Knife, Trench, M3 with M8A1, M8 or M6 Scabbard
The M3 trench knife or fighting knife was a sturdy edged weapon issued to many troops in WWII including the airborne and the Army Rangers specifically. It was introduced in 1943 and made by nine different firms; some of the most common were Case, Camillus, Imperial, PAL, and Utica.The earlier M3 featured the M6 leather scabbard and it was quickly replaced and issued with the plastic M8. The M8 was further modified into the M8A1 with the addition of the standard M1910 metal belt hook. Post war variants and those scabbards used with M16 and M4 bayonets in Vietnam had a sheet-metal re-enforced tip. Rangers in the 5th Ranger Battalion preferred the M8/M8A1 scabbard 10 to 1 over the flimsy leather M6 scabbard that would fall apart after use and exposure. The M3 in the M8/M8A1 could be worn on the pistol belt; slipped in behind the M1916 leather holster to save space on the belt.

Other private purchase hunting knives, fighting knives and general purpose knives were also acquired by soldiers and carried frequently. Rather in packages sent from the home front or by private purchase; nearly all Rangers carried an edged weapon of some sort.

As a side note; the plastic scabbard M8 modified with the M1910 wire belt hanger is at times refereed to as the M8A1 by mistake and causes confusion. Many M8 scabbards were modified with the wire hanger in the field, as a refit, and/or with a protective metal tip on the end in the postwar years. Whatever the case may by; any scabbard marked "M8" is acceptable, but with the metal tip it is incorrect for WWII and therefore incorrect for our purpose.

(L to R) Knife, Fighting, Pal RH 36; Knife, Fighting, Modified, M1; Knife, Trench, M1918; & Brass Knuckles

The Pal RH 36 hunting knife was one of many civilian hunting knives donated to the Army or bought by soldiers prior to the use of the M3. The Pal Cutlery Co. bought out Remington Cutlery in the early 40's but carried on its range of hunting knives. The initials "RH" on the blade are for "Remington Hunting". The handle; like the M3; was made of pressed leather discs.

The modified "M1" fighting knife (middle) was nothing more than a cut down M1, M1942, or M1905 E1 bayonet with a re-ground tip. The locking latch was removed from the grip and the guard was ground down. The muzzle loop was also ground off and the scabbard shortened to the length of the blade. Typical length was around 5" but since these were mostly custom jobs it may vary. The particular model shown here had its origins as a M1905 16" bayonet and still bears the 1908 mfg date.

The "knuckle duster" or "trench duster" M1918 Trench Knife (right) was made during the First World War for the AEF by the French originally. US made versions followed. It was issued during the second World War until it was replaced with the new M3 and declared substitute standard. It featured a double edged stainless steel blade and a crimped sheet metal sheath. Versions of the M8 scabbard were also seen in use with the knuckle knife during WWII.

Brass knuckles were a small; handy bit of weaponry that were purchased privately by a few enterprising GI's and used effectively. They could be carried in a pocket; used when needed; and in some cases you could still fire a weapon with them on your hand. A useful piece for Rangers when on raids for prisoners or getting in close and personal with the enemy.

Bayonet, M1; and Bayonet M1905 E1

The M1 Bayonet was the standard short bayonet for the M1 Garand and M1903/1903A3 rifles during WWII. Introduced in March 1943 it featured a fuller that stopped short of the tip; unlike the shortened models. The release button was located at the base of the guard; opposite the muzzle loop. The scabbard was the plastic M7.

Bottom of the photo is the M1905 E1 bayonet. These were made from existing M1905 or M1942 16" bayonets. They were ground down to the standard 10" length with the tip on center. The fuller runs the full length of the blade. While the M1905 and M1942 16" bayonets continued to see use during WWII in un-cut form; the M1 and M1905 E1 bayonets were the standard issue after the spring of 1943.

Automatic Pistol, .45 Caliber, M1911 and M1911A1
(Ref. Field Manual 23-35)

Known as "The Equalizer" or simply "The forty-five," this weapon was a recoil-operated, magazine-fed automatic developed in 1911 by John Moses Browning for Colt.

The overall length of the pistol was 8.593 inches. Weight of the pistol with magazine was 2.437 pounds. The M1911 featured wooden "diamond" etched stocks, while the M1911A1 (pictured above) had all-plastic, brown checkered stocks. The M1911A1 (pictured) was an improved version of M1911 released in the 20's. It is distinguishable by the clearance cut in the frame for the trigger finger and the raised and knurled mainspring housing on the rear lower of the grip. Both served in WWII.

The approximate weight of the loaded magazine with 7 rounds of the standard ball ammo was 0.481 pounds. An 11 round "trench" magazine also existed and was fielded in very small numbers. At 25 yards, the velocity of the round was 788 feet per second with a striking energy of 317 foot-pounds. At 25 yards, the round would penetrate 6 inches of white pine. It was quite a man stopper and vastly out powered the 9mm luger para bellum pistols in use by the Germans. Rangers of all ranks could and would carry a sidearm whenever possible. It was not relegated to officers only.

Revolver, .45 Caliber, M1917
(Ref. Field Manual 23-35)

The M1917 revolver was produced during World War One to fill a gap in the availability of the M1911 .45 automatic pistol, then the standard U.S. Army sidearm. Colt and Remington were producing the M1911 at capacity, along with many other military arms, when the need for more pistols for World War I became urgent. Production of the M1911 could not meet all requirements, so orders were placed with both Colt and Smith & Wesson for a heavy frame revolver that would be compatible with the .45 ACP cartridge used by the M1911 automatic.

The revolvers chosen by the U.S. Army were the Colt New Service and the S&W Hand Ejector pistols, both being produced at the time for the British .455 Webley cartridge, to be modified for the .45 ACP. Designated the "United States Revolver, Caliber .45, M1917" for both weapons, Colt and S&W each delivered over 150,000 pistols to the U.S. Government.

The M1917 pistols were standard issue for all U.S. forces during World War I and up until WWII. The vastly greater number of troops and increased production of the M1911A1 automatic relegated the revolver to use mainly by Military Police and security personnel during the war. Some did find their way onto the front lines in the hands of officers and NCO's, and a notable number can be seen in use by troops in pre and early war years; especially amongst signal corps men. After WWII they were phased out, replaced by the M1911A1 in most roles.

The revolver held 6 rounds of .45 ACP ammunition in 2 half-moon clips (3 rounds each). The clips accounted for the rimless ammunition and acted as a rim for which the hand ejector could engage and eject the spent ammo. Half-moon clips could be unloaded after use and new cartridges inserted for re-use multiple times. A full-moon (6 shot) clip also exists but did not come into being until after WWII. Single rounds could also be loaded into the revolver’s chambers without the use of the clips; but after firing had to be removed using a dowel or stick to poke the spent casing out of the cylinder. Clips were carried in pairs, 3 pairs total in the Holder, Clip, M1917. The revolver was carried in the Holster, Hip, M2 which was a cross-draw leather rig with leather loop for hanging on the pistol belt. Due to the heavy frame and barrel of the 1917 revolver, recoil is noticeably light and could be described as “pleasant” by many shooters. A lanyard loop is fitted to the butt of the weapon.

Revolver, .38 S&W caliber "Victory" revolver (Smith and Wesson)

The Victory model pistol was a six-shot revolver with a fluted cylinder and wood smooth grain stocks. It featured a lanyard loop on the butt and all models were double action/single action. The standard model used by US forces featured a 4" barrel (top) while a 5" barrel (bottom) also existed and was commonly sent to Britain via lend-lease. The revolver featured the standard flaming bomb proof mark and "US Property" markings on the top strap and barrel.

While underpowered when compared to the .45 the Victory was reliable and certainly better than nothing. It could be seen in use mainly by USMC airmen and Army tank crewman throughout the war; but also by frontline infantry. It was commonly carried in a cross draw shoulder holster or in a hip holster featuring a lift-the-dot closure snap. They were also available to servicemen by private purchase and packages from home. The revolver was carried in either the Holster, Hip, "Victory", M1942 or Holster, Hip, M1943.

An interesting note about the Victory: At the end of World War II the German arms industry was all but destroyed. Lacking suitable domestic small arms to re-arm the civilian police forces; the Victory was issued to German policemen bearing arms in the post-war reconstruction period. It was stamped with a small German proof mark on the back strap bearing the district it served in. The lower of the two pistols pictured here is one such firearm.

Carbine, .30 Caliber, M1
(Ref. Field Manual 23-7)

The M1 carbine of WWII was a magazine-fed, air-cooled, gas-operated shoulder weapon that fired from a rotating, closed bolt position. It held 15 rounds in its removable box magazine and unlike the later M2 type of the Korean War its operation was semi-automatic only. It was designed by David M. "Carbine" Williams, a convicted murderer. Williams helped engineers at the Winchester Repeating Arms Co. perfect his basic design. Over 6 million Carbines were produced in WWII, more than any other US small arm. They were produced by numerous makers and subcontractors including Inland, Winchester, Underwood, National Postal Meter, Saginaw, Quality Hardware, IBM, Standard Products, and Rock-Ola Music Corporation.
Designed for troops in rear areas it is a lightweight weapon for use up to 300 yards. It was intended to give more substantial firepower than a pistol, but not weigh as much as the service rifle. The M1 Carbine fit the bill. In Korea, the selective-fire M2 version came about allowing the user to choose either full or semi-automatic operation. Later in Korea, the M3 Carbine saw use with an early type of infrared scope and mount system.
During WWII there were various changes made to the M1 Carbine; especially late in the war. These consisted of parts modifications, and later arsenal re-finishing's and re-fits. An M1 Carbine with "Type 1" hardware is considered "correct" for WWII up into the Fall of 1944, as most of the modifications occurred after that time. "Type 1" simply refers to the first kind of parts used on Carbines in a string of parts that underwent multiple changes. Early M1's had an "I" cut sling/oiler slot in the stock later replaced by a straight cut. They also had a simple "L" shaped flip up peep style rear sight for 150 and a modest 300 yards. Type 1 barrel band, push-button safety, 2-hole hand guard, and "hi-wood" thin stock (not the post-war potbelly M2) are hallmarks of the WWII production carbine. It did not feature a bayonet lug (Type 3) barrel band during WWII for all intensive purposes. Only the type 1, M1 Carbine is correct for a 5th Ranger impression; the M1A1 model with folding stock as used by paratroops is not permitted. Only 15 round magazines should be used; although 5, 10, 20, 30 and 40 rounders do exist on the commercial market.

The weight of the weapon with 15-round magazine loaded was about 6 pounds. The weapon had a muzzle velocity of 1,970 feet per second. Maximum effective range was listed as 300 yards, but few men would trust the carbine beyond 100 yards, especially in cold climates where added layers of clothing worn by the enemy would further decrease the stopping power of the weapon. Depending on which veteran you talk to; you'll find the Carbine to be either well loved or extremely disliked. For the most part, it was used by NCO's, rear echelon troops and heavy weapons crews who had other loads to bear.

Rifle, .30 Caliber, M1903A3

The M1903A3 rifle was a bolt action long-arm with a 5 round integral (non-removable) box magazine. It was a simplified/improved version of the M1903 rifle that served alongside the M1917 Enfield in World War One. Commonly called the Springfield; it was also produced by other makers such as Remington and was it was the primary rifle of the American soldier up to 1937 when it was replaced with the M1 Garand (although it still saw service.)

The predecessor to the M1903A3 (the M1903) featured very intricate flip up sights for precision work at up to 1,000 yards. They proved too complicated for practical combat use and were replaced by a simplified yet functional peep rear sight on the 1903A3. Many 1903A3's found a place as rifle grenade launching platforms, with rubber recoil boot and M1 launcher attached. The bolt action made loading grenade launching blanks very easy for the user; and still allowed them to fire live ammo without removing the launcher adaptor.

Pictured above; top, is the M1903A3 with the the S or "scant" stock; below that is the more common straight stock as seen on the '03.

Rifle, Sniper, .30 Caliber, M1903A4

The M1903A4 was a specifically designed sniper rifle that came about as a result of early U.S. combat involvement in the Pacific. There was a high demand, that could not be filled, for telescopic (sniper) rifles. The Infantry Board and the Ordinance Department conducted an evaluation and recommended that the civilian Weaver 2.5 magnification model 330C hunting telescope be adopted for use on M1903A3 rifles. The rifle was officially adopted on 14 Jan 1943 as the M1903A4 (sniper). All of these were made by Remington and had off-set receiver markings that could still be read with the Redfield Jr. scope mount installed on the rifle. Front sights were removed, leaving the bare barrel visible. Serial numbers have a Z prefix in front. Both the Redfield one-piece base and 3/4" scope rings have parkerized finished, NOT blued. Scopes also included the Lyman-Alaskan, Weaver 330 and M73B1. The M73B1 was identical to the 330C but had the added designation of "M73B1" on the tube. The 330 was also identical to the 330C, except for the click adjustable cross hair on the 330C. The 330 had to be adjusted using a small screwdriver or combo tool. Rifle serial numbers were electro-penciled on the tube in many cases. Scopes featured a cross hair, post, or cross-and-post reticle; with the regular cross hair being the norm.

The M1903A4 (sniper) was an accurate rifle with an effective range of about 600 yards, with the main limit on long range accuracy coming from its very low power scope. From its adoption until the end of the war, the M1903A4 was used extensively in every theater of operation by both the US Army and the USMC. The rifle was again used in the Korean conflict, and even in the early stages of the Vietnam war when sniper rifles were in severe shortage.

The M1903A4 saw use in the hands of skilled Ranger snipers for the duration of the war. A sniper was usually at the squad or at minimum; company level in WWII Ranger battalions.

Pictured above is the M1903A4 with the the S or "scant" stock. In most cases the M1903A4 rifles featured a walnut full pistol grip stock known as the "C stock". Some 1903A4 rifles also had scant stocks as pictured, but not as many. None of them retained straight stocks.