American Gun: A History of the U.S. In Ten Firearms

  One of the first companies to use the bullet: www.lapua.com/en/story-of--338-lapua-magnum.html.

  Chapter 6: The M1911 Pistol

  “Beyond a doubt”: NRA Staff, AR’s Top 10 Handguns, http://www.americanrifleman.org.

  Details of Alvin York episode are from Alvin York, Sergeant York, His Own Life Story and War Diary (1928); David D. Lee, Sergeant York: An American Hero (1985); Sam Cowan, Sergeant York and His People (1922); and John Perry, Sergeant York, His Life, Legend & Legacy (1997).

  “It fits the hand like a trusted tool”: Brian Sheetz’s Top 10 Handguns, http://www.americanrifleman.org.

  “The cavalry doctrine of those days”: Eduardo Lachica, “The Cavalry is Gone,” Wall Street Journal, June 20, 1984.

  “the Colt is superior”: “The .45 Automatic,” American Rifleman, March 20, 1911, cited in Charles Bennett, “The 1911,” Law Enforcement Technology, August 1, 2012.

  “To say he was the Edison”: Scott S. Smith, “John Browning’s Guns Hit The Bull’s-Eye,” Investor’s Business Daily, December 13, 2010.

  “Make it strong enough—then double it”: Anthony Smith, Machine Gun (2003), p. 260.

  John M. Browning, American Gunmaker by John Browning & Curt Gentry, 1964, gave insight into Browning and his inventions.

  Chapter 7: The Thompson Submachine Gun

  Attack on Al Capone in Cicero: Laurence Bergreen, Capone: The Man and the Era (1996), pp. 205–6.

  “I am just a businessman”: Selwyn Raab, Five Families (2007), p. 42.

  “I saw this gun myself”: Robert V. Bruce, Lincoln and the Tools of War (1956), p. 120.

  “Give them grape”: C. J. Chivers, The Gun (2010), p. 32.

  “Hang your chemistry”: John Ellis, The Social History of the Machine Gun, (1975), p. 34.

  John Dillinger detail: Mark Holtz, Public Enemy #1, (2013).

  “He liked to amuse bank customers”: Allen Barra, “A Gangster With Star Appeal,” Wall Street Journal, June 25, 2009.

  “He had a baby face”: Bryan Burrough, Public Enemies (2004), pp. 102–3.

  “Stupid son of a bitch”: Steven Nickel, William J. Helmer, Baby Face Nelson (2002), p. 173.

  “I got one of them!”: Jay Robert Nash, Bloodletters and Badmen (1995), p. 212.

  “I know who you are!”, “Nelson calmly aimed a machine gun”: Massad Ayoob, “Learning from a Cop-killer,” American Handgunner, July 2007.

  “It was just like Jimmy Cagney”: Nickel and Helmer, Baby Face Nelson, p. 337.

  “finally reaching the point”: J. Edgar Hoover, Persons in Hiding (1938), p. 149.

  Willie Sutton quotes: Willie Sutton, Edward Linn, Where the Money Was (2004).

  “It was the perfect weapon”: Mark Keefe, The Echo of the Thompson Gun, September 21, 2012, www.americanrifleman.org

  Details of Thompson’s company and the gun’s development: Martin Pegler, The Thompson Submachine Gun, (2010). Additional information on the background of machine gun development was drawn from John Ellis, The Social History of the Machine Gun.

  “Summers is a legend”: Stephen E. Ambrose, D-Day: June 6, 1944 (1994), p. 299.

  Chapter 8: The M1 Garand

  Franklin Koons at Dieppe: The account of Franklin Koons and the other action at Dieppe, France is based on Rangers at Dieppe, Jim DeFelice (2008), especially pp 116, 146, 153–8, 224.

  Garand was not the first person to think of the idea: See some of the discussion, and how Garand’s machine gun worked, in Julian S. Hatcher, Book of the Garand (2012).

  The U.S. Army produced an excellent film detailing the inner workings of an M1 Garand: M1 Garand—Principles of Operation, which is available on YouTube. Additional information on the Garand was drawn from the Army field manual for the weapon, “FM 23–5.”

  “In my opinion the M1 rifle”: Jim Supica, Guns (2005), p. 186.

  “one weapon that outgunned”: William H. Hallahan, Misfire (1994), p. 390.

  Fetched ammo: See “Battle for Henderson Field,” article posted at Raritan-online.com: http://www.raritan-online.com/jb-henderson-field.htm. Basilone came from Raritan, N.J., which continues to honor his memory.

  “You’ll probably get yours”: Leroy Thompson, The M1 Garand (2012), p. 55.

  “Guadalcanal is no longer”: Robert Leckie, Challenge for the Pacific (1965). P. viii.

  “The most amazing thing about that M1”: Mark G. Goodwin, U.S. Infantry Weapons in Combat, http://www.scott-duff.com.

  Battle of the Bulge detail: Martin K.A. Morgan, “The Men & Guns of the Battle of the Bulge,” http://www.americanrifleman.org; Gregory Orfalea, Messengers of the Lost Battalion (2010). Joe Cicchinelli’s memories of his war service are collected in an oral history collection online at http://www.joecicchinelli.com/home.htm.

  M1 in Korea: Bruce Canfield, Arms of the Chosin Few, http://www.americanrifleman.org.

  “bunk”: Springfield (Mass.) Daily News, March 19, 1963.

  Chapter 9: The .38 Special Police Revolver

  Attack on Blair House: Stephen Hunter and John Bainbridge Jr., American Gunfight: The Plot to Kill Harry Truman—and the Shoot-out That Stopped It (2005).

  Valuable background for this chapter was provided by Massad Ayoob, Massad Ayoob’s Greatest Handguns of the World (2010).

  “As a personal defense weapon”: ibid., p. 68.

  “at a time when full power”: Jim Supica, Guns (2005), p. 31.

  “This was smart”: “How the Glock Became America’s Weapon of Choice,” Fresh Air, National Public Radio, January 24, 2012.

  Some information regarding the different pistols and their offerings is drawn from the catalogs of Smith & Wesson and Colt. Both companies also offer brief accounts of their history on the websites. General information on Smith & Wesson .38 Special revolvers was drawn from The History of Smith and Wesson Firearms by Dean Boorman. In addition, Patrick Sweeney’s Gunsmithing Pistols & Revolvers, 3rd Edition (1986), was very useful for understanding the evolution of some of the weapons. Some information on the Glock 17 is from the “Glock Instruction for Use” manual, and the Glock catalog.

  Chapter 10: The M16 Rifle

  “Brave soldiers and the M16”: Russell W. Glenn, Reading Athena’s Dance Card (2000), p. 172.

  Ia Drang battle details are drawn extensively from Harold G. Moore, Joseph L. Galloway, We Were Soldiers Once . . . and Young (1992); and also from The Battle of Ia Drang Valley, 1965, a documentary by CBS News that is available on YouTube.

  “What we fear most”: Popular Science, August 1967, p. 70.

  Information on the early political struggles and development of the AR-15/ M16 is drawn from American Rifle: a Biography by Alexander Rose.

  Details of events of March 20, 2005 involving Leigh Ann Hester and her colleagues are from contemporaneous press accounts, especially: Steve Fainaru, “The Everyday Heroics of a Woman in Combat,” New York Sun, June 27, 2005; Multinational Corps Iraq Public Affairs videotape of Hester interview with CBS reporter posted on YouTube titled “Sergeant Leigh Ann Hester—First female soldier to win Silver Star since WW2”; and Recon Intelligence Report, “Conspicuous Courage Under Fire, Part 4,” posted on YouTube.

  Technical data on the StG44 varies depending on source. These numbers here are from Ian V. Hogg and John Weeks, Military Small Arms of the 20th Century. There were a number of variations in the rifle family, which is one reason for the discrepancies.

  Additional information on ArmaLite and the improvements in the various M16/M4 models is drawn from “A Historical Review of ArmaLite: Edition of 4 January 2010,” available online at: http://www.armalite.com/images/Library/History.pdf; and Ian V. Hogg and John Weeks, Military Small Arms of the 20th Century (2000).

  Index

  The pagination of this electronic edition does not match the edition from which it was created. To locate a specific passage, please use your ebook reader’s search tools.

  NOTE: Bold page numbers refer to picture captions.

  accuracy

  of Colt Revolver
s, 68, 225

  evolution of firearms and, 32

  of Hawken rifles, 96, 98

  of LeClair customized weapon, 138–39

  of long rifles, 5–6

  of M1 Garands, 196, 199, 205, 214

  of M14 rifles, 210, 211, 241

  of M16 rifles, 241

  of Mk11 rifle, 251

  of muskets, 7

  of Remington Rolling Block rifle, 100–101

  rifling and, 3

  of Sharps Big 50, 98, 99

  of Sharps rifles, 44, 100–101

  of Spencer rifles, 40, 47

  of Springfield 1873 Trapdoor carbines, 103

  of Springfield M1903 rifles, 126

  of Tommy Gun, 168–69

  Accuracy International, 137, 138, 139

  ACP (Automatic Colt Pistol) cartridge, 153, 175–76

  Adobe Wall, Texas: Indian attack at, 99–100

  Afghanistan conflict, 162, 213, 249

  Air Force magazine: Baggett story in, 161

  Air Force, U.S.: assault rifles of, 238, 240

  AK assault rifles, 204, 209, 210, 238, 244, 247

  Alamo, Battles of the, 25, 26, 27, 29

  aluminum rifle, 238

  Ambrose, Stephen, 187

  American long rifles. See long rifles, American/Kentucky

  American Rifleman: top ten guns of all time named by, 149

  ammunition/bullets

  armor-piercing, 254

  for assault rifles, 237, 239–40

  blowback breech system and, 175

  for Colt 1851 Navy Revolver, 74

  for Colt Single-Action Army Revolver, 71

  for family of .38 caliber, 224

  hollow point, 228

  for long rifles, 8

  for M1 Garands, 195–96

  for Mausers, 123, 126

  Minié‚-ball, 32, 34

  for muskets, 7, 32

  Ordnance Corps decisions about, 123

  police department requirements for, 221–22

  post-Spanish-American War design of, 124

  in Revolutionary War era, 6

  for rifles, 32, 34

  Rocket ball, 35

  as same for rifle and revolver, 96

  size of, 126–27, 195, 228

  on Smith & Wesson M3 revolvers, 68

  “Spanish Hornets,” 116

  for Springfield M1903 rifles, 126, 137

  for 338 Lapua Magnum, 139

  for Tommy gun, 175–76, 184, 186

  for Winchester M70 rifle, 137

  for Winchesters, 91

  See also type of ammunition

  Antietam, Battle of, 45

  AR-1 assault rifles, 238

  Ar-5 assault rifles, 238

  Ar-10 assault rifles, 239–40, 274

  AR-15 assault rifles, 240–41, 251–52, 253, 254–55, 274. See also M16 rifles

  Argonne Forest (France), 143–46, 147–48

  Arisaka Type 99 (Japanese rifle), 196

  ArmaLite, 238–39, 240, 274

  Army M24 Sniper Weapon System, 137

  Army Ordanance Corps/Department, U.S., 121–23, 169, 174

  Army, U.S.

  AR-15s and, 240–41

  basic/official weapons of, 65, 151, 196

  Colt Revolvers/pistols for, 65, 68, 69, 71, 149, 151, 223

  and handgun face-off, 150–51

  Indian Wars and, 100

  M1 Garands and, 196, 202

  and M4 Carbines, 246

  M14 rifles for, 239, 241

  Maxim guns and, 173

  modification of Springfield 1873 Trapdoor carbines by, 102–3

  in Philippines, 149

  Rangers in, 192, 198–200, 201

  and Smith & Wesson revolvers, 68, 69

  Springfield M1903 rifles and, 269

  Tommy gun and, 176

  See also specific person, battle, or war

  arsenals, U.S., 121–23

  assault weapons

  ammunition for, 237, 239–40

  cartridges for, 239–40

  definition of, 237

  evolution of, 237–41

  German, 237

  scopes for, 238

  as standard military weapons, 236

  in Vietnam War, 236

  weight of, 237, 238

  See also specific manufacturer or model

  Atlanta, Battle of, 45

  aught-six. See Springfield M1903 rifles

  aught-three. See Springfield M1903 rifles

  Austin, Stephen, 60

  Auto-Ordnance Corporation, 175, 176, 178, 183–84

  automatic weapons, 55, 209. See also specific manufacturer or model

  Ayoob, Massad, 79, 157

  Baggett, Owen, 160–61

  Ball, Charles, 87–88

  “Banana Wars,” 157–58

  bank robberies, 85–93, 181, 183, 252, 254

  barrel

  aluminum, 238

  of AR-10 assault rifles, 239

  on carbines, 44, 248

  on Colt Revolvers, 58, 71, 224, 225

  and double-barreled shotguns, 80

  of Gatling guns, 171

  and gun-making in revolutionary America, 3

  of Hawken rifles, 96

  of long rifles, 3, 5, 6, 7

  of M4 Carbines, 248

  of M16 rifles, 246

  of Mk 12 Special Purpose Rifle, 251

  of muskets, 3

  of Sharps Big 50, 98

  of Sig Sauer 516s, 255

  of Springfield M1903 rifles, 126

  of Tommy gun, 184, 186

  Barrett, Paul, 230

  Basilone, John, 158

  Batraville, Benoit, 157

  Battle of the Bulge, 205–8

  bayonets, 8, 19, 21, 124, 126, 134, 208, 248, 274

  Bean, Roy, 69

  Beaufoy, Henry, 10

  Belleau Wood, Battle at, 128–29, 131–36, 135

  Bemis Heights, Battle of, 10

  Benet guns, 173

  Benet, Stephen Vincent, 123

  Bennet, T.G., 153

  Berchtesgaden, Germany, 208

  Berdan, Hiram, 43, 44

  Berry, Ben, 133

  Billy the Kid, 69

  bird guns, 24

  Birdzell, Donald, 216, 218

  Black Hawk Wars, 34

  black powder, 5, 6, 41, 61, 66, 106, 107, 116–17, 124, 147, 224, 259

  Black Rifle. See M16 Rifles

  Blakeslee cartridge box, 39

  blowback breech system, 175

  “blunderbuss” muskets, 24

  bolt-action weapons, 116, 123, 124, 137, 202. See also specific model

  Bradley, Omar, 136, 206

  Bragg, Braxton, 45

  breechloaders, 29, 42, 45, 48, 52, 54, 100, 122. See also specific model

  British

  Enfield muskets of, 33

  Koons medal from, 200

  Lee-Enfield rifles of, 201

  M1 Garands and, 200–201

  in Revolutionary War, 1–3, 8, 10–12, 13–16, 13, 18–23

  Revolutionary War era guns of, 7

  Tommy gun and, 184, 185

  Vickers guns and, 173

  in World War I, 128, 129

  Broadwell, Dick, 87, 90, 91

  “Brown Bess” musket, 7, 24

  Browning, Bruce W., 153, 155

  Browning, John Moses, 151, 152, 153, 154, 155, 156, 161, 173, 195

  Browning, John (son), 151–52

  Browning Auto-5 Shotgun, 153

  Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR), 153, 182, 186, 271

  Browning Hi Power pistol, 153

  Browning M2 machine gun, 153

  Browning M1900 pistol, 155

  Bruce, Robert, 53, 54

  buffalo hunting, 98–99, 100–101, 101

  Bull Run, Battles of, 41, 45

  Bullard, Robert Lee, 136

  bullets. See ammunition/bullets

  Burgoyne, John, 2, 3, 10–11, 12, 13

  Burma: M1911 in, 160

  Burnsides, Ambrose, 41

  caliber br />
  definition of, 6

  See also specific model

  California Highway Patrol: shootout with, 227, 228

  “California Joe” (aka Truman Head), 43

  Cannae, Battle of, 21–22

  cap and ball pistols, 61–62, 74

  caplocks. See percussion-cap guns

  Capone, Al, 165–66, 167, 168, 178

  carbines

  for cavalry, 24, 39, 44

  in Civil War, 44, 51, 52, 102

  during Civil War, 44, 51, 52

  on frontier, 44

  lightweight, 190

  rifles compared with, 44

  in Texas Wars, 24

  See also specific manufacturer or model

  Carlson, Evans Fordyce, 186

  Carlson’s Raiders: in World War II, 186

  Carson, Kit, 65–66

  Carter, Jimmy, 220

  cartridges

  ACP, 153, 175–76

  for assault rifles, 239–40

  black powder, 107, 116–17, 124

  for Chauchat machine guns, 174

  Colt Single-Action Army Revolver as first Colt pistol to use, 68

  copper, 35

  for hunting rifles, 99

  for M14 rifles, 210

  for M16 rifles, 245, 246

  metallic, 99

  for muskets, 7

  Pedersen’s design and, 195

  post-Spanish-American War design of, 124

  and redesign of Mausers, 123

  rimfire, 35, 40, 222, 266

  self-contained, 222

  for semi-automatic pistols, 228

  for Smith & Wesson .357, 228

  for Smith & Wesson M3 revolvers, 68

  smokeless, 107, 118, 124

  for Springfield M1903 rifles, 126, 127, 269

  for .338 guns, 139

  for Tommy gun, 175–76

  for “Union Repeating Gun,” 169

  for Volcanic repeating pistols and rifles, 222

  for Winchester M1873, 96, 106

  for Winchester Magnum, 137

  See also specific gun manufacturer or model

  Cassidy, Butch (aka Robert LeRoy Parker), 69, 71

  Catlin, Albertus Wright, 113, 128, 129, 132, 133

  cavalry

  carbines for, 24, 39, 44

  in Civil War, 39, 44, 47, 48–50

  handguns for, 58, 150

  at Little Bighorn, 102–6

  muskets used by, 7

  in Revolutionary War, 7, 19, 21

  Spencer Repeaters for, 55

  See also Rough Riders

  Cemetery Ridge, Battle of, 48

  Chancellorsville, Battle of, 54

  Charleville muskets, 7