Hi!
Don’t know if this is the correct forum but I give it an try. I am curious about for how long the WW2 vintage weapons saw service in the US armed forces.
For example how long did the M1 Garand and M1 Carbine stay in service? Did they service on to the early 60’s or did they dissappear earlier?
The reason to my questions is that I have an plan to build some soldiers in the early -60’s seeing service in Europe or USA.
Thanks for now
Mats
Google is your friend. You can find the answers to your questions by googling either of the itams about which you ask. I did and the answers are out there.
It was fairly common to see US advisors in Vietnam equipped with M2 or M3 carbines pre 1965. M1 Garands were still widespread in use with National Guard units up until the early 1970- the Guardsmen who fired the volleys at Kent State in 1970 had M1s. M3 Grease Gun SMGs were in use with tank and other AFV crews in the Regular Army at least through the 1980s. Same with the M1911 .45 pistol. In Europe, which was considered the “front line” of the Cold War and recieved the latest equipment first- the .30 cal small arms M1 Garand, BAR, and M1919 machine guns were replaced fairly rapidly by the M14 and M60 in order to standardize NATO 7.62 ammo needs as quickly as could be done in the late 50s early 60s. So yes, GIs in the early 60s could be seen with WW2 vintage weapons- mostly stateside. Uniforms woud be the green cotton fatigues (no cargo pockets) and M-1951 field jackets with the black and gold US Army and White nametape strips. Full color unit patches and shoulder sleeve enlisted rank chevrons. Ridgeway caps, patrol (ranger) caps, or steel pots for headgear. Black combat or jump boots.
I joined the U.S. Army in March 1962. Went through basic training and A.I.T. with M1 rifle, B.A.R. and spent the first 8 month in Korea as an B.A.R man. The M1 rifle, M1 Carbine and B.A.R. soldiered on in Vietnam, on both side, and in the Philippines, South America into the late 1970’s I would say. Don’t know if this help you at all.
Sam
I can say it helps a lot!
Will be nice to get use of my US army equipment set from Tamiya that I have in my cupboard waiting to get used in one way or another!
Well, if you have some figures in pajamas, you can paint the PJ’s black and put the equipment on them and you’ll have some early VC. During the early years in Vietnam the VC’s just about used everything. Equipment, firearms, you name it they made use of it. Just a thought.
Sam
Well… eat my words. I just saw a new reel on Haiti’s and there was a Haitian police man with an M-1 rifle. Guess those old buzzards are still around.
Sam
It is a pretty solid piece of weaponry. While it does have flaws, it’s virtues far outweigh them. As late as 2000 or so, I recall seeing the local Guard SF unit still had them in their toybox for use with indigenous forces elsewhere.
Oh, I agree. I was hitting silhouettes at 800 and 1000 yards. Not constantly, but I did a few times. And like they say, mud, ice, sand, it seemed like nothing could stop that thing. The only thing that I really remembered was to keep in dry, no oil, no grease in that good old COLD place called Korea, it was cold man. The M-1 was a league of it’s own.
Sam
Marines carried the M1 until at least '65. Older NCO’s remember Haiti and the DR in the late 50’s early 60’s armed with it.
I went in in '74, had an M16, but, we were the first series in training to use the ALICE pack. They still tought the nomenclature for the old WWII web gear, haversack, marching pack, etc etc. The cartridge belt, and canteen covers remained unchanged IIRC until the 80’s (canvas vs. nylon).
The .45 was still around as was the leather flap holster and mag pouches.
The ONE thing unchanged for decades was the KBAR. Man I wish I could have smuggled mine home.
G
Yeah, we went through Basic and A.I.T. with WW2 WEB gear, horse shoe bedding and all that, old C-rations some leftover from WW2 later on after I was in Korea did we get some C-rations from the Korean war. After about my 8th. month in Korea did we get the M-14 and the newest style of WEB gear, etc. I didn’t think the M-14 was as good as the M-1, shorter gas rod meant more kick and it did kick. May be it was just me, but it took off about 200 yards of accuracy at the range for me.
I had an M 14 when stationed at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. I liked it but man after a day at the range you felt like you wrestled a grizzly bear. Later, on the rifle team at Pendleton, my M14 was a very good shooter, but it was accurized for matches by Quantico. Best collection of mis-matched parts I ever used. [;)]
We used to scrounge around the shipyard and found cases of WWII vintage rations. Found a lot of vintage cold weather gear also. I too ate Korean era C’s during AIT.
G