb to 11.6 lb
Length 43.5 in
Barrel length 24 in
Cartridge .30-06 Springfield (7.62x63mm) or
7.62x51mm NATO (.308 Winchester)
Action Gas-operated, rotating bolt
Muzzle velocity 2,800 ft/s
Effective range 440 yd
Feed system 8-round “en bloc” clip internal magazine
Sights Aperture rear sight, barleycorn-type front sight
M14:
Weight 11.5 lb
Length 46.5 in
Barrel length 22 in
Cartridge 7.62x51mm NATO (.308 Winchester)
Action Gas-operated, rotating bolt
Rate of fire 700–750 rounds/min
Muzzle velocity 2,800 ft/s
Effective range: 500 yd / 875+ yd (with optics)
Feed system 20-round detachable box magazine
Sights Aperture rear sight, “barleycorn” front sight
M16:
Weight 7.8 lb (unloaded)
8.79 lb (loaded)
Length 39.625 in
Barrel length 20 in
Cartridge 5.56x45mm NATO
Action Gas-operated, rotating bolt (Direct impingement)
Rate of fire 12-15 rounds/min sustained, 45-60 rounds/min semi-automatic, & 700–950 rounds/min cyclic
Muzzle velocity 3,110 ft/s
Effective range 550 Meters (point target), 800 Meters (area target)
M4:
Weight 6.36 lb empty
6.9 lb with 30 rounds
Length 33 in (stock extended)
29.75 in (stock retracted)
Barrel length 14.5 in
Cartridge 5.56x45mm NATO
Action Gas-operated, rotating bolt
Rate of fire 700-950 round/min cyclic
Muzzle velocity 2,900 ft/s
Effective range 500 m for a point target and 600 m for an area target
Feed system 30 round box magazine or other STANAG Magazines.
References:
- www.gunsandammo.com/content/hall-carbine
-www.americanmilitaryhistorymsw.com/blog/526859-weapons-of-the-mexican-war-18461847/
-”Civil War Weapons and Equipment” by Russ A. Pritchard, Jr., Russ A. Pritchard Jr. Published by Globe Pequot, 2003
-www.civilwarhome.com/weapons.htm
-www.civilwaracademy.com/springfield-model-1861.html
-www.ww2gyrene.org/weapons_carbine.htm
-www.militaryfactory.com/smallarms/detail.asp?smallarms_id=52
-militaryhistory.about.com/od/smallarms/p/m1garand.htm
-www.marines.com/main/index/winning_battles/history/missions/iwo_jima (Great Link)
-”The lions of Iwo Jima” By Fred Haynes, James A. Warren
-www.pawtuckettimes.com/content/ww-ii-veteran-recalls-battle-iwo-jima
-www.m1-garand-rifle.com/history/world-war-ii-to-korea.php
-www.marines.mil/news/publications/Documents/Fortitudine%20Vol%2028%20No%204.pdf (Broken URL)
-/www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/land/m14.htm
-www.militaryphotos.net/forums/archive/index.php/t-57610.html
-www.paperlessarchives.com/vw_m16.html
“US Marine Rifleman in Vietnam 1965-73″ By Charles D. Melson, Ramiro Bujeiro
-www.marines.com/main/index/winning_battles/gear/weapons_and_equipment/m16
-www.usmcweapons.com/articles/m16/M16A2NF.htm
-http://usmilitary.about.com/cs/marineweapons/a/m16a4.htm
-military.wikia.com/wiki/Springfield_1903
