I recently had a long chit chat the other day with Steve, our neighbor. Steve is an ex-military trooper, an excellent rifle marksman, rapid-fire pistol shooter and hand-to-hand combat fighter who has seen a lot of front-line action in Mindanao. We reminisced a lot about the M1 Garand, issued by the Springfield Armory (first production in the early 1930s) and used throughout WWII. Man, I remember all the stiff shoulders you would get from firing that so lovable weapon. It is one of the best sniper rifles ever designed, and I remember trying to pick off targets at 100 yards (effective range at 400 yards, and full range can go as far as 800 yards). Everyone starts off with an M1 Garand; during our ROTC days, we were taught to treat it as we would our wives. For a whole 2 years, I had it with me for 4 hours every Saturday, and sometimes on Sundays as well (drill practice). You had to be fast in order to get that clip inside, otherwise your thumb could get caught in the bolt action. I love that rifle and if I could just get my hands on one... surely nowadays a collector's item!
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