“Tag: World War II”

At the turn of the last century, Colt and Smith & Wesson were the two most prolific American revolver manufacturers. Both were vying for the military and civilian markets that clamored for the newly developed .38 Spl. cartridge.

For me, one of the many bonuses of this gunwriter business has been the opportunity to meet and become friends with a number of the firearm enthusiasts of an earlier generation; legendary figures such as Frank Hamer Jr., Bill Jordan, Bill Toney, Col Walter Walsh and the subject of this column: COL Rex Applegate.

In the dark hours before dawn on the 17th of August, 1942, two U.S. Navy submarines cautiously surfaced off a darkened island in the Pacific Ocean. U.S. involvement in World War II was barely six months old, and things had not gone well for America.

The United States was the only country to provide a semi-automatic rifle as standard issue to its military forces from the onset of the war. In excess of five million M1 Garands were produced between 1936 and 1945.

While purpose-built, modern firearms are all the rage for personal protection, don’t discount that old World War II gun for home defense.

Sometimes, what looks like a great idea on paper turns out to be not-so-great in the field. Such was the case with the Reising Submachine Gun, chambered in .45 ACP.

While the M1 Garand gets the most accolades for its service in World War II, M1903 bolt-action rifles made by Remington also served our forces well.

Being salty isn’t always a bad thing.

Planning for war requires more than the production of weapons and munitions. Here's the story of the Purple Heart, an award with a long, storied tradition in America.