US Military Guns of WW1 – Do You Have Any in Your Collection?
The US remained neutral for more than two and a half years after WW1 started, but on April 6, 1917, the US declared war on Germany. President Woodrow Wilson wanted to get America into the war as he saw Germany as a growing threat. Wilson appeared before Congress to ask for a “war to end all wars that would make the world safe for democracy.” Before the US entered the war, they were an important supplier to Great Britain and other Allied Powers. Today, we will be talking about the history behind common US military guns used in WW1 and the typical gear a soldier carried.
WW1 Guns
The M1903 Springfield was adopted as a United States military bolt-action rifle on June 19, 1903. It is an American made five-round magazine fed, bolt-action service repeating rifle and was issued as a standard infantry rifle. The M1903 Springfield remains popular today as a civilian firearm and used in competitive shooting and military drills. As a sidearm, the Smith & Wesson 10 was used in WW1 in large numbers as it proved to be highly reliable and accurate. The model 10 is a six-shot, .38 Special, double-action revolver with fixed sights. It was the most popular handgun of the 20th century. The M1917 Browning machine gun is a heavy machine gun used by the US in WW1, WW2 and Korea. It was a crew served, belt-fed, water-cooled machine gun that was often mounted on vehicles. Also because of its reliability, the Army adopted the weapon as it principal heavy machine gun (during its testing it fired continuously for 48 minutes and 12 seconds shooting over 21,000 rounds). The Browning Automatic 5 is a recoil-operated semi-automatic shotgun. It was the first mass produced semi-automatic shotgun and remained in production until 1998. The shotgun was used in WW1 through the Vietnam War and the distinctive high rear end of the gun earned it the nickname “Humpback.”
WW1 US Infantry Soldier Gear
A soldier’s gear continued to become heavier over the years. During WW1, a typical US soldier would carry at least 60 pounds worth of gear. Items included: a haversack, spiral puttees (leg wraps), service boots, steel helmet, gas mask with a carrier, aluminum canteen, shaving kit, cotton towel, emergency ration (usually oatmeal and cocoa), utensils, M1903 Springfield rifle, ammunition, bayonet, grenade belt and a first aid pouch.
Do You Have Any WW1 Guns?
There were many additional guns used in WW1 beyond the common issued ones. Some were produced only for a short amount of time and were replaced by superior models or a different brand all together. All WW1 guns hold a place in history that we find fascinating here at D4 Guns. We’re a small team of firearms curator’s on the hunt for the “good stuff” that sometimes can only be found in the gun safes of collectors and enthusiasts from days gone by. We scour the United States for vintage firearms, sometimes saving them from destruction to keep their heritage alive and pass them down to the next generation. Check out our collectibles page and give us a call at 775-636-9594 as we have a diverse catalog of firearms to choose from.