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Picture of Ace31
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quote:
Originally posted by sigfreund:
When North Vietnam stepped up their assault on the South after the US picked up our ball and went home despite being points ahead, the RVN begged for the support that the US had pledged to give if that happened. No aid was forthcoming. The reasons for the loss of those weapons to the Communists was every bit as bad as what happened in Afghanistan, if not worse—at least in principle, if not degree.

I recommend the book Black April: The Fall of South Vietnam, 1973-75 by George J. Veith.


Quite sad, as is the history with our politicians and "the agency". Once you outlive your usefulness. You are thrown to the wolves.
 
Posts: 2195 | Location: Wherever the voices in my head tell me to go | Registered: April 08, 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Especially during WWII lots of non gun companies produced massive amounts of armament in some case more than the traditional arms makers themselves

For example Remington Rand made more 1911A1’s than almost all other contractors including colt combined, and got an award for top notch quality control.
With M1 carbines, the company that designed the gun, Winchester made far fewer than a number of the other contractors. Just referring to carbines, some companies that were non gun companies that made them
National postal meter
Rock-ola ( typically made juke boxes)
Saginaw steering gear
Inland division of General Motors
IBM ( adding machines at the time)
( not an all inclusive list)
1903-A3 smith corona typewriter

M16A1’s were predominantly colt, but also GM- Hydramatic and H&R as well.
Back during WWI New England Westinghouse made M1891’s for Russia
My clawson “big book” lists all sorts of contractors who were initially contracted to produce 1911’s in WWI and A1’s in WWII but didn’t get production going for whatever reason
 
Posts: 3402 | Location: Finally free in AZ! | Registered: February 14, 2003Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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quote:
Originally posted by 12131:
His name is probably on The Wall. Frown
You are most likely correct.
 
Posts: 99 | Location: Louisiana | Registered: July 26, 2020Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Hop head
Picture of lyman
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by captain127:
Especially during WWII lots of non gun companies produced massive amounts of armament in some case more than the traditional arms makers themselves

For example Remington Rand made more 1911A1’s than almost all other contractors including colt combined, and got an award for top notch quality control.
With M1 carbines, the company that designed the gun, Winchester made far fewer than a number of the other contractors. Just referring to carbines, some companies that were non gun companies that made them
National postal meter
Rock-ola ( typically made juke boxes)
Saginaw steering gear
Inland division of General Motors
IBM ( adding machines at the time)
( not an all inclusive list)
1903-A3 smith corona typewriter

M16A1’s were predominantly colt, but also GM- Hydramatic and H&R as well.
Back during WWI New England Westinghouse made M1891’s for Russia
My clawson “big book” lists all sorts of contractors who were initially contracted to produce 1911’s in WWI and A1’s in WWII but didn’t get production going for whatever reason



Royal Typewriter made 1918's (BAR)

AC sparkplug made M2 50 cal,

Saginaw took over the IP plant, so you had Saginaw produciton and Saginaw Gear (S,G,) carbines,

and lots more,



https://chandlersfirearms.com/chesterfield-armament/
 
Posts: 10619 | Location: Beach VA,not VA Beach | Registered: July 17, 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Fighting the good fight
Picture of RogueJSK
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In addition to M1 Carbines, IBM also made Browning Automatic Rifles during WW2.

Underwood (a typewriter company) made M1 Carbines as well.

International Harvester (the truck and tractor company) made 337k M1 Garands during the Korean War era.

Singer (the sewing machine company) made a small run of ~500 M1911A1s during WW2, and Union Switch and Signal (a railroad signal manufacturer) made around 50k.

Baldwin Locomotive Works (a train manufacturer) first made artillery shells and P14 rifles at their Eddystone plant for the Brits during WW1, and later switched to making M1917 rifles for the US military after we entered the war, before returning to making locomotives after WW1 ended.

Etc.


Here's a good overview from Gun Jesus of how this approach of contracting with non-gun companies to make guns during wartime worked:

 
Posts: 33213 | Location: Northwest Arkansas | Registered: January 06, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Frangas non Flectes
Picture of P220 Smudge
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quote:
Originally posted by RogueJSK:
Underwood (a typewriter company) made M1 Carbines as well.


A lot of folks will hear "Remington-Rand" and think "Remington" as in firearms, but Remington-Rand was a typewriter company at the time, too.


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Carthago delenda est
 
Posts: 17763 | Location: Sonoran Desert | Registered: February 10, 2011Reply With QuoteReport This Post
fugitive from reality
Picture of SgtGold
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Don't forget about the Saginaw division M1 carbines.

quote:
Originally posted by P220 Smudge:
quote:
Originally posted by RogueJSK:
For small arms specifically, during WW2 they produced over 2.7 million M1 and M2 carbines


Yep, the Inland Division. More M1 carbines produced than any other manufacturer, including all the M1A1's if memory serves. I have a '44 Inland.


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'I'm pretty fly for a white guy'.

 
Posts: 7110 | Location: Newyorkistan | Registered: March 28, 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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quote:
Originally posted by P220 Smudge:

A lot of folks will hear "Remington-Rand" and think "Remington" as in firearms, but Remington-Rand was a typewriter company at the time, too.


Smith-Corona was another typewriter maker, all the plants S of Syracuse (where I grew up) closed 30+ years ago. I read the company made M1 Garands during WWII, but I do not know where.
 
Posts: 16043 | Location: Eastern Iowa | Registered: May 21, 2000Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Fighting the good fight
Picture of RogueJSK
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quote:
Originally posted by Sigmund:
Smith-Corona was another typewriter maker, all the plants S of Syracuse (where I grew up) closed 30+ years ago. I read the company made M1 Garands during WWII, but I do not know where.


Smith-Corona made ~250k M1903A3 rifles, but no Garands. These 03A3s were made at their main typewriter factory in Syracuse.

USGI Garands were only made by Springfield, Winchester, Harrington Richardson, and International Harvester.

(There were a few other companies that also made Garands over the years after WW2, just not for US military use, including Beretta in the late 1950s and early 60s for NATO militaries like Italy and Denmark, plus several companies that made Garands strictly for commercial sales on the civilian market.)
 
Posts: 33213 | Location: Northwest Arkansas | Registered: January 06, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Frangas non Flectes
Picture of P220 Smudge
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by RogueJSK:
USGI Garands were only made by Springfield, Winchester, Harrington Richardson, and International Harvester.


And of these, only Springfield Armory and Winchester during WWII, the others were post-war. The Korean-era manufacturers, I've heard it said by a collector I trust on this, none of those rifles actually ever made it to Korea in any sort of numbers that count, if any. The M1's that fought in Korea were almost all WWII surplus.


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Carthago delenda est
 
Posts: 17763 | Location: Sonoran Desert | Registered: February 10, 2011Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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