Arms Inventory

Weapons of 9th ID: The weaponry available to members within our unit is as follows:     In addition to the usual assortment of issue rifles like the M1 Garand, the M1903 Springfield, and the M1 Carbine, the weaponry in Easy Company's TO&E is the following:     3 - M1919A4/A6 .30 Cal Browning Machineguns     1 - M1918A3 Browning Automatic Rifle     1 - M1A1 Bazooka     1 - M2 60 MM Mortar     We also own 6 BC-611 Handy Talkie radios, 2 BC-1000 Walkie Talkie (backpack) radios, over a dozen EE-8 Field phones, Sound Powered phones, and vehicle mounted radios to provide our troops with adequite communications. Weapons of the WW2 GI:     The infantryman of WW2 were armed with a deadly array of modern weapons some of which they went to war with, others evolved out of the realities of combat. Make no mistake, these were killing arms, and the weaponry at the disposal of U.S. infantryman were some of the best in the world. As a reenactor, it is important for you to know what weapon to get, and this short guide will help you do that. In addition, not all WW2 era weapons are legal to own, or can only be owned with certain restriction. Rifle, Calibre .30, M1     The standard rifle of the U.S. Army when we went to war was the M1 rifle. Sometimes known as the Garand, the M1 rifle is a .30 calibre, gas operated, semi automatic, shoulder fired rifle, firing from an 8 round clip. General Patton himself described it as the "greatest battlefield implement ever devised". It was sturdy, accurate, and reliable. Its eight round clip and semi automatic fire gave American rifleman an edge over an enemy that predominantly used bolt action rifles. As the standard issue rifle for infantryman in WW2, this is the rifle to get. They are not cheap, and are going up in price every day, so don't sweat if you cannot afford to run out and buy one. These are legal to own in California, and require a blank firing attachment (BFA) to use at events. Rifle, Calibre .30, M1903, M1903A3, M1903A4     The M1903 rifles, popularly known as the Springfield, was the standard U.S. Army service rifle dating to before WW1. At the time WW2 began, the U.S. arsenals were unable to produce enough M1 rifles, and the M1903 was maintained in production through most of the war. They soldiered on in support units, as well as the weapon used to launch rifle grenades until the introduction of a grenade launcher capable of mounting to the M1. The Springfield is a reliable bolt-action rifle, with a 5 round clip, using the tried and true Mauser action. It was famed for its accuracy, and as such a sniper version was issued, one per platoon. This can sometimes be an acceptable allternative for rifleman to carry, especially in early war scenerios. It is also the preferred weapon for assistant squad leaders. Check with unit leadership before buying an '03 in favor of an M1, but if you're looking for a secondary weapon, an '03 is not a bad choice. M1 Carbine     The M1 carbine was designed as a "light rifle", in response to the perceived need for an intermediary weapon between the .45 caliber M1911A1 pistol issued to many rear echelon troops, and a full sized rifle. The M1 carbine proved a very popular weapon, being noted for its light weight, handiness, and large magazine capacity. Its only real drawback was the lack of stopping power from its .30 caliber pistol round. The M1 carbine was the most produced small arm in the U.S. arsenal (6.5 million produced), and was common in all theaters and services. In rifle companies, it was issued to officers and weapon crews primarilly. GIs were sometimes known to trade their heavier M1s for the lighter carbines, and while this is allowable at events, M1 rifles should be maintained as the standard.     M1 carbines are currently legal in California (their full auto brother the M2 carbine is not), however the 15 and 30 round magazines are not legal to purchase. Currently 10 round magazines are available. Rifle, Browning, Automatic, M1918A2     The Browning Automatic Rifle was the squad automatic weapon. Too big for an assault rifle, and not quite a light machine gun, the BAR was a very popular weapon with the GIs, if not ideal in its role. Introduced in WW1, it was the product of the famous firearms genius, John Moses Browning, and saw limited service at the end of WW1. By WW2 it was in wide service in the U.S. Army. A .30 caliber weapon, it had a 20 round box magazine, which limited its sustained rate of automatic fire. Every rifle squad had a single BAR, and from 1944 onward, the company had a pool of six BARs that could be distributed to the rifle platoons as the company commander saw fit, for a total of 15 BARs. Currently, a semi-automatic BAR is manufactured by Ohio Ordanance, and is legal to own in California. They are expensive, and complicated weapons, and not recommended for members new to firearm. As with the M1 carbine above, their 20 round magazines are not legal to buy in California. M1928 and M1A1 Thompson Submachinegun     The famous "Tommy Gun", this was the standard submachine gun for much of the war. Heavy, complicated, but firing the man stopping .45 caliber round, it was popular with most GIs. Two versions were issued, the older "gangster" version, the M1928, with both vertical forward grip and standard military grip, and the military issue M1A1. Both saw wide service with the U.S. Army and were a commodity at the front. The M1928 could use both large drum magazines, as well as 20 and 30 round stick magazines. The M1A1 could only use the stick magazines. Contrary to popular belief these weapons were not "officer and NCO only" weapons. Officers by TO&E were issued M1 carbines, and NCOs were issued M1 rifles. Instead, the company kept a pool of 6 submachine guns, and issued them out as needed. Sometimes this did result in leaders carrying them, other times not. Currently neither fully automatic nor semi-automatic versions of these weapons are legal to purchase in California without a Class 3 weapons license. M3 and M3A1 Submachine Gun     Nicknamed the "grease gun", for its resemblence to common automotive tool, the M3 SMG lacked the flair and fame of the Thompson, but it spat the same .45 caliber slugs, and did its job just as well. It was a simple and straight forward weapon, with no frills. It fired from a 30 round magazine, and had a collapsing wire stock. Currently neither fully automatic nor semi-automatic versions of this weapon is legal to purchase in California without a Class 3 weapons license. Light Machine Gun, .30 Caliber, M1919A4 and M1919A6     Another product of John Browning, these .30 caliber machine guns were the main support weapons in U.S. rifle companies throughout the war. Two machine guns were authorized per company, as part of a weapons platoon. They are air cooled guns that fire from a 250 round cloth belt, or a belt of disintegrating metal links. It had a slow rate of fire, and was very reliable. The M1919A4 fired from a tripod, and the M1919A6 fired from a bipod, with an attached shoulder stock, as well as other minor modifications. Currently semi-automatic versions of this weapon are legal to own in California. Machine Gun, .50 Caliber, M2 HB     The famous .50 caliber machine gun is yet another John Browning creation. It was a hard hitting weapon, firing .50 caliber slugs that could punch through concrete and personnel with ease. A WW2 rifle company possessed a single .50 caliber machine gun intended for anti-air defense, but more often used to supplement the companies two .30 caliber machine guns. Like the M1919 it fires from a belt, and has a slow, distinctive of fire. Currently weapons of .50 caliber are not legal in California. Pistol, Caliber .45, automatic, M1911A1     The M1911A1 .45 caliber pistol, often known as the Colt .45, was a rugged and popular pistol during WW2. Designed by John Browning, it had stopping power, a good rate of fire, and a 7 round clip, making it a handy sidearm on the battlefield. Despite the opinions of some, the .45 was not limited to officers and NCOs, as certain members of the company weapons platoon were issued .45s in lieu of rifles. Check with unit leadership before buying a pistol. M1911A1s are legal to own in California. MK2 Hand Grenade     We use rubber castings of the correct WWII era grenade. They really do come in handy, so pick up a few at an event sometime (usually about $10 a pop), but also be prepared to lose them. We do not used iron cast replicas or originals in the field as they are dangerous if thrown. REMEMBER, SAFETY FIRST Whenever you are not engaged in combat, your weapon must be cleared or have the safety engaged. In garrison, your weapon may not be loaded at any time.  Home