World War II U.S. Army M1903 Rifle

World War II U.S. Army M1903 rifle: a classic imitation Mauser rifle

During the two world wars, the development of light weapons is also worthy of attention. The U.S. military's small arms factories are mainly Springfield Arms Factory. This arms factory was established at the end of the 19th century and was not closed until 1968. It was responsible for the development of the M1903 rifle, the main small weapon of the US military during World War I and World War II.

Before the birth of this rifle, the main light weapons used by the US military were the M1873. Its structure was very simple, and it did not even have a magazine. Soldiers could only fire one round and load one round when using it. , it is easy to lose the firepower initiative on the battlefield. During the Spanish-American War, Spain had already equipped the more advanced Mauser M1893.

In order to win the war, the US military could only urgently purchase a batch of Krag-Jorgensen rifles from Norway, and only then did it win the Spanish-American War. In order to update the light weapons in the hands of the US military as soon as possible, the Springfield Military Factory directly decided to imitate the Mauser rifle. The designer combined the design advantages of the Mauser 1893 and Krag-Jorgensen to create the Springfield-M1901 rifle, and then developed the final M1903 model.

In the eyes of scholars, although this M1903 model adopts many aspects of design, it should still be regarded as an improved firearm of the Mauser Model 98. Mauser believed that its patent rights had been infringed, so it took Springfield to court with a complaint. In the end, Springfield had to pay a certain copyright fee.

Just when Springfield felt in a dilemma, World War I ended with Germany's defeat, and the copyright fee was naturally written off.

The performance of the M1903 model is superior. It is durable and sturdy, suitable for various environments, and its shooting accuracy and operability are very satisfactory. This small weapon has produced several improved models, and was even widely used by the U.S. military during World War II.