The Wilmington morning star., 1940-03-23
Cavalry, Marine Corps Find
Flaws In New Garand Rifle
BY REG INGRAHAM

WASHINGTON, March 22-CR-
A growing controversy over the
army's new semi-automatic rifle,
now the subject Of a secret study
by a house committee, broke into
the open today with statements that
both the cavalry and marine corps
have found flaws in it.
The National Rifle association
made public an editorial from the
forthcoming issue of it's magazine,
the American Rifleman, asserting
there was a division of opinion with
in the army both as to the wisdom
Of adopting any semi-automatic rifle
for general issue to the troops and
specifically as to the practicability
Of the new Garand rifle as a battle
weapon.
LAS a result Of experience in the
field the cavalry board has already
felt it advisable to undertake ex-
periments to improve the methods
OF l~ubricating the rifle and to de-
velop a protecting breech cover"
the editorial said, while the marine
corps is working on a modification
of the front sight"
A spokesman for the association
said the cavalry has been using the
Garand on the Mexican border and
found that it sanded up badly. 1t
was explained that the mechanism
of the weapon requires careful lu-
IRRIGATION with graphite and that
sand readily sticks to the lubricant.
On hearing of this, the office of
the chief of cavalry issued a state.
ment saying:
THE rifles with which the cavalry
board initially experienced minor
difficulties in fabrication were of an
early manufacture G936). They
were ordered turned in and are be.
ing replaced by a later model.
almost always changes based on
actual u-e are made to correct
minor defects after tie initial issue
OF a new small arms weapon.
"Of course it will be understood
that the prevalence of sand on the
border Is a constant sourc of con-
cern in the care and functioning of
any small arm. Therefore the cues
ton of fabrication of small arms is
one which the cavalry board con-
stantly studies."
because of the undercurrent of
criticism of the rifle, adopted by the
infantry board as the army's of.
rlc1al shoulder weapon but not vet
IN the hands of all troops, the house
military appropriations subcommit-
tee has been giving the matter ex.
haustive study behind closed doors.
Inc committees findings will be
made public when the army appro.
prlatlon bill for the coming fiscal
year is reported to the house.
The editorial said that because of
the relatively poorer accuracy of
the Garand, compared with the
Springfield rifle, the marine corns
mad materially lowered'' its quail.
tication scores in order to maintain
tne morale of enlisted men" by en-.
aollng them to qualify and thereby
become eligible for certain nav and
other benefits.
Commenting on this, marine corns
OFFICIALS said there had been no
oranges in qualifications for marks.
nianshlp for years, since before the
ara rifle was adopted.
asserting the time had come for
racing the facts in the issue in a
friendly, frank. constructive man.
ner,' the editorial continued:
Unfortunately there have al.
ready been injected angles of propa.
bad temper and an unwa--
ranted fear of offending the higher.
ups which are dangerous, uneces
sary and undesirable from the
standpoint Of constructive accom-.