The Legendary Rifle That Fought World War II

(via Popular Mechanics) In January 1945, just months before Germany’s unconditional surrender in World War Two, George S. Patton declared the M1 Garand as “the greatest battle implement ever devised.”The accolade is well-deserved. This semi-automatic rifle served U.S. troops in the fields of Northern France, Okinawa, the dry heat of Africa, and the  humidity of the Philippines. And in more ways than one, the M1 Garand helped win the bloodiest war in human history.