WWII rifles and handguns? Got pics?

Discussion in 'Weapons, Technology & Equipment' started by Jay5oh, Mar 27, 2007.

  1. Jay5oh

    Jay5oh Junior Member

    How about some rifle and handgun pics?

    Here is all I have:

    M1 Garand

    [​IMG]
     
  2. PearlJamNoCode

    PearlJamNoCode Senior Member

    Don't have any pics, but what a beautiful rifle that is.
     
  3. Jay5oh

    Jay5oh Junior Member

    Thank you.
     
  4. kfz

    kfz Very Senior Member

    is it your rifle Jay?

    Kev
     
  5. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    Do ex-guns that aren't rifles or handguns count? I might just take a pic of Brenda.
     
  6. Jay5oh

    Jay5oh Junior Member

    is it your rifle Jay?

    Kev


    Yes, just got it a few weeks ago.

    Von Poop, post em up :)
     
  7. kfz

    kfz Very Senior Member

    Do you have some history?
     
  8. jacobtowne

    jacobtowne Senior Member

    Nice Garand, Jay. Who was the maker? With that and the SN, you should be able to determine the year of manufacture.

    That wooden ammo crate is something I've never seen, although I've a couple of the old Spam cans that I think were made during the war. I believe that the TW stamp on the crate is Twin Cities Ordnance Plant.

    JT
     
  9. Jay5oh

    Jay5oh Junior Member

    Do you have some history?

    It was one the US loaned to Denmark. It as used by the Danish Navy as evidenced by the anchor on the rear sight cover. Or so I'm told anyway. Thats about it. There is a sticker on the left side of the butt with a name on it. I can't really make out the name but I'd really like to be able to find the person who's name is on it.
     
  10. Jay5oh

    Jay5oh Junior Member

    Nice Garand, Jay. Who was the maker? With that and the SN, you should be able to determine the year of manufacture.

    That wooden ammo crate is something I've never seen, although I've a couple of the old Spam cans that I think were made during the war. I believe that the TW stamp on the crate is Twin Cities Ordnance Plant.

    JT

    It's a springfield, wish it was a winchester. The SN on the receiver dates it to Dec of '43.

    The ammo box I've had since I was a kid, don't know much about it other than it's pretty cool :D
     
  11. kfz

    kfz Very Senior Member

    Cant say I know a great deal about the Danish Navy, How interesting what happened to the Danish Navy in 1943?? And how Come they ended up with such decent firearms, supplied under lend lease I take it??

    Kev
     
  12. Jay5oh

    Jay5oh Junior Member

    Danish M1

    Brief Danish Garand History
    Posted by: Mike Gingher
    The Danish M1s were U.S. M1s Springfields or Winchesters, mostly WWII production that went to Denmark after the War. They were not "Lend Lease" because Denmark was occupied during the War. There were two distinct groups of rifles, one lot of approximately 20,000 were loaned to the Danes and the other lot of possibly 40,000 were purchased by Denmark. The rifles that the CMP has are of the first lot. Since these rifles were on loan to Denmark the Danes simply gave them back. The kits that are advertised are coming out of Canada, a Danish Import/Export Co. called Top Mark purchased all the remaining rifles, U.S. made, Beretta and Breda. Topmark sold them to a Canadian company that stripped the parts for sale in the U.S. Unlike the Brits the Danes did not stamp proof and acceptance marks all over the rifles and since the rifles were not imported there are no import marks. The only marks the Danes used were the anchor and three or four digit number (possibly five) on the sight cover (Navy Issue), and stamped serial number of the rifle on the bottom area of the stock above the toe. The rifles may have a mixture of U.S., PB (Beretta), BMB (Breda) parts and VAR (Danish) barrels. There are three definite groups of barrel and receiver combinations.
    1. The barrel date and serial number of the receiver match.
    2. The barrel date is from the Springfield rebuild period after WWII. A lot of the barrels are stamped XX-47 (various months.)
    3. The VAR barrels are Danish made and most of them have barrel dates in the 1965 range and many of these appear to have been installed on the receivers before the rifles went into storage. (good breach bore readings.) Note: I have also seen on some barrels with a 51-52 year date, I do not know if spare barrels were sent to Denmark or if some rifles were sent there in the 1950's. The stocks are well used and are a mix of U.S. and Danish wood. Some of the U.S. stocks are original and have cartouches of WWII vintage. Many of the rifles with Danish wood had U.S. walnut or birch hand guards.
    Barrel Markings
    • VAR - with a crown above it stands for Vaabenarsenalet, meaning Arms Arsenal, closed 1970 (sound familiar), three or four digit number with hyphen in center example 2-65 production month and year just like the U.S. used.
    • HTK - Haerens Tekniske Korps (ArmyTechnical Corps)
    • FKF - Forsvarets Krigsmaterial Forvaltning (Defence Warmateriel Administration)
    • HMAK - Haerens Materiel Kommando (Army Materiel Command)
    The Danish army put the M1 into service as the G M/50. Gevaer Model 1950 (1950-model rifle). This would indicate that Denmark received their first shipment of M1's sometime in 1950. The Italian designation was 'Rifle Model 1951' indicating it's year of adoption in Italy.
    In 1952, the privately owned Italian firm Beretta was chosen by NATO as the new offshore European producer of new M1's and spare parts for the NATO countries. Ex-Winchester machinery was provided to Beretta from the U.S. Breda, then state-owned enterprise, was also brought into M1 production for the Italian army.
    In the mid 50's Denmark bought a quantity of Beretta and Breda rifles from Italy.
    Sometime in the 60's, Denmark manufactured their own barrels (VAR) also manufactured their own stocks, slings, and possibly bayonets for the M1.
    The M1 was in service with the Danish military from 1950 to the early 90's. Consequently, these rifles would have been re-built, refinished and parts replace in the last 40 years. This would explain the mixture of U.S., Italian and Danish parts now found in these rifles or their parts kits.
    Information as to the numbers of rifles acquired by Denmark from the U.S. and Italy is not known.
     
  13. Herroberst

    Herroberst Senior Member

    Have you taken it to the range?
     
  14. Jay5oh

    Jay5oh Junior Member

    Yes, about 3 trips. Shoots pretty good :D
     
  15. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    This is Brenda, She's 66 years old and Canadian, (from Inglis). She also seems to have spent some time in Greece?..
    Her vital statistics are:

    Bren Light Machine gun Mk 1,
    Calibre----------------- .303
    System of operation----- Gas, Selective fire
    Overall length---------- 45 inches
    Barrel length----------- 25 inches
    Feed device------------- 30 Round Box magazine,
    Muzzle Velocity--------- 2440 feet per second
    Cyclic rate------------- 500 rounds per minute
    Weight ----------- 22.2 pounds

    But sadly she's not a goer anymore following traumatic surgery to her insides in the 90's.
    You will note, she has a large chest.
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
     
  16. kfz

    kfz Very Senior Member

    Danish M1

    Brief Danish Garand History
    Posted by: Mike Gingher
    The Danish M1s were U.S. M1s Springfields or Winchesters, mostly WWII production that went to Denmark after the War. They were not "Lend Lease" because Denmark was occupied during the War. There were two distinct groups of rifles, one lot of approximately 20,000 were loaned to the Danes and the other lot of possibly 40,000 were purchased by Denmark. The rifles that the CMP has are of the first lot. Since these rifles were on loan to Denmark the Danes simply gave them back. The kits that are advertised are coming out of Canada, a Danish Import/Export Co. called Top Mark purchased all the remaining rifles, U.S. made, Beretta and Breda. Topmark sold them to a Canadian company that stripped the parts for sale in the U.S. Unlike the Brits the Danes did not stamp proof and acceptance marks all over the rifles and since the rifles were not imported there are no import marks. The only marks the Danes used were the anchor and three or four digit number (possibly five) on the sight cover (Navy Issue), and stamped serial number of the rifle on the bottom area of the stock above the toe. The rifles may have a mixture of U.S., PB (Beretta), BMB (Breda) parts and VAR (Danish) barrels. There are three definite groups of barrel and receiver combinations.
    1. The barrel date and serial number of the receiver match.
    2. The barrel date is from the Springfield rebuild period after WWII. A lot of the barrels are stamped XX-47 (various months.)
    3. The VAR barrels are Danish made and most of them have barrel dates in the 1965 range and many of these appear to have been installed on the receivers before the rifles went into storage. (good breach bore readings.) Note: I have also seen on some barrels with a 51-52 year date, I do not know if spare barrels were sent to Denmark or if some rifles were sent there in the 1950's. The stocks are well used and are a mix of U.S. and Danish wood. Some of the U.S. stocks are original and have cartouches of WWII vintage. Many of the rifles with Danish wood had U.S. walnut or birch hand guards.
    Barrel Markings
    • VAR - with a crown above it stands for Vaabenarsenalet, meaning Arms Arsenal, closed 1970 (sound familiar), three or four digit number with hyphen in center example 2-65 production month and year just like the U.S. used.
    • HTK - Haerens Tekniske Korps (ArmyTechnical Corps)
    • FKF - Forsvarets Krigsmaterial Forvaltning (Defence Warmateriel Administration)
    • HMAK - Haerens Materiel Kommando (Army Materiel Command)
    The Danish army put the M1 into service as the G M/50. Gevaer Model 1950 (1950-model rifle). This would indicate that Denmark received their first shipment of M1's sometime in 1950. The Italian designation was 'Rifle Model 1951' indicating it's year of adoption in Italy.
    In 1952, the privately owned Italian firm Beretta was chosen by NATO as the new offshore European producer of new M1's and spare parts for the NATO countries. Ex-Winchester machinery was provided to Beretta from the U.S. Breda, then state-owned enterprise, was also brought into M1 production for the Italian army.
    In the mid 50's Denmark bought a quantity of Beretta and Breda rifles from Italy.
    Sometime in the 60's, Denmark manufactured their own barrels (VAR) also manufactured their own stocks, slings, and possibly bayonets for the M1.
    The M1 was in service with the Danish military from 1950 to the early 90's. Consequently, these rifles would have been re-built, refinished and parts replace in the last 40 years. This would explain the mixture of U.S., Italian and Danish parts now found in these rifles or their parts kits.

    Information as to the numbers of rifles acquired by Denmark from the U.S. and Italy is not known.


    Great stuff, Well she certinally looks well looked after.
     
  17. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Adam,
    Do you and Brenda often spend time on the settee together?
     
  18. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    It's a spare room, the downstairs has too many windows & the Gun-oil's hard to get out of the sofa. ;)
     
  19. PearlJamNoCode

    PearlJamNoCode Senior Member

    I'll try to get a picture of my grandfather's 1917 Luger.
     
  20. Jay5oh

    Jay5oh Junior Member

    Von, that is a whole lot of cool sitting there.
     

Share This Page